Every now and then on weekends we like to explore more around where we live. With a car, the possibilities are endless in discovering what surrounds us. In searching for ideas on day trips from NYC, I came across White Post Farms, located in Melville NY on Long Island. With a little over an hour drive from Brooklyn, it seemed like a nice escape for the day. I had never heard of this farm before, but was pleasantly surprised by what it offered.

Family Fun NYC Day Trips: White Post Farms

Spending the day at White Post Farms was such a blast. There was so much to see and do, and Terra never got bored. The close interaction with the animals was so unique. Here’s everything you need to know about spending a day trip here.

The Market

Upon arriving at White Post Farms you’ll see a large market with parking lot to the right. We went on a slightly rainy day so the parking lot was half empty when we got there. First we checked out the market and grabbed a bite to eat. There was a lot to pick from, various sandwiches, soups, salads and drinks like coffee, tea, and smoothies. The food tasted very fresh and it was made to order. Outside is a large seating area to eat with covered tables, so it was nice even in the misty rain.

In the market area there was various farm fresh local food, as well as fresh baked goodies. Behind the market is another shop which we mostly just passed through to get to the actual farm. There are signs leading to the farm entrance so it’s very easy to find.

Entry into the Farm

Before you enter the farm you have to pay for tickets and any extras you choose. For us tickets were $18 each, even for kids. We also opted to get a combo package including a bottle of milk and cups of food to feed the animals, a pony ride and train ride. The combo gives a big discount so it makes more sense to get it.

Terra feeding a goat near the entrance to the farm

Adorable pigs nearby the goats

Feeding more goats she loved it!

Pigs and Goats

As you enter the farm the first thing you’ll see are the goats and pigs. They especially love the milk and the food, so we spent some time here feeding them. Terra loved having them eat right from her hands. We found the setup really nice to be able to get up close and personal with the animals, something we’ve rarely seen elsewhere. Next to the animals are hand washing stations, which are great for keeping hands clean in between feedings.

Birds landing right on Terra's head, she loved it!

The birds lined up on a rope

Aviary with Exotic Birds

Located close to the pigs and goats was an aviary, filled with Australian lorikeets and other exotic birds. They have nectar cups for sale before you enter, but at first we opted not to buy. However when we saw the birds were only interacting with those who had the nectar, we decided to buy a few cups. It was so cool having them land on us and feed on the nectar. The interactivity here was truly enjoyable and unique. They even landed on our heads a few times, Terra wasn’t sure what to think of it!

The alpacas were so cute

The camels, we rode these in Morocco!

A group of lemurs cuddling together while sleeping, so cute!

We fed the zebras through the chute

Exotic Animals

Throughout the rest of the farm are plenty of exotic animals, some of which I’ve really only seen in zoos. We saw zebras, monkeys, lemurs, alpacas, kangaroos, and various types of camels. Terra especially loved seeing the camels after our camel trekking trip to the Sahara Desert. Some of these animals you can’t get close or interact with, but you can feed them food down a chute. Nearby the animals was an explanation of what they are and the region they come from, which I thought was cool.

Getting up close and personal with Patches the Giraffe

Patches the Giraffe

One of the highlights of our visit here was being able to get up close and personal with the Patches the giraffe. We were able to pet his head and feed him veggies. Being that it’s one of our dreams to do an African Safari and stay at Giraffe Manor, we loved being able to experience this close to home as well. We definitely recommend visiting just for this alone!

Terra enjoying the pony ride

The train ride, Terra loved it!

Train and Pony Rides

Aside from feeding the animals there are pony and train rides. Since we got the combo package they were both included. Terra really enjoyed both of these and it was organized quite nicely. The train went around a few times, so it was a good length of time. Nearby the train were a few food places with kid friendly options for a quick snack.

The main playground area, so fun!

Terra loved exploring all the miniature houses

Playground Area and Miniature Houses

Next to the exotic animals was a big playground with mini houses lined up next to each other. The miniature houses were especially popular with the kids as they loved going inside and peeking through the windows. Terra could have spend a few hours here alone if we let her. It was a great way to end our day here after seeing all the animals. Your kids will be quite worn out after this!

Bird Show and Water Slides

At various times in the day there’s a bird show showcasing some of the exotic birds they have on the farm. The timing didn’t work out for us to see it, but it looked like a cool event to check out while here. There were also big bounce houses with water slides, but due to the weather we chose not to go here. But it looked great for a nice summer day!

After spending a day here, we definitely think White Post Farms was a worthwhile trip. The ability to interact and get close to so many animals was a wonderful experience. All of the other activities on the farm were a bonus! If you’re looking for ideas on day trips from NYC, this should be on your list.

Have you been to White Post Farms? If so we’d love to hear about your experience here!

The post NYC Day Trips: White Post Farms in Long Island appeared first on Our Travel Soup.

As September arrives we start to think about apple picking and harvest festivals. It’s become a yearly tradition to go with Terra and make homemade applesauce. Living in NYC we are surrounded by plenty of farms to choose from. Since we mostly go upstate, I thought this year we’d try to check out some in Jersey as well. Being in Brooklyn it was much easier to access not having to drive through the city to get there.

Apple Picking Near NYC: Alstede Farms

Alstede Farms was recommended by a friend and also popped up throughout my search. It was only about an hour drive from us, so we decided to plan a day trip there. We went a bit early in apple season around mid-September. It seemed to be less busy around this time, as we’ve heard from others that it can get quite crowded on weekends.

Entry to the Farm

As you arrive at Alstede Farms there’s a large parking lot with attendants helping to navigate you to available spots. It was well organized and easy to manage. After parking we walked towards the farm, where we were greeted by a few farm animals before entering. This as a nice way to get the kids excited about going to the farm. We spent a bit of time petting the horse and donkey before heading on our way.

The market area with homemade ice cream and pumpkins

The area to purchase the tickets and apple boxes/bags were to the right after entering. Since we were ready for lunch we decided to check out the food area first. There’s a tent with various choices (hotdogs, burgers, fries, sandwiches, etc.) We also saw a homemade ice cream stand near the market with a lot of flavors to pick from. There’s also a farm market here with lots of fresh goodies and even some local wine. Of course there are also apple cider donuts, our personal fall favorite.

Apple Picking

After paying for entry, you can choose to either walk or take a tractor to the U-Pick farm. There are also wagons free to use if you choose to walk. We opted for the tractor for the experience and ease of reaching the various spots quickly. It comes every 10-15 minutes so we never waited long for one.

Wandering around the orchard

Terra picking some apples, she loved helping out!

Since we were mostly interested in just apples we went to the orchards first. There were some types of apples that weren’t ripe yet, but a good amount available for us to pick from. Since we were there early in the season we found the trees were packed with apples and some even untouched. This farm isn’t organic so we saw some chemical residue on the apples, something to keep in mind if you decide to sample a few while picking.

Sunflower field next to the orchard

Close to the orchards was a sunflower field, available to pick from. After wandering through the field a bit we waited for the tractor to take us to our next stop.

Corn Maze

The next stop after the apples was the corn maze. Since Terra wasn’t really interested we decided to skip this, but it looked fun. There were a few snacks being sold outside of it in case you need a hunger boost.

Berries and Peaches

Our last stop on the tractor ride was the berries and peaches, located right next to each other. We were only interested in peaches as it was towards the end of berry season so passed up on them. The peach trees were really full and perfectly ripe. Since our box was nearly full we decided to head back.

Before you exit the U-Pick area you have to pay for what you picked. We filled a fairly large box of apples and peaches for around $35, so the price wasn’t too bad for what we got.

Terra trying out the large bubbles in the activities area of the farm

There was also hula hoops to try out

The clown from the puppet show playing tricks on Terra

Other Farm Activities

There’s a lot of other farm fun activities located around the entry area. There are giant bubbles that kids can make and some hula hoops at the end of the tractor ride. There’s also a puppet show at various times throughout the day. Terra’s favorite part was being able to see and feed the animals again. This was a nice way to end our day here.

The cows were so cute!

Feeding the horse, he was so gentle!

She just loves feeding and petting the animals

Overall we found Alstede Farms to be a pleasant fun-filled day. It was well organized and easy to navigate. You can really spend a whole day here, but we found 3-4 hours to be sufficient. It’s a great choice for apple picking near NYC, our favorite part of autumn!

What’s your favorite apple picking spot near NYC? We’d love more ideas!

Save and read for later!

The post Apple Picking Near NYC: Alstede Farms in NJ appeared first on Our Travel Soup.