Things To Do in Hopatcong

Within the 5,000-square-foot Ballplayer’s Edge facility, baseball and softball players train to swing the bat faster, throw the ball harder, and play the game better. The facility’s crack team of coaches—led by Joel Burgos, hitting coach for Rutgers University-Newark—improve strength, agility, and instincts with training tools that include four adult-size batting cages and the ProBatter PX2 hitting simulator. The simulator immerses players in game-like situations, complete with virtual pitchers delivering strikes from either the windup or the stretch. Meanwhile, RightView Pro video analysis captures each home-run cut, shown bunt, and taunt lobbed at the computerized player, allowing for side-by-side comparison with major-league swings.

In the summer, Captain Don Cartwright migrates from Florida to New Jersey to captain fishing trips off Sandy Hook and Raritan Bays aboard his 35-foot boat, the Bill Chaser. Cartwright, who has a US Coast Guard master's license and more than 20 years of fishing experience, helps groups hook everything from striped bass and bluefish to larger catches such as bluefin tuna and shark.

Recently opened after a complete renovation, CityPlex12 Newark fills its 12 screens with a schedule of first-run Hollywood hits. High-backed rocker chairs make up the stadium seating, while 4K digital projection allows audiences to see each and every molecule that form their favorite star’s face. The centerpiece of the complex is its Shaq*DX theater, equipped with a towering 47-foot screen and Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound.

Since 1959, the reigns that urge Circle Lanes forward have been handed down through three generations. While the establishment still cultivates the now-retro vibe that characterized its early years, it's also outfitted with modern accoutrements including AMF automatic scoring and regular laser-bowl sessions that set brightly colored accents aglow. The facility features 34 Heddon synthetic lanes, which beckon sure-footed bowlers and discerning woodchucks alike with wood approaches. Bumpers are also available for those who can't yet roll between the lines. Beyond the lanes, Circle Pizzeria stands ready to serve a menu that sates appetites at all hours. Breakfast food such as muffins, omelets, and egg sandwiches gives way midday to a selection that includes roast-beef club sandwiches and pizzas topped with meatballs. Nearby, fellow patrons sit at Cabaret Lounge's wooden bar to sip beer, wine, or mixed drinks. Dartboards, a pool table, and a big-screen television offer additional diversions, ideal for distracting opponents while filling the finger holes on their bowling balls with mustard.

Professional Fencing Coach and Master Slava Danilov, as well as his lieutenant, Samir Machmoud, combine to bring more than 60 years of international fencing experience to Morris Fencing Club. Their collective expertise includes a bronze medal in the 1996 World Cup and an Egyptian national championship, plus coaching accolades that include leading their students to multiple World Junior Championship medals. Despite this imposing body of work, the duo also specializes in teaching fencing to beginners through their club programs, such as group lessons, private instruction, and camps. Regardless of prior experience, whether an Olympic-level epee swordsman or a person whose closest activity to fencing is making shish kabobs, students can comfortably enroll at Morris Fencing Club to build character and stamina through participation in the fun and active sport.

Tiny tumblers flip, twirl, and roll across the blue and black padded expanse of Kangaroo Kidz Youth Gymnastics’ studio. The center’s skilled instructors helm Mommy and Me classes, where kids as young as 1 years old discover the world around them with songs and examinations of specific pieces of equipment. Classes for older students build strength and flexibility through exercises such as headstands, cartwheels, and back-hand springs. Outside of regular classes, summer camps keep kids occupied with activities and playtime unified by special weekly themes, such as the Olympics or mad science. Parents' Night Out evenings empower moms and dads to have a night on the town as their child plays at the center, practicing gymnastics moves with which to impress dates many years in the future.