Where-To-Go Wednesday - Whippany Railway Museum

What: Whippany Railway Museum 

Where: 1 Railroad Plaza, Route 10

             Whippany, NJ 

Who: All ages

When: Open most Sundays, April through mid-October

The Whippany Railway Museum is a train lover's paradise. The museum's location was formerly a train depot and railyard.  On the property grounds, there are numerous old train cars, including at least one or two cabooses and a couple of steam engines. Many of the cars on display were local to the New Jersey area back when train travel flourished. These include cars from the New Jersey Coast Line and the Lackawanna No. 2454. Several of the train cars, but not all, are open to visitors. 

Other cars, vehicles, and objects on the grounds include an old refrigerator car, a railbus, and a display of different train signals. A few historic train-related buildings can also be found there.  

A small, jam-packed indoor museum houses train-related exhibits. They include ones devoted to dining on trains, train depots, and the Freedom Train. There is also a working model railroad. Another location on the site houses an entire model railroad exhibit. Plus, there is also an exhibit specifically about Lionel trains and their connection to New Jersey. 

In addition to seeing trains and learning about them, you can actually ride one at the museum. On certain special occasions, such as around Easter or Halloween, historic train rides are available.

And that's our view. For more about the Whippany Railway Museum or to purchase tickets online for one of its special events, visit whippanyrailwaymuseum.net. We will also be talking more about the museum and its exhibits on other types of transportation in next week's Where-To-Go Wednesday. 

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

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Giveaway: Win a copy of Daughters of Daring in the Falling Into Leaves Giveaway Hop!

 

Welcome to the Falling Into Leaves Giveaway Hop

hosted by Mama the Fox and Mom Does Reviews

Falling into a pile of leaves can be a bit risky. You assume (and perhaps hope) that the pile will be big enough to cushion your fall. For some, that level of risk is enough. Others, however, are drawn to riskier activities, like Hollywood's cowgirl stuntwomen who constantly put their life on the line for their jobs.  To learn more about the lives and careers of some of these brave performers, read Chris Enss' intriguing and informative book, Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women. For more about this book, see our previous post Tips for Tuesdays - Books: Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women. Enter to win a copy below:

Giveaway Dates 9/16 - 9/30

Giveaway Open to Ages 18+ US

Win a copy of Daughters of Daring Once you enter our giveaway, hop around to the blogs listed below to see what other great prizes you can enter to win.

Disclaimer: Hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors and self-sponsoring bloggers who do not fulfill prize obligations. To win any giveaway, please remember that following all instructions for any entry claimed is mandatory for that entry to count. All entries will be checked. Those that do not follow all instructions will be disqualified. Please do not claim an entry for following our blog, Twitter, or other social media if you don't. Repeatedly entering our giveaways and claiming to be a follower when you are not will result in disqualification from all current and future giveaways. If you do follow our blog and/ or social media, don't let your entry be disqualified; be sure to leave your follower name and/or a comment link.

Any images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used with permission. Address concerns regarding image usage here.

Tips for Tuesday - Books: It's All Coming Back to Me Now & Murder on the Upper East Side; Movie: Violet and Marlowe Rob Bank

We may have received complimentary copies and/or review access to any books, products, and/or other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: It's All Coming Back to Me Now & Murder on the Upper East Side

Today we recommend It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Vito Luprano. As a music executive and producer who worked with Celine Dion for most of her career, Vita Luprano had a front-row seat to her rise from a shy young girl who couldn't speak English to a superstar recording artist who can sing in multiple languages. Now, he's sharing his story and looking back on the good, the bad, and the in-between of what it was like to be a part of her meteoric rise. 

The book also examines how Dion's ascent fundamentally changed the music world. Plus, it discusses the way music itself and the way we acquire and experience music have changed since she began her career and how that has affected not only her but the entire industry. Whether you are a fan of Celine Dion or music in general, you will want to read this fascinating book. 

Today, we are talking about Murder on the Upper East Side by Gigi Waldorf. In her senior year of high school, Hannah Miller, along with her sister, Ami, transferred to the prestigious Prescott Academy. As a scholarship student, she never really fit in and spent most of her time trying to steer clear of the two school queen bees, Madison Dupont and Elle Harrington, and protect her sister from Madison's wrath. Years later, Madison is murdered at a reunion, and Hannah is the primary suspect.

If you like this sort of book, the plot is probably intriguing enough to hold your interest, but it doesn't really offer anything new to the genre. Neither the characters nor the plot feel very original; they just feel like retreads of something you've seen or read before. Almost everything about the plot, including the resolution, feels familiar, and the characters don't seem unique either; they mostly fill cliched slots in the story like the spoiled rich girl, the best friend, the playboy, the outsider, etc. This doesn't mean it's not possible to enjoy reading this book. There just isn't anything particularly exciting or special about it. 

Movie: Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank

Today, we are talking about Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank, a short animated movie by filmmaker Wesley Wang that is under consideration for a nomination for the 99th Academy Awards. The film is about a pair of oppressed bunnies who must resort to armed robbery to get their carrots. The film is surprisingly poignant and relatable. The juxtaposition of the bunnies' cuteness and the violent action they are driven to commit emphasizes the film's messages about power imbalance, inequality, resistance, and more.

And that's our view. It's All Coming Back to Me Now was published in January. Murder on the Upper East Side was published last Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank will be available for screening at various film festivals.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

All images used in this post, except the Murder on the Upper East Side book cover image, were sent to us by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms. Address concerns regarding image usage here.