Spending a summer day at Storm King Art Center is one of those fabulous day trips that makes you feel extremely grateful for living in this part of the country.  Take the kids on this escape, or not.  Either way, you’ll be glad you went.  Known throughout the art world as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center is about an hour from northern New Jersey, in New York’s lower Hudson Valley.  It’s basically a 500-acre retreat comprised of fields, hills, and woodlands, and it provides the setting for a collection of more than 100 stunning sculptures by such artists as …

The weather is still unpredictable enough this week that we recommend staying inside for your escape of choice. Take a few more weeks to huddle indoors and indulge in one of the greatest escapes ever invented: the movies!  The recently refurbished AMC Dine-In Theatre in West Orange’s Essex Green shopping center offers two types of experiences and both involve movies, food, beverage, and big, comfy, awesome seats. The Cinema Suites is swankier—it’s age 21 & over only and offers ‘premium’ dining. The Fork & Screen allows kids under 18, but they must be accompanied by an adult and the food is …

If you want to improve your mood and feel at peace, meditation is the way to go. When you close your eyes for a few minutes and explore your subconscious, you’ll be off to a serene comfort zone. Sue Waldman hosts a meditation night for women every Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m., at her office, 320A Bloomfield Ave., Verona. [Note: Due to space limitations, you must register in advance.] The relaxation begins almost immediately as you walk into her soft, artistic, intimate room filled with fresh flowers and angel statuettes; walls painted in mauve and violet; chairs with both rose and soft leopard-…

Do you feel like taking some time to relax and tan without the consequences of sun damage? Treat yourself to a tan at the Olive Organic Tan Spa, 427 Bloomfield Ave, Suite 203, Montclair. Owner Monika Emad wanted a positive tanning facility that gave clients the illusion of the golden glow, but was not harmful to the body. The tanning formula used is created with only healthy, organic ingredients: organic sugar, organic aloe, organic tea extract and organic grapefruit extract. The result is an airbrushed natural golden-brown tan without exposing your body to harmful chemicals, UV rays or …

Looking for a private place to relax, have a tea and a spa treatment? Harmony Day Spa, 10 Brookside Ave., 2nd Fl., Caldwell, may be just what the doctor ordered. Harmony Day Spa offers advanced skin and body care treatments that produce results for luminous skin while encouraging stress reduction. “We’re a boutique skin care studio,” said owner and esthetician, Amy Waldorf. “We do not offer hair and nails. You’re not going to run into somebody when you’re here. We try to keep it semi-private. We’re small and we kind of like it like that.” Services include therapeutic, hot stone and Swedish …

Do you feel a need to take a relaxing journey without traveling too far? Why not try a Reiki session at Crystaline Heart, 466 Pompton Ave, 2nd Fl., Cedar Grove. Reiki is a natural way to redirect energy. You simply lay down, fully clothed, close your eyes and relax while the practitioner gently places his/her hands of different parts of your body. You will feel an overall sense of relaxation and oftentimes some heat or tingling sensations throughout the body. It doesn’t take long either, within an hour you will feel completely relaxed. Isabelle Otero, owner of Crystaline Heart, began her …

You’ll really start your romantic evening off on a good foot by choosing to dine at CulinAriane, 33 Walnut St., Montclair. The cozy and highly acclaimed restaurant is off the beaten path. So besides being low key, you won’t be driving around for ages looking for a parking spot. (And Montclair is notorious for its bad parking situation!) Voted as one of the best restaurants in the area by Zagat, the dining room is relatively small, only seating 48 people, making for a very intimate evening. It’s comfortable and unpretentious, with simple décor, such as fresh flowers on the table and a …