New Jersey hotel caters to children with autism

by Melanie Nayer on

One New Jersey hotel is hoping to help families traveling with children with autism. The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly has opened its Alpine Suite, specifically designed for kids with autism.

Tony Morreale, the hotel’s manager, and parent of an autistic child, came up with the idea after having trouble finding hotel rooms that were safe for children with varying degrees of autism. The Alpine Suite in the Clinton Inn Hotel is complete with furniture with rounded corners, décor that cannot be moved and an alarm on the door to alert grownups if a child tries to leave. Other added touches include plastic glasses instead of glassware, a flat-panel television set affixed to the wall, and safety latches on all the cabinets and drawers throughout the suite.

According to reports from a New Jersey government task force, 1 in 94 children in New Jersey has a form of autism; 1 in approximately 110 children across the nation falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. The Clinton Inn is hoping to help travelers with autistic family members sleep a little easier on vacation knowing their kids are safe in the hotel room.

The Clinton Inn Hotel is located minutes from New York City, so families looking for a New York escape can easily make the trek into Manhattan.

Get out and go: Events around the world (December 2-5)

by Brenda Yun on

It’s time to look at the festivals and events happening around the world, and this week has a particularly international selection of happenings. If you’re close and have time, then you have no excuse to get out and go!

  • Alaska – The Talkeetna Winterfest will take place in Talkeetna, Alaska throughout the month of December. The month long celebration features various activities, including Taste of Talkeetna, Broom Ball and Bachelor Auction.
  • Hobart – It may be winter in the States, but it’s summer in Tasmania, and the Hobart Summer Festival will be held for the whole month of December in Hobart.
  • British Virgin Islands – The Fireball Full Moon Party will take place today (Wednesday, December 2) in Trellis Bay, British Virgin Islands.
  • Seattle – Seattle’s Winter Beer Festival takes place at Hale’s Ales Brewery this Friday, December 4. More than 30 Washington State breweries will be pouring their winter brews. There will be a vintage beer tasting featuring favorites from years past. Pub food will be available as well as a selection of fine chocolates and holiday gifts for sale.
  • Aberdeen – We Americans may not “get it” but curling is a real spectator sport in some parts of the world. The European Curling Championships will take place this Friday, December 4 in Aberdeen, Scotland and will last through the week until the 12th.
  • New Jersey – Annual Festival of Trees will begin this Friday, December 4 in Basking Ridge and will continue for over a week through the 13th.
  • St. Lucia – Jade Mountain will hold its annual chocolate festival this weekend, from December 4-6. It is a delicious, interactive and exotic introduction to the world’s favorite aphrodisiac. Cacao has a history in St Lucia that dates back to the 1700’s.

If you make it to one of these events, let us know how it was, or if you know of an event that’s coming up, please let us know and we’ll be sure to include it in the next “Get out and go” round-up.

New Jersey’s Wild West

by Annie Scott on

Fancy a trip to the Wild West but don’t feel like leaving the Eastern seaboard? Take a trip to New Jersey’s Wild West City, a theme park in Netcong, New Jersey (right).

At Wild West City, you and your family can stroll down a replica 1880 Main Street (you can even shoot a film there, just get permission), and while there are no rollercoasters, you can take a ride on a stagecoach, a pony, or a train. The $13.50 admission ($12.50 for kids) includes 22 live shows, all the museums and live historical exhibits, a tour of their Barnyard Zoo, and panning for gold. They also have 18 holes of Old West-themed miniature golf if you are in the mood for some quaint anachronistic leisure. Anachrontastic.

Wild West City is currently in their 51st year, and though this season’s over, they have a number of post-season events for both families and the 21-and-over set, including a garage sale (they’re bound to have some quirky stuff!) and several concerts.

Your trip to the Wild West may be just west of the Hudson River. You’ll need a car to get there, but parking is free. It might be worth getting a Zipcar to get your city kids out of the city.

Rockefeller Christmas tree chosen and en route

by Tom Johansmeyer on

For a tree-grower, there’s no honor greater than to have yours chosen to sit at the center of the Christmas universe: Rockefeller Center. This year, the winner is Maria Corti. A 10-ton, 76-foot Norway spruce was cut down in her Easton, Connecticut backyard on Wednesday and is being carted down to Manhattan. She called Rockefeller Plaza more than nine months ago to make the offer. This was one of dozens of trees pitched for the big event this year.

Corti is not a tree farmer. Rather, she’s a fifth grade teacher who happened to have tree seven decades old in her yard. And, as she told the New York Post, “I’d like to share this tree with the people of the world.” The tree is expected to hit midtown today and will be lit on December 2, 2009. Corti’s spruce helped Connecticut recapture the Rock Center honor. Last year’s tree came from Hamilton, New Jersey.

[Photo by cchen via Flickr]

Woman sues Hyatt after dancing wedding guest breaks her arm

by Katie Hammel on

Weddings are a time of celebration. People like to have a few drinks, maybe hit the dance floor. But there always seems to be one guest who takes things too far – who drinks a little too much and gets a little too wild. At a wedding at a New Jersey Hyatt in 2008, that guest not only got a bit too drunk, he allegedly got so forceful on the dance floor that he broke another guest’s arm. And now Hyatt could be held responsible.

According to the New York Post, Christine Mancision was getting her groove on when James Graeber grabbed her, and flung her so violently across the dance floor that she fell down and hurt her arm. She went to the hospital, where she found out her wrist was broken and she needed surgery. She’s now suing the Hyatt for over-serving Graeber, who she claims was visibly intoxicated.

The suit is for $1 million and claims Hyatt violated New Jersey’s “dram shop” laws by serving someone who was obviously drunk. Mancision’s lawyer said the Hyatt “owes an obligation to its guests . . to not fuel the fire of intoxication by pouring alcohol down the throat of an intoxicated person.” Really, a Hyatt staff member poured alcohol down the throat of Graeber?

Getting manhandled by some drunk buffoon at a wedding is not fun (though probably not all that uncommon). But how can the court say that wouldn’t have happened had the Hyatt not given the guy another drink? And how can they prove he was “visibly intoxicated”? Everyone does the chicken dance at weddings. That proves nothings. Will the wedding video be called in as evidence?

If it’s true, what happened to Mancision was unfortunate. But it seems like her “assailant” should be the one who pays for her hospital bills, not the hotel.

%Gallery-73517%

%Gallery-68288%

%Gallery-65766%

[via Vagabondish]