Hello! My name is Rosie C. I have a crazy, funny, cool restless 3rd grader named Jake! He loves to play Roblox, stalk his YouTube celebrities Dan TDM, Moose Craft, Unspeakable and Shark boy09 (I’m sure I forgot a few and when he reads this he will be annoyed lol!) and he loves watching anything on Cartoon Network. My child was born in an age of technology. You can love it or hate it…but sadly it’s here to stay. My child needs balance.
When I pull my son out of the technology world, this is where we venture off to….
The Avalon Park and Preserve is an amazing place to tune out the world and surround yourself with the sounds of nature all year round! The Avalon is located at 200 Harbor Rd, Stony Brook NY, 11790 and is roughly 140 acres of preserved land. This is a wonderland filled with grass trails, wood trails, and stone paths. Benches are strategically placed to take a break and “ooh and ahh” at the views. You can hear squirrels and bunnies rustling through the leaves. I’ve spotted red robins, blue jays, and cardinals flying in a hurry. The vibrant colors of their feathers pop against the forest. The trail leads you to the labyrinth that rests on top of the hill! It’s as if it is your reward for climbing such great heights. (Insert the Rocky Balboa theme music.) The labyrinth is such a sight to see! It’s circular pattern and maze-like design with stone and grass will have your child busy with their imaginations! Side note, the Avalon Park and Preserve has incredible youth and adult programs! Go to their website to check it out! My son Jacob has attended The Sky Lab classes. An unforgettable experience for an amateur astronomer! They have a portable planetarium and a telescope to look at the stars! It was massive and impressed my 3rd grader!
Next door to the Avalon, is an 11-acre serene pond that is named T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park. It’s an awesome place for photoshoots! The backdrop of the Avalon Preserve and a multitude of ducks, geese, birds, and swans on the pond is such a masterpiece. The feathered friends will flock to you looking for food! You will see many signs forbidding to feed the animals human food, please take heed of these signs because our human food is not healthy for the birds and will cause malnutrition and disease. No need to fret, you can go to gas station and deli in the Stony Book Village purchase duck feed!
After a fun-filled adventure at the Avalon Park & Preserve and T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park…I would say it’s time for a tasty treat! The Stony Brook Village is filled with delightful stores from clothing, cheese, chocolate to wine! My son and I ventured off to Sweet Mama’s. This restaurant and ice cream parlor has been bought and renamed several times, thankfully the ice cream parlor has always remained! Sweet Mama’s is a family restaurant that will make you feel welcome with their comfort food! They’ve got breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Waffles, eggs benedicts, paninis, salads, rocking ribs, Papa’s pot roast and so much more to wet your appetite! They also serve fresh baked pies and cakes!
I can guarantee this is a 100% foolproof way to take your kids out of the technology world without a fight!
Until our next adventure…KEEP CALM IT’S ALMOST THE WEEKEND!
Links for places mentioned
https://avalonparkandpreserve.org/youth-programs/
https://avalonparkandpreserve.org/about-the-park/
http://www.stonybrookvillage.com/what-to-do-attractions/t-bayles-minuse-mill-pond-and-park/
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