The front of Critchley’s Candies at 812 Kinderkamack Road in River Edge, NJ
Critchley’s Candies is an old fashion candy and chocolate shop with a modern twist. Many of the original ‘penny’ candies are still sold here along with new items like the ‘Dubai Bars’, which have become really popular lately.
The store carries all the classic candies like jelly beans, Swedish fish, licorice and chocolate bars but also has a line of homemade chocolates that are made ‘in house’ such as chocolate covered bark, marshmallows and Oreos.
The inside of Critchley’s Candies
The owner can also create all sorts of gift baskets and arrangements for special occasions and holidays.
The section of candies at Critchley’s Candies
The delicious homemade candies at Critchley’s
The selection of homemade candies are made fresh daily in the store and are all decorated by hand. They make a special gift for someone who enjoys homemade candy.
The store offers very personal service by the owner and her staff. They will work with you with special requests and offer a level of service not seen in too many stores today.
The history of Critchley’s Candies:
(from the store’s website)
Critchley’s Candies is located in the former Grace Lutheran Church of River Edge, NJ. If you look at the back of the store, you will see a decorative arch that has now become part of the store decor. This is where the original alter was in place. The building was converted to a chocolate and candy shop in 1957. Nicholas S. Phillips, and later his brother Ed, were two of the original owners.
They trademarked the “Mint Oritani” which was at the time our most famous treat! The store has changed ownership a few times over the decades, but each time it has kept the traditional chocolate recipes and added new delicacies. Critchley’s has become a one-stop shop with its expansive selection of gifts. Of course, there are still the old favorites like our large selection of chocolates, licorice, gummi bears, delicious chocolate covered strawberries and our newest favorite… hot cocoa bombs!
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Team Project the store partnered with me through Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ:
Touring the store with my students
Touring the store with my students
Our Project Team picture at the end of the tour
Having a candy sampling with my students
Video of our tour:
The Presentation my students made to the owner of Critchley’s Candies:
Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: “Critchley’s Candies-We’re Making it”
This is the first time in my career at Bergen Community College that I have taught a summer class and it was a very interesting experience. I have taught Business 101, which is the Introduction to Business class for many years but not in a modified seven week period. Normally this important entry level course is taught in fourteen weeks.
With an issue with my car the first day of class and then the Memorial Day holidays the next week put us two days behind and then I had to work on a modified Team project for the students. This would be a challenge. I had done all the on campus events I wanted and there was not much time for one of the bigger more detailed events. So I decided to reach out to a local business to help me out.
I was going to use the florist across the street from the campus and thought that would be the perfect client. The couple unfortunately was selling the business and even though they liked the idea thought it would not work since it would not help them as they were looking for a buyer of the business.
I then had another idea with a business I passed all the time driving up and down Kinderkamack Road on my was back and forth to work, Critchley’s Candies in River Edge, NJ. The business had been around for seventy years and I had met the owner once before. I thought would he help me out?
I was very lucky in that the store had a new owner, Rossana, who was willing to partner with me and liked my proposed ideas. I was lucky that she was looking for ideas to expand her business so it was a win win for the two of us. This would give her free marketing and a fresh perspective from a younger customer and would give the students an opportunity to help a small business owner.
I made two trips to the store to get some ideas and look over the merchandise. They have a nice selection of candies and chocolates and a whole new line of handmade candies that are made in store.
The inside of Critchley’s Candies
The selection of candies at Critchley’s
The selection of handmade candies
Once myself and Rosanna, the owner, worked together to fine tune the project, I brought my class to the store for their field trip. We had a two week deadline on this project and there was a lot to do (they actually did the whole project in ten days).
Over the weekend, I picked my Executive Team and fine tuned the project with more details to each section of the project. It had to be pared down because unlike many other Team projects, we had only two weeks to pull this off and present it to the client.
The proposed project:Critchley’s Candies: We’re Making it!
On one of the rainiest mornings we had in a long time (it never stopped raining for a month), I met my students to tour the candy store. We had a really nice time touring the store that morning and Rossana’s full time employee, Nancy, led the tour with myself and the class.
My students on the tour of the store
My class getting a feel of the merchandise
Nancy, one of the employees of the store led the tour discussing the different lines of merchandise.
We discussed the different types of gummies, jellies and hard candies the store carried.
The video of the tour of Critchley’s Candies that day:
My class and I touring Critchley’s Candies with Nancy, one of the long service employees at the store. She explained all the candy lines to us and what chocolates were made in house.
She then discussed the individual chocolates that are on sale for creating boxes for gift giving.
Me tasting the homemade Milk Chocolate Covered Oreo
When we finished the tour, we had a candy tasting. Everyone got a chance to taste either a homemade Milk or Dark Chocolate Covered Marshmallow or Oreo Cookie. It was a sweet way to end our tour of Critchley’s Candies. Then it was on to our Team Lunch.
After the tour was over, our class took a group shot at the store with Nancy.
After the tour was over, I took my students on their first ‘Business lunch’ and we met as a class at Pompilio’s Pizzeria at 223 Westwood Avenue in Downtown Westwood, NJ. I have taken students here before for lunch on about five other Team projects.
This gives the students the opportunity to get to know each other and have some Team bonding. The pizza is also excellent here too and they have very fair prices and a wonderful ‘school special’.
The Team Lunch:
Pompilio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant at 223 Westwood Avenue in Downtown Westwood, NJ
Some of my students at our Business Team building lunch
The pizza here is excellent
From this point on the students were on their own to create the project. We have already had a series of Board meetings in class and I have had to face two students dropping the class ( I just don’t think this is for everyone).
For the next two weeks, technically ten days, the students worked with their teams on completing the assignment. This meant meeting on their own time and trips back to Critchley’s Candies to film commercials and Tik Tok videos.
We had our last Board meeting the day before the Presentation to wrap things up and go over any missing items. I strictly informed about dress code and performing the role as Student Consultants. From this point on, it would be up to them. They were also assigned two papers to finish the project up.
Paper Three: What would I change in the store if I bought Critchley’s Candies from the owner:
On Tuesday morning, June 24th, 2025, the Presentation took place in our classroom. The first mode of business for each student was to pass the ‘Dress Code’ grade. I have students come in formal business attire. My way of turning group of Gen Zers in to Gen X. Image is very important when trying to sell a concept or program and you must look the role.
With the exception of a few hiccups, the whole class looked very professional considering it was 95 degrees outside. It not been this hot all week but it felt like 100 degrees. Thank God the air conditioning was working in our part of the building that day and the classroom was very comfortable.
The Presentation started late as one student got a flat tire and we had to wait for him. At the same time the owner of the store had an issue at her full time job that got resolved just as the student arrived in class. We started the Presentation at 11:00am and now it was full attention on the project.
The President this semester, Peter McNamara and the Senior Vice-President of Operations JC Abella welcoming everyone and starting the Presentation.
Marketing Team Member Kim Perez discussing the history of Critchley’s Candies to the audience.
The Marketing Team discussing the new ‘Store Jingle’ for the commercial
The Commercial on YouTube:
This includes the store jingle at the end of the commercial.
The students also created a Tik Tok video on the store and its wonderful selection of chocolates.
The Tik Tok video:
The Tik Tok video on Critchley’s Candies
Marketing Team member Matthew discussing the creation of the ‘Store Jingle’
The Product Development and Special Event’s Team discussing the QR Codes Program for the store’s boxed and individual candies.
Product Development/Special Events Team Member Aisha Martinez discussing the new ‘Summer Camp Care package’ proposal. This included a prototype of the packaging.
Team Leader of the Product Development/Special Events Liam discussing the ‘In-house Birthday Party’ program. This caters to that jaded Bergen County child who has seen it all. This birthday concept was very creative. It made it fun to have a birthday at the store.
His proposal for the ‘Birthday Party’ invitation with Vice-President of Product Development/Special Events Joel Fife to the right and President McNamara and SVP Arabella to the left looking on.
The Presentation concluded on time with a Q&A and a discussion on some of the ideas needing adjustments. Overall the owner of Critchley’s Candies, Rossana Rossi, who I partnered on this project seemed very impressed by the results. Then we took our Team picture with the owner and her employee, Nancy, who had led us on the tour of the store two weeks earlier.
The Paramus Critchley’s Candies Team with the owners of Critchley’s Candies.
After the Presentation was over, everyone took their jackets off and I hosted a reception for the students and our guests. I baked cookies and brownies and had an assortment of snacks and sodas for the students. I thought this went by very well for a class that had been here for only seven weeks.
The reception at the end of the Presentation
This is when I can say that I am very proud of my students!
The Official Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. website for the project with QR codes, Commercials, Logos and pictures from all the visits and the presentation:
The Halloween decorations were not even put away, the weather was 80 degrees on Halloween night and as I walked to the restaurant after the parade, display people were decorating windows with wreathes and trees. Here comes Christmas ! Between Halloween and Christmas I never sit still. There is so much ground to cover between New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania covering events for the holidays for my blog. It was a lot of picture taking this holiday season and revamping older blogs with new pictures and updates on the events. Join me for my crazy holiday season.
The beautiful sunrise on the day after Thanksgiving to start the Christmas holiday season
The Friday after Thanksgiving, we had the Christmas tree drop off with the Men’s Association and then I worked a triple shift that Friday from 7:00am to 9:00pm. It was a long busy day . We sold over 50 trees that day and they kept coming.
The tree racks were filled and refilled during the day
We had not even been open ten minutes and we had our first sale
It was a beautiful day for the start of the sale
Fully set up for the sale
The members of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association at the beginning of the sale
The first day it was non- stop business all day. Thanksgiving fell a week late this year and we lucked out with sunny but cool weather putting everyone in the Christmas mood. We just ran around and worked all morning, afternoon and evening selling , wrapping and tying trees to people’s cars and trucks. It was really a team effort.
Because I had plans on almost all weekends and weekday nights for the next two weeks, I worked the “Triple Shift”, which is Christmas tree drop off, then the morning shift from 10:00am-2:00pm, the afternoon shift 2:00pm-6:00pm and the evening shift the 6:00pm-9:00pm plus marching in the Hasbrouck Heights Christmas Parade with the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association.
We were open for business on one of our busiest opening days that I can remember. We all forgot that Thanksgiving came a week late this year and people were waiting for us to open
One of our new Executive Board Members wanted to put a float in the parade for publicity for the Christmas tree sale so we marched along with that. It was a long day. Thank God, we had bought pizza for lunch for the members and another member brought White Castle Hamburgers and Chicken Rings for us. We did not have to stop for meals. That brought its own challenges later on.
Fully open for business
It may have been a long day, but it was a productive day for us. By the end of the evening, we sold 51 trees and four stands, refilled everything as we went along and then marched in the parade and then returned to sell one more tree before we called it quits at 8:45pm. The temperatures did drop, and the parade was not as crowded as I thought it might be on an evening where everyone was off.
We turned the Christmas lights at dusk
Later in the evening is when the true spirit of the site comes to life. The Christmas lights come on and it really brings the spirit of Christmas home. It lets our customers know that we are open for business.
The Christmas tree lot the first weekend night of the sale
I think this festive environment is perfect for selling trees
We closed the lot for an hour so that the guys working that night could march in the town holidays parade with our float. We really had a nice time handing out candy canes to the kids and wishing everyone a happy holiday season.
The start of the Hasbrouck Heights Holiday Parade
The costumed Christmas characters
The Moonachie Fire Department displaying their lights
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association float in the parade
The parade concluded at the Circle for the Annual Tree Lighting ceremony. We did not stay for it as we had to head back to the lot for selling but I went back later to take pictures.
The Christmas trees lit on the Circle in Downtown Hasbrouck Heights
The museum has an extensive collection of firefighting memorabilia and equipment from different stages of the fire service. The museum is a must for firefighters and fire buffs.
The lighting display by the Circle
The historical Dollhouse on the Circle
The Hasbrouck Heights Firemen’s Park at the Circle decorated for the holidays
The bell at the Firemen’s Park
The Firemen’s Park display by the gazebo
The gazebo beautifully decorated by the town for the holidays
The sign welcome you to Hasbrouck Heights for the holiday season. When it comes to the holiday spirit of special events, house decorating and community involvement the residents of Hasbrouck Heights really bring the holiday spirit to life.
We headed back to the lot to finish out the evening selling for more trees and one stand. By the time we closed the lot for the evening, we had sold a record 51 trees and four stands in one day. It was a great way to start the sale. This was just the start of my holiday season in the never ending rush of activities.
The Christmas tree lot as we were closing for the evening
That Saturday, I decided to break a bad curse that I had experienced five years ago when visiting the historic Kearney House in Alpine. This is where I had the accident going down that cliff road at night. Though I said to myself that I would never enter that park again at night, I figured during the day would be okay.
The sad part was that I was the only guest for the first hour and a half of the opening. It was a chilly afternoon on Thanksgiving weekend but inside there was wonderful entertainment and hot cider to enjoy.
Enjoying the guitar playing and a cup of hot cider at the Kearney House
In between the entertainment and enjoying a few cups of the hot cider, I was able to tour the house again and take pictures. With the fireplaces going and glowing, it created a festive environment for relaxing during the holidays.
The Dining Room with the fireplace warming the room and hot cider to drink
Historic games to play
The fireplace glowing keeping the kitchen warm
Touring the upstairs bedroom gallery
The other bedroom and park system gallery
The old Attic bedrooms where Mrs. Kearney’s children used to sleep
After the tour was over, I stayed for an hour and enjoyed the music and the warm fire. It was a nice break from the holiday rush.
Enjoying the holiday music by the fireplace
I had to get back home but took the time to tour the park and houses grounds. It is an interesting historic site.
The herb garden
The house by the boat basin
The beautiful Fall foliage inside the park grounds. This was the last of the colors as the cold of winter was coming
In touring the Kearney House, I completing taking pictures of almost all the historical sites in Bergen County. The house is now closed for the season and will not open again until the end of April.
The next day I attended the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Holiday Party at the NJ State Firemen’s Home Association Christmas Party of the residents. This is one of the biggest events that we run for the residents for the home and the residents love this event. They have a good meal at the home, wonderful entertainment and present for every resident. No resident should be forgotten during the holiday season.
My blog on the Christmas event at the NJ State Firemen’s Home:
We started our meeting with a very nice buffet lunch that all members and the staff at the home could enjoy before the entertainment started. It was a nice way to start the afternoon. Chef Prince prepared a feast of Baked Ziti, Chicken Piccata, salads, breads, deli sandwiches and Chocolate Cake from Rockland Bakery for dessert. Everyone loved it!
The buffet lunch
The buffet lunch
Then we headed in for the afternoon entertainment. We were treated to the entertainment of and Member Jerry Naylis’s family, who we are watching grow up before our eyes. Funny how time marches on.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association with Santa and our pal, Wells
Jerry Naylis’s daughter and granddaughters in their group picture
Wells and I took our picture as well. He is such a great member
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association elected me President for 2025 which I humbly accepted. I felt very honored.
After the party was over and everyone headed home, I took a detour to visit Downtown Boonton, which is a few blocks from the home and saw all the decorations. The town looked very festive.
I then visited the town’s Santaland that was closing for the afternoon and took pictures around the park.
Santaland
Letters to Santa in Santaland
Santaland set up for visitors
Santa’s Headquarters in the Park
The decorations in the park
The other entrance to Santaland
The Gazebo in the Park lit for the holidays
The gazebo in the park at dusk before I left for the evening
I have to say one thing is that for a small town, Boonton does a beautiful job decorating the Downtown. The Main Street and the parks were very festive and put you in the holiday spirit.
The rest of the week was concentrating on the last quiz of the semester and getting ready for major projects. I also had another night of selling Christmas trees and did the weather turn quickly. It went from the 60’s to the 30’s very quickly.
After this week was over, it was time for a break. My students were very antsy due to their major project being due the next week. I do not know why everyone felt so uptight on such a fun project.
I could not wait until Friday morning when I could have a day off and just relax. I planned a trip down to South Jersey to take two Christmas House Walking Tours, one in Woodstown and Pinesboro on Friday and the other in Salem,NJ the next day.
This is my blog on the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Walking Tour on the Historical Society site:
I was not too sure what to expect so I dropped my luggage at the hotel first and got to Woodstown early. I had enough time for some lunch so I ate at the Creekside Inn, where the busses were leaving from. The food and service were excellent.
The entrance to the Creekside Inn right on the golf course off Downtown Woodstown
I sat down in the bar area that was decorated for the holidays and ordered lunch while planning the evening. The food and the service are excellent.
The Christmas tree by the buffet being set up for that evening
The food and the service were wonderful (see review on TripAdvisor). Not wanting to be loaded up for the tour I had a Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes. It was delicious. They made it with sour dough bread and cooked it in butter so that the outside was crisp. The perfect comfort food on a cool afternoon.
My lunch at the Creekside Inn, the Grilled Cheese with bacon and tomatoes with a side salad and a Coke
It was a nice sized lunch
Yum!
It was perfect timing because just as I finished it was time to take the bus out to the homes in Pinesgrove. What a nicely planned tour.
The outside patio area where we caught the bus and Santa would join us later
Our first stop on the four house tour was the Seven Stars Tavern House, what was once an old Tavern between Woodstown and Bridgeton. It was so beautifully restored and decorated for the holidays.
The historic marker for the tavern
Our group starting the tour of the house
Our group talking with the owner of the Seven Stars Tavern
The former tavern area of the home
The decorations in the Living Room of the Seven Stars Tavern
The decorations in the Seven Star Tavern
The Christmas tree in the Dining Room
The Dining Room in the Seven Stars Tavern
After the tour of this former tavern, it was time to move onto the next three houses on the tour.
We started the next part of the tour at the farm.
The Farm in Pilesgrove
The Living Room at the house
The Dining Room at the house
The barn on the property
When we exited the house, we had time to walk the grounds which were so beautifully landscaped and maintained. I was trying to imagine what the grounds must look like in the Spring and Summer.
The bus then picked us up and took us to the next location which was the Figo Farm. That was a real treat as that home was so beautifully decorated and the hosts so welcoming to us.
The Figo Farm in Pilesgrove, NJ
The Figo Farm was more of a ‘gentlemen’s’ farm with small fields and an orchard with a stable in the back. The family who hosted the event could not have been more gracious to us. They welcomed us with home baked cookies and holiday greetings.
Welcoming us in their beautifully decorated kitchen
The aroma of freshly baked cookies was in the air
The beautiful warm living room where we had a talk on the history of the farm
While I talked inside with the host’s parent’s most of my group took a hay ride around the farm. I met them in the stables which were beautifully decorated for the holidays.
The stables at the back of the farm
The beautiful decorations in front of the barn
The beautiful tree by the barn
Our then took us to the last stop on the Pilesgrove tour which was ‘Morgan’s Folly’, a Federalist style farmhouse home, very big and elaborate for the time. It just started to get dark when we arrived.
The beautiful sunset on the farm fields
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ home at the holiday
The Dining Room at ‘Morgan’s Folly’
The beautiful family Christmas tree
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ house we were left at for over forty-five minutes and no bus came to pick us up. We found out later from the bus driver that one of the bus drivers got let go early and they forgot to pick us up. So we got back to the Inn about an hour late. No big deal. I got back to the meeting spot and vendors had set up and Santa was there.
I ended up having a long conversation with Santa and I asked why people were so rude today. He had been by himself and stood up and looked at me and said, ‘Some of it they learned at home listening to their parents and some of it they learned on their own.’ He told me though that you should look for the best in people. I thanked him and told him, ‘I still believe in you.’ That seemed to please him. I think we need to carry that holiday spirit with us always.
Myself with Santa
When I got back, it only left me about two and a half hours to tour homes in Woodstown so I got back on the bus and they drove us to Downtown Woodstown, which was beautifully decorated for the holiday.
Downtown Woodstown, NJ decorated for Christmas
Downtown Woodstown
The display windows were so nicely decorated for the holidays
The whole downtown residential area was so nicely decorated for the holidays
I had never been in Woodstown for Christmas. I had just passed through to look at the decorations. What a beautiful town to walk around. Since it was late, I wanted to visit as many homes as I could before 8:30pm. The event closed up at 9:00pm but I am sure that many people would be exhausted by that point with people walking through their homes.
The homes were so nicely decorated
Some houses were not open but the exteriors were on display. This one had a wonderful light show on the side of the house.
This was a delightful show
The first house I visited was the Bobbitt House, which had been owned by a former doctor. The fire places were lit that evening which was nice on a cool night and the whole house sparkled with lights and garland.
The Bobbitt House lit for Christmas
The house was decorated to the hilt
The rooms were all decorated for the holidays
The house was just magnificent and all the details were so perfect. The family that owned the house did such amazing work on the decorations. I then moved on to the next house.
This house was only open on porch to admire the decorations
The next house I visited was only open for view of the outside but the owner’s daughter was entertaining us on the porch. It was a really festive concert.
A wonderful version of ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’
I moved on to the Pilesgrove- Woodstown Historical Society for a quick tour and to admire the decorations. The docents were stationed around to help and there were refreshments in the kitchen area.
The Christmas tree at the Historical Society
The Doll and Toy collection
The old house was decorated with bows and garland
The Colonial kitchen was still the centerpiece and the heart of the house
It was getting late and I visited my last house of the evening, which had once been the home of the minister and his wife to the church next door. It now was owned by a designer who decorated it to the hilt for the holidays.
Every detail was in place to the home in Downtown Woodstown
The beautiful Living Room decorated for the holidays
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The banister decorated for the holidays
What was nice about our host was how gracious she was with refreshments of hot cider, hot tea, cookies and chocolate. Unfortunately spending the day eating all these sweets was enough and I just needed a snack later.
While most of the homes were closing up for the evening, before I took the bus back to the car, I walked around the downtown where they had set up a market with all sorts of vendors. By this point, they were just starting to close up but I got to sample some of the wares.
The Christmas Mart in Downtown Woodstown, NJ
I took the bus back to the Inn and drove back to Salem for the evening. I got into bed early. I was so worn out from the cold and the running around that I spelt soundly that night. Still I got up early to watch the sun rise.
The sun rising from the view of the Meadow Room at the Inn at Salem River
I had a nice breakfast the morning at the Inn overlooking the Delaware Bay. It was not like the Summer or Fall when you could eat outside on the deck. It was so cold that I ate by the windows looking out with the heat on. Breakfast at the Inn with that view on a sunny morning is breathtaking.
Starting breakfast with this view is a treat
I always enjoy my breakfasts at the Inn
There was a whirlwind of activities that I had not planned. I had another Christmas walking tour of homes but this time in Downtown Salem, NJ but it did not start until the afternoon. What I did do was attend the Annual Christmas parade on the Main Street.
The start of the Magic of Christmas Parade
The start of the parade with costumed characters
The entertaining band
The costumed people in the parade
The Salem Fire Department adds to the spirit of the parade
The Parade Queen and her court waving to the crowd
Even this playful Christmas got into the spirit of the parade
After the parade was finished, I made my way to the Salem Fire Museum, which after five years of trying to visit was finally open. I talked with the firemen on duty and walked the whole museum. It is a unique look at the history of the fire service in both Salem and New Jersey.
The second floor gallery of living quarters and offices
The firehouse Christmas tree and rescue equipment
The I stopped next door to the Salem County Courthouse, which is the second oldest continuous used courthouse in the country. The courthouse was beautifully decorated inside and out.
The Salem County Courthouse at South Broadway decorated for the holidays
The entrance to the courthouse was so spirited
These historical buildings line Downtown Salem, NJ
The side of the Salem Courthouse was decorated for the holidays
The inside of the Courthouse has the original wooden chairs
I loved the tree in the corner
The tour guide said since the doors have opened, this building has been in continuous use for the City of Salem. If these walls could talk.
I crossed the street and visited the old main bank in town that is now an art store and school. They were preparing for an onslaught of children coming in for arts and crafts.
Then I moved on the antique store to check in with the formal part of the house tour, exploring the historic buildings of Market Street. My first stop was to check in at Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street.
Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and has such interesting merchandise.
From the antique store, I worked my way down Market Street to many of the homes and churches that were open for the house tour. The first part of the tour was a Colonial military display along the river.
The Dutch cabin during the military display
The military display near the river right before a Christmas battle
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays
The decorations are whimsical
I started the tour of the Federalist homes and they were so beautifully decorated.
Downtown Salem, NJ decorated for the holidays
The first stop on the Yuletide tour at 40 Market Street
The house was so beautifully decorated and the host could not have been nicer. She talked extensively about the renovation and her little grandson was dressed in period costume greeting people.
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays
The fireplaces were lit in the Living Room and Dining Room giving it a warm feeling
Our host had wonderful refreshments in the kitchen waiting for us at the end of the tour
After this wonderful tour, I moved to the next house.
This house at 43 Market Street was next on the list
The foyer at 43 Market Street
The upstairs at 43 Market Street
The couple that owned this house put a massive amount of work into the renovation of this home and you could tell the amount of TLC that went into every detail. The whole house was so beautifully decorated.
I went inside St. John’s Episcopal Church for a tour of the Christmas decorations and listen to the traveling carolers. They stopped at most of the places I visited that afternoon.
The church opened their rectory to sell items for lunch and had a desserts available. After two days of non-stop Christmas cookies I was all cookied out. So I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder with sourdough bread and talk about hitting the spot on a cold day. I was totally energized.
The excellent Clam Chowder I had for lunch
The Carolers came to the rectory as well
After a good lunch and a nice rest from all the walking, I moved on to explore the rest of Downtown Salem. The next stop was the Presbyterian Church with its musical performance.
The 1st Presbyterian Church at 88 Market Street is very impressive that afternoon
The carolers followed us around the downtown and performed in this church as well
What was nice about this Christmas walking tour was being able to see the inside of all these historical buildings and being able to see all the nooks and crannies of these old buildings.Just like the Woodstown tour the day before, the Salem County Historical Society was open too for touring.
I had seen all these exhibitions in the Summer when I was in town for the Firemen’s Convention, so I was not there long. My favorite section of the museum at the holidays is the ‘Keeping Room’, which is the original section of the home where the museum is housed.
I toured the museum for about forty-five minutes before I moved on to the next site. Take time to really tour the museum as it has so many interesting exhibitions and artifacts to see.
I next walked down Broadway to the Friends Meeting House, the center of the Quaker religion. The building was really old and smelled like wood and dust and creaked when you walked around it. I did not stay long.
The one part of the Meeting House that was cheerful and decorated for the holidays
I moved on to the last two homes of the tour as the afternoon moved on. The first house was no longer a home but an insurance company. The front of the building is the older part of the house and the back was the addition which was part of the old Masonic Lodge. It was a unique building.
The old house at 90 West Broadway is now an insurance company
The beauty of the main entrance room of the former home
This little doll in a sled was one of the members Grandmother’s toy
The home had been sold years ago and then became the Masonic Lodge which itself had closed years ago and the insurance company bought it for offices.
The last house I visited on the tour was a gorgeous Victorian in a rather sketchy neighborhood. The couple had lived there for years and said they never had a problem. I could see the huge potential if many of these houses were renovated.
The home at 24 Oak Street was the last house on my list that day
The owners had lived here for years and had renovated it to loving care. The landscaping was impressive even at the end of Fall. I would love to see what it is like in the Spring and Summer.
The woman who owned the home with her husband explained that she had hung all the wallpaper herself when she was younger. She did a beautiful job and the couple could not been more gracious in welcoming us into their home.
Their beautiful Living Room with elaborate wallpaper
Even the Kitchen was nicely decorated
We toured the house and got to see the gardens in the back which be impressive in warmer weather. The couple also had hot cider and cookies waiting for us at the end of the tour.
The last stop on the tour was where I would spending the night, the Barrett Plantation House B & B. I got to the B & B which was packed with cars out front. I was graciously welcomed by my hosts.
There was a fire going in the fireplace and music in the Parlor Room, which is where we would be served Breakfast the next morning. They even had a violinist who was in Revolutionary War garb playing songs from that period.
The Barrett Plantation House B & B at 203 Old Kings Highway
He beautiful decorations for the holidays at the entrance of the foyer
The Parlor where we relaxed when we finished the tour
The violinist who entertained us that evening not played the songs but explained the holiday entertainment of that period.
It was a very nice end of the tour. We just sat in front of the fire and talked with the violinist. He explained the songs he was playing and how people would entertain during that time. It was nice to just relax in a chair and be warm by the fire.
Since the couple at the B & B had to clean up after all the people touring through the rooms, I drove back downtown to attend the Christmas tree lighting ceremony
The County Courthouse decorated at night for the ceremony
The local elementary school provided the choir for the ceremony
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the ceremony by fire truck
The Parade Queen and Santa led the tree lighting ceremony that evening
The front of the Courthouse after the tree lighting ceremony
The ceremony was for only about forty five minutes with the kids singing two Christmas carols and the elected officials wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. It got really cold out at the end of the evening.
I made it back to the B & B and joined the owners and the other guests drinks and a hot Roast Beef sandwich with fresh Potato Salad by the fire. Now that was fun. We all talked about the tour and what a perfect day it was seeing all the decorations. After a nice evening by the fire, I just relaxed up in my room. I had to be on an early walking tour of the Alloways History Museum, which had been arranged for me.
I had an early morning tour of the Alloway History Museum at 49 Greenwich Street on the second floor of the Municipal Building. This tiny museum had been elusive to me and the owners of the B & B were able to arrange to get me in. The appointment was at 8:30am so everyone else slept in while I drove to Alloway, a tiny farming community just west of Salem.
For such a small museum, it packed with interesting artifacts and displays. I was impressed by their Native American collection and their community displays. Here is a small sampling of the collection you can see on my VisitingaMuseum.com blog:
The Native American artifact collection
The local community displays
The Schoolhouse and Education display
While everyone else slept in, I toured the museum and got a feel for the collection. It really is a ‘hidden gem’ and like the Salem Fire Museum should be open to the public more.
After the tour, I went back to the Barrett’s Plantation for breakfast with the other guests and we had a wonderful meal with lively conversation by a warm fire in the dining.
The beautiful breakfast room at the Barrett’s Plantation
Our gourmet breakfast started with fresh fruit with local honey, freshly squeezed orange juice and hot tea
The delicious fruit salad
The honey Amish Bread
The breakfast entree was the Sunday soufflé with a side of hash browns
We just relaxed and talked to our hosts and enjoyed the crackling fire. It was a nice way to end the two days of touring.
After breakfast was over, I relaxed in my room for a bit before I left for a day of touring around the community. I really loved my room and the way it had decorated for the holidays.
The Dickerson Suite I highly recommend
The decorations in the Dickerson Suite at the holidays
Before I packed up and left for the day, I took a tour around the B & B and the grounds. The couple who owns it did a wonderful job decorating for the holidays. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
The staircase and foyer
The outside of the Barrett’s Plantation decorated for the holidays
The sleigh on the porch
The holiday decorations
The grounds are so nicely landscaped and are a pleasure to walk around in all seasons
Before I left for the day, I went to visit the Pennsville Historical Society to see if the house was open to see their Christmas decorations. I lucked out and they were having their Annual Open House with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Church Landing Farm, the home of the Pennsville Historical Society
The Christmas Open House was an amazing event and it was a beautiful sunny day to be outside. I started my visit with meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. In this crazy political world we live in, it was nice to see that the Claus’s were so welcoming to everyone. It is nice to believe.
Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted me warmly that afternoon
Me with Santa getting some good advice at the holidays
I toured all the display sheds and the farmhouse which were all beautifully decorated for this holiday event. There were so many beautiful decorations that I can’t show them all here but look at my blog on the Pennsville Historical Society on my site, VisitingaMuseum.com. Here are some of my favorites from the tour around the house and ground:
The farmhouse on the day of the Open House
I took a full tour of the house and grounds and took so many pictures (see the blog above) of all the beautiful decorations throughout the property. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
This is from the amusement park shed
The decorations in the military shed
The front of the farmhouse decorated for the holidays
What I love when you come to the Pennsville Historical Society’s Church Landing Farmhouse is that it is so beautifully decorated for the holidays. The volunteers go above and beyond and the house is amazing.
The foyer to the home
The front Parlor
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The upstairs bedroom
The decorations in the second bedroom
Even the upstairs bathroom was decorated
The little elf in the upstairs bathroom
The refreshments in the kitchen
I finished the tour of the house and headed down to the kitchen where the volunteers set the main table with every type of Christmas cookie you can imagine. One of the volunteers told me that every volunteer had baked a pound of cookies and they had an excess. After two full days of sweets, two were fine with me.
After some hot chocolate, I finished my tour of the grounds.
The little schoolhouse on the grounds was decorated for the holidays
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays overlooking the Delaware Bay
The Church Landing Farmhouse decorated for the holidays
After spending the early morning at the Open House, I had enough time before I went home to take a trip to Millville to see the decorations at their historical house. Unfortunately, the ladies who decorate the home that the Society owns next door had not decorated it yet so one of the volunteers took me to the Ward Mansion which they also run.
This was the home of the family that started the WaWa chain amongst other companies. The home had been decorated for their holiday party and they let me tour the home.
The Wood Mansion is part of the Millville Historical Society
The Living Room at the Wood Mansion decorated for the holidays
The Victorian Christmas tree in the Living Room
The Dining Room
The artifacts in the upstairs gallery
The Wood family tree to the branch that now runs WaWa
It was nice to take a personal tour of the home and see how the family lived in Victorian times. It seemed that the modern generation no longer wanted the home and left it to the historical society. After the tour was over, I took another tour of the historical society and then headed home. It had been a long and productive weekend.
The second week of December was presentation week for my students. I had for major presentations with all four of my classes plus a presentation to Ramsey Borough Hall. I had been teaching four classes at Bergen Community College and each of my classes had real clients this semester which I had never had before. So there were the demands of real clients and visits for the students to Closter, Bergenfield, Lyndhurst and Ramsey, NJ whose job it was to promote these great towns. I found out months later they were still asking me for things. That’s how real these projects are to people outside the classroom.
The first class to present their project was the Farm team presenting how they were going to promote the farm with all their specialty products and create a series of Special Events.
Me with my President and Senior Vice-President of Operations for the Farm Project
The Manager of the farm came to the presentation and gave his thoughts on our ideas and loved almost all of them. So I had my first happy client.
The next presentation I had was with my Marketing class and we were creating a Destination Tourism plan for the Borough of Bergenfield. We were showcasing the Bergenfield Museum, Cooper’s Pond Park and the South Church of Bergenfield’s historic cemetery.
We presented the project to the Board of the Bergenfield Museum and the publicity member of the Borough of Bergenfield. It was a brilliant presentation and everyone really liked it.
The Bergenfield Team after the Presentation
The next presentation was “It’s Razzling in Ramsey-Be a Tourist in your Own Town”, an extensive Destination Tourism plan for how to promote Ramsey, NJ for tourism. The students presented to me in the classroom first and then we presented to the Ramsey Borough Council. That was pretty amazing.
Me with my President and my Senior Vice-President of Operations
My last presentation for Thursday night was the presentation for the Lyndhurst Team for the Red Schoolhouse Museum. We presented the project that Thursday night to the Board of the museum. This presentation was put together in four weeks and it was a great presentation.
All the Presentations went and was impressed with all the students work. It took many weeks and a lot of touring of the locations but we presented to all the clients our best work. I was so drained by the end of the week that I went to bed early that evening.
I had another busy schedule the third weekend of December and that included more holiday tours and decorated homes. I had to run from Hope, NJ to Upstate New York, to attend one day events. All this while I was preparing the final exams for the next week. We had sold out of Christmas trees in two and a half weeks, so the was now behind us. We got ready for our annual Christmas stand party.
The party fell on Friday the 13th and I got in the car and left for Blairstown , NJ, where the opening scenes of the original film were shot. Going to Blairstown, NJ where the opening scenes were shot of the 1980 film has become a big thing. It was in October 13th, 2023 but in December 2025, it was Christmas all the way.
It was so cold out and so close to Christmas that there was not a sole in town. I was there for about an hour taking pictures on the holiday decorations rather than talking about Friday the 13th. I toured there and Hope, NJ and took pictures of all the decorations..
The decorations in Blairstown
The building that was the original diner that was in the opening scene. It is now a gift shop.
The cemetery gate where Annie gets dropped off in the middle of the scene
After I had toured both Hope and Blairstown, I double back to Blairstown for lunch. The Blairstown Diner for lunch and had a very good but expensive chicken sandwich off their ‘Friday the 13th menu.
I was coming back that Saturday night for the Moravian Christmas walking tour and would have loved to spend the night in the area but I had so much work to do at home that it was just easier to drive home than stay.
I was resting at home after the long ride home when the guys from the Men’s Association texted me telling me to get my butt to the party and to bring some dessert. So I changed clothes and played a platter of homemade cookies and went to the party for an hour. It ended up that after the long week of student presentations and running around, I needed the drink.
The guys on the Men’s Association enjoying a job well done at the end of the season
The tree stand the night of the party with one tree left
The next morning I was in a rush to finish my grading and the laundry as I had to be back in Hope, NJ for the walking tour and then the church services afterwards. It was going to be an hour trip back out there. Then the day after that, I would be up in Beacon, NY visiting more decorated houses.
I had been to the Moravian Christmas Lantern tour three years prior in 2021 but it had been so windy they could not put up the luminaries. This year they could.
Downtown Hope, NJ before the nightfall
The Presbyterian Church that used to be the old Moravian church where the candlelight service would take place that evening.
I liked the way everyone decorated their homes
Many of these old homes were decorated with wreathes and garland
As it grew darker, it grew colder and I was smart enough this year to take the earlier tour and leave time for dinner before church services.
The Hope Community Center where we started the tour
Inside the Hope Community Center, they set up a buffet where you could buy dinner and you could see their ‘Festival of Trees’ display the they used to display at the local hotel. They moved it back to the Community Center this year which was nicer to observe all these beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local groups.
The Community Center set for dinner and the tours
The beautifully decorated Christmas trees
The beautifully decorated tree
One tree was more impressive than another
Since I wisely chose a tour that would start at twilight and end when it got dark, I got to see the town in both perspectives. Either way, the town was fully decorated for the holidays and when the sun went down it was really beautiful.
The bridge coming into town
I got to walk around before my tour started while it was still light out and in the winter time the town is so picturesque.
All the homes in the downtown area were decorated for the holidays
The tour started at 5:00pm and we started to walk through this former Moravian community. During COVID, the town had been ‘discovered’ by New Yorkers and since my last tour in 2021, almost all the homes in town had been renovated and landscaped. The town was very impressive.
Our guide on the lantern tour
The tour took us to all the historical sites in Hope which included the church’s, manufacturing and old farms and mills. The temperature was dropping as it got darker and I felt bad for all the actors outside who had to stand there waiting for us.
Starting the tour at dusk
The historical buildings of Hope, NJ
The local elementary school entertained us on the tour
Then we toured the downtown, visiting historical buildings that are now banks and offices and visiting a live Nativity scene.
The bank was an old Meeting House at one time
The luminaries in the downtown
The luminaries downtown looking toward the church
The live Nativity performance
We rounded the downtown one more time to see all the historical homes and the beautiful light
After I returned to the Community Center, I stopped and had some dinner. The buffet had some heavy dishes and I decided on the Mac & Cheese which really warmed me up on this cool night. For dessert, I had a locally made Cider doughnut. What a nice way to end the tour.
The Community Center is a nice place to eat dinner after the tour
After dinner was over and I warmed I walked over to the Presbyterian Church for the traditional Moravian Candlelight Service. I had been here four years prior and had enjoyed the service with its engaging sermon and the beauty of the candles in the final part of the service.
The church was decorated in a secular fashion for the holidays
The service was very inspiring with a talk about family and what the purpose of the holiday really means. With all the pressure of the holidays in hand and finals week being the next week plus the posting of grades before I left for my mother’s for the holidays it was nice to just relax.
The end of the Candlelight service
Downtown Hope, NJ at the end of the church service
Having prepared all my exams and wrapped up the grades for the Team project, I was able to head to the Hudson River Valley to visit some decorated homes that I needed to revisit for my museum blog, VisitingaMuseum.com.
The first one was Mount Gulian in Beacon, which I had visited over the Summer and now needed pictures of the Christmas decorations. The other was Knox Headquarters Homestead, which I had visited several times between the Summer and the Halloween holidays. The decorations at both homes did not disappoint me.
Mount Gulian Historical site for the holidays
Since I had taken the formal tour of the house over the summer, the docent who led my tour then just gave me an overview of the Dutch holidays and explained the decorations.
The beautifully decorated front doors
The main staircase decorated for the holidays
While my tour guide finished with his first tour, I toured the house on my own.
I started in the basement looking at the Colonial kitchen, which is the only thing that survived the fire that burned this historical house to the ground in the 1930’s (the current house is a recreation of the original home).
The colonial kitchen decorated for the holidays
The decorations around the kitchen area
I made my way upstairs and continued the tour on my own.
The elegant Dining Room
The table was set for Christmas lunch
Then I toured the other rooms and made my way to the Library.
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and Christmas ornaments
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and wreaths
The old Parlor was set up for the upcoming Children’s tea
The old Parlor Room was set up and decorated for a Children’s Tea which was the week after Christmas but I still got to walk around and enjoy the decorations. The Christmas tree was elaborately decorated for the event.
The Christmas tree surrounded by pictures of the Order of Cinncinatti
I ended my tour when the next group of visitors arrived. While the tour guide greeted them, I took one last tour of the dining Room. It just a beautiful room.
The fireplace in the Dining Room with a picture of the last descendant who lived in the house as a baby over the fireplace
After the tour of Mount Gulian, I had time before my tour of the Knox Homestead to tour Downtown Beacon and have some lunch. The downtown really nicely decorated for the holidays.
Downtown Beacon decorated for the holidays
The snow had fallen the day before giving it the early Christmas look
The beauty of the mountain tops after the sun
The snow bound downtown
The beautiful falls downtown
Downtown Beacon is really a picturesque place with wonderful restaurants and shopping and interesting street art. It is a wonderful town to explore and window shop.
The beautiful decorations downtown
For lunch that afternoon, I ate at Noble Pie at 137 Main Street, a small restaurant specializing in homemade sweet and savory pies. What a treat. I had not had a piece of homemade pie in a long time and you can tell the care they have in their product in each bite.
It was a tough choice but I decided on the Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and the Apple Pie a la Mode with a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with the ice cream from Del’s Ice Cream in Rhinebeck, NY.
The wonderful Chicken Pot Pie with a flaky buttery crust
The delicious Apple Pie a la Mode with Vanilla Ice Cream
The restaurant was nicely decorated was nicely decorated for the holidays
After a wonderful lunch and a full tour of the picturesque downtown on both sides, I headed down to the Christmas Open House at the Know Headquarters . I had wanted to go early because it was so cold and it got dark early.
The lights turned on before I left Beacon giving it more of a Christmas feel
I got to the Knox headquarters for their Christmas Open House just before nightfall so they were still setting up the outdoor lights. The house looked so picturesque with the snow on the trees and grounds.
All the rooms were decorated for the holidays with costumed actors talking about life in the house during the Revolutionary War Christmas era.
The Parlor decorated at Christmas
The spirit of the lady of the house
The decorations in the Parlor
The ghostly figure in the mirror in the decorated Dining Room
The Knox office in the house with a costumed soldier to explain the plan
The decorated stairs and bannisters for the holidays
The upstairs bedrooms were well appointed and decorated for the holidays
A soldier met us at the top of the stair and explored the war years to us
The Dining Room
The last room of the afternoon I visited was the Dining Room where the Dining Room table was decorated for the holidays. This had been a trend during that period where the top of the table was decorated to impress guests.
The whole Dining Room was beautifully decorated
The Army Captain explained what entertain was like during the war years for officers and soldiers
The outside of the home was lit with a bonfire and torches
The temperature really dropped that evening and it got cold! The poor actor who portrayed a soldier standing guard was really cold. He really knew what these men must have felt.
The soldier standing guard outside the homestead
The Knox Homestead when I left that evening
The torches that lit the property on a cold winters night
After the Open House was over, I had not realized how early it still was so I decided to take a detour and visit Kingston and Woodstock to see how those town’s were decorated for the holidays.
My first stop was Woodstock, where I had spent many relaxing Christmas’s after my father passed. I needed to clear my head and spending time in the mountains with some peace and quiet helped me tremendously. I found the town quaint and had an almost Currier & Ives feel about it. It still means a lot to me at the holidays.
I always love the Woodstock Christmas tree. It always looks so unusual
The Dutch Reformed Church where I spent many Christmas Eve’s
The manager scene outside the church
The retail district around the Green at the holidays
It was so cold out that no one was outside. The restaurants were pretty quiet that evening as I could see no one wanted to venture out. It was a big difference from four months prior when it was 60 degrees and sunny in the evening. I had the whole downtown to myself that evening.
The restaurant’s were decorated to the hilt. This used to be Joshua’s where I ate Christmas Eve the years I came here
I walked around the quiet Green admiring the Christmas tree and peeking in the business windows. I could not believe that Christmas was going to be next week.
The Village Green the week before Christmas
I finished my tour of Downtown Woodstock and it was still early so I headed to Kingston. I had missed the Snowflake Festival this year because I was in Salem and Woodstown for the Christmas Hour tours so I wanted to see how the town was decorated.
Kingston is always so nice at the holidays and I wanted to see how the town was decorated. It is another picturesque town.
Downtown Kingston ‘Stockage District’ with the snowflakes
I got to Kingston late in the evening around eight in the evening and for some reason Kingston likes to roll up its sleeves at 8:00pm. I walked around the downtown and had the streets to myself.
The Kingston Christmas tree in the ‘Stockage District‘
The Dutch Reformed Church at the holidays
I would have thought there would have been bells during the holidays and it was just very quiet in the evening around the church.
The Senate House barns
One last tour around the Downtown before things closed for the evening
The merchants compete for the best windows
The windows in Kingston could compete with any other town
It was a nice way to end the day walking around this beautifully decorated town enjoying all the wonderful lights and displays all to myself. I knew I needed the relaxing as Finals week was here and the last day of class was on Thursday night. I could not wait to be done with classes.
Finals week was a rough week for everyone being so close to the holidays. I could see that a large portion of my students had no desire to study for their finals and their grades reflected that .
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the first third week of January.
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until thethird week of January.
December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the third week of January.
I had to clean the house, finish my cookie baking for gifts and do all the laundry and pack. I was leaving for my mother’s for the holiday and then two days of work and rest in Cape May. There was a lot of picture taking and cultural sites to visit.
Decorations for the holidays in Murray Hill at the Union League Club at 38 East 37th Street
I was able to get into New York City just before Christmas and I will tell you there is nothing like Manhattan during the holidays.
Nothing says ‘Christmas’ more than Macy’s on West 34th Street, my home away from home for seven years of my life working as a Manager and then a Assistant Buyer. It still is an amazing Christmas store.
I explored the City and ran around Manhattan visiting as much as I could in a day. I would be leaving for my Mother’s on the morning of the 24th, so I wanted to get things done.
Macy’s Herald Square on the Broadway side of the first floor
My first stop was Macy’s to see their windows and to see how the stores were decorated. They really did a nice job on the inside of the store and their windows I thought were the most unique of all the department stores.
Macy’s Broadway Christmas windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Passing Penn Station at Christmas
I walked around the Murray Hill neighborhood in Midtown enjoying all the holiday decorations on all the buildings.
I passed this tree outside one of the office buildings in Midtown
Gem Saloon in Murray Hill decorated for the holidays
Touring through Bryant Park during the holiday season is always a lot of fun. You always see such interesting vendors during the holiday season. The skating rink was packed with skaters and tourists filled both.
I continued to tour around Midtown, walking into stores and parks and admiring the decorations. After a long semester of classes and projects, it was nice to get my mind off work and school.
I continued the walk around Midtown up Park Avenue and passed the decorations at Grand Central Terminal. This is when you see the City at its best during the holidays.
My last stop before I left the City was an extremely crowded Rockefeller Center where every tourist from every walk of life was taking pictures from every direction. I had to elbow my way around the complex and I still got some wonderful pictures.
The Angels at Rockefeller Center at Christmas
The complex at Christmas time
The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center just known as the ‘Tree’ to us
After I left the skating rink, I walked around Saks Fifth Avenue. Their windows were not that exciting this year as they just featured clothing from the Couture floor. I could see under all the glitter that the store was having problems. I saw the cracks that I had seen at Macy’s years ago. We will see how this plays out.
The front of Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue minus their Lightshow and exciting windows
It was nice to just walk around the City and enjoy the decorations and get my mind off work. It was going to be a long day of getting ready for the holidays and then a trip to Cape May to just decompress.
Christmas Eve Day was a whirlwind of activity. I had to head to Downtown Hasbrouck Heights and pick up flowers for my cemetery visits, then head to Downtown Wood Ridge to Mills Bakery for doughnuts for my mother for breakfast Christmas Day. Then I visited my family before I left for my mother’s. It was a busy morning.
The store was so beautifully decorated inside and out
How magical the store looks inside for Christmas
The back of the store sells all sorts of Christmas treasures
This is where I buy all my flowers to pay my respects at the cemeteries and they always put a nice arrangement for me at a fair price. Plus I love looking at the decorations at the holidays.
Then it was off to Mills Bakery for pastries. The baked items at Mill’s are always fresh and the selection is wonderful.
Mills is always so nicely decorated at the holidays
The beautiful Christmas cakes at Mill’s
The holiday cookies at Mills always smile at you
The elegantly wrapped Gingerbread houses make the perfect gift
After I finished my shopping and made my visits the my family, I had a quick lunch at Bella Pizza on the Boulevard for a slice of pizza before I left for my mother’s. The Sicilian slice was really good and hit the spot for the long trip.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard decorated for the holidays
The Sicilian Pizza is fantastic and did not affect my appetite for dinner
After lunch, it was the four hour trip to my Mother’s . Thank God the traffic was not bad. Once I left the Newark area, it was smooth sailing. Even when I had to make a stop at one of the rest stops, the new rest stops were nicely decorated.
On the way into Rehoboth Beach, there is a farm where I always admire the decorations. It may not be that elaborate, but there is just something about the way they decorate that I always admire.
The farm outside Rehoboth Beach
The pictures don’t reflect how truly beautiful the farm is decorated. I could not get the correct lighting
Since there was no room at the house, I stayed at the Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Coastal Highway and I highly recommend the hotel at the holidays
The Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Costal Highway at Christmas time
The hotel is really nice with a large lobby and Breakfast Room and an indoor pool. The hotel was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The lobby at Christmas time
The Christmas tree in the lobby
The Breakfast Room where meals are served in the morning
I met the rest of the family at my mother’s after I had settled in and then we left for Christmas Eve dinner, which she calls our ‘Jewish Christmas’ meal at Confucius Chinese Restaurant.
Confucius Chinese Restaurant at 57 Wilmington Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach
Dinner is always an experience at the restaurant offering some of the best Chinese food in Delaware.
We started the Christmas Eve meal with Salt & Pepper soft Shell crab
They serve the most amazing Duck Springrolls
The Pork & Chive Dumplings steamed or Fried are mouthwatering
The entrees here are top notch and the dishes that came out of the kitchen were excellent that evening. Even for a busy evening, one dish after another was amazing.
The Moo Shu Pork here is one of their specialities and one of our favorites to order. We had to get two orders just so everyone could have one.
The Kung Pao Chicken without peanuts is one my mother’s favorites
The Tang Lake Chicken is one of my favorites and I highly recommend it
The House Special Lo Mein is another favorite of mine
The House Fried Rice is one of the best I have tasted
We had to add some greens to the Christmas Eve dinner
It was a wonderful dinner and it was nice to catch up with my family. It is tough when all of us are scattered throughout the country. It is one of the few family meals we have during the year.
After dinner was over, we all met back at my mother’s house. Before I left Downtown Rehoboth Beach, I took a quick tour of the boardwalk and the town’s Christmas tree. It is always a nice site and very festive.
The Gazebo by the shore all lit up for the holidays
Christmas Eve in downtown is quiet and beautiful
I got back to the hotel that evening and slept soundly. All those weeks of final projects and running around caught up with me. There is something about the Hilton mattresses that give you the perfect night’s rest.
My perfect Hilton bedroom
Christmas morning was a whirlwind of activity. I had to meet my family for breakfast later in the morning and help with dinner at my mother’s before her guests arrive. Since I love breakfast, I started with an early morning meal at the hotel.
It was a very nice breakfast with a good assortment of hot and cold items. Since the howl was not that busy, I got to talk with other families, who like myself there was no room at the inn at their relatives home.
The Breakfast Room at the Hampton Inn
The Breakfast Room and Lobby at the hotel
The selection of hot and cold items makes a nice breakfast
Creating the perfect breakfast sandwich
The morning would be a whirlwind of activity as we had to finish last minute preparations at the house, getting appetizers in order and do some last minute preparations work and clean the kitchen. It would be a very nice morning and afternoon.the kitchen.
Helping my mom in the kitchen at Christmas has become a new tradition for my brothers and I . For years we were told to stay out but as my mom is getting older it is a lot of work so we all enjoy helping out. It has become a family affair.
The Dining Room set for Christmas dinner
The Dining Room table always looks so elegant
The decorations in the house
Simple but elegant
My mother kept it simple at Christmas and did not go overboard but the house always looks so nice at the holidays. The table was set so beautifully and my mother likes to keep the tradition of name cards, which is really nice.
My mother kept dinner simple this year and we had a lasagna with a salad and garlic bread . We were all working and was tough doing all fancier dishes we had cooked in the past . Still it was a nice meal.
We started with a simple meat and cheese anti pasta
The most amazing Christmas dinner Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Dressed Salad and roast pork
My mother hosting dinner with much pride. She is an excellent cook and host
It really was a nice Christmas Day. It gave us all a chance to be together with our mother and her friends and catch up with one another’s lives. My brothers and I did the clean up and helped with dessert.
Christmas dessert, my brother baked the cookies, my mother baked her wonderful apple pie and my sister in law brought a very rich Russian chocolate cake
My brothers and I with our mother at the end of the evening on Christmas Day
We really had a wonderful Christmas but like most holidays it zipped right by and the night was over. The next morning we met at our mothers for breakfast and each of went our own separate ways afterwards. I was heading to Cape May, NJ by ferry while my brothers both headed to New York City. I would meet up with them later in the week for lunch in Manhattan. My mother got some time to relax after we departed.
I love the trip over to Cape May from Lewis, DE. The ferry is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and even on Christmas Day a few years ago is always busy at the holidays.
The terminal and their restaurant inside are always so nicely decorated for the holidays
The ferry takes only an hour and a half compared to the five hour drive around southern New Jersey. On a beautiful sunny morning, the views are amazing.
The Lewes Terminal in the summer months
Getting ready to arrive
Cape May at Christmas time is one of the most magical places especially at night. The lights and sounds and music, plus the tours and the restaurants is the reason you will never be bored here. I took a ride through the back roads and made to the heart of downtown and to my hotel in no time Cape May in no time.
The Chalfonte Hotel where I normally stay when I am in Cape May was closed season (the hotel is not insulated) and I stayed at the Southern Quarters, the sister hotel next door. Somehow I keep getting the room on the top floor of the hotel and it holds a lot of memories for me because it’s where I first stayed when visiting Cape May.
The room at the top of the Southern Quarters has a great view of the neighborhood
I was finally able to relax and decompress for a few hours. I ended up sleeping for three hours. This trip to Cape May was about relaxing and picture taking for the blog so it would be another working vacation for the next two days. I would be spending a lot of time time visiting the Congress Hotel to revisit restaurants and take pictures of the decorations.
The front of the Congress Hotel was decorated to the hilt
The Congress Hotel at is decorated for their “Winter Wonderland” promotion at Christmas time. The hotel is a spectacular time to visit the hotel with the public rooms fully decorated and the lawn area in the back set up like a Christmas Village with a decorated tree, amusements, shops and refreshment stands. It was packed both nights I visited.
The beauty of the lobby at The Congress Hotel
The hotel sometimes reminds me of ‘The Overlook Hotel’ in the movie in the movie in ‘The Shining’
The Courtyard of the hotel
The Christmas tree on the lawn of The Congress Hotel
The Christmas tree by the shops
The Congress Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels at Christmas time. Every inch of that hotel is decorated. Before I went to dinner, I walked the halls and the grounds. Most of the amusements were closed for the evening but I figured I would come back during the day to see the shops and what else was going on.
I revisited the Boiler Room Pizzeria in the basement of the Congress hotel for dinner as I had back in 2018 and in 2021. The food and service here is wonderful and the place was packed.
The pizzeria at the Boiler Room
Like I said, I was on a picture taking mission and had to eat the same things I ate six years earlier(which I did not mind) and I had a Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza, which was the meal I had at the hotel in Christmas Eve when I stayed at the hotel.
The lighting might have been a bit strange but the food was excellent The Caesar Salad was delicious and could have fed two people.
The Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza is a treat
The Boiler Room bar area was really busy at night
Even in the post Christmas, the whole hotel seemed mobbed. I would read later on that one guest of the hotel complained that there were so many outside visitors to the hotel that the registered guests couldn’t enjoy all the special things at the hotel. My feeling was tough! That is how the hotel makes money and I did not hear the hotel complaining about how many guests there. There were a lot spending money.
After dinner was over, I decided to walk around the downtown area and admire Washington Mall, which was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The Washington Mall is so festive
The Washington Mall at night
Even by the hotel, the light show continued as many of the B & B’s and businesses had heavily decorated for the holidays.
The Bed & Breakfasts were nicely decorated for the holidays
Cape May’s Downtown Square Park
The trees in the park were fully lit
The Gazebo in the park was an array of lights
The colorful Christmas tree in the gazebo
Downtown Cape May at night during the holiday
The unique Victorian Mansion on the walk back to the hotel
Even closed for the season The Chalfonte Hotel was decorated for the holidays
The next morning was a clear and sunny day. The temperature was nippy but not cold. I could not wait to start the day.
The view from my room at the top of the Southern Quarters
Since food service was closed for the season at the hotel, I walked down to Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, my go to spot every Summer and holiday season. Right after the New Year, they normally close until it gets warmer.
Uncle Bill’s is one of the best places at the shore to have breakfast
Decorated for the holidays
The Christmas Village at Uncle Bill’s
I love coming here for breakfast when I am in Cape May and they make the best French Toast, Scrambled eggs and Pancakes. I saw someone having the Pancake platter with scrambled eggs at the next table over and that is what I ordered.
The Pancakes and Sausage at Uncle Bill’s are cooked in Claire’s butter giving it a sumptuous taste and the pancakes an extra crispness
The pancakes and eggs here are excellent
After a great breakfast, I paid the bill and walked around Cape May. It was a warming day in the 40’s and downtown is a nice place to work off breakfast. I headed back over to The Congress Hotel to see what was happening in Santa’s Village. The hotel was in full swing with people taking rides on the trains and Merry go Round. They were ordering pretzels, hot chocolate and other holiday snacks at the snack bar. I just thought it was fun.
The Merry go Round at the Congress Hotel
The lines were long for families to rise the trains
The lobby was just as spectacular during the day as at night
After walking around the hotel grounds and tiring of the crowds, I went out to explore the community and investigate historical sites in the area. It took me to corners of Salem County that I had never seen before. There were some historical locations in Upper Cape May County that were still on my bucket list. I knew they were closed for the season but I wanted to know where they were located.
My first stop was the the JW Grady House which is in the middle of nowhere where.
The JW Gandy Farmstead at 26 Tyler Road in Oceanview, NJ
The JW Gandy Farmhouse was closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring
The next site I wanted to visit was the historic Tuckahoe Train Station. This Victorian Train Station was the hub of activity at the turn of the last century.
The Tuckahoe Train Station on Route 659 Railroad Avenue
Both historical sites were closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring do they would another trip to Cape May.
It was a lot of twists and turns to come to these remote sites and then I headed back to Cape May to walk around before dinner. I walked through the downtown again and walked through the park to see the Christmas tree again but during the day.
The Gazebo during the day
The Christmas tree was just as spectacular during the day
I relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the afternoon and then went to dinner in North Cape May to Viggiano’s on Sunset at 109 Sunset Boulevard in West Cape May. I had seen the recommendation on my Dining Club and had passed it many times and wanted to try it on this trip.
I really enjoyed my meal that evening. I keep it simple on the rather cool night. I started the meal with a bowl of the Wedding soup that contained tiny meatballs and kale that seriously warmed me up. The temperature had dropped that evening so it was the perfect appetizer for dinner.
The wedding soup at Viggiano’s
The delicious Wedding Soup
For the entree, I wanted something that was filling and could warm me up on this cool night and I picked the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was loaded. With butter, cream and cheese, which I had not had in a long time.
The Spaghetti Carbonara
The perfect comfort food on a cold night
After a wonderful dinner and a relaxing evening, I walked back to the hotel through town admiring the lights and decorations on all the homes and businesses around West Cape May and Downtown Cape May.
The decorations as you enter West Cape May
The decorations in West Cape May
The decorated homes and B & B’s by the hotel
I walked along the beach on the way back to the hotel and work off dinner. It was so quiet that evening. In the post-Christmas season, the nights were much quieter this time of year. By the time I got back to the hotel, I got ready for bed and fell asleep.
The next morning I packed up the car and then headed over to The Congress Hotel again but this time for breakfast at the Blue Pig. Like I said before, it was all about the pictures and I ordered the same thing I ordered back in 2018, the Eggs Blackstone with Orange Juice, Hot Tea and a side of Potatoes. It was just as good as it was six years prior.
I had not been back to the restaurant in seven years (there are always so many places I wanted to try between here and Wildwood) and it was a treat to come back. The prices were still pretty reasonable for the meal that you got and the food is excellent.
My breakfast at the Blue Pig Tavern
The Eggs Blackstone Poached eggs on top of Cheddar Cheese biscuits with spinach and bacon and tomatoes with Hollandaise Sauce and Hash-browns. Decadent and delicious. Breakfast and lunch.
The weather was really gloomy that morning so I checked out and headed home. My original plan was to stop in various shore towns to see what they were doing for the holidays but it started to downpour when I left Cape May and I figured I would stop in Point Pleasant and see what activities were happening on the Boardwalk.
I knew Santa was making a plunge at the aquarium so I stopped there . It really was a miserable day. Stopping at the Boardwalk though made it better.
The Sea of Lights event at Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk
As festive as the Boardwalk was it never stopped raining. Not the most pleasant place to be in the rain
The Boardwalk was surprisingly busy for such a gloomy day because the show of shows was inside the aquarium itself with the beautiful “Sea of Lights”. I must have missed Santa (I met him along the way during my holiday adventures) but I was exhilarated by the display of twinkling lights inside the aquarium showcasing the exhibitions. Santa could not have done any better. What a show!
The ‘Sea of Lights’ at the Jenkinson Aquarium
The aquarium was spectacular that day with all the twinkling lights
I cut my trip short because of the weather. It was a misty day and I did not want to linger down the shore. I took a quick tour in downtown Point Pleasant where there were nice decorations dotting the street lamps and many of the merchants had interesting display windows. I still thought they did a better job decorating the downtown during Halloween.
Downtown Point Pleasant decorated for the holidays
Before I headed home, I took a quick trip to Bayhead, NJ and toured their decorated downtown. They had interesting and very clever decorations. Whether it was the Santa in front of the Bayhead Firehouse or the twinkling lights and garland along the bridges, Bayhead is a very picturesque town at the holidays.
Downtown Bayhead, NJ at the holidays
The downtown is filled with quirky little shops, interesting restaurants and a great bakery. In the summer months, the town is especially beautiful. The sounds of the waves and seagulls is nice on a late Summer afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a gloomy rainy day and not much fun to walk around. I headed home from here. Until the warmer months.
The Bayhead Chapel at 442 Main Avenue at Christmas time
Before I left Bayhead, I took a chance and stopped by the Bayhead Historical Society, which was open that afternoon and was still open when I got there. I got to see their display of a ‘Victorian Christmas’.
The Bayhead Historical Society in Bayhead, NJ at Christmas time
The “Victorian Christmas” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The “Victorian Christmas Tree” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The Historical Society is a ‘hidden gem’ in the area with an interesting “Historical Map” exhibition and outer buildings with nautical displays. The museum has limited hours so try to visit it on the weekends when it is open. Their “Victorian Christmas” display was really nice with the vintage decorations and antique ornaments that were displayed on the Christmas tree. Many of these ornaments once decorated the members mother’s and grandmother’s Christmas tress in the past and I thought fascinating to see generations of decorations on one tree. After my visit to the museum, I headed home into the gloomy rainy evening.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s when I returned home was filled with running around doing errands and laundry. I had been running the whole month and it gave me a chance to catch up. On the day before New Year’s Eve, I met my siblings for lunch at Jing Fong, a Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown. This had been a former Dim Sum palace on Elizabeth Street but moved to its new location at 202 Centre Street after they lost their lease. The food is still spectacular.
The food was excellent and we had a variety of Dim Sum for our lunch that afternoon. The only bad part of this restaurant is that it has limited space and they need to turn the tables over quickly which is annoying when you want to sit and relax and talk after your meal is over. They are a bit rude of asking you to leave (this happens to everyone who dines there. Check the TripAdvisor reviews).
The Steamed Pork Buns
The Shrimp Spring Rolls were perfectly cooked
The Fried Pork Dumplings
The homemade Soup Dumplings will melt in your mouth
The Pork and Chive Dumplings
For dessert, we had the Egg Custards, a Portuguese tradition comes through Hong Kong
The menu is really interesting and the carts have all sorts of delicious goodies to choose from. The only problem with the restaurant is when they rush you out the door when you are finished. After lunch, we went up to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. It was crowded but it still fun to see again.
I never get tired of seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and it was spectacular this year. It was really impressive.
That evening we went to the Marriott Marquis for dinner at the second floor Broadway Lounge, where I had my graduation dinner many months before. My brother had really enjoyed it the year before and invited us to join him and his wife for dinner. The food and the views are amazing!
I had the most amazing Chicken sandwich for dinner that night. I tried to keep it simple since we had a big lunch. I ate the whole thing.
I highly recommend the Chicken Sandwich
Yum!
Before we left, my brothers and I took a family shot at the restaurant. It amazes me sometimes that we are still kids at heart even in our fifties.
My brothers and I at the Marriott Marquis after dinner
After dinner was over, we went our separate ways. One of my brothers headed home and my other had plans for the New Year’s celebrations. I had wanted to visit Philadelphia for the afternoon and checked on the Macy’s Philadelphia’s website and discovered that the Annual “Lightshow” and “Dickens Village” were still open and that December 31st was the last day the display would be open. I made the reservation for 2:00pm and off I went on a early train from Penn Station in Manhattan. Everything in and around Penn Station was still heavily decorated for the holidays. The whole station was quite the Christmas site.
I was only here for the morning before my trip to Philadelphia but it really is a beautiful building and what a food court! The place was so nicely decorated for the holidays with wreathes and garland all over and interesting decorations tucked here and there. This was another picture taking trip to update a blog I did on visiting Philadelphia during the holidays.
The trip on the Acela took about an hour and I got into Philly with plenty of time before the lightshow, so I went to have lunch at the Dutch Eating Place in Reading Market. I had wanted to go to Carmine’s Cheesesteaks, but Carmine had retired and closed his restaurant a couple of months before, so I went to my second favorite place and already knew what I wanted to order. The hot Turkey platter with extra gravy.
I can’t tell you how much I love Reading Terminal Market with its food stalls, colorful displays and especially the isles and isles of delicious food. I swear there is one good restaurant after another in the place and it is not a place for someone on a diet. The rule here is to indulge.
Rows of delicious baked goods just outside of Beiler’s bakery
The lines of people there on New Year’s Eve. This is the best place to ring in the New Year
The ultimate place to eat from them all and one of my personal favorites is the Dutch Eating House where really will enjoy some of the most Pennsylvania roof
After lunch was over (and trust me I was stuffed), I needed something sweet and I needed a doughnut so I walked across the aisle to Beiler’s Bakery.
Beilers Bakery has the most amazing treats
Beilers Bakery on one side and Beilers Doughnuts
The selection of great baked goods at Beilers Bakery
I can’t tell you how mouthwatering the bakery items are at Beilers. All the items are baked on premise at the Reading Market and the turnover is quick so everything is always so fresh. From buttery cookies and cakes to heavily iced doughnuts, the selection is extensive and all the toppings and fillings are freshly made and the doughnuts are made right in front of you.
The doughnuts are freshly made, iced and filled right on the spot and sold just as quick
The selection of doughnuts are so mouthwatering and delicious
The Glazed Doughnuts and Lemon Filled were the best on this trip
The Lemon Iced and filled is just the best
There’s nothing like a Beilers Glazed Doughnut
After a wonderful lunch and an even more wonderful dessert it was off to Macy’s for the light show. My appointment to see the Dickens Village was not until two o’clock so I got to see the show both before and after the show. I took one more walk around The Reading Market before I left.
I always love the excitement of the Market
I thought I would have time to stop at Bassett’s for ice cream but maybe the next trip
Macy’s was just around the corner from the Market and I have to say I love the Macy’s here is just so beautiful and classic. I still have a hard time calling it Macy’s considering it was the old Wanamaker’s store since its inception. This beautiful grand dame of the department store industry was so much nicer when it was Wanamaker’s.
Macy’s Center City Philadelphia-The old Wanamaker’s Department Store
The Windows at Macy’s Philadelphia were nicely decorated similar to the windows in Manhattan
The Macy’s Windows based on the New York windows
Window Two at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Three at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Four at Macy’s Philadelphia
There were beautiful restaurants, luxury departments and it was always nicely decorated for the holidays. Macy’s does a nice job, but it was a different store in the 80’s and early 90’s. I still see traces of the old store in the movie “Mannequin” when it was still Wanamaker’s.
The movie trailer for “Mannequin” was shot at the store in 1986
The famous opening scene that was shot in front of the old Wanamaker Department Store
My favorite song from the movie “Mannequin”
The movie “Mannequin”
I can still see traces of the old store here and there. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays and it was really pretty in the store. The displays were very colorful and the main rotunda was so festive. It was not the same as the old Wanamaker’s but more like a Macy’s store in New York.
The Rotunda of Macy’s Philadelphia (former Wanamaker’s)
The beauty of the Rotunda decorated during the holidays
The decorations in the Fine Jewelry Department
The Eagle in the Rotunda
The Women’s Accessories Department during Christmas
The Men’s Department during Christmas
The decorations of the main floor
I have seen the light show about five times now and I know I can see the whole thing on YouTube, but it is still fun to see it live in the store and hear the organist play the famous pipe organ. It really is an exciting show. I love the music and I love the way they display the story line. Julie Andrews does a nice job narrating the story.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
One of the reasons I came down to Macy’s Philadelphia not just to see the windows, see the Lightshow but I made a reservation to see the Dickens Village, which was a relic of Strawbridge & Clothier created in 1984 by the former rival of Wanamaker’s.
The Macy’s Dickens Village is now located on the Third Floor of the store which was the old Executive Offices
The start of the tour of the “Dickens Tour”
The start of the “Dickens Tour”
The Dickens display with Charles Dickens narrating
The Dickens display with Scrooge confronted by members of the Charities
The Dickens display The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Dickens display of Fuzzywink’s Party scene
The Dickens display Meeting Ghost of Christmas Present
The Dickens display Nephew Fred’s Party
The Dickens display Scrooge meeting the Ghost of Christmas Future
The Dickens display The end of the story with a Revelation by Scrooge
The Dickens Village is a lot of fun to walk through and it is a fun way to learn the story and understand the lessons about the story. It is nice to see that Macy’s is keeping these traditions going (for now). After seeing the Lightshow and walking through Dickens Village and walking around the store to see the decorations and what the store looks like, I walked around the downtown. I swear, it has not changed much since my last visit. Most of Market Street is still as dumpy as it ever was in the past. They really need to build more housing downtown to bring more people to the downtown. I found out when I got home a few days later in the New Year that Macy’s will be closing this store in March 2025.
The closing of Macy’s Downtown Philadelphia-For the second time since Wanamaker’s closed
On my way back to the train station, I stopped in the Christmas Village by City Hall and stopped to see the Christmas tree. This was the last day of the Christmas Village as well. Most of the stores were closed by this point but a lot of food vendors were open and the skating rink was really busy in the late afternoon.
During the holiday season, I also like to see the light show at Macy’s (which I still call Wanamaker’s) and visit the tree at City Hall. Philadelphia has its own magic at holidays. There is such a beautiful holiday market that surrounds City Hall with all sorts of artisan crafted foods and handmade products. There was a slew of singers, actors and musicians that were entertaining the public.
Downtown Philadelphia’s Christmas Market in 2024
The City Hall Christmas Tree may not be as big as the one in New York but no less nice. It was beautifully decorated and at twilight, covered with colorful lights. A lot of people were taking pictures around it or were getting ready to skate around the makeshift skating rink. It is not Rockefeller Center, but the affect was just as nice, and it really did put me in the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas tree by City Hall in Center City Philadelphia
The beautiful downtown Christmas tree with Downtown Philadelphia in the distance
After touring the Christmas Market, I left to take the train home. I did not want to get caught in the Manhattan traffic of New Year’s Eve. The train station was beautifully decorated with lights, wreaths and a huge tree and it was nice to just sit back and relax until the train came. On the way back, the city was all lite in front of me. The boat houses on the river were lit with Christmas lights and boats passed by lit up as well.
The Christmas tree in Penn Station in Penn Station in Philadelphia
The tree was truly beautiful at the end of the Christmas season
When I got back to Manhattan, I made my way out the back door of the station and headed up Eighth Avenue to get home. I did not want to deal with all the nonsense of Times Square on this cold night. The Hudson Yards were so beautifully decorate for the holidays with the white lights with the backdrop of the buildings.
The Hudson Yards on New Year’s Eve
It was surprisingly quiet at the Hudson Yards at 6:00pm.
I just wanted to get out of Manhattan before it too crazy in Times Square. I celebrated New Year’s Eve in a quiet way. The privacy of my Living Room watching the ball drop at Midnight. I had fallen asleep on the bed and woke up around 11:50pm and almost missed it.
It had been a productive December for me with travels all over the Tri-State area, classes concluding and now three weeks off to relax before the Spring semester began. The weekend after New Year’s Day I spent travelling to light shows at the Bronx Zoo and The Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the last weekend before the Epiphany. There was a lot going on this last weekend and I rushed to everything. It was a great weekend.
My blog on the Lightshows during the holiday season of 2024:
In my live classes, I open my consulting company, “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.”, for business and the whole class bands together and we have one big project. In the era of post-COVID and online learning, I was lucky that I was able to teach one of the live classes on the Bergen Community College, Paramus Campus. It was such a pleasure welcoming students back to campus with live lectures and conversing with them.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. corporate logo of the six trees
In the past, I have created these projects under the Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. banner, the main consulting company, the Orion Malls banner, a Mall design company and the Buscomonzefi.com banner, my Tech Division. Each business does its best to be creative, forward thinking and have a thought producing presentations. I also challenge the students to top on another in their presentations and build on what they have seen others do in the past.
Professor Justin Watrel, CEO & Co-Founder of Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.
I had done a blog promoting the farms (what is left of them) in Bergen County and thought this might be an interesting subject to research further. Farms are destination not just for walking around but for shopping, dining and for entertaining.
I chose Old Schraalenburgh Farm because of the beauty of the farm during the various seasons, the quality of the food and dining options and the location of the farm in comparison from the other larger farms like Alba and Demarest, who have bigger options such as apple picking and hayrides.
Old Schraalenburgh and Farm Stand at 110 Schraalenburgh Road in Closter, NJ:
I talked with their manager one day after class and he seemed intrigued by the idea of new promotions for the farm stand and restaurant. So I put the proposal together, presented the project to the students and then I arranged the Team Field Trip and then we visited as a class.
The Proposal for the project “The Farms of Bergen County, NJ: Visiting Old Schraalenburgh Farm and Farm Stand”:
On a sunny October afternoon, we spent class time touring the farm with the manager of the farm. It was the first time some of the students had had a field trip like this before for a business project.
Our Team visit to the farm in early October
Our host and partner in the project, Manager of the farm Nick Griepenburg, explaining the workings of the farm
Explaining the growing season at the farm and the honeybee business
Visiting the honeybee hives and the honey business on the farm that supplies fresh honey to baked items and for sale in jars on the farm
Visiting the chicken coops which supply eggs for baked goods and fresh eggs sold in the farm store
The Teams feeding the chickens on the farm and hearing about how they supply items sold on the farm
The Team on the Farm
The Team at the end of the tour
After the tour, we went took our Team picture for the Paramus Team working with the farm. This helps the Student Consultants create their own memories of the project and is part of their resume building.
Our group shot at the farm
After the tour, I took the Student Consultants to lunch at Pompilio’s Pizzeria at 223 Westwood Avenue in Downtown Westwood, NJ for a pizza lunch and time for them to get to know each other. These are always successful meals and gives everyone a chance to talk.
Pompilio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant at 223 Westwood Avenue in Westwood, NJ
Team Two having lunch together and creating their game plan for the project
Team Three enjoying a pizza lunch together
This is how we create Team Building and getting the Student Consultants to get to know one another. It is an important part of the project. We break bread with one another and it is how we start the Team project. It was a nice afternoon over good food and conversation and how we are going to market this wonderful farm to foreign and domestic visitors.
Now four Teams will compete with one another to create a Digital Marketing Campaign, Special Events and promoting their wonderful bakery, restaurant, ice cream and flower businesses. Each Team will create a new logo, a commercial for the farm and develop three holiday events to bring families to the farm.
What was good about the project is that is that I hope it helps build their bakery, jelly and ice cream businesses as well.
Their ‘cottage’ businesses during Valentine’s Day
The homemade ice cream business
The homemade jelly business
One event is “Spring in the Air”, will promote the flower gardens and the floral business. They will create an event entitled “The Bunny Visits” with an Easter Egg Hunt on the farm with candy souvenirs. Another event is “The Spirits of Halloween”, for families looking for Fall events like Hay Rides, Corn Mazes and a Haunted Barn event. They will create a special Halloween menu from the Farm’s restaurant list for visitors. It will also promote the pumpkin and apple business.
The last event in development for the Teams is a winter event entitled “Mr. and Mrs. Snowball Arrive”, a secular event enjoyed by all families. This event will open the holiday season on the farm.
After the tour was over, the students spent the next five weeks creating their game plans and putting their creativity to good use developing commercials and shooting them on the farm, formulating logos to rebrand the farm and figuring out how to bring more traffic to the farm.
The student presented the project to myself and to Nick, the manager of the farm who helped me judge the presentations. It really was a great afternoon of new ideas and new ways of looking at the business.
The Corporate Website for the Farm Division of the Paramus Team:
For Quiz Four, I developed the Holiday project to build comrade and prepare the students for their formal presentation. The students are requested by Corporate to create a Holiday menu, an invitation and a holiday greeting in English and Spanish. They have forty-five minutes to create all this and it is always fun to watch how it all comes together.
The PowerPoint presentation on the Holiday Project:
The video on the Holiday Project:
The Presentation Day December 11th, 2024:
I have to admit I was a little nervous about the Presentation to the Farm that morning. Nick , the manager of the farm showed up on time as well as several parents and friends of the students showed up to watch as well. It ended up being a very fine Presentation with not too many hiccups and I was very proud of the students for all their hard work on the project. Since much of the work was done ahead of time, there was time to fine tune the project before the Presentation and that made a difference.
What I liked about the Presentation was the at the Introduction was done in English and Arabic with my Introduction in English and Spanish. About six languages were spoken during the Presentation and I saw some students confidence rise when they spoke in their native tongue. This gave the Presentation a more International appeal and I hope for that when people watch these videos all over the world in the future.
Me with my SVP of Operations Moamen Abdallah and President Gianna Cantatore after the presentation
The Corporate shot of me with the Paramus Farm Team after the Presentation
What I liked about the projects that this Team created is that they are so workable and can be adapted quickly with not a lot of expenses. Since the farm has all the products the Teams used either to raise money or use as refreshments, its a win win for the farm.
I found Nick, the Manager of the farm, to be very open to the student’s suggestions and it gave him many new ways of looking at the farm. After the Presentation was over, there was time for a Question & Answer session where Nick made some really good points. The students did an excellent job creating menus for the restaurant, interesting ideas on promoting the ice cream, bakery and honey businesses and general merchandising and packaging ideas to promote all the wonderful merchandise sold at the farm. It really was an afternoon of creative Marketing and all of this was done in five weeks.
What was the best part of this project was that I felt we made a real contribution in promoting this wonderful farm for domestic and foreign tourism and hope it has an impact in the farm’s future.
Now you have to go and try their farm burger!
Yum!
The Farm during the Christmas holidays after the project was over December 2024:
The outside of the farm decorated for Christmas
The decorations were very festive
The outside of the farm at the holidays
The inside of the Farm Stand Restaurant during the holidays
The delicious looking holiday pies at the farm stand
It was a banner year in ‘Haunted Hasbrouck Heights’ as a record number of Hasbrouck Heights residents decorated their homes for what has now become the start of the Holiday season. ‘In our town of Halloween’ we searched for the best ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night to find the best house and merchant that best represents the spirit of the Halloween holidays. This is my forth year as the Chairman of the Hasbrouck Heights Halloween House Decorating Contest and I have never seen so much creativity in our town.
We found that our winners were two members of the community that had been winners in previous contests, who really stepped up their game and created displays that dazzled the judges unanimously, Heights Floral Shoppe for a third straight year and the Fiduccia family of 85 Woodside Avenue for a second year since winning two years ago. The judges were blown away by their creativity and ingenuity in creating such fantastic displays.
Our Merchant Division is starting to grow with more of our Downtown merchants decorating their windows for the Halloween season. We wish more would get involved but the clear winner is now a three time winner with not just the most amazing windows but interior as well.
The Heights Flower Shoppe dazzles during day and night
‘I love Halloween,” owner Ray Vorisek said. “We like to use our creativity in the windows. I am always adding on and looking for new things for the display. We have been so busy lately that we were not able to finish adding some of the newer pieces for the store.”
The witches, goblins and ghosts in the display at Heights Flower Shoppe
The windows were decorated with flying witches and beasts smiling on their journeys while a howling wicked witch of the west stood guard in the front of the store. The interior was a wonderland of Halloween decorations and candies perfect for any Halloween event and party.
The inside is decorated for a Halloween get together
The candy selection for you little goblins
The store both inside and out was decorated to the hilt with items for sale and the displays.
Three time winner Ray Vorisek with HHMA Halloween Chairman Justin Watrel
Winner and owner of Heights Flower Shoppe Ray Vorisek in front of his store.
Our runner up the year was Healing 4 the Soul, the gift shop and café that is one of the newer additions to our business district. The business is owned by residents Renee and Dawn Pikowski. The windows were simple and creative and elegant.
The enchanting windows of witches and pumpkins
The spiritual windows up close
“We love to decorate our windows,” said co-owner Nicole Pikowski “ we strive to be creative. You will always see different displays at each holiday.” The store was decorated with beautiful witches wishing everyone a Happy Halloween.
The inside of the Cafe for Healing 4 the Soul
The enchanting gifts at Healing 4 the Soul
There are a lot of lotions and potions and sweet treats to eat inside that are all handmade in house. The Halloween fragrances abound the store. More of our merchants got very creative this year and we are hoping to see more next year.
Chairman Justin Watrel presenting the Runner Up Merchant award to Co-Owner Renee Pikowski
In the House Decorating Division it was a difficult decision for judges who drove around many days both day and night to see the houses. Of all the wonderful houses we visited all over Hasbrouck Heights, one home was on the top of every list of each judge and that was 85 Woodside Avenue.
The Fiduccia family had been our winners in the Second Annual contest and stepped up their game by adding all sorts of new elements to the yard to be the winners again in 2024. The vote was unanimous amongst all five judges.
85 Woodside Avenue at night
These are some videos on the winning home’s video display that won the contest. These were amazing and so spooky:
Ghosts and ghouls lined the yard performing all sorts of interesting acts
Skeletons lined the yard awaiting the crowds of Trick or Treaters visiting on Halloween Night
The Fiduccia family in their family ‘skeleton’ costumes
The Fiduccia family with their second year win!
The display during the day was just as impressive as it is at night
Matt Fiduccia said that he really wanted to add new things to the display. “We found a lot of new items that became available and added them to the display. I created the arch for the ‘Ghostbuster-like video’. We added the projectors to the windows on the second level of the house as well. There are a lot of new decorations on the market now for Halloween.”
The house not only had sculptures and mannequins of all types but creatures, skeletons and ghouls that lines the yard. In the archway in the front yard was a running video of apparitions from movies like ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Poltergeist’. In the upstairs windows of the home were running videos of desperate souls and violent blows. Each part of the house had its own storyline. It was a well-deserved win.
The Fiduccia family together with their second win for the Halloween House Decorating Contest
The Judges Marc Mancuso, Chairman Justin Watrel and Vinnie DeCicco from the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association with winner Matt Fiduccia
With so many wonderful houses to choose from, the judges narrowed it down to three homes as the runners up. There were so many that we liked but each judge was asked to narrow it down to three and it was pretty much unanimous amongst the five of us. Just like the winner, the judges had a short list of the runners up and three homes captured our imagination.
The first two were previous runners up who upped their game and had extraordinary displays of creativity. One was at 36 Hamilton Avenue, the home of Alex, Laura and Scarlet Pena. The other was at 115 Ottawa Avenue the home of Dennis Hall. The displays were both intriguing and imaginative both during the day and night. Like the winners, everyone stepped up the decorations with lights and sound effects and added that special touch to their homes that made it stand out.
Our third was a house on the Hasbrouck Heights border in Lodi that captured the imagination of each judge at 236 Paterson Avenue. The house had a bevy of creatures displayed both in and out of the house. All the judges kept passing it at night so impressed by it we did not realize that it was on the border of Hasbrouck Heights in Lodi, NJ.
“My grandfather used to decorate his house and people used to travel to visit it, so I wanted to keep that tradition going,” said Runner up Jay Logan. “We keep dreaming up new ideas for the display and we keep adding to it.”
Jay and Ann Logan of Lodi were one of the three Runners up for the contest
“We didn’t even know that there was a contest going on,” said Anne Logan. “We live right on the border of Hasbrouck Heights and Lodi, so we feel like we are part of both communities.” The Logan’s turned their display on and lit up and roared. The Logan’s are active members of both communities and were surprised and very excited about their win.
236 Paterson Avenue at night
The ghost and ghouls in front of 236 Paterson Avenue
236 Paterson Avenue during the day
Chairman Justin Watrel awarding the Logan’s their award.
At 26 Hamilton Avenue, Alex and Lauren Pena and their daughter, Scarlett added at lot to their and their display had more horrors in each section of the yard and house. “We have a lot of fun decorating on Halloween and everyone is impressed by the front yard display,” Lauren explained.
26 Hamilton Avenue was Runner Up last year as well
36 Hamilton winners Lauren and Scarlet Pena in front of their home with Chairman Justin Watrel
The Skeleton surgery in front of 26 Hamilton Avenue
36 Hamilton during the day
The mother and daughter Runner Up winners Lauren and Scarlet Pena
The last house on the Runner Up list was 115 Ottawa Avenue which had an honorable mention last year in the contest and has been noted on the list since the first year of the contest. Owner Dennis Hall accepted the Runner Up award with much excitement. “I love decorating the house for Halloween. The kids really seem to love it when they come here Trick or Treating. We are a very popular house. I added the sound effects and have several new pieces that I did not have time to put out for next year. You will have to come back next Halloween.”
115 Ottawa Avenue
115 Ottawa Avenue by the doorway
Runner Up and previous Honorable mention winner Dennis Hall Second next to his ghoulish display that was lit for the night of the presentation
115 Ottawa Avenue drinking the day
We want to thank all the members of the Hasbrouck Heights community for their wonderful displays and with a little extra decoration here and sound effect there can make a big difference in the judging.
I want to thank the judges in the contest Vinnie DeCicco and his kids, Ed Gumbrecht, Marc Mancuso, Joe Salib and his kids and Pat Fass and his daughter, Maggie. I also want to thank HHMA member Steve Feuss for creating the signs every year for the contest. This really makes it special for the winners to display their signs and awards on Halloween night.
I want to thank HHMA President Steve Palladino for all his support on this annual contest.
Happy Halloween everyone!
Boo!
Some of Honorariums that we thought were impressive:
House One 304 Roosevelt Avenue
House Two 344 Harrison Avenue
House Three 250 Cleveland Avenue
House Three 233 Passaic Avenue
House Four 155 Henry Street
House Five 10 Passaic Avenue
House Six 257 Henry Street, our first winner and Honorary House twice
257 Henry Street keeps getting more creative with new props
82 Burton Avenue has the same display every year but it is still interesting
House Seven-85 Woodside Avenue-our winner for Year Two
The Ghosts and Ghouls of 85 Woodside Avenue
The foliage in the late Fall in Hasbrouck Heights is just spectacular. I saw this tree when I was driving around Division Avenue. The sun hit it just right.
The town is so beautiful in the Fall
House Eight 226 Walter Avenue
House Nine 26 Hamilton Avenue one of our Runners Up last year
The skeletons doing surgery at 26 Hamilton Avenue with a Mad Doctor
House Ten 143 Kipp Avenue
House Eleven-510 Henry Street Last year’s winner
The horrible ghoul protecting the house at 510 Henry Street
Last year’s winner, Frank Blunda, welcomed us inside to see his Halloween paintings
I revisited some of our past winners at the end of the day as the sun went down to see the displays lit at night. It was mighty gruesome.
Winner of the first year 257 Henry Street
Winner of the second year 85 Woodside Avenue
Winner of the third year 510 Henry Street
We still had a lot more judging to do but our previous winners did a good job upping their game.
House Twelve 123 Washington Avenue
House Thirteen 42 Central Avenue-one of last year’s runners up
House Fourteen 117 Ottawa Avenue
House Fifteen 115 Ottawa Avenue-one of last year’s runner up
115 Ottawa Avenue really upped their game in 2024
House Sixteen 236 Paterson Avenue (we never realized this was in Lodi, NJ, the next town over that borders us)
236 Paterson Avenue was very impressive
House Seventeen Lots of inflatables but the monster on the porch was a horror at 219 Paterson Avenue
We thought she was pretty terrifying at 219 Paterson Avenue
House Eighteen 310 Bell Avenue
I hate evil clowns at 310 Bell Avenue
House Nineteen 118 Bell Avenue
It knows what scares you! at 118 Bell Avenue
House Twenty 533 Burton Avenue
House Twenty-One 219 Longworth Avenue
More evil clowns plotting their ways at 219 Longworth Avenue
House Twenty-One 446 Burton Avenue
House Twenty-Two 431 Kipp Avenue
Than you to all the residents of Hasbrouck Heights who captured the spirit of Halloween. We want you to know that we saw all of your homes and the amazing job you all did. Please keep it up and on Halloween night you might ‘get visited by three judges’ bearing ‘a treat’ for you with our annual award. Good luck in 2025!
In between exploring every street in town for the perfect home, we had to walk the Boulevard to look for the perfect business. I wish more businesses downtown would decorate for the holidays. The ones that did did a good job. What I enjoyed seeing was all the window painting that the kids did downtown. These kids are really talented.
Bill O’Shea’s Flower Shoppe with windows at 231 Boulevard
Bill O’Shea’s Flower Shoppe windows and painted windows
Some of the paintings just stood out
I thought this was clever
The Grooming Cove windows
The window painting at Heights Flower Shoppe
The Maki B Shushi windows
The windows snd the puppet outside the new Heights Burgers
I really liked this one
The IDesign windows
More fun paintings
More creative artwork
Things that are headless that. Reel and crawl
This was interesting
More headless things that go bump in the night
My across the street neighbors yard right before Halloween
Their maze of pumpkins decorated the lawn
Their pumpkin path filled with Jack-O-Lanterns beasts
The path of pumpkin people fascinated me
Then there is their evil scarecrow, Giggles, does mischievous things around the neighborhood when they are not looking. I still can’t find my garbage can lid!
I have to admit I am a huge fan of the original film “Friday the 13th” and have been since I saw the film in the theaters in 1980 when I was in high school. Those were the days when all a parent had to do is just tell the person at the ticket counter that they were allowing us to go see an “R” rated film and we got in. That seemed to change when I was a senior in high school but that is another story.
The Opening scene of the film:
Annie comes in town
I had to plan this trip like D-Day with three major projects in graduate school, three quizzes and two major projects in my own college and house and yard work to do. On the Thursday before Friday the 13th, I did three loads of laundry, changed the sheets, did the ironing, cut and weeded the lawn, aired out all the linens and then vacuumed and dusted the house on top of working on my college projects that night. All that and I had to teach that night. All to go to a small town in the middle of no where in New Jersey to where the original opening scenes of the film were shot.
Welcome to Blairstown, NJ during Friday the 13th on October 13th, 2023.
Sounds crazy huh? Not to all of the other fans of the film who were running around both Blairstown and Hope NJ that afternoon. They were doing the same things I was doing, taking pictures around the town where the movie was shot and going on tours. It was busy that afternoon. It would get very busy in both towns that day.
Downtown Blairstown, NJ and the former Blairstown Museum in the background. This is where the opening scenes took place forty-three years ago.
The character of Annie (Actress Robbi Morgan) walked down the street in the opening scene of the film. I got to Blairstown early so I was able to get a good parking spot and take pictures downtown. It was only near the Water Building that I had problems. Myself and two other people were trying to get the same shot under the arch. We had to all negotiate time to take pictures with each other.
The opening scenes in Blairstown, NJ and Hope, NJ
The movie moves from Camp NoBeBoSoCa (North Bergen Boy Scout Camp) to downtown Blairstown, NJ and then cuts to Downtown Hope, NJ. You have to look at the camera angles to see how they show the opening scenes of the film. It utilizes both towns that make it seem like one town.
The opening scenes where Annie walks in town.
Actress Robbi Morgan, who played the role of Annie, walked a strange path in Downtown Blairstown, NJ. She walked from the east side of the downtown, then down the west side next to the theater and then down the hill past the now real estate office. The camera took on different angles as one vlogger said. It was to make it look like she was visiting several towns. Those scenes were shot at this location in Downtown Blairstown and then when she entered the restaurant, she was in Downtown Hope NJ.
Where Annie was walking down the hill (where the prep school is located)
Downtown Boonton where Annie walks down the hill.
The town has not changed much since the film was shot over forty years ago. It has improved a lot since COVID as new people have moved in and are renovating the homes and many of the stores downtown. I have noticed more gift shops and galleries open over the last two years.
The famous downtown with the former Blairstown Museum to the right.
Roy’s Hall where Friday the 13th shows during the evenings.
Roy’s Hall was showing two time slots for the film that was sold out in record time and had waiting lists to get into see. I think that they could have had four showings starting in the morning and they would have sold out.
The walkway down the sidewalk where Annie walked past.
The sad part was that both the Blairstown Museum and the Friday the 13th Museum both permanently closed for business. One of the merchants told me the couple who was running the museum’s were separating and the collections were being split up. That was really disappointing since they were great museums. I was wondering why the museums were not open on Friday January 13th of 2023. People had been banging on the doors of both museums that month.
Me in front of the Friday the 13th Museum on January 13th, 2023. The Friday the 13th Museum is now closed.
The Blairstown Museum is also now closed.
With the museums being closed, I like everyone else was snapping pictures around the town where all the scenes took place. I was amazed that these people knew the movie better than I did and knew every angle that the director shot from. People were discussing this in front of me and I thought I knew the movie really well. Some of the locals said to me there are diehard fans who knew every second of the film.
The scenes where they were leaving Hope, NJ.
I was a beautiful warm, sunny afternoon and I was able to walk the entire downtown several times, looking at the old buildings and admiring how many of the old houses in town had been renovated and looked just beautiful. With the number of rainbow flags in town in front of the homes, I can see that the gay community has really embraced both Blairstown and Hope. With the exclusive Blair Academy eight behind the downtown, I can see where a lot of people are working. It has brought the town back to life in a very positive way.
The houses on both sides of town were being renovated.
The community is starting to fill with artists and creative types as are most of these small towns in New Jersey, New York State and Connecticut.
Before I left for Hope which is about six miles up the highway, I walked around the town to see what was going on.
Don’t miss the burgers at the Blairstown Diner. They are delicious (if you can into the restaurant that day)
The Blairstown Diner, where I ate the last time I was in town (see my review on TripAdvisor), was about twenty deep with people trying to eat both breakfast and lunch. I did not want to wait in line, I looked around for another place to eat. Right across the street from the diner is Dale’s Market, which is a local grocery with a wonderful hot food and prepared food section.
The selection of sandwiches and hot foods are extensive
The Prepared foods for a picnic.
Their Fried Chicken is well known in the area especially chicken fingers with ranch dressing.
I ordered “The Deputy” breakfast sandwich, which was three scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, cheese on a chewy bun. They also had a nice hot food prepared section with nice looking fried chicken with different flavors.
“The Deputy” breakfast sandwich
I highly recommend the sandwich and get it with the hot sauce!
I took my sandwich and sat in the park to enjoy breakfast. Their is a limited amount of places to eat in Blairstown, so it was nice to just take the sandwich and sit in the park on a beautiful day to eat. Footbridge Park is just off the downtown area and it has a wonderful river, picnic tables and most importantly bathrooms.
The entrance to Footbridge Park at the Paulinskill Trail in Blairstown, NJ is the perfect place for a picnic if the restaurants get too busy.
The history of Blairstown, NJ with the influence of the Blair family.
Since it was a school day and early in the morning, I had the entire park to myself. The park was really beautiful as the leaves had not changed color for the fall and the river running through the park is picturesque. It was very relaxing after a busy two days of school and housework. It was nice to relax and just eat. After eating I took one last tour of the town and then drove over to Hope, NJ.
The scenes shot outside Hope, NJ
Before I left Blairstown for my appointment to see the Hope Historical Society at 1:30pm, I walked around the town one more time to see all the displays and props that merchants and artists had set up for the day. People in the town are finally embracing the film for the fans and decorated the town for the occasion. There were some really creative displays honoring the movie. I had to admit it was a little silly but it was all in fun and in the spirit of the film.
This painting was in one of the gift shops.
In honor of the bed Brenda slept in that night.
Representing the vans used by victims in later films
The artists created this interesting version of a haunted house.
The inside of the haunted house.
The town embracing Halloween early.
Having fun at a new store opening.
Halloween comes early in Blairstown, NJ.
The town was preparing for their fall festival the next day (it rained like crazy).
One of the homeowners even recreated one of the scenes of the film when Ned got killed.
Leaving the guarded downtown with all its decorations for Friday the 13th and Halloween.
The ride from Blairstown to Hope is only about ten minutes and there was no traffic on the roads being so early in the morning. Most people were just getting into Blairstown as I left so I knew my parking spot in the beginning of the downtown would be prime. I did not figure coming back to Blairstown as the afternoon went on because people would be coming in town to see the movie and then take pictures of the town before it got dark. Hope, Nj was pretty quiet when I got there but it busier as the afternoon wore on.
I stopped by the Moravian Cemetery and church first where people were stopping their cars to take pictures. It was really funny because the guy who was running the cemetery was outside to help people take pictures of people in front of the Moravian Cemetery sign which is so famous in the film where Annie was dropped off.
St. John’s United Methodist Church (The Moravian Church) at 354 High Street in Downtown Hope, NJ.
The Moravian Cemetery sign at the church where Annie gets dropped off.
He was taking donations for the church as well as selling cemetery dirt for $10.00 a jar. I thought this was great and what a clever idea. I told him that they should think about cemetery walks in the evening and the church sponsoring a Spaghetti dinner at night to raise money for the church. His wife, who is the pastor of the church, he was going to pass the ideas onto. While I toured the cemetery, people kept coming and going around the cemetery, taking pictures and getting insights on the film. I made a donation to the church as well.
Selling cemetery dirt was a clever idea and people were buying it! (I am sure that you can order through the church).
While I was in the cemetery, I came across the Blair family plot and the grave of John Blair, the founder of Blairstown. It was in the older part of the cemetery toward the back close to the church. The older section of the cemetery had a lot of character.
John Blair’s gravesite at the Moravian Church
After visiting the cemetery, I visited Downtown Hope, which is about a block long. The Toy Box, a well known toy store in the downtown is owned by a guy from Little Ferry up by me. They had all sorts of memorabilia from the film for sale, including some items from the movie “Halloween”. The owner was even wearing a ‘Friday the 13th” tee shirt, which again was a good idea. It was nice to see the merchants embracing the film and the fans that were visiting the town.
Downtown Hope, NJ
The Toy Chest Toy store at 335 High Street in Downtown Hope, NJ
The store has an amazing collection of toys and movie memorabilia. The owner is from my area of New Jersey and has brought a wonderful selection of toys and games to the area.
The inside of the store.
The core of the downtown is where the other scenes of the film were shot. The diner in the film is now the Hope Junction Antiques at 331 High Street , which features an assortment of Friday the 13th merchandise all year around. I was talking with the owner who I have gotten to know over the years because of museum trips to the area and the Moravian Candlelight Tour during Christmas that the Historical Society sponsors.
The Friday the 13th display that the store had inside. This is where Annie met the townspeople in the film.
The former diner is now a very nice antique and art store with a large selection of interesting pieces. They have just about everything you need to decorate your home.
She was selling painted Friday the 13th rocks and between her and the guy that worked with her they had sold eight of them at between $50.00 to $75.00 a piece. She had a artist that liked to paint them and they were selling briskly to people from out of town. It amazes me what people will buy.
After my visit to the store, I stopped off at the Hope Historical Society to take interior pictures for my blog. I had not been inside the museum for almost two years because it is never open.
The museum had been open for a special private tour that I was not part of but at least I got to stop in for about twenty minutes and do some interior shots of the collection and post them onto my blog, VisitingaMuseum.com. The collection is small but very interesting of life in the former Moravian town and of rural New Jersey.
The front part of the Hope Historical Society
The localized history of the area is shown in the front part of the museum.
The back part of the museum shows life in rural New Jersey at the turn of the last century.
The museum would benefit of having a small Friday the 13th collection and the town’s role in the movie. I think that would bring tourists into the museum more. That and arranging a tour with the church on where these sites from the film are in the town.
Still their interesting collection should not be missed and I took some time to see the collection before the tour took over the museum. The concentration is on local history of the area and life in rural New Jersey. There is emphasis on the Moravian culture in the town. It may be a small museum but there is a lot to see. The museum is only open on Sundays from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and it does not give you much time to visit.
After I left the museum, I stopped up at the places I had visited on the Candlelight Tour two Christmas’s ago and when I passed the real estate agency around the corner, I wondered why there was a bicycle outside the store. I realized it was Ned’s bike! Some people really thing out of the box. The people who worked in the office were having a good time engaging with tourists who knew the spot that Ennis took Annie to the crossroads (which is technically down the road). It may seemed like they left town for a long trip but they just changed the direction down the road.
The building where Annie was picked up by Ennis, the truck driver.
Crazy Ralph’s bike outside the office.
The woman who managed the real estate office was outside helping people take pictures in front of the store. This was around the corner from the museum.
After taking pictures around Hope and Blairstown, I needed something to sweet and I remembered that Humpty Jr. and Hot Dog Johnny’s were right down the road on Route 46 West.
My review on Littleshoponmdinstreet@Wordpress.com:
I love Humpty Juniors. I had wanted to eat lunch here but the breakfast sandwich I had for my late breakfast filled me up and I had no appetite. I had really wanted to try the cheesesteak with the wiz which so good the last time I was there. I decided to have a sundae and chose the Banana Cream Pie ice cream. I had it topped with butterscotch syrup, whipped cream and a cherry. It really hit the spot after a long day of touring.
Banana Cream Pie ice cream with butterscotch syrup with whipped cream and a cherry.
The people at the church had said that tours of Camp NoBeBoSoCa were completely sold out at $350.00 a pop! You could also spend the night at the camp. On Thursday, October 12th the price was $750.00 per person and on Friday, October 13th it was $950.00 per person. I thought this was crazy but it completely sold out too! I thought the camp was really smart on this.
Returning on December 13th, 2024:
It is a lot different to come to Blairstown in December when it is cold. When I returned to Blairstown in December (I missed the event September because of the Firemen’s Convention), it was 38 degrees at 1:00pm when I got into town and there was no one there. The Main Street was very quiet and I saw one person taking pictures by the waterfall by Blair Academy.
I just don’t think Friday the 13th and Christmas really mix especially with Downtown Blairstown decorated for the holidays. Still the town looked really festive getting ready for the holidays and it was nice to walk around even though it was so cold. It did keep the crowds away.
Downtown Blairstown, NJ decorated for Christmas
The gazebo where music was playing was now decorated for the holidays
Even the old outhouses were decorated. They are now used for storage
It was a rather gloomy, cold day to walk around but the merchants I talked to thought it would be a busier day. Even the theater in town was not showing the original film that evening which it normally does. The only people I saw in Downtown Blairstown were the locals going to the post office.
Downtown Blairstown was quiet on December 13th
I took some pictures of the town from the perspective of the opening scene of the film from when Annie walks around the Main Street. When I was here last October, we all had to take turns taking pictures by the Waterworks Building and the bridge by the waterfall.
The historic downtown sign
The Water Works Building that Annie walked under
The Water Works covered walkway
The waterfall on the Blair Academy property where Annie passed by
There were still some businesses that had the Friday the 13th spirit as they were selling the merchandise from the original film
This was competing with Christmas decorations unfortunately
The stream through the town on the other side of the waterfall
Downtown Blairstown was very quiet that afternoon and got colder as time went on so I went to the Blairstown Diner around the corner for lunch. Unlike last October, the restaurant was not that busy so I was seated pretty quickly. I have to tell you that they really decorate the place for Friday the 13th. On a warm day, forget getting in as the lines are really long.
The Blairstown Diner decorated for Friday the 13th
The counter area decorated for Friday the 13th
The restaurant was decked out for the day
The special menu for Friday the 13th themed around the day
The Summer Camp Chicken Sandwich platter was really good
The menu they have on Friday the 13th is limited and the prices were really high for this area. I could not believe that a simple Fried Chicken sandwich was $22.00 but I knew it was because of the day. No different from the restaurants in Rhinebeck during Sinterklaas. So I ordered the Summer Camp Chicken Sandwich with a side of Jason Slicers, which were fresh potato chips with cheese, bacon and sour cream on top of them. The food was really good and it was a nice sized portion for the price.
The Summer Camp Chicken Sandwich with Jason Slicers for my lunch that afternoon
The summer camp chicken sandwich
The chicken sandwich was really good and rather large
The Jason Slicers, potato chips with bacon and cheese on top were really good
The staff was even decked out for the event
After lunch was over, I took a drive to Hope where the rest of the first scene of the film took place. The town was getting ready for the Moravian Christmas event that I would be attending the next (yes, I had to double back to Hope the next night). The town was decked out for Christmas.
Downtown Hope where Annie gets picked up for her truck drive
The house in front of where the truck took Annie on her ride
The Hope Historical Society next to the real estate office decorated for the holidays
The old diner in Hope, NJ where Annie stops for directions
The downtown decorations in Hope, NJ
The Moravian Church gate at the Holidays less spooky during the day
The town was beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays instead of Friday the 13th
The luminaries would shine the next night
Lots of Christmas trees too at the Festival of Trees at the Community Center
More Christmas trees
So it was less frightening and more festive in both Blairstown and Hope but everyone there is bracing for the next Friday the 13th next year in the warmer weather where it will get even bigger. You all have to take the Moravian Candlelight Tour the second week in December to really appreciate the beauty of Hope, NJ.
Have a good holiday season!
Returning to Blairstown, NJ for Friday, the 13th June 13th, 2025:
On a rather overcast but sunny and warm day in June, I joined the hundreds of fans of the film ‘Friday the 13th’ to walk around both Blairstown and Hope to take pictures and watch people dressed like Jason walk around town. It can be hokey but still fun.
Blairstown, NJ where original movie was shot was busy but not as busy as I though it would be given the time of year and the weather. There were many diehard fans walking around Downtown Blairstown, NJ that morning but I thought downtown would have been busier.
Entering Blairstown, NJ
I found a parking spot pretty quickly in the downtown and started to walk around. It looked like both museums in town were never going to reopen. They closed permanently back in 2023 but people kept asking questions about the and I got several hits on my blog.
I walked around the downtown like everyone else, talking to merchants and taking pictures. Several galleries have opened in the downtown and a few gift shops. The whole downtown has improved since COVID and all the homes and businesses have been renovated. It has improved a lot since my first visit back in 2019.
The famous downtown from the opening scene of the movie has not changed in forty-five years.
Part of the iconic downtown from the opening scene of the film
Two of the Victorian homes still under renovation at the end of the downtown area.
I like everyone else in Blairstown that say took Annie’s iconic walk downtown from the first part of the film.
Walking past the famous waterfall on the Blair Academy campus
Video of the famous falls from the film
Then walked back the other direction through the Blairstown Waterworks Building archway just like Annie did the day.
The Blairstown Waterworks Building archway
My tour through the building
There is a small park right where the old ‘Friday the 13th’ Museum used to be and a group of guys had sentry up a booth were they were doing a podcast from the park and talking to people. There was also a vendor who decorated the area for the day. He has been there in 2023 as well and did some clever displays.
The Jason display with coffin
The decorated coffin next to Jason
The table display
You have to admit the guy was clever
Some of the other displays in the park
Another display
The advertisement for ‘The Halloween House’ in Peckville,PA
Another of his displays
Across the street from the park was Roy’s Theater which always shows the film that night. The movie was sold out.
The showing of the film that night is always sold out.
I just weaved through the other tourists and people dressed up in costume and took a few more pictures in the downtown area.
One of the buildings that you see entering town. It looked like one of the buildings in the camp.
It was getting late in the afternoon and I was getting hungry. The lines for the Blairstown Diner were about ten to fifteen deep and I did not feel like another $22.00 sandwich.
The lines at the Blairstown Diner at 53 NJ 94
Not only do the lines never go down for most of the day, you also have Jason’s walking around taking pictures.
The weather was nice but overcast that day and I decided to go to Dale’s Market across the street and get some things from their hot foods area and have a picnic in Footbridge Park which is across the street. It is more fun than waiting in line for over-priced food that day.
Dale’s Market at 66 NJ 94
The market has a really nice hot foods area section and is known for their fried chicken. The last time I was here, I had a breakfast sandwich but this time I wanted lunch.
The To Go selection of foods at Dale’s Market
The fried chicken wings and boneless tenders
I ordered the Boneless Parmesan Ranch tenders with a side of Mac & Cheese and two Tasteecake pies with a Watermelon soda (okay not the most nutritious lunch) and took my lunch to the park. I relaxed by the river and this was better than any restaurant.
The entrance to Footbridge Park
Footbridge Park in June 2025
Footbridge Park is the perfect place for a picnic
The park was in full bloom
Enjoying a picnic lunch by the river
My lunch from Dale’s Market that afternoon
The Parmesan Ranch tenders were really good
The Mac & Cheese is really good here
Lunch was so relaxing. It was so nice to just listen to the river pass by and enjoy the warm weather. The lunch really hit the spot. I highly recommend on a nice day just picking up some goodies and having a picnic in the park.
The history of Blairstown, NJ
After lunch was over, I explored the park and saw the history of Blairstown display.
The namesake of the town, Mr. John Insley Blair, whose businesses influenced the town.
I explored the park for a bit and saw that they were having an arts as and crafts show by the diner and walked down to it.
Passing over the bridge in the park
Passing over the river is so relaxing
The town had a Friday the 13th art show and it seemed that all the vendors had crafts themed from the movie.
Some of the booths from the art show
A lot of fans from the film looking up events
I walked around the downtown one more time before I headed over to Hope, NJ down the highway to see what was going on there.
The stream running through Blairstown gives it it’s beauty
I left as downtown Blairstown was really starting to fill up. After I left my parking spot was taken immediately and all the other spots in the downtown were filled.
Entering Hope, NJ
Hope was relatively quiet that afternoon. There was a share of tourists but not like in October of 2023. There were tourists taking pictures by the real estate office where Annie started her ride to the camp.
The front of the building in the movie
Where the scene was shot where Annie was given a warning to leave her job at Camp Crystal Lake.
The Presbyterian Church where she was dropped off
The cemetery where she was dropped off
Those iconic gates
While I was at the graveyard, I walked around the older section of the place and came across the Blair family plot. It seems the whole family was buried there.
The Blair family plot
The extended Blair family members buried in this section of the graveyard
More of the Blair family plot at the church
There was not much going on in Hope and there was not even anyone from the church selling graveyard dirt. So I walked down to the Hope Junction Antique Shop down the road to talk to Lisa Iulo, the owner. The shop was once a diner that had been used in the opening of the film where Annie asked directions.
She told me she was putting the business up for sale as well as the building.It was too bad as it did sell some nice pieces. She then told me she was going to have an art show that afternoon at 4:00pm.
I thought that sounded fun so I took an hour and a half out and drove up to the town of Newton, NJ and decided to explore their downtown. It was right up Route 94 from Hope, NJ.
Downtown Newton is going through a transition and many of the buildings and old Victorian homes that surround the downtown are being renovated. While there were still many Mexican grocery stores and markets, many new hipster like stores and restaurants were opening in the area around the Newton Theater. There looked like a lot of changes were happening here.
I made note of a few things I wanted to revisit in the future including a few restaurants and small museums. Then I headed back to Hope for the Art show.
Lisa Iulo specializes in ‘found objects’ art and recycles objects into the theme of the work. It was an interesting art exhibition.
The exhibition was really nice and at the reception I got to talk to many of the residents who came that night. They seemed amused by all the Friday the 13th traffic around the two towns. I had something to eat and relaxed under a shade tree. It was a nice way to conclude the afternoon of touring.
Until the next Friday the 13th in 2026!
More information on visiting Blairstown and Hope, NJ:
Check out my blog when the Lodi Memorial Library celebrated the 35th Anniversary of the movie “Friday the 13th” with former Scoutmaster Don Stein, who assisted the Blairstown Fire Department with varies scenes of the film. The introduction to the event and interview is here as well:
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