Sunday, June 19, 2011
Two hundred thirty-three years ago on June 28, the Battle of Monmouth was fought. On June 19, 2011, this battle during the Revolutionary War was re-enacted in part.
I spent part of the morning and the afternoon at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan, NJ. Though the battle didn't begin until 1:30 P.M., there were plenty of people to learn from and things to look at from a few centuries ago. Supposedly, people came to the park Friday night to camp out until Sunday. But they restricted themselves as much as possible to the times of the 18th century- with a few exceptions of course. In the "kitchen" area, which consisted of multiple fire pits, there was a coffee pot, which apparently didn't surface until the nineteenth century."Some people just can't go without their coffee" one man told a group. There was a cannon demonstration at noon, where the speaker discussed each step required before firing the cannon.
The re-enactment was interesting to watch. Though nothing was actually being fired in the air, I could see how each side acted and reacted to the other. I found it entertaining that a person drummed along as the Continental Army marched into the battlefield. What was most entertaining, however, was hearing the "Hazzah!"s after the battle was won.
I found out from a woman that there are several re-enactments throughout New Jersey, I just need to google them to find out times and locations. Good to know, because I'd like to repeat this visit elsewhere. It's a live history lesson!
Pictures are 73-189: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286084805260.378367.753450259&l=60e13f931a
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Trip #16: Ringwood State Park & Manor
Saturday, June 18, 2011
After visiting NJ Botanical Garden, it was only logical to visit Ringwood State Park, since it was a few minutes away. I parked and explored the area around the Manor. The Manor itself was closed off to the public. Only the Park Office was open.
Just like at the NJ Botanical Garden, I loved the open fields and landscaped areas. I walked around and came to a stream, where I saw a striped tail right under a little bridge. Upon a closer look, I saw that it belonged to a raccoon! Though a little hesitant at first to see a raccoon during the day (which could mean it has rabies), I tried to follow it as it hid in the foliage along the stream. I was finally able to snap a picture of the little raccoon's adorable face. By the way it was moving, it didn't seem to have rabies. It was either an insomniac or a hungry little fellow.
I went to the Park Office to get some information regarding the trails. I was told about a Blue Trail and a Yellow Trail. The blue trail is smaller and along the Manor's property, whereas the Yellow Trail was longer and took you up Governor's Mountain to get a view of the Wanaque Reservoir. Though a 3.5 hour hike at 2:30 or so, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of an elevated view of the reservoir. I was given a paper that described the trail and how to get there, which proved to be very beneficial since it began as a red trail, then became white, then yellow. The red trail split into red and white, which both take you to yellow, but I recommend taking white to the yellow. The red had some serious uphill slopes, and I was lost for about 20-30 minutes before realizing that I missed the turn onto yellow.
Pretty early into the hike, I realized that I finished my water from lunch. I don't know why I didn't buy a second bottle of water. Part of me was tempted to turn back and get water, but since it was already after 3:00 P.M., I wanted to finish the trail before dusk. I learned my lesson the hard way- the next hour and a half, all I was thinking about was how thirsty I was. My body is pretty good in regards to surviving on little water, but the more I walked, the more I feared my body would react in a way that would prevent me from finishing my hike. Part of the hike crosses two roads, and by the time I got to the second road, I was very tempted to hitch-hike for some water. Fortunately my inhibitions were still intact, and I decided against it after I let two cars pass by. By then I was a little more than a third into the hike. I sucked it up and kept going as I was about to ascend Governor's Mountain.
Then by the grace of God I found a building. I had been on the yellow trail, and I noticed a short unmarked trail that let to a parking lot. Turned out it was a Church. I asked if I could use their water fountain, which they graciously allowed. Never before in my life has cold water tasted so good. I must've been drinking for three minutes, and by the end, practically no water was coming out of the spout. As I was leaving, I thanked the three men who were there, and one offered to refill my water bottle with ice and gave me a bottled water. They were setting up for a fundraiser for Missionary work and rebuilding in New Orleans. It wouldn't start for another hour or so, but I was invited to come when it did start and have some cajun food. I gratefully thanked them for the water and continued my hike. Someone somewhere out there was looking out for me, because God only knows what would've happened had I continued to go without water for so long.
I made it up Governor's Mountain, which was only about a 15-20 minute hike (That's what happens when mountains have been weathered down so much.) I finally came to a clearing with a great view of the Wanaque Reservoir. I sat up there for a good 40 minutes just enjoying the view and the peacefulness. I then descended back down, and rather than retracing my steps back along the yellow trail, I cheated and walked along the two roads that took me back to the State Park. My legs weren't used to hiking so much with the ups and downs, and it was starting to get dark. I already pushed my luck with the water incident- I didn't want to push it any further and injure my muscles from over-exertion. By my estimations, this probably saved me 30-45 minutes, and I walked on a road rather than changing elevation on dirt and stones.
The moment I walked back to my car was a huge relief. It felt amazing to free my feet from shoes. The way I felt at the time was summed up in four statements: I reek, I'm beat, I'm tired, and I'm hungry. But it was all worth it. My body got a hell of a workout, I took some good pictures, and this was the toughest hike I'd been on this summer. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment.
I left my house at 7:30 A.M. and returned home at 8:00 P.M. Talk about a full day! I stopped by the grocery store to pick up stuff to make dinner, and I ended up buying a pre-made rotisserie chicken. Never before had I felt so carnivorous. I easily ate a third of the bird. Amazing what walking and hiking can do when you haven't eaten too much during the day.
The scary part, though, was that when I was undressing to take a shower, I found two ticks on the inside of my shirt. One was on my bra, and the other I found after I had taken my shirt off. They were dog ticks, fortunately, and as far as I know, didn't latch onto me. I completely forgot that ticks existed until that point. I'm going to need to be more careful in the future. That, and I need to invest in some bug spray. For the last hour or so of my hike to Governor's Mountain, there was a fly or two that seemed to be following my head. My sweat must have been quite attractive to the buggers.
And so ended my journey on such a beautiful day. Though a bit hot in the middle of the day, it wasn't too bad for a day in June. I only hope to have plenty more weekends this nice.
Pictures are 1-72: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286084805260.378367.753450259&l=60e13f931a
After visiting NJ Botanical Garden, it was only logical to visit Ringwood State Park, since it was a few minutes away. I parked and explored the area around the Manor. The Manor itself was closed off to the public. Only the Park Office was open.
Just like at the NJ Botanical Garden, I loved the open fields and landscaped areas. I walked around and came to a stream, where I saw a striped tail right under a little bridge. Upon a closer look, I saw that it belonged to a raccoon! Though a little hesitant at first to see a raccoon during the day (which could mean it has rabies), I tried to follow it as it hid in the foliage along the stream. I was finally able to snap a picture of the little raccoon's adorable face. By the way it was moving, it didn't seem to have rabies. It was either an insomniac or a hungry little fellow.
I went to the Park Office to get some information regarding the trails. I was told about a Blue Trail and a Yellow Trail. The blue trail is smaller and along the Manor's property, whereas the Yellow Trail was longer and took you up Governor's Mountain to get a view of the Wanaque Reservoir. Though a 3.5 hour hike at 2:30 or so, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of an elevated view of the reservoir. I was given a paper that described the trail and how to get there, which proved to be very beneficial since it began as a red trail, then became white, then yellow. The red trail split into red and white, which both take you to yellow, but I recommend taking white to the yellow. The red had some serious uphill slopes, and I was lost for about 20-30 minutes before realizing that I missed the turn onto yellow.
Pretty early into the hike, I realized that I finished my water from lunch. I don't know why I didn't buy a second bottle of water. Part of me was tempted to turn back and get water, but since it was already after 3:00 P.M., I wanted to finish the trail before dusk. I learned my lesson the hard way- the next hour and a half, all I was thinking about was how thirsty I was. My body is pretty good in regards to surviving on little water, but the more I walked, the more I feared my body would react in a way that would prevent me from finishing my hike. Part of the hike crosses two roads, and by the time I got to the second road, I was very tempted to hitch-hike for some water. Fortunately my inhibitions were still intact, and I decided against it after I let two cars pass by. By then I was a little more than a third into the hike. I sucked it up and kept going as I was about to ascend Governor's Mountain.
Then by the grace of God I found a building. I had been on the yellow trail, and I noticed a short unmarked trail that let to a parking lot. Turned out it was a Church. I asked if I could use their water fountain, which they graciously allowed. Never before in my life has cold water tasted so good. I must've been drinking for three minutes, and by the end, practically no water was coming out of the spout. As I was leaving, I thanked the three men who were there, and one offered to refill my water bottle with ice and gave me a bottled water. They were setting up for a fundraiser for Missionary work and rebuilding in New Orleans. It wouldn't start for another hour or so, but I was invited to come when it did start and have some cajun food. I gratefully thanked them for the water and continued my hike. Someone somewhere out there was looking out for me, because God only knows what would've happened had I continued to go without water for so long.
I made it up Governor's Mountain, which was only about a 15-20 minute hike (That's what happens when mountains have been weathered down so much.) I finally came to a clearing with a great view of the Wanaque Reservoir. I sat up there for a good 40 minutes just enjoying the view and the peacefulness. I then descended back down, and rather than retracing my steps back along the yellow trail, I cheated and walked along the two roads that took me back to the State Park. My legs weren't used to hiking so much with the ups and downs, and it was starting to get dark. I already pushed my luck with the water incident- I didn't want to push it any further and injure my muscles from over-exertion. By my estimations, this probably saved me 30-45 minutes, and I walked on a road rather than changing elevation on dirt and stones.
The moment I walked back to my car was a huge relief. It felt amazing to free my feet from shoes. The way I felt at the time was summed up in four statements: I reek, I'm beat, I'm tired, and I'm hungry. But it was all worth it. My body got a hell of a workout, I took some good pictures, and this was the toughest hike I'd been on this summer. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment.
I left my house at 7:30 A.M. and returned home at 8:00 P.M. Talk about a full day! I stopped by the grocery store to pick up stuff to make dinner, and I ended up buying a pre-made rotisserie chicken. Never before had I felt so carnivorous. I easily ate a third of the bird. Amazing what walking and hiking can do when you haven't eaten too much during the day.
The scary part, though, was that when I was undressing to take a shower, I found two ticks on the inside of my shirt. One was on my bra, and the other I found after I had taken my shirt off. They were dog ticks, fortunately, and as far as I know, didn't latch onto me. I completely forgot that ticks existed until that point. I'm going to need to be more careful in the future. That, and I need to invest in some bug spray. For the last hour or so of my hike to Governor's Mountain, there was a fly or two that seemed to be following my head. My sweat must have been quite attractive to the buggers.
And so ended my journey on such a beautiful day. Though a bit hot in the middle of the day, it wasn't too bad for a day in June. I only hope to have plenty more weekends this nice.
Pictures are 1-72: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286084805260.378367.753450259&l=60e13f931a
Trip #15: Monksville Reservoir/Dam
Saturday, June 18, 2011
After visiting the NJ Botanical Garden, I drove back along Route 511 to a Quik Chek to buy a sandwich and a drink, and then managed to take a wrong turn going to Ringwood State Park. I accidentally stumbled upon the Monksville Reservoir on one side of Stonetown road, and a dam on the other side. It was a nice photo-op, so I took advantage of the opportunity and snapped some pictures.
There are quite a number of reservoirs in the area, and there may be some sort of access to the other reservoirs as well, but don't expect them to be obvious- you may have to do some searching for a safe pull-off to park and get a nice view.
Along Route 511 was another dam, which for a dam looked pretty nice with the architecture of stones they used. It was similar to how a castle would look.
(If you couldn't tell, I love anything and everything to do with water. I guess it comes with the territory of working four summers at a water company, and having a dad who is an engineer at a water company. I just can't escape a fascination with good 'ole H2O.)
One more thing I'm going to mention while I'm at it is how scenic the drive is coming from I-287 to Ringwood State Park. I couldn't help myself from taking a few one-second glances at the scenery as I was driving. Especially at 8:45 A.M. The water looked so pretty in the morning sunlight.
Pictures of the Monksville Reservoir and Dam are 143-150: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286070565260.378359.753450259&l=7d03902836
After visiting the NJ Botanical Garden, I drove back along Route 511 to a Quik Chek to buy a sandwich and a drink, and then managed to take a wrong turn going to Ringwood State Park. I accidentally stumbled upon the Monksville Reservoir on one side of Stonetown road, and a dam on the other side. It was a nice photo-op, so I took advantage of the opportunity and snapped some pictures.
There are quite a number of reservoirs in the area, and there may be some sort of access to the other reservoirs as well, but don't expect them to be obvious- you may have to do some searching for a safe pull-off to park and get a nice view.
Along Route 511 was another dam, which for a dam looked pretty nice with the architecture of stones they used. It was similar to how a castle would look.
(If you couldn't tell, I love anything and everything to do with water. I guess it comes with the territory of working four summers at a water company, and having a dad who is an engineer at a water company. I just can't escape a fascination with good 'ole H2O.)
One more thing I'm going to mention while I'm at it is how scenic the drive is coming from I-287 to Ringwood State Park. I couldn't help myself from taking a few one-second glances at the scenery as I was driving. Especially at 8:45 A.M. The water looked so pretty in the morning sunlight.
Pictures of the Monksville Reservoir and Dam are 143-150: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286070565260.378359.753450259&l=7d03902836
Trip #14: NJ Botanical Garden & Shepherd Lake Recreation Area
Saturday June 18, 2011
I was in heaven...until I was attacked by bugs and my socks and shoes were wet from the morning dew. It was then that I realized I was still on Earth.
That's how I felt at NJ Botanical Garden in Ringwood, NJ. I arrived at 9:00 AM. and only saw two other visitors in the vicinity of the gardens- for sometime, the place was mine. Nothing but flowers, trees, shrubbs, stone, and undisturbed silence. I was listening to nature's soundtrack of chirping birds and the occasional trickle of water down a stream or fountain. I was surrounded by perfectly maintained gardens and perfectly green grassy fields. I was in a peace of mind like no other.
Unfortunately, as I explored more of the gardens, I was the prime target for flies and other bugs. Not more than a half hour into it, did I get some sort of bite on my forehead that swelled up to almost a golf-ball size bump. But it went down after an hour or so. The dragonflies, wasps, and bees kept their distance, for which I was very grateful.
When my cousin arrived, we continued to explore the gardens, and eventually found a trail, so we started a very easy hike along a driving path before the Eagle Trail. It took us around the perimeter of the property. We saw signs for Shepherd Lake, and decided to continue walking in that direction. Though I had no concept of time, it took us longer than anticipated to walk there from the far end of the garden. If we only started at the intersection at the entrance of the garden, it probably would take 20 minutes? I had no concept of time at that moment, so that's a very rough estimate. We could have driven there, but there was a $5.00 parking fee, just like at the parking lot in the garden.
Shepherd Lake Recreation Area is a nice place if you live in the area, but I wouldn't travel a distance just to go there. I'd rather put the time toward a coastal beach. Regardless, it was nice to see some lily pads and ducks on the one end of the lake, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves basking in the warm sun. There was even a small chapel near the lake, but the doors were closed, and I didn't see a sign for when or if it was open. It may be reserved for weddings at the NJ Botanical Gardens.
So we walked back to the gardens to visit the last place of interest- the Skylands Manor. And what an interesting looking Manor. You could see three distinct types of architecture looking from one end of the house to the other. The one side of the house was built to look like a castle! To my dismay, though, the Manor wasn't open for tours, so we could only enjoy the view from the outside. But we were able to peek into one or two of the rooms through the windows.
There were so many little creatures I found at the gardens! Squirrels, chipmunks, a turtle, a rabbit, frogs, and a turkey. I spotted the turkey in the corner of my eye. We then tried to find where he hid so we could follow him, but he was a clever bird. We finally got a peek here and there, and saw him trotting down a path in the garden. For those of you who have seen the movie "Up," I felt like we were chasing a smaller version of Kevin. The turkey running down the path reminded me of him running away.
So all in all, this Garden gets high ratings from me. I drove about 75 minutes to get to the place, and it was definitely worth it. A Sunday visit may be better since they have a tour on Sunday, but either way, if you're looking for a peaceful place to spend half of day, I highly recommend the NJ Botanical Garden. It's worth waking up early to visit, so that you can see morning dew on the plant-life, and have the place to yourself. Plus, there's something about mornings and dusk that make everything prettier to look at.
Here's a link to the pictures, number 1-142: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286070565260.378359.753450259&l=7d03902836
I was in heaven...until I was attacked by bugs and my socks and shoes were wet from the morning dew. It was then that I realized I was still on Earth.
That's how I felt at NJ Botanical Garden in Ringwood, NJ. I arrived at 9:00 AM. and only saw two other visitors in the vicinity of the gardens- for sometime, the place was mine. Nothing but flowers, trees, shrubbs, stone, and undisturbed silence. I was listening to nature's soundtrack of chirping birds and the occasional trickle of water down a stream or fountain. I was surrounded by perfectly maintained gardens and perfectly green grassy fields. I was in a peace of mind like no other.
Unfortunately, as I explored more of the gardens, I was the prime target for flies and other bugs. Not more than a half hour into it, did I get some sort of bite on my forehead that swelled up to almost a golf-ball size bump. But it went down after an hour or so. The dragonflies, wasps, and bees kept their distance, for which I was very grateful.
When my cousin arrived, we continued to explore the gardens, and eventually found a trail, so we started a very easy hike along a driving path before the Eagle Trail. It took us around the perimeter of the property. We saw signs for Shepherd Lake, and decided to continue walking in that direction. Though I had no concept of time, it took us longer than anticipated to walk there from the far end of the garden. If we only started at the intersection at the entrance of the garden, it probably would take 20 minutes? I had no concept of time at that moment, so that's a very rough estimate. We could have driven there, but there was a $5.00 parking fee, just like at the parking lot in the garden.
Shepherd Lake Recreation Area is a nice place if you live in the area, but I wouldn't travel a distance just to go there. I'd rather put the time toward a coastal beach. Regardless, it was nice to see some lily pads and ducks on the one end of the lake, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves basking in the warm sun. There was even a small chapel near the lake, but the doors were closed, and I didn't see a sign for when or if it was open. It may be reserved for weddings at the NJ Botanical Gardens.
So we walked back to the gardens to visit the last place of interest- the Skylands Manor. And what an interesting looking Manor. You could see three distinct types of architecture looking from one end of the house to the other. The one side of the house was built to look like a castle! To my dismay, though, the Manor wasn't open for tours, so we could only enjoy the view from the outside. But we were able to peek into one or two of the rooms through the windows.
There were so many little creatures I found at the gardens! Squirrels, chipmunks, a turtle, a rabbit, frogs, and a turkey. I spotted the turkey in the corner of my eye. We then tried to find where he hid so we could follow him, but he was a clever bird. We finally got a peek here and there, and saw him trotting down a path in the garden. For those of you who have seen the movie "Up," I felt like we were chasing a smaller version of Kevin. The turkey running down the path reminded me of him running away.
So all in all, this Garden gets high ratings from me. I drove about 75 minutes to get to the place, and it was definitely worth it. A Sunday visit may be better since they have a tour on Sunday, but either way, if you're looking for a peaceful place to spend half of day, I highly recommend the NJ Botanical Garden. It's worth waking up early to visit, so that you can see morning dew on the plant-life, and have the place to yourself. Plus, there's something about mornings and dusk that make everything prettier to look at.
Here's a link to the pictures, number 1-142: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150286070565260.378359.753450259&l=7d03902836
Friday, June 17, 2011
No longer on hiatus
For those of you waiting for another post, fear not! After four consecutive weeks of graduation parties that took me from NJ to VA to DE back to NJ, I'm back on track with my NJ parks. To make up for lost time, this weekend will be filled with Skylands Gardens, Ringwood Manor State Park, possibly Longpond Ironworks State Park, and a Revolutionary War Re-enactment at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. For those of you interested, here's a link for the War re-enactment this Saturday and Sunday: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/monbat_re-enact-index.html
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