Father's Day - Beyond the Tie

When I was a kid, we had a pretty limited list of items on our Father's Day menu of gifts.

Dad could look forward each year to a new bottle of Old Spice or Aqua Velva, a pack of white short-sleeved Hanes Beefy T's, a box of handkerchiefs, or — wait for it — a new tie.

Fast forward a generation, and my husband and dad have both exhausted a updated list of tried-and-true manly gifts: trail mix, boutique beers, grilling accoutrements, pro-baseball/hockey/basketball tickets.

And they both have so many neckties that they could easily string them together to form a span across the Grand Canyon — twice.

It's time to think outside the (tie) box. Here's a few local ideas  — plus a handful of dad gifts from the internet:

• Motorcycle Mania — Dad can look at the widest selection of motorcycles and related sport driving items in the area and possibly the whole state at Belleville's Motorcycle Mall. Even if he just spends his big day test driving a few and doesn't make a purchase, he'll be happy for the experience! —Belleville.

• Stuffed Cupcakes — The Stuffed Cupcake Place of Nutley is the place known all over New Jersey for the greatest, widest selection of cupcakes anywhere. A little Red Velvet - in cupcake form, might be just the thing for Dad's sweet tooth this weekend. — Nutley.

• Guns and Ammo — If Dad has even the slightest interest in target shooting, the Bullet Hole Shooting Sports and Indoor Range has something for any skill level, including a first-time novice. So if Dad wants to blow off some steam, literally, this might be the place. — Belleville

Instead of purchasing a present, do you want to make something out of the box for dad?

• Purchase a copy of "Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats" and make dad some delicious cake pops adorned with the logo of his favorite sports team (seriously, it's in the book!).
• Go to the Home Depot website and find out how to build a firepit or outdoor theater(because Dad needs an outdoor firepit to pop popcorn for his outdoor movies!).

And from the Internet (you may need to pay extra for on-time delivery at this point!):

• Personalized golf clubs for dad
• Gadget charger for dad’s car 
  
• Beats headphones to drown out “house noises”

Finally, my personal favorite: 

• Universal remote and bottle opener

Did we miss a great non-necktie Father's Day gift? Tell us in the comments!

- Thanks to Kathy Pigott for compiling most of this list!