June 21 - 28
The Longest Day
Summertime adventure is easy to find on a back country road.
The summer solstice is today (June 21), the day with more light than any other! Good thing; you'll need all that sunshine to enjoy all that Northwest New Jersey has to offer this and every day of the splendid season. Take advantage of a
schedule full of intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website. Spread your wings and reach for the Skylands; summer starts now!
Canal Day
The Morris Canal at Waterloo Village.
For many,
Waterloo Village is the place that most completely identifies the heritage of northern New Jersey. Waterloo was approximately half-way along the
Morris Canal's 102-mile journey across the state, from Phillipsburg to Jersey City, and had all the components necessary to become a thriving canal town.
During this Saturday's (June 23)
Canal Day at Waterloo Village in Byram Township, the
Canal Society of New Jersey
will offer guided tours of the restored canal village, along with a wide range of programming. A narrated canal boat ride, trades demonstrated at the gristmill and blacksmith shops, period music and eight historic structures open for inspection promise revival for this important historic site. Waterloo Village is stuffed with stories -- and a new one has been added, about the recovery of a
lost Morris Canal boat which is now on display! For more information
click or call 973-292-2755.
Your Neighbor's Cow
A gallon of milk from the supermarket is a combined effort of thousands of cows, raised on any number of farms who knows where. But
single herd milk is just that: milk exclusively from the cows that reside on one dairy farm.
Northwest New Jersey is now home to two dairy farmers who sell their milk directly to the consumer. It may not seem like much, but it is an important step forward in developing a more direct relationship between food and farm.
Cream at the top! Read more and go get some!
Heavenly Hues
June brings on the deep pinks of Carolina rose at Jenny Jump.
As the wildflower season unfolds, the tree canopy leafs out, and wildflowers grow taller, reaching for the sun and no longer held back by frosts. Unlike long-blooming, non-native annuals that pervade the nursery trade, native perennial wildflowers bloom briefly, anywhere from one to four weeks, depending on the species. A regular visit to particularly robust nature preserves can reveal different wildflowers blooming each time.
Jenny Jump State Forest has a magical variation in elevation and terrain that makes it a rewarding site for
late spring forest flowers.
Elemental Experience
A rugged, forested landscape,
Sourland Mountain can confuse novitiates. Ancient rocks, over a hundred million years old, rise up from the forest floor: rocks the size of fists, of basketballs, of small cars. After a few hours in the boulder fields, they start to look identical. For some, however, these boulders are a special challenge...
Or just take a seat at this Saturday's (June 23)annual
Sourland Music Festival,
hosted by the
Sourland Conservancy at the
Hillsborough Golf & Country Club.
Paradise Lost, and Found
A mile-and-a-half north of Millbrook Village in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, you can turn off Old Mine Road and head straight uphill towards the top of the Kittatinny Ridge. Just below the ridge are a series of small lakes that define a haven for those looking for a place to get lost wandering through mountainside forest full of wildlife and open meadows surrounding crystal clear waters. But, the pristine aura at
Blue Mountain Lakes yields scant evidence of the ambitious development for which it was created.
More...
Plan Ahead!
Go Daddy Go!
Dads love to paddle, and the
Delaware River is the place to do it!
Islands
of the Delaware are markers for the miles traversed
on a float down the river, and for centuries of
human history along its banks. By canoe, kayak,
raft or tube, river trips are about perfect
this time of year. The water is high, the flow
is brisk, and the summer crowds have not yet arrived.
In the
Delaware Water Gap area,
Adventure Sports is a great choice for a canoe, kayak or raft trip. (Click for a discount
here.)
Or
Chamberlain Canoes for one or multi-day trips for individuals and groups of any size. (Click for a discount
here.)
The river becomes more tranquil as it continues south. Just south of Frenchtown,
Bucks County River Country has provided family fun for more than fifty years -- kayaking, canoeing, and rafting and
tubing! (Catch the deal of the day
here!)
Hungry Dads
Bienvenido! Dinner is an adventure at Riviera Maya
Make your Dad feel loved by treating him to a special meal. You know the connection: stomach... heart.
If you've never been to
Riviera Maya, now's the time! Celebrating twelve fantastic years in their
Branchville (340 Route 206) location, this family-owned authentic Mexican restaurant offers all your favorites with a few surprises, expertly prepared and exquisitely presented. Come enjoy a fun and exciting dining experience here, in their other fine-dining location in
Rockaway, or at their Taqueria in Morris Plains and the Rockaway Mall. 973/948-6292.
Lake Hopatcong at Nolan's Point
Sit him down at
Alice's Restaurant for a delicious meal and drinks all in the company of scenic views overlooking
Lake Hopatcong. Or get down right on the water at the
Windlass where they're serving up special
Father's Day Buffets for brunch or dinner. Save time for a game of
miniature golf on a tiered lake-side course featuring replicas of historical sites. Back in the day, was a
classic summer destination for generations of families. It seems that
day has come again, at least on
Nolan's Point.
Thirsty Dads
The Brook Hollow Winery, in Knowlton Township, looks out over the vineyard, then beyond to the Delaware Water Gap.
Treat Dad to the
Father's Day BBQ and Concert (Sunday, June 17, 12-4pm) at
Brook Hollow Winery. Good wine, good food and a free concert held in the winery's new, and very spacious, pole barn.
Plenty of Country Comort! 594 State Highway 94 in Columbia, 908/496-8200.
Head over to Four Sisters Winery for the Father's Day Pig Roast, (Sunday, 12 - 4pm) where you'll find more live music, games and fun for the whole family. 783 County Road 519, Belvidere, 908/475-3671.
Or perhaps a Brewery Tour? Tell Dad to relax, you're driving!
Outdoor Dads!
Cabins are now available at most campgrounds.
Campgrounds in the Skylands account for a huge amount of fun. Over 500,000 campers relax and enjoy the rural character of Northwest New Jersey each year. Most of these visits come in summer; short overnight or weekend camping trips. But many families make a Skylands campground their own vacation home, renting seasonal sites or bringing their own RV to rest at a lovely -- and well-serviced -- spot somewhere up in the New Jersey countryside. These facilities are a long way from generic trailer hookups and tent sites. Take a drive or click away and
check one out soon; the Fourth of July is just around the corner!
What dad wouldn't enjoy hanging around the campfire, testing marshmallows and telling stories
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Camp Taylor Campground
Camp Taylor offers a wilderness
atmosphere with the security and services that public areas often
lack, with access to a swimming lake
and trails that lead hikers through strikingly beautiful forest to
mountain laurel atop a 1600 foot ridge. Seasonal Sites, Tenters, RV rental, Cabins near the Delaware Water Gap. Home of Lakota Wolf Preserve. 85 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Columbia, 908/496-4333
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Harmony Ridge Campground
Outstanding family facilities near Culver Lake and Stokes Forest. There are over 200 sites and many activities to choose from; a large pavilion, playground, game courts, swimming pool, paddle boats. The friends and memories you make here will last a lifetime. 23 Risdon Drive, Branchville, 973-948-4941
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Tall Timbers Campground and Recreational Community
The private campground community offers central water and sewage disposal, two pools with certified lifeguards and a private stocked lake perfect for fishing, and an exceptional recreation program and activities for all. The northern Sussex County location is close to High Point State Park, Action Park and Mountain Creek Ski Area. 100 Tall Timbers Rd, Sussex 07461, 973/875-1991
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TripleBrook Family Camping Resort
Park yourself on a 250 acre farm tucked away in the legendary Kittatinny Mountains. Spend the season steps away from an Olympic size pool, heated whirlpool spa, private lake, tennis courts, and fully stocked camp store. You'll have time to explore all the natural attractions in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation a few miles away, or the Pocono Mountains. There's also an open air pavilion available for weddings, picnics, retreats. 58 Honey Run Rd., Hope, 908/459-4079.
- Kymer's Camping Resort
Trailer and cabin rentals and trailer and tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups on 200 scenic acres. 69 Kymer Rd., Branchville, 800/543-2056
- Delaware River Family Campground
Enjoy raft, canoe, kayak or tube trips, trailer and tent campsites as well as trailer and cabin rentals. 100 Route 46, Columbia, 800/543-2056
- Panther Lake Camping Resort
Camp on a private 45-acre lake on 160 scenic acres where you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing or just relaxing on a sandy beach. 6 Panther Lake Rd., Andover, 800/543-2056
- The Great Divide Campground
Private, family friendly campground with amenities for tents, RVs and seasonal guests. Fully furnished cabin rentals available. Heated pool, fishing & boating lake, playground, planned events and activities. 68 Phillips Road, Newton, 973/383-4026
Plan Ahead!
Stranger in a Strange Land
The roseate spoonbill, native to South America, Central America and parts of Florida, was photographed last week by Bob Thompson in Knowlton Township. Sharp eyes, sharp lense!
You know weird things are happening when you see an exotic creature like this scouting wetlands near the Delaware Water Gap. But here she is! As you choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities in our part of the world, keep your eyes open and don't be a stranger!
Field Hands
June is the season for Strawberries!
As June progresses, so does the season of berries, the best-loved fruits of summer. Beginning with the
strawberries and languishing until the frosts of October, there is ample opportunity for berry-lovers to get out and savor the goodness of a native fruit.
More juicy details...
For immediate gratification, take a ride to the
Sussex
County Strawberry Farm at
565 Rt 206 N, Andover. Call 973/579-5055 to see what's ripe!
Or check the
New
Jersey Department of Agriculture Jersey Fresh, for farmers' markets,
roadside stands, and "pick-your-own" operations near you!
Packed to the Rafters
Learn something everyday, even if it's about roof-lines! How about this Dutch Gambrel? Ain't she a beauty?
Early Dutch settlers wandered through the Raritan Valley in the mid 1700s and put down roots in what is now Readington Township in Hunterdon County. One of those old farmsteads later became a summer retreat for a famous actress and her acclaimed playwright husband. Today the
Bouman-Stickney Farmstead and surrounding sixty-acre park, which is always accessible for walks or peaceful respite, is worth noting for a summer destination.
More...
Major Scales
Heading for cover off Old Mine Road. Photo by Bob Thompson
Nobody's gonna tell you they're cute and cuddly, or anything less than dangerous, but
timber rattlesnakes are state endangered and protected by law. They are vulnerable animals. As part of a forest's ecology, they keep the rodent population down and in turn are eaten by hawks, owls, other snakes, and coyotes. They disappear in the hands of collectors, the jaws of predators, and the shovels of bulldozers. They die crossing roads. They die because their den becomes the home of homo sapiens.
More...
It wouldn't be a stretch to say this cold, wet spring has left something to be desired. But here comes the sun, so take advantage of a
schedule full of intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website. How can you complain?
Power Plants
For those in the know (and it's important that you know
before
you pick) the forests and fields of Northwest Jersey offer a visitor much more than a walk in the park. They are a veritable garden; Nature's garden of
edible and medicinal plants.
From the lowliest ground creeper to towering trees, each plant has some nutritional, chemical, edible properties, for better or worse.
Much more...
Take a Float on the Wild Side!
Heading upstream through the Refuge from Bassetts Bridge, the Wallkill is a corridor of beauty.
The
Wallkill River shares with great rivers like the Nile and the Rhine the peculiarity of northward flow. From out of Lake Mohawk, it spills over a dam then becomes a stream, bubbling and rushing fast, seeming most
determined to be free.
Big Bucks
If you like to hike in New Jersey, chances are you know Worthington State Forest. But few of the hikers, campers, canoeists, and nature lovers that visit Worthington realize that
industrial pumps are responsible for the preserved wilderness and natural wonders that they enjoy there. Charles C. Worthington, a prominent and very wealthy New York socialite, sportsman, fisherman, and skilled rifleman, assembled this park in the late nineteenth century. He called it
Buckwood Park. More...
Hacklebarney Heaven
Hacklebarney State Park is 892 acres of glacial valley, with gorges carved by the Black River and two tributaries that feed it, the Rinehart and Trout Brooks. The dogs play and we talk in celebration of meeting in these Robin Hood woods. We stand on outcrops jutting over the river and gaze in awe at the grass, moss and seedlings living in the rocks brought here long ago.
Walk on...
On A Beach
Don't miss the
66th opening weekend at
Tomahawk Lake Waterpark
in Sparta. Visitors have always loved the immaculate sand bottom sloping gently out to floating rafts. Since those old days,
the park has added a mountain of water slides including the “The Apache Plunge”, a 610 foot mammoth flume raft ride for four people along with “Sitting Bull“, a serpentine double flume body slide and “Crazy Horse” racing slide. Back ashore you can visit a large refreshment stand, outdoor beer garden (with live weekend entertainment), an ice cream trailer, a novelty trailer, an arcade, an 18 hole miniature golf course, a putting green and a ball field. For information call the lake office at (973) 398-7777 or check their
website.
Green on Green
Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, where they produce grass-fed beef and make
artisanal cheeses and wood fired breads,
is also a wonderful place for a late May afternoon of music, dancing, and food. This Sunday (May 2),
Na'bodach - The Band, six fabulous celtic musicians, plus electricity! Enjoy the farm’s delicious foods which are available for purchase; BYOB. 1 - 4pm. Free, resv requested.
369 Stamets Rd, Milford
(Hunterdon County), 908/86GRASS.
Visit The Wild Woods This Summer!
The Flatbrook-Roy
Got the secret desire to be an explorer? Envy Indiana Jones? Ever yearn for the excitement of bushwhacking through uncharted lands? Adventure is yours, right here in New Jersey. Discover over 305,000 acres of little known forests, meadows, streams, and lakes collectively called
Wildlife Management Areas - all public property, all owned by the people of New Jersey.
This land is your land!
Plan Ahead!
Planet Jersey!
If you come upon a
wood turtle, admire that groovy carapace and those sexy red legs; and move him out of the road if you have to. But you may not take him home! Wood turtles gained designation as a threatened species in 1979 because of habitat loss and their popularity in the illegal pet trade. There ten types of turtles in our neck of the woods; all quite fascinating, but let them be!
Take a closer look...
For turtles and more, take advantage of a
calendar
budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or check our
Day Trip Map
for good ideas for recreational enhancement! For the more aerobically inclined, the
Outdoor Map
shows the way to go.
Spring Prescription
Lusscroft Farm, in Wantage, attracts gardeners, farmers, educators, artists and nature lovers to this
historical gem each spring. This weekend's (May 19-20) Tenth Annual
Medicine Wheel Festival and Community Garden Celebration features an array of live musical and artistic performances, workshops and demonstrations, plant walks, a plant sale, barn sale, bake sale, farmers, crafters & food vendors, gardening workshops, carriage rides, pony rides, a pop up art show, photography contest, and more, all to support the continued growth and preservation of the Medicine Wheel gardens and the historic buildings at Lusscroft Farm. Admission is $7 for adults, children (under 18) are free. The event is presented by the Friends of the Medicine Wheel, part of the non-profit Heritage & Agriculture Association, in cooperation with the NJ DEP/Division of Parks and Forestry.
50 Neilson Rd, Wantage.
Parking entrance is from 4-H Trail on County Route 519 (by mile marker 81 and the stone gatehouse). Directions and more information is available online at
LusscroftFarm.org.
The Right Path
The Farm Barn visitor orientation center at Duke Farms.
It is difficult to see it all in one day, but a few scattered afternoons would be well spent at
Duke Farms. Even if you're breezing through on a bike, some areas are accessible only on foot. Whether you enjoy wildlife watching, wildflower photography, ancient champion trees, geocaching, tracking the marks of man, or a sublime picnic, remember that Duke Farms is a
park with a mission.
Ready To Roll
Boat launch near the spillway dam at Echo Lake
The
Pequannock Watershed, which weaves through and around
Newfoundland and West Milford, has been called one of the New Jersey’s last wilderness areas. To call it wild might seem exaggeration, and yet, with an extraordinary amount of land undeveloped and restricted, the word applies. A swath of forest crisscrossed by trails, some rough or unpaved roads, occasionally punctuated by development, the territory is familiar in places; rugged in others.
There are miles of trails up, down, and around a mini-range of mountains, through woods, past rocky streams, still lakes and reservoirs, with glimpses of the ruins of a stone castle and abandoned iron mines, all framed by dramatic shears, sliced by the Wisconsin Glacier ages ago.
Get familiar this spring!
Plan Ahead!
Motherly Love!
Photo by Dan Bacon
Don't forget to play the
Mother's Day card this weekend. Express your affection with impunity! The New Jersey Skylands can supply the perfect spot to remind your mom how much you care. Take advantage of a
calendar
budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or check our
Day Trip Map
for good ideas for a Sunday drive!
For the more aerobically inclined can choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Maternal Instinct
Can't figure out what she'd like?
Take her shopping and let her decide.
Go some place nice where you can spend the day!
Lamington Lifestyles specializes in custom farm tables.
A
Bedminster destination for 32 years,
Lamington Lifestyles offers two floors brimming with home decor, unique gifts, women's apparel, baby gifts, jewelry and artwork... some designed by over 80 American artisans. Take a lovely country drive to
285 Lamington Rd., Bedminster, 908/439-2034
Mom's love the wide selection of
jewelry, pottery, handmade leatherwork, art glass, and most anything else you can find at
Made To Order in
Clinton. 908/735-4244.
Wilbur's Country Store is a perfect destination on any ride through the country, but especially on Mothers Day!
735 Route 94 in
Frelinghuysen, between Newton and Blairstown.
Or take a trip to
Gallery 23
in
Blairstown where henna-inspired artist Robin Rickard and jeweler Lisa Feidler are featured this month among more than thirty additional selected local artists. 908/362-6865.
Thirsty Moms
The Brook Hollow Winery, in Knowlton Township, looks out over the vineyard, then beyond to the Delaware Water Gap.
The perfect package
Mother's Day Package (May 12 & 13) awaits your mom at
Brook Hollow Winery, including a complete wine tasting of all of our wines, a single rose to express your love and her beauty, and a wine bottle of your(her) choice with custom label with a personalized message.
Purchase your package now, as custom labels take one day to process.
594 State Highway 94 in Columbia, 908/496-8200.
Or take the
Winery Train along the scenic Delaware River behind New Jersey's only operating steam locomotive. Then after a short bus ride through rolling farmlands, you will arrive at
Villa Milagro Vineyards to learn about winemaking and to sample their delicious wines and have an opportunity to purchase them at the source. Return via the
Ol' Susquehanna Mine where you're welcome to detrain and enjoy your wine with a picnic in the picnic grove and then catch a later train home (trains come every hour and half).
Delaware River Railroad Excursions, 877-872-4674.
Say it with flowers!
Experience the fragrance of over 200 varieties of lilacs at New Jersey Botanical Garden at Skylands in Ringwood State Park.
You can bring your mom flowers,
or take her to them! Northwestern New Jersey is blessed with extraordinary
public gardens
where visitors can experience every spring-blooming plant that will grow in the region.
May 12 is National Public Gardens Day! Or take her
wildflower hunting. It's the
Greatest Show In Earth!
Outdoor Moms
Monksville Reservoir from Horse Pond Mountain. Photo by Dan Balogh.
Drive up Route 23 North, and after passing countless big box stores, fast food chains and traffic lights, the
landscape suddenly turns all green. And steep. This is wild West Milford, home
to over 100 miles of marked hiking trails and more 1,000-foot summits than
anyplace else in the Jersey Highlands.
Bag some peaks with mom!
Hungry Moms!
Look Alive!
Bob Thompson
It doesn't last forever, so take advantage of a
schedule budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Blooming Beauty!
Forest Flowers
Wild geranium, an early bloomer in the Musconetcong Gorge. (Rachel Mackow)
The emergence and duration of
native wildflower displays can vary annually, depending on temperatures and rainfall. This well-watered spring promises a great show along wooded trails.
Musconetcong Gorge Reservation has a special mix of natural and human history that makes it a rewarding botanical site in the late spring months of May and June.
Splendor in the Garden
Dwarf irises, early bloomers, as they burst through a blanket of fallen leaves at Leonard J. Buck Garden. (Vivian Bedoya)
For a more cultivated look, make your way to
Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills, a landscape of art, sprung from a love of the beauty of plants and a reverence for nature. It took the eye of a geologist, fascinated by mineral-topography-plant relationships, to see the valley's potential to showcase the finest of human-bred cultivars and nature's prettiest wild plants.
On Top of Old Morris
On the southeast side of the park, a broad and colorless swamp is eerily populated by a host of beaver cut and half fallen, decaying trees. (C. J. Kern)
Rising beyond the eastern shore of the Rockaway River, in Boonton Township, stands
the Tourne, a modest mountain known for its rocky terrain and spectacular New York skyline views. Add a
wildflower trail, a big-time bog, and miles of historic river valley, and you've got a prime spring adventure.
More...
All Along the Byway
The Millstone Valley Scenic Byway is a narrow 23-mile roadway loop paralleling the western side of the Millstone River and the eastern side of the Delaware & Raritan Canal between the villages of Millstone and Kingston. Found within the Byway are eight Historic Districts containing buildings of historic and architectural importance; a twelve-mile section of the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park that offers preserved vintage dwellings, albeit mostly private; an intact section of the D&R Canal with its locks and towpath; vintage bridges; and roadways over which Revolutionary War troops marched nearly 240 years ago. Outdoor enthusiasts can fish, hike, bike, jog, horse-back ride, canoe or kayak and bird-watch at various locations.
A perfect road trip!
Yardology
Your backyard can be more than just an area you need to mow on Saturdays. You don't need a team of horses, or even a mule, to turn it into an agricultural paradise and wildlife observatory.
Here are few ideas...
Is your garden in?
Anyone can grow their own veggies in garden plots, raised beds, deck planters or any small space. It saves
money, it's
good
for you and it's
fun!
Learn how to get the most out of
your earth
by examining Mary's best (and easiest) veggie garden primer.
How does your garden grow?
The Merry Month!
The month of May invokes a certain emotional and sensual liberty, summoning waves of
Spring
Fever and the happy feeling that this most stirring season still lies
largely before us. Time to get out and smell whatever you can! And what better
place to do your sniffing than New Jersey’s Great Northwest Skylands?
Take advantage of a
schedule budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Give Me Fever!
Whole Lotta Love
Capable of accommodating up to 45 guests, Miss Lotta boasts a newly refurbished full dining room and upper deck as well as a full bar and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system.
Sailing from her home port on Nolan’s Point,
Miss Lotta is a 57-foot SkipperLiner dinner cruise vessel. She is named for Lotta Crabtree, an actress well-known in the late 1800s who spent her leisure at an elegant house on
Lake Hopatcong, then known as the
Jewel of the Mountains. Reclaiming that old-time reputation for fine hospitality, Miss Lotta is the largest boat on the lake and available for lunch, dinner and specialty cruises as well as private events during the spring and summer. Celebrate your spring by
choosing from dozens of themed cruises, all exciting and creative ways to see the lake. First up,
Kick-off Cruises on May 1 & 3. Then there's a cruise dedicated to all of the strong women in our lives planned for
Mother's Day (May 13). Miss Lotta is only one of several attractions that make
Nolan's Point a prime destination for a lovely day.
Live the Lake!
Wedding Bell Bliss
Love rules in Spring. But should you find yourself having accepted a proposal for long-term commitment, ask yourself, "Is love all you need for a great wedding?" Love helps, but if you want to really enjoy yourself on The Day, it takes a lot of planning for your once-in-a-lifetime, spare-no-expense affair. If you’re looking for something different and memorable, a place with some soul,
point yourself to the rural corners of New Jersey.
History You Can Taste
Garden State Heirloom Seed Society Museum.
Although they produce varieties of just about any fruit or vegetable you can think of,
heirloom seeds are probably best known for the great tasting tomatoes that they grow. Heirloom seeds, which have been passed down over generations, not only produce the same delicious produce that your forbears ate, but also preserve the natural variety essential to a healthy system. Modern agriculture has already resulted in the loss of 75% of the world’s edible plant varieties. You can learn more about heirlooms and New Jersey's glorious farming past with a visit to the
Garden State Heirloom Seed Society Museum,
open this weekend! 82 Delaware Rd., Columbia.
Feel the Earth!
Cabins are available at most campgrounds.
Campgrounds in the Skylands account for a huge amount of fun. Over 500,000 campers relax and enjoy the rural character of Northwest New Jersey each year. Most of these visits come in summer; short overnight or weekend camping trips. But many families make a Skylands campground their own vacation home, renting seasonal sites or bringing their own RV to rest at a lovely -- and well-serviced -- spot somewhere up in the New Jersey countryside. These facilities are a long way from generic trailer hookups and tent sites. Take a drive or click away and
check one out soon!
Memorial Day Weekend awaits!
-
Camp Taylor Campground
Camp Taylor offers a wilderness
atmosphere with the security and services that public areas often
lack, with access to a swimming lake
and trails that lead hikers through strikingly beautiful forest to
mountain laurel atop a 1600 foot ridge. Seasonal Sites, Tenters, RV rental, Cabins near the Delaware Water Gap. Home of Lakota Wolf Preserve. 85 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Columbia, 908/496-4333
-
Harmony Ridge Campground
Outstanding family facilities near Culver Lake and Stokes Forest. There are over 200 sites and many activities to choose from; a large pavilion, playground, game courts, swimming pool, paddle boats. The friends and memories you make here will last a lifetime. 23 Risdon Drive, Branchville, 973-948-4941
-
Tall Timbers Campground and Recreational Community
The private campground community offers central water and sewage disposal, two pools with certified lifeguards and a private stocked lake perfect for fishing, and an exceptional recreation program and activities for all. The northern Sussex County location is close to High Point State Park, Action Park and Mountain Creek Ski Area. 100 Tall Timbers Rd, Sussex 07461, 973/875-1991
-
TripleBrook Family Camping Resort
Park yourself on a 250 acre farm tucked away in the legendary Kittatinny Mountains. Spend the season steps away from an Olympic size pool, heated whirlpool spa, private lake, tennis courts, and fully stocked camp store. You'll have time to explore all the natural attractions in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation a few miles away, or the Pocono Mountains. There's also an open air pavilion available for weddings, picnics, retreats. 58 Honey Run Rd., Hope, 908/459-4079.
- Kymer's Camping Resort
Trailer and cabin rentals and trailer and tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups on 200 scenic acres. 69 Kymer Rd., Branchville, 800/543-2056
- Delaware River Family Campground
Enjoy raft, canoe, kayak or tube trips, trailer and tent campsites as well as trailer and cabin rentals. 100 Route 46, Columbia, 800/543-2056
- Panther Lake Camping Resort
Camp on a private 45-acre lake on 160 scenic acres where you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing or just relaxing on a sandy beach. 6 Panther Lake Rd., Andover, 800/543-2056
- The Great Divide Campground
Private, family friendly campground with amenities for tents, RVs and seasonal guests. Fully furnished cabin rentals available. Heated pool, fishing & boating lake, playground, planned events and activities. 68 Phillips Road, Newton, 973/383-4026
All The Marbles
The original Blue Marble, one of the most famous and widely distributed images of Earth, shows the Eastern Hemisphere. NASA has produced several Blue Marble images since.
This view of the Earth, as seen by the Apollo 17 crew on the way to the Moon in 1972, shows much of the African coastline, the Arabian Peninsula to the northeast, and the Asian mainland on the horizon, all wrapped in water. The heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere does not obscure the enormous quotient of surface covered by the Antarctica South polar ice cap, clearly visible at the bottom. The photograph, the first of what are known as
Blue Marble images, conveys the living dynamics of our planet, a delicate organism full of miracles. The science and technology that gave us such humbling perspective forty-six years ago also teaches us that we're playing for
all the marbles every day in a fragile and vulnerable world. It is a wonder that we even need an
Earth Day to remind us, but here it is!
To celebrate the planet from whence you sprouted, take advantage of a
schedule budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of
natural attractions or
outdoor activities suggested on our website.
Primary Source
There is no steward of the Earth more respected in New Jersey -- or likely the nation -- than
Genesis Farm, an ecological center founded in 1980 as a project of the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell. Dedicated to understanding the Universe and Earth as a single, unfolding process, Genesis offers profound insights into our public, personal and spiritual lives and is open to all who are interested in exploring this sacred land, mission, and work.
In 1988, Genesis Farm became home to one of the country's first
Community Supported Gardens, which now has over 300 members. Take the opportunity next
Saturday, April 28 to visit the 226 acres of preserved farmland during the
Earth Day Celebration and Open House. Learn about local agriculture and healthy food while you enjoy hayrides, field and greenhouse tours, plant walks, cooking demonstrations, animal and nature activities, food sampling, and more. Genesis Farm is located at
41B Silver Lake Road in Blairstown.
Click or call 908/362-7486
Dig Your Earth!
Asian pears can be a beautiful and delicious addition to your backyard. (Gina Barkovitch)
Make your landscape edible with a backyard orchard, organic style!
Start with a tree or two and learn as you go.
Here are a few ideas...
Back Road Bounty
Tucked away in the seemingly endless landscape of ridge, valley, and wooded hillside of Warren County is an incredible bicycle-friendly network of quiet back roads linking together small towns and historic villages, re-purposed rail trails creating pastoral off-road adventures, and miles of single track trail tracing through the rocky upland forests. The weather's perfect for some vigorous exploration, so strap on a helmet and
put some rubber on the road!
Groundwork
This weekend's (April 21 & 22)
Grand Encampment at Jockey Hollow focuses on the life and times of soldiers and civilians during the Revolutionary War. Activities for the whole family include firing demonstrations and drills, children’s drills, walking tours, hikes and more.
Morristown National Historical Park; 973/539-2016 x210
For a less formal visit to hallowed historical turf, journey down to the northwest corner of Bernardsville, to a road named Hardscrabble, and the field where the New Jersey Brigade arrived in December 17, 1779 to begin the
Jockey Hollow Encampment. Trails crisscross wooded knolls, open meadows, and streams through, not only Morristown National Historical Park, but the neighboring
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, the historic
Cross Estate, and mysterious hillsides full of legends.
More...
Earthlinks!
Tax Free Fun!
Photo: Bob Thompson
You’re ready to report to the government and clear your desk of all tax-related matters (correct?) Do not let Spring depreciate further! Time to dig yourself back into Mother Earth. And what finer place to dig than the New Jersey’s Great Northwest Skylands? Take advantage of a
calendar budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or use the
Outdoor Directory for links to all sorts of hikes and outdoor fun!
Friday the Thirteenth
Downtown Blairstown
These stately buildings may be best known to many as the setting for the 1980
horror film that, for millions of movie viewers, made
Jason Voorhees Blairstown's most famous resident. But this triumvirate—the National Bank, Water Works and Old Mill—lends a certain gravitas to the village of Blairstown in keeping with the prominence of its namesake,
John I. Blair. Despite his accomplishment as one of the world's wealthiest men, Blair, known to townsfolk as "plain John I.", sustained a simple, unembellished lifestyle in his beloved village. The area's extraordinary heritage is in large part due to the fact that his ambition, and his ideas that flourished throughout America originated here in the New Jersey frontier. You can follow this
virtual trail through the places where John Blair learned to make his way!
As on every Friday the 13th, the town will celebrate its cinematic notoriety
this Friday with multiple showings of the film. And
Ari Lehman, the original Jason Voorhees, will appear exclusively at the
Blairstown Museum, his first time back in Blairstown since filming in 1979. A fun and creative endeavor indeed, at 26 Main Street.
Click for tickets or call 908/362-1371.
Hello Cruel World!
Vilma, a barred owl found by the side of the road when she was a year old, had a compound fracture of the left wing has no sustainable flight. She is known for her beak snapping during programs at The Raptor Trust.
Being born in spring isn't all sunshine and flowers. What happens to baby birds that fall from their nest, and what can you do if you come across an orphan or two?
Call The Raptor Trust! Although it's known for rehabilitating hawks, eagles, and owls, The Raptor Trust looks after all avian styles, young and old. Want to guess how many they've fixed over thirty years? Besides saving a homeless avian, you can also go there and see some amazing "rock star" raptors.
More...
Many more dedicated organizations have open doors for animal refugees of all makes and models.
Here's what they do and how to contact them....
Destiny's Place
The drive up the lane starts slowly through cow pasture and planted trees with glimpses of 19th century blue barns. Soon the North Branch of the Raritan River appears, meandering, shallow over rocky riverbed, picturesque and sparkling clear. The lane ambles upward as the stream turns away, then leads through woodland until it emerges hilltop, with stone cottages and stable in view, then swings in front of a small "castle" in the hills of Somerset County. This
is
Natirar, home of the once and famous King of Morocco.
You can come enjoy its offerings -- spa, restaurant and
respite indoors; hiking, horses and fishing outdoors, events, exhibitions
and concerts, a museum and interpretive center.
More...
Barn People
This property is private, however the road is quiet, and you can stop and get a good view across an open equestrian exercise area.
Keep your eyes open on your
road trips this spring, and you might notice something like this classic Dutch-American barn just north of Oldwick village. Dutch barns are a rare breed; there are probably fewer than 700 of them still intact--a good portion of those in our backyard.
For barn people, when so powerful an agent as a barn leaves the land, that thing that evokes so many feelings and sentiments of times gone by, such an event can even make us feel sadness.
One thing that most people are not aware of, not even native New Jerseyans, is that our part of the state has the
greatest diversity of barn types perhaps in the entire North American continent. More than 150 years ago, they went truly ballistic with all kinds of barn building expressions. We are lucky to have this diverse collection of architectural history in our midst. Take some time, learn and enjoy them before they are lost.
More...
Spring Break!
What's That Smell?
It is still an underground movement, but don't be fooled! Spring will be mainstream someday soon.
If you can't feel it every day, you can smell it. The "fresh" liberating aroma on a walk through the forest in early spring is, for a biologist, the odor of gases emitted by billions of tiny organisms in the newly thawed earth, releasing nutrients vital to the approaching bloom of wildflowers. The first to pop above the layer of wet, dead leaves is always
skunk cabbage, able to spontaneously generate enough heat to propel it through the frozen ground.
Keep our
calendar close! It's filled with events that invite exploration of this most magical of seasons.
Tight Lines
Snow and ice have yielded to skunk cabbage that pokes through the mud along frigid and fast flowing streams. Perfect for opening day of trout season!
For many, the first day of fishing season is also Opening Day of Spring. Early April water is cold, high, and fast, but even the most severe conditions cannot deny dedicated fishers their place streamside early Saturday morning (April 7), when a fresh and feisty generation of stocked rainbow trout become fair game. Six-hundred-thousand of them, to be more precise, each born and bred at the
Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center which lies on a 5,000-acre state Wildlife Management Area between Route 46 and Pequest Road in Oxford.
Start your season on the banks of the Paulins Kill in Blairstown, where the
Knot Just Flies tackle and bait shop will hold their third annual
Opening Day Trout Fishing Tournament (4/7 and 8).
61 State Route 94.
Some prefer the solitude of early spring fly fishing, often along a handful of tiny creeks designated as
wild trout waters on
opening day.
Rumblings in the Railroad Earth
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad’s construction of a line that altered the contour of both the landscape and culture of Northwestern New Jersey has been a source of wonder since the first shovels hit the ground near the turn of the last century. Nearly fifty years have passed since the last passenger train rolled on the high line tracks, but the story, which has continued through sometimes bizarre twists and turns, promises many more chapters. The Lackawanna Cut-Off’s saga still stirs emotions, and its future will be debated for years to come. Meanwhile,
touring the Cut-Off, either all at once or in bits and pieces, is a worthwhile spring endeavor!
Reporting for Duty
Coquette and Jacques, 2 hours old
Jacques is getting ready to join the herd at
Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse where they (the cows) live outside, eating grass and being milked seasonally, and
not indoors, being fed grain, animal by-products and hormones, and being milked to death. Happy cows make delicious natural cheese, the artisanal cheeses that Bobolink is known for. Take a tour this weekend and see how it's done!
369 Stamets Rd, Milford (Hunterdon County) 08848, 908/86GRASS
King of Drakesville
The King Store Museum on Main Street in Ledgewood, once known as Drakesville.
Just off Route 10, near the old, now-vanished, Ledgewood Circle, a stone's throw from the mall, the
Drakesville Historic Park
pays tribute to Morris County's pedigree of innovative pioneers. Ledgewood's historic district consists of
three museums
located on Main Street —the King Store, flanked by the King Homestead and the Silas Riggs House—all in the vicinity of the Morris Canal's Inclined Plane 2 and 3 East and two canal basins.
Read more about Drakesville,
then plan on a first-hand visit during this Sunday's (April 8)
Spring Open House
for special tours and programs from 1 - 4pm at
209-213 Main Street in
Ledgewood.
House On A Hill
The Jim and Mary Lee Museum
Jim Lee, Sr., a railroad conductor who grew up in Phillipsburg, was so fascinated with the
Morris Canal that he bought what had been the site of one of the canal's inclined planes, and moved his young family to a trim two-story house where the man who operated the plane had lived. If it weren't for Mr. Lee's extensive work documenting the Morris Canal era, it may have been entirely forgotten. Today, the former planetender's home at the Morris Canal's Inclined Plane #9 West in Greenwich Twp., houses a collection of Morris Canal artifacts as the
Jim and Mary Lee Museum. The museum is open for visitation this Sunday, April 8.
477 County Route 519, Stewartsville.
Sign up for
Warren County Wanderings, and get regular updates on things to do in Warren County. Or visit the
Explore Warren website.
Spring Babies
A barn owl chick poses in a hay loft after being rehabilitated at the Mercer Wildlife Center and before being returned to the nest box. (Photo: MacKenzie Hall)
Multiplication is the order of the season, and snow or no snow, the show must go on! Look and listen for the signs of spring and making babies!! Let your senses soak up the season — its fleeting beauty, warmth, scents, and most of all the peace and rejuvenation in its experience.
More...
Acting Out
The 39 Steps, playing at The Barn Theater in Montville.
Theater-going in northwest New Jersey equals adventure. It’s about discovering theater in unexpected places — by a lake, a golf course, a brick-sided former morgue, old vaudeville house, or contemporary addition to a Stanford White designed Georgian mansion. Whatever your theater tastes — musicals, dramas, revivals, premieres, experimental, you can find it
here — in professional theaters featuring paid actors, designers, directors and staff or all-volunteer community theaters, where your neighbor could be starring in a show.
How about this weekend's work,
The Serene Secret, by a local playwright at the
Dover Little Theater?
Schooley's Elusive Spirit
Mysteries of the woods
Running northeast for twenty miles from Glen Gardner to Lake Hopatcong,
Schooley’s Mountain’s
steep sides rise to a broad top between the Musconetcong River and, for most of its length, the South Branch of the Raritan. The mountain presents a dichotomy of striking scenes from the past, interspersed with groups of modern homes and stores. Heavily traveled periphery highways are connected by a web of narrow rural roads that still meander as they did when “horse power” meant just that. The mountain’s southern portion holds routes worthy of exploring, hamlets for artists to ponder, and natural areas for hikers, all shrouded in tantalizing lore that begs a historian’s query.
Read on...
Bare Truth
Robert Lobe conceptualizes a sculpture in his "forest studio".
It won't be long until leaves are in full bloom. Hit the woods while the trees are bare and there's still time to look around -- you'll see things you might miss otherwise. For an artist walking in the woods along the
Kittatinny Ridge, the earth gushes a torrent of shapes and forms, angles and curves, textures and light, all vibrantly alive, yet frozen in a rhythm of life far different than our own.
Read more about Robert Lobe's sculpture from remote forest models
at Harmony Ridge...
A Silk Purse
The four-story plant built by Pelgram and Meyer on Monroe and Lincoln Streets in Boonton employed 500 people until it shut in 1927. It is now home to Kanter Auto Products.
For over two centuries a prolific iron industry wielded huge influence over the development of many Morris County communities. In particular, the forges, furnaces, and mines of Dover, Wharton and Boonton, all located along the banks of the
Rockaway River, were intimately connected from the early 1700s through the heady times of the Morris Canal and the subsequent railroads. There are sites to see;
take a look around!
Along the Western Front
This small stone building is believed to be the ruins of Fort Carmer, one of a line of forts from the French and Indian War.
Two decades before the American Revolution, the Royal Province of New Jersey prepared itself for the culmination of seventy years of bickering between the French and the English colonists. During the French and Indian War, the government was forced to take measures to protect New Jersey's northwestern frontier along the Delaware River from the increasing threat of marauding Indians, allies of the French armies. A line of forts and blockhouses were commissioned from Belvidere, in Warren County, through what is now the
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area,
to Port Jervis, New York, with soldiers patrolling between them. Get out your hiking shoes, pump up your bike tires, or warm up the car and
trace this line of forts!
Touchy Subjects
"We want people to touch things!" says Park Superintendent Tom Ross.
The result of nearly a decade of work, the new
Discover History Center at the Washington Museum at Morristown National Park opens this President's Day Weekend, Feb. 17-19. The $2.2 million dollar project for the 21st –century is an immersive, interactive, exhibits that engages visitors of all ages with hands-on and multi-media experiences to explore the stories of Morristown, the Continental Army, General Washington, and Continental Congress during the years that “
tried men’s souls.” The galleries feature many never-before seen artifacts, interactive activities geared towards children and adults, and five new videos to experience. The weekend will feature a variety of activities in addition to the new exhibits. For a complete schedule, check
here.
Learning Lenape
For Archaic peoples, rock shelters, consisting of natural overangs or
hillside depressions, were temporary stopovers that offered protection
from the rain and snow. In winter they might have been closed in with windbreaks
made from skins or brush.
The native people of northwestern New Jersey had no written history. In fact, they had no writing except for the use of pictographs, some of which were carved on stone. Much of what we do know about New Jersey's prehistory is a result of work done by archaeologists, or from early accounts by explorers and travelers, along with journals kept by missionaries and settlers in the 1600s and early 1700s. For over 12,000 years the Lenape and their ancestors occupied northwestern New Jersey, successfully adapting to climatic changes in their environment. But, after a little more than a century following European colonization, only a few Indians remained.
Arrowheads, stone axes, pottery and other objects are still occasionally found in a farmer's field or along a riverbank, but only a rough sketch of a robust culture remains; we know nothing of the human deeds and dramas that occurred.
More...
Foggy Mountain Breakdowns
Although there may have been as many as ten plane crashes along the Kittatinny Ridge in Sussex and Warren Counties, few people are aware of them. Due to the very rugged nature of the area's mountainous terrain, some of the wreckages have never been completely salvaged, and pieces still lie there. For example, the scant remains of an old airframe, possibly from an early Army biplane trainer, rest close to the Appalachian Trail near the top of the mountain, overgrown with brush. Without modern instruments, the ridge could be treacherous for aviators.
Read more!!
