One Week At Home With A Jersey Girl

Whenever I tell people I'm originally from New Jersey, their first response is usually “you don’t have an accent” followed by “what exit?” for which my immediate reply is “what highway?”  Unbeknownst to many, New Jersey is not just the strip of land between the great cities of New York and Philadelphia, nor is it just a spaghetti bowl of highways. When my west coast husband goes “home” with me for a visit, this Jersey Girl always tries to show him the sights that few stop to see.  

Wawayanda State Park

My mom usually likes to spend a few days with us “down the shore” at the beginning of our trip.  For many people the words “Jersey Shore” might bring to mind images of complete debauchery, but that’s not my shore. I’ve never even seen the show. Growing up, I remember all the quaint little towns, boardwalks filled with games and frozen custard, and the miles of beautiful sandy beaches that I most loved to visit on the off season when we could walk for miles looking for shells and sea glass.   

On our last visit, we stayed in Red Bank at the Molly Pitcher Inn. If there was ever an old hotel that screamed “haunted” this was it.  To my own disappointment however, I could not uncover any ghost stories. What I did find was interesting folklore about the namesake heroine, Molly Pitcher, which is generally believed to be a nickname given to the women who carried water to the men on the battlefield during the American Revolutionary War, and more specifically the Battle of Monmouth.

In the 30 years that I lived in NJ I had never been to Red Bank, but I knew it as the home of the Count Basie Theater, named for jazz great William J. “Count” Basie and one of several legendary music venues in NJ, along with The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, where rock and roll locals Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi got their start. Both stars still have homes and a strong presence in the area. 

The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, founded in 2006, “exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair.”  One of their innovative community projects is the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a nonprofit community restaurant with locations in Red Bank and Toms River, that serves both paying and in-need customers “delicious farm-to-table meals in a warm and welcoming setting”. Paying customers are encouraged to donate $20 to cover the cost of their meal and help defray the cost of meals for in-need volunteers.

Fun Fact: Springsteen gave the song Jersey Girl its fame, but it was written and originally recorded by Tom Waits.

It’s a short drive to the beach from Red Bank and the gateway to the state’s beautiful shoreline. In fact, the most northern part of shore is Gateway National Recreation Area - Sandy Hook, with lots to offer in the way of recreation – sunning, swimming, boating, fishing, birding, camping and biking on a seven-mile multi-use path that loops around Fort Hancock.  There’s even a clothing optional beach but if that’s not your thing, there’s something for everyone, including a lighthouse (currently closed for restoration).  

NJ boasts eleven lighthouses along the shore, including nearby Twin Lights of Navesink. I have fond memories of visiting this lighthouse with my grandparents and climbing the tiny staircase to view the New York City skyline from the top.  On this visit, we took the whole family including my nephew and nieces on a commemorative excursion that concluded with a visit to my Grandpa’s favorite seafood restaurant, Bahrs Landing. Celebrating 100 years of dining, Aaron and I shared mugs of clam chowder because we couldn’t decide between Manhattan (red) and New England (white).  Both were delicious!  I was hoping to bring a few cans back to Oregon but learned that they stopped canning the soup when the restaurant suffered extensive damage during hurricane Sandy. Bahrs Landing is considered a famous NJ landmark and one of the country’s oldest family run restaurants.

It’s somewhat challenging to visit NJ without eating at least one meal at a diner (we ate four). There really is no better option for breakfast if you’re looking for a giant omelette with a side of home fries.  On our last morning in Red Bank we stumbled across Toast City Diner while walking around downtown. Fortunately we were hungry for brunch and couldn’t resist the shiny retro décor, or their slogan “Peace, Love, Pancakes.”  We were not disappointed. The service was fast and friendly, the food was fresh and tasty and the vintage tabletop jukeboxes actually worked! With three locations, I’m sure to be a repeat customer.

Finally, if you’re a fan of Kevin Smith’s NJ cult classics Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy, make sure you check out Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, a comic book store owned by Smith that features memorabilia from his movies including the Buddy Christ statue from Dogma! This was our last stop in Red Bank before heading North.

A visit to New Jersey is never complete without a quest for the best of certain fare.  Pizza (my favorite is at Nellie’s Place in Waldwick) and bagels are usually top priority, however this time it was brought to my attention that Aaron had never eaten a cannoli, in fact he hadn’t even heard of one. What!?  Game on.  We visited a few Italian pastry shops as we were leaving Red Bank and the cannolis were just OK. He preferred the sfogliatella, aka lobster tail, a shell shaped pastry filled with cream. It wasn’t until an old friend from out of the blue brought us half a dozen homemade beauties from her friend’s restaurant.  Holy cannoli!  These were legit!  In fact, another stop for the bucket list next time will be the source, Top of The Park Pizzeria & Restaurant in Boonton, NJ.  I just hope I can decide between the gnocchi and eggplant parmesan by then.

If your mouth isn’t watering by now, I haven’t given NJ food culture the recognition it deserves.  It never fails that I over-indulge on my visits home, but I always balance out my eating antics with plenty of outdoor adventure, which New Jersey isn’t really known for but in my opinion, should be. I grew up taking weekend excursions to the woods with my mom.  It was there that she taught me how to pee behind a tree, which is now usually my preference if given a choice. I grew up in Bergen County, but my entire family now lives in the Skylands region of the NJ Highlands, an outdoor mecca for hiking, mountain biking, fishing and boating.  The following are just a few of my favorite places to explore but grab a map because there is so much more.

Skylands Manor at the NJ Botanical Garden - The botanical gardens are always changing with the seasons and tours of the manor house are available one Sunday each month with special tours around the holidays. Bring a picnic and spend a few hours wandering the grounds.

Ramapo Mountain State Forest, Van Slyke Castle - This was my favorite trail running destination for many years with options to hike, bike and run around Ramapo Lake or head off on one of many trails, including a climb up to the Van Slyke Castle ruins for gorgeous views of Wanaque Reservoir and, on a clear day, the NYC skyline.

Wawayanda State Park - With over 60 miles of marked trails including a 20 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, this park will not disappoint even the most avid hikers, but still has something for everyone.  In the summer months Wawayanda Lake offers swimming, boat rentals and concessions. 

If you find yourself in Paramus needing a gear fix, head up Route 17 North to the original retail Campmor store. Outdoor enthusiasts across the nation remember those iconic newsprint catalogs, but little do they know the company originated in New Jersey with a small storefront on the side of a highway in the shopping mall capitol of the world. 

Although I wanted to keep this about New Jersey, my trips home rarely are without at least one day trip to New York.  Aaron really wanted to see the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, so we spent the day visiting the museum with my dad. The Intrepid was launched in 1943, served in World War II, the Cold War and the Vietnam War, and also as a NASA recovery vessel in the 1960s. Decommissioned in 1974, it is now berthed on the New York side of the Hudson River and serves as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The easiest way to visit the Intrepid from New Jersey is to do what we did and take the NY Waterways ferry from Hoboken.  Then it’s just a short walk up two blocks.  The views from the river of both the skyline and the Intrepid are spectacular. Dress warm so you can stand outside on the deck.

Since my family lives so close to the New York State border, it’s not uncommon for me to want to spend a day “upstate” in the Hudson Valley. Warwick, NY is one of my favorite small towns and a short drive from my mom’s house.  There are many shops and restaurants to visit in the walkable downtown area, but my personal preference is to visit Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery just outside of town, where you can enjoy a tasting, lunch at the café, and music on the weekends all in a beautiful vineyard surrounded by miles of farmland.

Even though New Jersey is the Garden State named for the small farms that produce many of our agricultural staples, Warwick and the Hudson Valley offer a variety of agritourism for the whole family.  We enjoyed a day at Pennings Farm and the lesser known Ochs Orchard just down the road, for local goods, feeding animals, cider and farm fresh food. Both places have pick your own produce in season.

Driving Tip:

When traveling North and South in NJ, most likely you’ll find yourself on either the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway at some point. Both are toll roads.  Most residents have EZ Pass, a convenient way to move quickly through the toll booths. Our rental car company implied that it was the only way to pay the tolls, but that is not true.  I recommend you pass on the extra fees and look for the lanes that say cash. Twenty dollars in singles and quarters will get you most places (except the bridges and tunnels to NYC). There are some toll booths when exiting the Parkway that don’t have operators, so make sure you have extra quarters on hand.  Plan your travels during non-peak traffic (rush hour) to avoid lines at the tolls.

RV and Camper Tips:

If you drive a big RV or truck camper like we do, avoid the Garden State Parkway.  This thruway is closed to the big commercial rigs and trucks weighing more than 7,000 pounds North of Exit 105, therefore this includes many of the rolling homes of today.  If you accidentally find yourself on this portion of the parkway, stay in the middle lane to avoid several low-clearance arched underpasses until you can safely exit. Keep in mind that you are also running the risk of a $500 fine or more.

Even though you can drive quickly through NJ in under 3 hours, consider spending a few nights at one of many beautiful campsites. Visit Camp NJ to find a campground and request a guidebook. 

I hope this has inspired you to choose an exit, any exit, next time you’re in the Garden State and explore all the beauty and adventure this place has to offer.