New Jersey Archives - Go Here, There, and Everywhere Category

This is why we love our state (and the ones nearby)

A walker’s guide to the great outdoors

If you’ve been missing travel, think about Henry David Thoreau.

Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, and died there on May 6, 1862. And except for just a couple of brief excursions to nearby states, he pretty much spent his whole life in his native town…and he found great inner peace and happiness there. He was quoted to say: ‘…I have been nailed down to this my native region so long and steadily, and made to study and love this spot of earth more and more’.

So, during this pandemic we’ve been essentially ‘nailed down’ as well. To keep sane, happy and healthy, we’ve rediscovered our local natural wonders and have logged in miles of trails over the past year. This Winter we braved the cold, and got outside to marvel and appreciate the beauty around us as we wait for better times ahead to explore further. Here are just a few thoughts on why we love walking in nature.


A river runs through it. How beautiful is the sound of rushing water as it travels along its bed, bubbling over rocks and branches? Creating pools and eddies, one can sit, stroll and hike along the riverbank and watch it for hours.

Why we love the Jersey Shore

Why we love the Jersey Shore

With a cancelled trip to Europe in July and no return to travels afar anytime soon, we needed to keep our much needed Summer getaways close to home this year. So here we are at the beginning of Fall, thinking back to this years trips to peaceful, relaxing destinations filled with long sunny days making memories with our family.

The Jersey Shore. Anyone hailing from the Garden State has grown up jam-packing the family car for a trip ‘down the shore’. Pick your exit on the Garden State Parkway beginning from Sandy Hook (117) all the way to Cape May at exit 0.

If you grew up in Jersey, the shore is part of your culture. As a kid, you remember family trips in station wagons, sand castles and seashells. As a teen, you remember shore houses with friends, bars, bands and parties that raged. As a parent you remember dragging chairs, blankets, umbrellas and toys and constantly watching the little ones not get pummeled by waves. And now, in later years, it’s time to relax, spending long days reading, napping and just gazing at the relentless surf, taking a much needed break from the every day.


If you’re planning a visit, come see why we love the Jersey Shore…

The Beach…(duh)…New Jersey beaches are beautiful. Most have grassy dunes protecting the soft, white, shifting sands, and the water warms up to refreshing levels in the high 70’s during July and August. The waves change with the tides and weather, but are usually big enough for surfers – body or board.

Some beaches are wider than others (like the five hundred yard walk to the water in Wildwood), and some get congested around boardwalks and bars but you’re always sure to find a comfortable spot, far enough from your beach neighbors, to make your circle of friends and family.

The Bay. Most Jersey beaches are on barrier islands that protect the coast. This creates protected waterways lined with houses and eateries, and filled with all sorts of watercraft on sunny days.

On our vacation we rented a house that backed right up to the bay, and every morning we took our kayaks and standup paddle boards our to the grassy islands, where egrets, herons, countless seagulls and even osprey make their home.

Seafood is of course fresh and plentiful. New Jersey fishermen land more than 100 varieties of finfish and shellfish from six major commercial fishing ports: Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Belford, Cape May, Point Pleasant and Port Norris. Most notable are the sea scallops, blue crabs and oysters – don’t miss the must-try the Cape May Salts, harvested right from the Atlantic’s intertidal flats on Delaware Bay.

The Boardwalk(s). Starting with the world’s first, built in 1870, Atlantic City is rich with history, and still reigns as ‘America’s Playground’ (in usual times) complete with gleaming lights, flashy shows and beach bars reaching out from the casinos to the ocean.

Other favorites include Wildwood’s funky, retro vibe (38 blocks long, with five amusement piers), the home of NJ’s best live music in Asbury Park, family-friendly Ocean City and our perennial party place, Point Pleasant…it isn’t Summer without a trip to Jenkinson’s and Martel’s Tiki Bar for one of the shore’s best beach scenes.

Boardwalk food. Feast your way through the best Cheesesteaks – loaded with peppers, onions and mushrooms (sorry Philly, ours are the better), huge pizza slices (Joe’s on the Wildwood Boardwalk is a whopping 28″), funnel cake and zeppoles (we’ll deep fry anything, especially dough),

And don’t forget Kohrs Ice Cream…the iconic orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream swirl is a must.

History – yes, there is plenty, starting with America’s First Seaside Resort: Cape May (click for a full blog on this charming destination).

And all you lighthouse buffs shouldn’t miss Barneget, Absecon and Sandy Hook, the oldest operating in America. It is there you’ll also experience Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County. The barrier peninsula forms the other side of the “gateway” to New York Harbor.

Fort Hancock served as part of the harbor’s coastal defense system from 1895 until 1974 and contains 100 historic buildings and fortifications. Sandy Hook contains seven beaches, including Gunnison Beach, a nude beach by custom, as well as salt marshes and a maritime holly forest.

The Asbury Park Boardwalk was founded in 1871 as a seaside residential resort in a prime waterfront location. Shortly after the city’s inception, the beach boardwalk was constructed, featuring  an orchestra pavilion, public changing rooms and a pier extending into the Atlantic Ocean, capitalizing on the opportunity to attract visitors beyond the local region. In the 1920s, the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall ushered in a new era of music and performing arts that still exists to this day.

Music – yes, the Jersey Shore is home to world-renowned artists with a sound that take you right to the boardwalk the minute you hear it.

Born in iconic venues like the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, many of the world’s most popular musicians have played at the venerable clubs and concert halls which today are considered some of the greatest rock & roll venues of all time.

From Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to Bon Jovi to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes The Stone Pony, The Wonder Bar, Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall not only helped launched careers but put the Jersey Shore sound into music history.

This was a year like no other, but we still had our fun in the sun. For a week that went way too fast our family came together to spend long sunny days at the beach, paddle on the bay, enjoy spectacular sunsets and escape for a bit.

…cos down the shore everything’s alright…

Tell us why you love the Jersey Shore!

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Atlantic City

Atlantic City

For over a century and a half, Atlantic City (or AC as we locals call it) has had an amazing and infamous history, with many ups and downs in popularity and prestige. In recent years, casinos and mega-resorts have fallen on some hard times, with competition from newer nearby entertainment complexes including the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in Connecticut, the Sands in Bethlehem PA, and Resorts in the Catskills luring the NY crowds.
The iconic Boardwalk and Beach destination rose to a glitzy beginning when gambling was legalized there in 1976, but never really spread beyond a few of the Monopoly-named streets, (yes, the popular board-game properties are named after the AC streets) with the exception of the three properties in the Marina District (The Borgata, Harrah’s and The Golden Nugget).
So, all said…and not to make this a history lesson…what’s new and exciting in AC right now, and what are some of the favorites that keep us coming back for the beaches, bars, bands, restaurants and non-stop fun on the Jersey Shore?
Cape May

Cape May

We can be creatures of habit. Knowing what we like, it’s easy to stick with that favorite spot, that you can always count on.

We’ve been to Cape May, NJ more times than I can count, and always did just that. During our family trips to nearby Wildwood Beach, every rainy day meant a drive to Cape May. But this time we set out to cover some ground. And what we found was an historic treasure with more to see and do than we’d imagined…
Pochuck

Pochuck

There’s nothing quite like a discovery in your own backyard. And since our backyard is the great state of New Jersey, we’re always on the lookout for something a bit different and off the beaten path…and in this case the path is unlike any other.

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See why Andover, New Jersey is a great day trip

See why Andover, New Jersey is a great day trip

Let’s give credit where credit is due…and New Jersey deserves more credit than it often gets. I just ran across a statement on Google citing NJ as the ‘Crossroads of the American Revolution’. Not something that would have been my first impression…but there you have it. We have a lot to be proud of, a lot to do, and a lot to explore. Beaches, Lakes and Mountains…Cities, Towns and Villages…Food, Wine and Culture…from Thomas Edison to Snooki, it’s all here.

In beautiful, rural Sussex county is the charming town of Andover, founded in 1904, with a population of just about 600. We discovered this gem by accident, on our way somewhere else, when driving through the small stretch of Main Street our youngest daughter, who has a passion for antiques, practically leapt out of the car. Within a small walking distance, the antique lover will be on overload, with easily a full day of shops to explore.

Chester

Chester

It’s always a bit of escape to go back in time and spend a day exploring one of NJ’s historic towns. If you’re making a list of the most quaint and well-preserved with plenty to discover, Chester should be near the top.

Shopping and browsing are exceptional here, with plenty of antique shops featuring one-of a kind crafts, jewelry, home furnishings and just the right ‘oddites’ that make things really interesting. Let’s take a stroll and cover just enough ground to steer you right and get you curious…

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