Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for new jersey
Step Back in Time in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
The town of Belvidere, New Jersey, located at the junction of the Delaware and Pequest rivers in Warren County, offers visitors a step back in time to the Gilded Age. The town’s growth in river transport, mining, farming, and retail coincided with the trend-setting movements in fashion, culture and architecture under Queen Victoria’s reign. The young town, incorporated just within years following the ascension of England’s Queen Victoria to the throne, embodies the legacy of this bygone era. More than 100 of the town’s residential, commercial, and municipal structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of them reflecting classic Victorian architecture. You’ll also find examples of such styles as a Swedish vertical log cabin, carpenter Gothic and Tuscan. Several boutique shops offer Victorian era clothing and furnishings, both authentic and reproductions. You can learn about Victorian era mourning and burial customs through a guided walk of the historic cemetery. There’s so much to do and see you might as well stay the night at the Hotel Belvidere in one of their period rooms. Sweet dreams.
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Hawk Watch in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
The time is ripe for hawk watchers to visit Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Located along the First Watchung Ridge, the park is one of the East Coast’s premier locations to watch thousands of raptors migrate south every autumn. In the Miller Lane section of this natural setting boasting over 700 acres, hawks, eagles and falcons wing their way over the treetops from August to November to points south in Central and South America. Mind you, there’s a world underfoot as well, like largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and yellow perch in the 21-acre reservoir at the Newman’s Lane section. Bounded by pine and hemlock forests, open freshwater wetland marshes, and impressive rock outcroppings, the area offers some of the best hiking and mountain biking in the state.
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Follow the Vines Along Delaware River Valley
By Linda Tancs
In summer it’s easy to see why New Jersey earns its moniker as The Garden State, offering a bumper crop of tomatoes, sweet corn, berries, plums, peaches and other delectables. Like wine. That’s right. Move over, Tuscany. You can sample and experience a bevy of award-winning fine wines of Hunterdon and Mercer counties, just one hour from New York City or Philadelphia. The Delaware River Valley Wine Trail boasts four vineyards: Old York Cellars, Unionville, Hopewell Valley and Terhune Orchards. Tasting rooms open at noon on weekends at Old York and Terhune and every day at Unionville and Hopewell Valley. Hopewell’s tasting room is a destination in itself, featuring a brick oven pizza stove and a wine bar overlooking the glorious vineyards. Check for special events at each location, too, like wine and music under the stars. With dozens of varietals awaiting your taste buds, you’ll be enjoying the ambience for years to come.
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New Jersey Ice Cream Festival
By Linda Tancs
At Toms River this weekend it’s time to get your licks in. On 16 July downtown Washington Street will celebrate the ninth annual Ice Cream Festival. What could be better on a hot summer day than an afternoon of tastings, including ice cream eating contests for both adults and children! Which ice cream do you think is “Best in New Jersey?” Bring your palate to the ballot.
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George Washington Remembered
By Linda Tancs
In December each year George Washington’s decisive victories against the British during the American Revolution are revisited. In particular, his Continental Army’s famous crossing of the Delaware River from a stronghold in Pennsylvania on Christmas Day in 1776 is recounted in various re-enactments. His plan was to attack the British at the Hessian-held town of Trenton, just across the Delaware River in New Jersey. The prospects were dim, considering the beleaguered condition of the soldiers and the raging weather. But the attack took the opposing forces by surprise, resulting in a victory that marked a turning point in the war. Washington Crossing Historic Park will host a dress rehearsal on 12 December from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. prior to the Christmas Day event at 1 p.m. Across another “pond” even more Washington memorabilia is available in England’s Northamptonshire at Sulgrave Manor, home of the President’s ancestors.
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Light Show on the Lake in Smithville
By Linda Tancs
The colonial history of New Jersey, one of the 13 original British colonies, began after Henry Hudson sailed through Newark Bay in 1609 and claimed the land for the Dutch. Subsequently surrendered to the British, its early colonial roots are celebrated in the quaint hamlet of Historic Smithville, located off Exit 48 on the Garden State Parkway. Today through 2 January the village of shoppes and cozy eateries hosts its annual sound and light show on Lake Meone, a festive affair where over 100 Christmas trees seemingly float about to seasonal music. Enjoy it each weekend between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
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Holiday Cheer Coming to Whippany Railway
By Linda Tancs
All aboard for the Santa Claus Special at the Whippany Railway grounds in Morris County, New Jersey. Beginning on 5 December, the annual 10-mile, 45-minute train ride features gifts and merriment from Santa and his helpers. Located at Railroad Plaza in Whippany, the railway museum also offers a glimpse into local railroad history on Sundays only from April through October. The grounds include a Central Railroad of New Jersey club car, the Jersey Coast. You’ll also find the Pennsylvania Railroad caboose, the old railroad company being one of the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. Its likeness has even been imitated by the Lionel toy train company; a model has been in production since 1953. Plan to come back for the spring thaw.
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Arts and Crafts Flourishes in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
There’s a National Historic Landmark tucked away in the central New Jersey township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. One of only 55 such landmarks in the state, the property is Craftsman Farms, the former home of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley. A major proponent of the “Arts and Crafts” home building and furnishing movement, Stickley’s 1905 log home rests on 30 quiet acres. A centerpiece, the Main House, has recently been restored to its 1910-1917 appearance. In the tradition of other great American homes like Washington’s Mount Vernon, Stickley’s earthy masterpiece is self-sufficient, sporting gardens for vegetables and flowers, as well as orchards, dairy cows and chickens. Located on Manor Lane, the log house is open for guided tours on weekends year round.
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Rural Life in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
Experience rural life in the late Victorian era at Fosterfields Farm, a living historical farm in Morristown, New Jersey. The first of its kind in the state, the property was bequeathed to the local park commission by Caroline Foster, a successor in title from General Joseph Warren Revere, grandson of Paul Revere. Drop by and take in the agricultural heritage of the Garden State.
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New Jersey Film Festival Reels Them In
By Linda Tancs
Over twenty film/video directors, artists, and actors will delight visitors at this year’s New Jersey Film Festival. The event will run through 4 November and feature over 50 film screenings, many of them premieres. Enjoy the cushioned seats, stadium seating and high definition projection and sound systems at the primary screening venue in Voorhees Hall at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Highlights include experimental film screenings on Thursday nights and the annual Halloween 3D Show (on 28 October), featuring a 3D screening of Creature From the Black Lagoon. Tickets for the festival are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Better hurry!
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