Mini Golf and Ice Cream on Rt. 57 in Lopatcong, NJ

There's a cute mini golf place in Lopatcong, NJ Warren County. It's located on Rt. 57 adjacent to the ice cream stand. Both are owned by Castlegate Farms.

For both the ice cream and the mini golf, prices can't be beat. 

Mini golf-wise, for a couple of dollars you get 18 holes with fun features like a waterfall, bridge over a little pond, sand dunes, and serene landscaped area. Although they do not have those typical, kid-friendly mini golf amusements like the hole where you get to fire your golf ball into a clown's mouth, shoot it under the bear's legs, and others... it's still decent mini golf with good clubs and balls, and a pleasant, clean and attractive setting.

At the Castlegate Ice Cream stand, they offer a wide variety of ice cream flavors, priced reasonably for a cone or cup, and a little more for a sundae. You can eat outside at tables, or cool down in their enclosed "restaurant" area where you can also order your choice of fun foods such as burgers, fries, nachos and such.

Behind the golf and ice cream they have a picnic area – open fields and tables where you can rent out for the day and host your kid's party or other event. I am not sure how much this costs but you can learn more at their website which is here: http://www.castlegatefarmsminigolf.com/site/

The Land of Make Believe - Hope, NJ Warren County

I can't believe I've lived in Warren County, NJ for 11 years and this is the first summer I've managed to visit The Land of Make Believe in Hope, NJ. Wow, now I know what we've been missing! The Land of Make Believe is a first-rate amusement park and water park in one that has all the appeal of a large carnival, coupled with the thrill of a really well-designed water park area. The first cool thing about this place is the price. We paid about 75 dollars for 3 tickets to ride all the rides all day and get free access to the water slides and other water-play amusements. (the per-ticket price is a couple dollars lower for kids under 2 and for seniors). Food prices were very reasonable, about $2.50 for a hot dog and $3 for a cheeseburger, roughly. In fact, I've never been to another amusement park in NJ where food costs this little. It was awesome!

So, let me give you the rundown of activities at the Land of Make Believe. They have the choo-choo train ride, which we found to be a great start to the day as it takes you for a tour around the park so you can find out exactly what there is to do. Then there is this awesome old fighter plane that kids and adults can take a little tour of the inside where all these funny looking gizmos and wires are poking out. Next they have all your average carnival rides – the dizzy dragon, the ferris wheel, the cars that whirl around in a circle, the carousel or merry-go-round if you prefer... ummm... the buccaneer-type ride, the mini free-fall... a little roller coaster that's fun for adults yet small/tame enough that even a 3-year-old would enjoy it. I'm sure there are more that I can't think of. Anyway, next they have a fun castle that kids can sit and enjoy a live performance (we didn't, but you could hear the minstrel or jester or whatever he was keeping the energy up the entire time – I believe kids from the audience are also invited to participate in the show.

So, what else... they have live farm animals to look at in "Old McDonald's Farm." There is Santa's Barn which you might be tempted to skip by the time you get there, but don't because inside is a secret winter wonderland all aglow with lighted trees and of course the merry man himself doing the obligatory lap thing and taking requests for Christmas gifts! They have a little Haunted Halloween area, and an arcade where the skee ball, whac-a-mole type game and other arcade games are priced at like a quarter or 50 cents per play... pretty cool! And you end up getting at least some of your money back because it's not too hard to win some tickets and earn a prize.

Then there is the water park – not to be missed! The main feature of that, we felt, was an awesome, huge pool where adults and kids of all ages could grab a one-person or two-person inner tube and go floating down the "river" past all these waterfalls and sprays and spots that you could get a little soak on a hot day. They play upbeat music (lots of Beatles and Motown the day we went – nice!) and you can just relax and float around and around the pool for as long as you want. Next, don't forget to stop at the Pirates Cove which is an awesome, multi-level "pirate ship" that people of all ages can climb up water-drenched steps, shoot water at your friends, family (and even strangers) using various squirting devices, slide down mini slides, get drenched under a giant bucket that repeatedly pours and spills water from the top, and basically have a blast!

And of course, the piece de resistance... all the huge water slides... something for kids of all ages... a bit of a hike up the multi-level staircases, but well worth the trek as you come sailing down in your inner tube, getting splished and splashed and just enjoying the day. They have the "big-kid" water slides such as the cannonball and what they were calling the Sidewinder – this is a water slide that's designed like a skateboard ramp where you plunge down one side and then shoot up the other. I don't go on rides like this but I have no doubt that it was thoroughly enjoyed by some of the more adventurous park-goers.

Last but not least, the food – hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers, ice cream, lemonade, soda, caramel corn, cotton candy... all the expected fare, but priced much lower than if, say you went to Great Adventure or some other overly commercial amusement park.

All in all, we really had a blast at the Land of Make Believe, and I'm pretty sure you will, too. Check them out at http://lomb.com, and pick a nice, sunny Saturday to take full advantage of all they have to offer for everyone in your family!