'Tis the season for festive lights, jingle bells, and, of course, figuring out clever poses and hiding places for your Elf on the Shelf every single day until Christmas. This holiday season, you can put a new twist on the holiday tradition with a performance The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical by Mills Entertainment​.

The show's nationwide tour kicks off on Thursday, November 14, in Easton, Pennsylvania, and continues through Tuesday, December 29, with stops in Atlanta, GA, Red Bank, NJ, Lynn, MA, Wallingford, CT, and Sugarland, TX, among others.

For many locals, one of the most picturesque spots in Hunterdon County is Clinton. This New Jersey town boasts lovely views of the Raritan River running through the historic downtown area, and a majestic red mill that's one of the most-photographed buildings in NJ. Clinton is just 1.5 square miles, but what it loses in size it makes up for in atmosphere—there are great nature spots for hiking, picnicking, and swimming, as well as museums and historic sites, holiday-themed festivals and parades, and family-friendly restaurants.

This charming small town makes for a picture-perfect family day trip all year round. Read on for the highlights.

Looking for a new way to cool off this summer? How about slipping down a blow-up water slide and splashing into a beautiful NJ lake?

That's exactly what Lacey Township had in mind—so it's installing a huge new inflatable water park in Lake Barnegat (2nd Lake) in Forked River, which is slated to open in late June. Intended for swimmers ages 8 and older, the "hydro-playground" will combine slippery waters slides, bouncy inflatable climbers, floating balance beams, monkey bars, and more.

Not heading down the shore this summer? Residents of northern NJ can check out the water park at Lewis Morris County Park's Sunrise Lake Beach Club.