Week(end) 2: Hiking and Mata-Rocha

May 23, 2023

Last weekend (5/13), I went to Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge for a little hiking trip! Apologies to my pollen-allergic friends but this is a must-visit, there are numerous hiking trails – including a trail for mountain biking. There’s a bit of a beachy area that leads into Hooks Creek Lake, in which you can kayak and fish. If you follow the Blue Trail, then you’d be walking over Hooks Creek, from which you can find crabs. According to a few fishermen I met there, it’s a bit early in the season, but they were able to find quite a few crabs despite that. There are multiple observation decks from which you can gaze over the large fields and forests of Cheesequake, which also make it a perfect place for photography students to get a few pictures of native New Jersey flora and fauna, or for art students to relax and let nature take the hold on their respective art mediums.

This weekend (5/21) I went to an amazing cafe called Cafe Cirino. Located in South River, this Brazilian cafe was so cute and homey, and their pastries were delicious. My favorite of the treats I bought was their Mata-Rocha, which was a coconut and vanilla treat. It was a bun of bread with a creamy filling inside and on top, dusted with coconut flakes. It’s delicately sweet, not too much and not too little either.

I recommend checking out both places, the first for nature lovers such as myself, and the second is really for anyone. No matter where you go, be sure to have fun!