To all of my readers and fellow bloggers following my blog, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. I created two more blog sites to accompany the main site.
I created ‘VisitingaMuseum.com’ and ‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC.Wordpress.com’ to take what I have discovered on the walk around the city and put it into more detail.
I created ‘VisitingaMuseum.com’ to feature all the small and medium museums, pocket parks, community gardens and historical sites that I have found along the way in my walking the streets of the island and in the outlining areas of Manhattan. There are loads of sites you can easily miss either by not visiting the neighborhoods by foot or not consulting a guidebook. Most of the these places are not visited by most residents of the City and should not be missed.
I never realized how many small museums exist in New York City, let alone the outer boroughs and in New Jersey. I have discovered so many wonderful and interesting artifacts in these museums that not only have so much historical value but they also deal with local history.
Gallery Bergen at Bergen Community College
There are so many pocket parks, community gardens and historical sites that you would miss if you did not walk the neighborhoods. What has also been fascinating about it is the people you meet along the way that volunteer in these facilities. There is so much pride to be had by these local residents dedicating their time to make these places successful.
‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC.Wordpress.com’ is my latest site:
I am featuring and promoting wonderful local restaurants that I have found along the way when doing the walk as well as places I have recently visited outside the city for $10.00 and below. I am not just featuring them for their price but for the quality of the food, the selection and the portion size.
Delicious Dumplings at ‘Dumplings’ on Henry Street
These little ‘hole in the wall’ dining establishments offer a good meal at a fair price as well as supporting the local economy. I have a very limited budget for meals and thought this blog site would help all of you economize when touring New York City and the outlying regions. I cross reference my reviews on TripAdvisor.com.
For anyone thinking of doing a similar project like ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’, I want to let you know how expensive it is to do. I have to pay not just for bus tickets, subway passes, meals, donations to museums and historical sites but the general wear and tear on my clothes. I am on my third pair of sneakers due to this walk. This is why you need to set a budget for it:
So I hope you enjoy ‘VisitingaMuseum.com’ and ‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC.Wordpress.com when coming to Manhattan. Please check all of this places out online for a change of hours and exhibits and menus.
Check out the newest site, “LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com” for small boutiques and specialty shops that are unique and quirky.
Please check out my fire fighting blog sites, ‘The Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association’, ‘tbcfma.Wordpress.com’, where I am blogging about the activities of the association that I am volunteering for at the home on a quarterly basis and the support that the organization gives to The New Jersey Firemen’s Home in Boonton, New Jersey. Firemen for all over Bergen County, where I live, volunteer their time up at the nursing home with activities to engage and cheer up our fellow fire fighters.
The second site about fire fighting I blog about is ‘The Brothers of Engine One Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department”, ‘EngineOneHasbrouckHeightsFireDepartmentNJ.Wordpress.com’, where I blog about the activities of Engine Company One, in which I am a member, as part of the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department. We do a lot of volunteer work for the department and many of our members are very active and hold a lot of positions on the department.
The Brothers of Engine One HHFD (site now closed-Blogs moved to section of MywalkinManhattan.com called “My life as a Fireman”):
The most frequented of my blogs is “BergenCountyCaregiver.com’, a caregivers blog site to help adult caregivers take care of their loved ones. This helps caregivers navigate a very broken system and put all sorts of programs that might help them all in one place to read and chose what might help them. This deals with county, state and federal programs that most social workers miss because there are so many of them that don’t get a lot of attention. It is by far the most popular site.
The Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
I wanted to share these with my readers and thank you for following my main blog, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. Please also share this with your friends who are visiting New York City to really tour the city by foot and see it for its own beauty and uniqueness.
We had the first Solar Eclipse travel across the United States since 1979 and at first, most people did not make a fuss over it but as the time approached, everyone started to ‘freak out’ that they must see it. I just wanted to avoid New York City that day and see it somewhere else.
I had a member’s invitation to see it at the American Museum of Natural History, but I wanted to avoid the city today and that museum as I knew it was going to be packed and we would all be shoved into Rose Hall where the planetarium was located. It was not that I thought it would be done wrong, but I did not want to deal with the crowds at the AMNH.
At the last minute, the Newark Museum in Newark, NJ (See review on TripAdvisor and my blog “VisitingaMuseum”) had a special function for the day where you could get the eclipse glasses and see the show. They did not know what they were in for as the crowd at the museum swelled into over 500 people. They did not have enough of anything for all the people that came. The line was still going on when I got to the front of the line. They ran out of glasses when I got there but they provided me with a ‘pin-hole’ paper so that I could see the eclipse though the hole. I was lucky people were willing to share their glasses.
In New Jersey, we were so far from the path of the moon that we only got to see about 75% covering of the sun, so it was still bright out by us. So, you really needed the glasses. It was so interesting to see the moon cover the sun and it moved ever so slowly. The display started at around 2:45pm EST and like I said you would never know it was happening because of the light of the sun. Some people said they noticed the difference, but I didn’t see or feel anything different.
Horizon Plaza and the Garden area were mobbed with people from 2:45pm to about 3:30pm and they had the path of the sun and moon on TV on live stream inside the museum at the auditorium. I swear, the dopey things people will say on camera just to be on TV.
What the Eclipse looked like down South where the eye of it was
The reporters didn’t even know what to ask once it was over. Some people really got into it and most seemed to care less. I thought it was interesting to see this cosmic display. When it happened in 1979, I was in high school and I don’t even remember anyone talking about and thinking back to it, I think it was a cloudy day that afternoon.
This is a documentary by NASA
I left around 4:00pm when the path crossed, and people got tired looking up. I could also feel the strain on my eyes. The nice part was I took the bus from home and did not have to tackle their parking lot. Lunch was at Central Restaurant, 30 Central Avenue, Downtown Newark, for an amazing meal (See review on TripAdvisor and my blog ‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC’).
Central Restaurant at 30 Central Avenue in Newark, NJ
The next time this will happen will be in 2024 so we have some time and will travel from Texas to Maine. So maybe we will get a better view next time. Otherwise, I thought it was pretty awesome.
Places to Visit:
The Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 596-6550
Open: Wednesday-Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm/Closed Monday and Tuesday
As the leaves started to change colors and wanting to see the foliage around the state before all the leaves fall (they have since), I decided to revisit a place that I was exploring over the summer.
In 2021, a series of storms have knocked the foliage off the trees earlier than before so I got to see what was left before everything falls off the trees this week. In the summer of 2023, everything was in full bloom and sunny and warm. It is amazing how beautiful the area looks in the summer months.
Budd Lake in the summer of 2023
Budd Lake in the Fall of 2025
As I have said in previous blogs, I have never really gotten to know my own state and I was born and raised in New Jersey. I have wanted to see some of the far corners of the state and explore the back highways and roads and see some of the parks, beaches and historical sites that I have only read about but never visited (this has been very helpful in my blog “VisitingaMuseum.com).
Driving around Budd Lake on Shore Drive
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The driving around Budd Lake in the Fall of 2025
Along the way, I have visited many beautiful parts of the state and formed my own opinion of the ‘Garden State’. There is much more to see of the state than what is on the opening of ‘The Soprano’s” and the description of the state in most TV sitcoms.
Driving around Budd Lake on Shore Drive
I made the trip to Budd Lake and the surrounding areas are off Route 80 and in a section of the state near the Delaware Water Gap, a scenic section of the Delaware River surrounding a mountain pass. During the summer, it is lush with trees but in the fall is when it shows its true beauty. The leaves change colors at different times due to the species of tree. The effect is trees at various hues of green, yellow, gold and red at different points during the months of September, October and early November. By the second week of November, the show is over for New Jersey as the leaves have fallen.
Driving around Shore Drive on Budd Lake
In 2016, I had never explored Budd Lake before and took a sunny, warm November afternoon after I had finished everything I needed to do at the house and took a road trip to the area. This is a section off the highway that most people do not venture unless they really want to see this section of the state or live or work here.
In 2021, the day was rather gloomy but still it was a nice day to get out of the house and explore the area in more detail. I missed not coming out here in all these years. On the trip to the area again in the summer of 2023, it was sunny, warm and clear, the perfect day to visit the lake and the surrounding farms.
In 2025, I had not noticed how fast the foliage had changed and I wanted to replace a lot of pictures where the foliage was not full. So I started the trip at 10:00am and made my first stop the Delaware Water Gap and then worked my way back down Route 46 East to Budd Lake and stopped at a lot of farms along the way. The whole trip was much nicer with all the colors on the trees.
Budd Lake is small but breathtaking in the summer of 2023
The road that lines the lake, Sand Shore Road, only takes you to a portion of the lake front, which is lined with beautiful homes and spectacular views. A lot of the homes reminded me of former summer homes that had been winterized while others were new and much more elaborate reflected the money that is moving into the area.
Since COVID and my first visit in 2020, I can see that many of these homes had been through a renovation since the last time I travelled out here. Still when I drove down the road, I felt like I was taking a step back into the 1970’s. It was a just the feel of the homes that I passed.
The view of Budd Lake from the pier.
It was a sunny day that reflected off the lake, which looks more like a catch bastion than a true lake. There were not the boat slips or yacht clubs that normally would line a lake but still there were some smaller boats lining the shoreline. There were small parks with views of the lake and as you entered the Budd Lake State Wildlife Management Area and Bog, the road moved away from the lake and it was mostly homes and woods and not much more to see unless you went into the park. Upon exiting, you are back on Route 46 West.
Budd Lake in the Summer of 2024
The Lake in the Fall of 2025
In 2021, I drove off Sand Shore Road and travelled down the back roads closer to the lake and drove past houses closer to the other shore line and even discovered an independent theater, the Pax Amicus Theater at 23 Lake Shore Road, that was performing that afternoon. You have to travel down Pine Grove Road and Manor House Road on the other side of the lake to see the beauty of the area and views of the lake.
The sun shining on the lake in the Fall of 2025
Route 46 West (I live off Route 46 East) is the highway that time forgot. It goes through many small towns being the main artery of the state until Route 80 was built many years later. It takes you through quaint small towns that had once seen better days but were improving in post COVID times or long stretches of woods.
Driving along the lake in the Fall months
The beauty of Budd Lake in the Fall of 2025
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The sun blazing in the Fall of 2025
The sun simmering on the lake at Budd Lake
Looking across the lake in the Fall of 2024
You have to get to places like Budd Lake when the foliage is at its peak to appreciate it. In 2025, I lucked out and had the day off before a major storm was going to hit and I knew that would knock the foliage down. It had been so dry for the last several months, it really did affect the trees.
The first time I visited Budd Lake in 2016 and then again in 2024, I ate at a terrific pizzeria named Enzo’s Ristorante & Pizza at 382 Route 46 West, which I highly recommend (see review on TripAdvisor). The pizza there amazing and the service is excellent. They are very friendly and the pizza is just wonderful. Their sauce is full of flavor and is cooked perfectly. They also have a nice lunch dinner menu. I passed it on this trip unfortunately wanting to try another place.
Since my visit in 2016, the restaurant has grown three fold and now takes up three full parts of the strip mall it is located in. The pizza was fantastic.
The Cheese Pizza is delicious.
In 2021, I had spent my morning at the Knights of Columbus in Lodi, NJ monthly All you can Eat breakfast so I was hardly hungry. They had a buffet of pancakes, French Toast, Bacon, Sausage, Hash Brown Potatoes, Fresh rolls with butter and coffee, tea and juice that you could load up on. I personally love breakfast so I went back several times. Needless to say, I was not hungry for most of the road trip. So, by the time I got to Budd Lake that morning, food was the last thing on my mind. I had wanted to try the Budd Lake Diner 120 West Route 46 but that will be for another time.
In 2023, I got to try Budd Lake Diner for breakfast when I was hungry for another meal.
The food at the diner is really good and the service is excellent. It is a typical New Jersey diner with the long booths and the extensive menu. The service was excellent and very friendly.
The inside of the Budd Lake Diner
I ordered and ate my second breakfast of the day. I had the French Toast platter with scrambled eggs and sausage patties. The portion size was really big and the meal was delicious ( see my review on TripAdvisor). The prices were also very fair in comparison to its Bergen County counterparts.
The French Toast platter with scrambled eggs and sausage patties at the Budd Lake Diner.
When breakfast was over, I toured around the lake and took pictures from all angles. It was nice to see the lake finally with some activity around it. People were sitting on the beach and boating in the lake. As I toured Shore Drive that surrounds part of the lake, I could see the numerous signs asking people to stay off their property. Shore Drive only follows the lake for a short distance and then veers off and the rest of the lake is surrounded by parkland.
Exploring the edges of Budd Lake
After my tour up the lake, I doubled back to a small shore line on Budd Lake off Route 46 East and stopped and sat on a bench and just watched the day develop in the afternoon. It was something to just relax and look at the colors of the trees surrounding the lake. In the summer, this little park was filled with sun-bathers finishing their day but today I had it all to myself along with the birds who were looking for a handout. I could not believe that seagulls were in shore this far. In the summer of 2023, there were a few people sunbathing in the early morning not paying much attention to me taking pictures.
The small beach at Bud Lake
Before I left Budd Lake I stopped at RH Farm stand, a small farmstand at 500 Route 46 West. I would spend most of my day exploring various farmstands along to way to see the selection and prices of the items. For the most part, everyone was charging New York City farmers market prices for produce. Some stand were charging $6.99 a pound for peaches and $12.00 for a small pie. I guess many of these people were hoping people from Manhattan were coming out for the day. I did find some decent prices but for the most part most of the stands were pretty expensive.
This picturesque little farm stand has been in business since 2012 (I would have thought much longer) and offers an array of produce, gourmet products and flowers. I just thought it looked really nice. The prices are a little high though. Still quality does have a price tag to it.
The entrance of RH Farm Stand
The inside of RH Farms Farm Stand
The inside of RH Farms
The beautiful flower arrangement at RH Farms
The peaches and produce at RH Farms
4th of July display in Summer of 2024
4th of July display in the Summer of 2024. Uncle Sam looks on
Christmas display in the Summer of 2024
The plant display in the Summer of 2024
Their little cat welcome me with a couple of charming rubs to my legs
Visiting the farm in October of 2025
The sign welcoming you to the farm
I was out exploring the Route 46 corridor several years ago from Budd Lake to the Delaware Water Gap and I visited a series of small farm stands along the way. RH Farm at 590 US 46 was one of the standouts that I visited .
It was not just the selection of fresh produce I saw on each of my visits in both in the Spring and Fall, but it was the selection of the variety of goods there was to purchase and the way they were displayed.
There was also a nice selection of freshly baked goods, arts and crafts items and plants and flowers all beautifully displayed like a boutique.
The inside of the farm
The selection of pumpkins in the Fall
I love the way they decorate the farm for each holiday. They decorated not just the selling space but other parts of the farm as well like the grounds and the barn area.
The display of holiday crafts and pumpkins
The holiday display of pumpkins and flowers
The Halloween decorations
I continued down Route 46 West and made a stop in the historical town of Hackettstown, the home of M & M/Mars. You would never know this was a corporate town of anything as the downtown seemed somewhat depressed in 2016. A lot of the stores were empty or filled with some not great shops. This all changed when I visited in 2023.
Downtown Hackettstown NJ in 2023
The statue of the Minuteman greets you as you enter Hackettstown, NJ.
The sign welcoming you to Hackettstown, NJ studded with M & M’s.
In 2021, Downtown Hackettstown had changed a lot. Most of the buildings in the downtown had been renovated and there were lots of new restaurants and shops. There were new design stores, consignment shops, innovative restaurants that were not the cheap and several new antique shops. I guess the New Yorkers in their quest to leave the City discovered Hackettstown as well and started to renovate the town. Many of the Victorian structures in the downtown area as well as the homes on the outskirts of the town have been fixed up and brought back to their glory.
David’s Restaurant at the start of Downtown Hackettstown
When I returned in the Summer of 2023, the whole town seemed to be renovated and so much more vibrant since my last visit two years earlier. Admittingly it was right after everything opened up after COVID, but there was a new feeling here very active and spirited. The whole downtown had changed from the first time I visited back in 2016. The town looked like it came back to life.
The front of the church on a quiet Saturday in 2024
The church in the Fall of 2024
The beauty of the church in the Fall of 2024
There were two terrific places that I found walking around. One was Tracey’s Candy Shoppe at 210 Main Street (see TripAdvisor review), where the owner’s mother and talked when I walked in. They had set the shop up in one of the older buildings in town and the affect made it look like an old-fashioned shop from the turn of the last century.
They had all sorts of candy from the 60’s and 70’s at not such 60’s and 70’s prices. They also had a selection of penny candies that were more than a penny. I found a Charleston Chew, that are still the most amazing candy. More of nougat than a bar.
Tracey’s Candy Shoppe at 210 Main Street
I met the owner’s mother again on my visit this time and she let me sample some of the homemade chocolates that they made inhouse. At $6.00 a quarter pound I have to admit the cinnamon truffle she let me sample was delicious but hardly matched the price. I settled on a small bag of fruit slices ($1.99), which I like much more. I had not had them in years and loved biting into their sugary core.
The homemade chocolates at Tracy’s Candy Shop
The owner’s mother explained how they are trying to bring the downtown back with concerts and farmer’s markets. In its day, it must have been a nice downtown but some of these small towns off the beaten track have been affected by malls and the rerouting of the major highways. Still a classic little place like this, set up to look 1930’s has a place in the books. It had an interesting selection of candies and a very warm, welcoming feel to it and you should visit it when you are in the area.
Tracey’s Candy Shoppe selection is wonderful
Five years later in 2021, it looks like that strategy worked as the downtown is coming back to life. They will be having a traditional tree lighting ceremony and holiday fest the first weekend of December and all sorts of activities during the month of December. It looks like it will keep changing going forward.
Down the block, I found a Colombian bakery, Pan Rico Bakery at 183 Main Street, for a quick snack. They have the best version of an empanada that they serve with a chili hot sauce and for a $1.30 each, they are a steal.
I ordered one of the beef ones which I ate going back to the car and it was well worth the trip inside as the sauce had some kick to it. It is a good place to stock up on a long road trip.
The bakery selection at Ran Rico Bakery
I continued my trip out of Hackettstown and passed the rest of the downtown and the surrounding neighborhood that had many beautiful Victorian homes that lined the streets as you exited town. It showed the money that once was in this town and the influence it once had in the area. Unfortunately, unless you work for one of the major firms out here it must be a hard place to live.
Downtown Hackettstown, NJ and their stock of Victorian homes.
This is becoming quite the downtown in Central New Jersey
The Historical District of Hackettstown offers a treasure trove in Victorian architecture and you can see that new people are moving in and renovating this neighborhood surrounding downtown. The gingerbread architecture is being touched up and the colors of the homes reflect the care residents are putting into their property.
The historic Wilson House location where George Washington was entertained
One place I had missed on my previous trips was the Hackettstown Historical Society. The society is at 106 Church Street right off the downtown and is packed with local information on the town and the surrounding area.
The Hackettstown Historical Society at 106 Church Street.
I visited the Hackettstown Historical Society on a recent trip to Downtown Hackettstown and this small historical society is packed with interesting information on the history of the town and the local town of Mansfield, NJ that has more information but they do not have their own building for a society of their own.
The historical information on Mansfield Township, NJ
The other exhibits on the first floor are on the history and clothing of the “Gibson Girl”. It shows how women were progressing in society during the late 1800’s after the Civil War. It shows how women gained more independence after the war years and showed it in their clothing, physical activities and schooling.
The “Gibson Girl” exhibit
The first floor exhibition also had a display on the first Miss America from New Jersey, Bette Cooper, who was Miss Bertram Island. She won the award and then ran away from the award. She never wanted to participate in the Miss America Foundation and because of her, there was a contract put together for future winners to participate in activities for the organizations. The Cooper family resided in Hackettstown, NJ at the time of her being a winner.
Miss America winner Bette Cooper
Another exhibit explained the transportation for Hackettstown and its influence in the outside community.
The Transportation exhibit in Hackettstown, NJ.
The local toy manufacturers are displayed on the first floor as well.
The Toy Company exhibition on the first floor.
The Beton (Bergen Toy and Novelty) Manufacturing Company display. The company manufactured at the turn of the century in Hackettstown, NJ.
On the second floor, the museum has displays on the businesses of the community. There were many manufacturers of items such as carriages, farm equipment and of course the M & M/Mars Company.
The Business display on the second floor.
Another exhibit was on how a households were run at the turn of the last century and what went into keeping house in those days. From equipment to clothing you could see how a woman’s time was taken up on a daily basis.
The Household Exhibit on the second floor
The Kitchen exhibit on the second floor.
The museum is free but donations are accepted. It is a nice diversion when visiting the downtown area for shopping and eating out. I explored the edge of the downtown before I left the town and discovered that two new microbreweries had opened up. The hipsters found their way here. I even got to enjoy the music at the local Farmers Market.
As I left Downtown Hackettstown to continue my trip to the Delaware Water Gap, I had visited the Farmer’s Market in town before it closed for the day and then made a effort to visit a lot of the farm stands that dot Route 46 West on my way to the park.
Downtown Hackettstown in the Summer of 2024
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Leaving downtown in the Fall of 2025
The foliage in Hackettstown, NJ in 2025
My first stop was right out of town at Best’s Farm Stand at 1 Russling Road. This small farm stand had all sorts of fruits and vegetables and I made a quick note of all the items they carried.
The small stand carries an array of fruits and vegetables.
The fresh peaches at Best’s Fruit Farm.
Best Fruit Farm in the Fall of 2024
Best Fruit Farm in the Fall of 2024
Pumpkins at Best Fruit Farm in the Fall of 2024
I stopped in Independence, NJ to a new farm stand that had just reopened to new owners. The family that reopened the Vienna Hill Farm & Market at 3 Asbury Road did a beautiful job not just renovating the farm stand but renovating the Victorian home that was adjacent to it.
In front of the farm was a large garden where a lot of the fresh fruits and vegetables are being grown and the owner was telling me how they are working with local artists and bakers to bring in new product. The farm stand was gearing down for the closing on Thanksgiving weekend so there was not that much in ways of items left. When I visited in 2023, the farm was stocked with products and was having very brisk business.
The inside of Vienna Hill Farm in summer of 2023
There were still freshly baked pies, cider doughnuts, greeting cards made locally and fresh produce still available for sale in a cheerful barn-like building that greeted passersby.
The farm stand is very modern and attractive
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Vienna Farm would close for the season Halloween week
I followed Route 46 West along the section that lined the Pequest River, a tributary of the Delaware River, to my true lunch destination, Hot Dog Johnny’s. Hot Dog Johnny’s, located at 333 Route 46 West (see TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com reviews) is like Rutt’s Hutt in Clifton.
It is an old roadside stand that people used to stop at on the way to view the Delaware Water Gap or needed to get into Pennsylvania. It must have been there since the 30’s and I had not eaten there since I was about ten when my parents took us kids there when viewing the Gap in the 70’s. The food has not changed.
Everyone must have had the same idea that I had because there was a line 20 deep after I got my food and sat at the outdoor picnic bench. What a view! The restaurant sits on the bank above the Pequest River and has the most beautiful view of the surrounding mountains where the foliage was a golden hue. The hot dogs have not changed in years.
Hot Dog Johnny’s had not changed my last visit in 1974
They are still deep fried in peanut oil and are every bit the crunch they were when I was a kid. Still crisp and full of flavor and still delicious with lots of mustard and pickles on them. The fries are still crisp and well-cooked and the birch beer is still ice cold. On a beautiful fall day overlooking the river and mountains, there is no place better to be.
The hotdogs and fries are the lunch of the day and are still extremely popular.
In 2016, It was one of those relaxing afternoons to watch the view and listen to the locals talk about the upcoming election (Yes, Trump did win). I still could not believe the number of Trump signs on the lawns in this area. Totally different from Bergen County.
The hot dogs and fries have not changed one bit
In 2021, some of the Trump signs are still up and it will be interesting to see what happens in 2024. Still the food has not changed a bit and I still ordered the same hot dog with mustard and pickle, French Fries and small birch beer ($5.72) and it still tasted the same as it had in 1975.
The view of the river from the back of Hot Dog Johnny’s
The river views of Hot Dog Johnny’s
The original stand still on the property
In the Fall of 2024, the restaurant was just amazing as it is in the summer.
The restaurant was celebrating its 80th birthday in the Fall of 2024
The hot dog restaurant in the fall
Fall at the restaurant
Fall at the restaurant
The end of the foliage across from the restaurant
The streams behind the restaurant in the Fall of 2024
The Foliage along Route 45 West was just breathtaking at the beginning of November of 2024. It was at its final stages but it was still amazing. I came back to the same farm in 2025 and was able to get more amazing pictures of the farm. The foliage was extremely colorful.
The fields were just being cut down for the end of the growing season
The farms along Route 45 West in 2025
The beauty of the farms
The same farm in the Spring
Their farmhouse in the Spring
Driving down Route 46 in the Fall is a real treat. The beauty of the foliage is just amazing. I had to keep stopping just to take pictures in the oddest spots just to get the right angles to share with readers.
It was such a beautiful path along Route 46 West in the Fall of 2024
What a spectacular day for a drive
The farms were so picturesque
What a beautiful day
When I traveled back in the Fall of 2025, the farm was just taking down the corn crops and plowing their fields.
The rolling hills of the farms around Route 46 West in Fall 2025
The farm in the Fall of 2025
I had never stopped to look at the river views but there was a real beauty in the them that I never noticed before. I had to stop in an obscure parking lot just to walk back a quarter mile just to take some pictures. It was just gorgeous site to see.
The river view
The river in the Fall of 2025 was just amazing
To add to the haunted pleasures of visiting the farms, the Ramsaysburg Cemetery lays just on the Marshall Farm Stand border. It adds to the spookiness of the Halloween holidays in the surrounding areas.
The cemetery is home to many veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil War
The lines of historic tombstones
Many of the tombstones date back to before the Revolutionary War
The grave of Revolutionary War veteran Private Barney Banghart
The back part of the cemetery has a spooky allure to it in the Fall
After my visit to the cemetery and walking amongst the historic tombstones of our brave veterans. I continued on my trip down Route 46 West and I made a few stops at some of the farm side stands. Talk about a step back in time when you could find fresh cider and doughnuts and freshly picked apples by the side of the road and not worry about germs. I stopped at Marshall’s Farm Stand at 114 Route 46 (see review on TripAdvisor) for fresh cider and cider doughnuts.
Talk about a step back in time. It reminded me of places I used to go to as a kid that have since disappeared with suburban sprawl. I toured around the stands with shelves of fresh jellies and honey, sauces and salsa and arts and crafts. I found a nearly empty shelf of pies and doughnuts and not a sweet roll in site. The girl working the register told me that everything sells out so quickly and they had baked a second batch of everything.
The signs leading to Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
There were three pies left and that was it of the baked good when I got there.
I did grab one of the last bags of cider doughnuts for the trip home and freshly made cider that you rarely see any more. Most of it is processed in big facilities now not at farms. Their doughnuts were outstanding ($4.75 for six). All but two got home with me as I munched on them on the trip through the Delaware Water Gap.
The Apple Cider doughnuts at Marshall’s Farm Market
The Apple Cider doughnuts are amazing here!
In 2021, I bought the same items again but after a big breakfast and then lunch, I only ate two of the doughnuts this time.
Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
The Fresh peaches and plums at Marshall’s Farm Stand.
I had a lively conversation about the upcoming election and trust me, this woman said a mouthful as most people were right before the election. In 2021, people were talking about the recent Governor’s election and Murphy seems in the doghouse with most of these residents. I said my good byes as quickly as possible. Politics is not something to talk about when buying food products.
Marshall’s Farm on a warm sunny afternoon.
The farm in October 2023 for Friday the 13th
The signs that Halloween is on its way
This chair must amuse people taking pictures at the farm.
The farm on Friday the 13th when I returned.
When I returned in October for Friday the 13th, all the farms were decorated for Halloween and all the fall festivals that were planned. It was supposed to rain over that weekend but on Friday October 13th, 2023, the weather was warm, clear and sunny.
Marshall’s Farm Market stand during the fall.
Decorated for Halloween 2024
The display was more elaborate in 2025
The Kiddie Corn Maze in the fall.
Just after Halloween, the farm prepared for Thanksgiving in Fall of 2024.
Marshall’s Farm on a warm November day
The front of the market in the Fall of 2024
They had delicious pies on sale when I visited
The delicious pies and pastries on sale at the farm
The homemade pies on sale
Get there early or they will run out of cider doughnuts
The fields in the Fall of 2024
For dessert, I decided to try another classic place to dine, Humpty Juniors at 72 Route 46 West in Columbia, NJ. This old fashioned sandwich and ice cream stand has been around for years and I wanted to stop for dessert.
Humpty Juniors at 72 Route 46 West in Columbia, NJ
I had passed Humpty Jr’s many times on my trips to the Delaware Water Gap and have never stopped before. I had stopped for lunch at Hot Dog Johnny’s up the road and I just needed a little dessert. I stopped for an ice cream sundae and while I waited I saw the sandwiches that were coming out of the kitchen. They looked amazing. The cheesesteak alone looked like it could feed two people and the hamburgers, that won awards, looked pretty good as well..
The full menu at Humpty Junior’s is really reasonable.
The Dessert menu at Humpty Junior’s
The Humpty Dumpty mascot at Humpty Juniors.
I just ordered a Vanilla Soft Serve with Strawberry sauce that hit the spot after a long ride down Route 46 West. It was a nice way to end my meal. The soft serve was rich and creamy and very reasonably priced. The strawberry sauce was the perfect topping to the sundae. It was nice to sit outside on the picnic benches and enjoy the sunshine. Humpty Juniors warrants another visit for lunch in the future.
The Strawberry Sundae with Strawberry topping.
That is exactly what I did in the Fall of 2024. I eyed the Cheesesteak with Wiz on my last visit and wanted to have it when I returned again. It was fantastic.
The Cheesesteak with French Fries at Humpty Jr.’s is amazing
The sandwich was really large and they put extra Cheese Wiz on it for me
Yum!
When I ate here in the Fall of 2025, I was in the mood for one of their Grass Fed Organic Cheeseburgers. It was really flavorful and juicy and perfectly cooked. The coupled with a soda was the perfect lunch.
The Organic Grass Fed Cheeseburger
The burger and fries were excellent
Yum!
Sometimes you need something sweet for dessert and I thought this is the perfect way to end a meal or just for a snack.
The delicious Cookies and Cream and Cotton Candy Ice Cream for dessert way to end a meal
My last part of the trip was Route 46 along the Delaware River which was still a blaze with color. In both 2016 and 2021, the leaves were still in the process of changing and it was awash with yellows, oranges, reds and gold. It was quite the site. As much as I wanted to venture further into the Gap, there was really no time to walk around as you seriously need time to walk the trails. Still the afternoon of foliage was impressive.
The entrance to Route 46 East from the Water Gap
In 2023, the trees were a sea of emerald as the last part of the summer was still in bloom. The park was still filled with hikers and kayakers who were just coming back from their journeys. The park was busy but the Visitors Center was still closed. I don’t think they will reopen this anytime soon. The paths were full of wildflowers and the views from the park were breath taking.
The Delaware River in the summer
The Delaware Water Gap at River Road off Route 209 in 2025
I was able to stop at the U turn on Route 80 West and park in the beginning of the trails that go through the park. Since it was so gloomy out and it was getting late in the afternoon, I stuck by the Visitors Center, which was closed for the season and walked along the river. Most of the foliage had been knocked off the trees by the two recent storms but there were still hues of gold and yellow with the trees that were left. It is a breathtaking view of the mountain range.
The foliage from the highway
When I returned in October of 2025, I timed it so that the trees would be at their peak and it was before a major rain storm the next day. I figured this would be the best time to come. Plus it was going to be the last nice day of that week. The trees were just past peak but because there had not been much rain that summer, the leaves changed earlier than in past years.
The mountains at the Delaware Water Gap from the Visitors Center in the Summer months
I had gotten to the park earlier than previous years and since I had time, I explored the park more than I had in the past. I looked at the map and decided to visit Turtle Beach , a small gap in the wood further up in the park. I could not believe how bad the roads were in the park. They were loaded with potholes and it made it very difficult to drive in the park. I thought it looked easy to get there but it took some time. My poor shock absorbers took a beating. I got there a half hour later and it was not worth it.
Turtle Beach is a small gap in the woods along the Delaware River for swimming and even with the signs that said that there was no swimming that day, people were in the water. I swear people do not want to listen as the algae count could have been high in the river.
Turtle Beach in the Delaware Water Gap Park in the summer
I originally want to venture further up the road but the roads were so bad and it would get dark by 8:00pm, that I did not want to risk it so I headed back to the main part of the park. That in its self was an adventur3e. At least there was no traffic heading back to the main road.
In 2016 and 2021, I did take one more stop through Hope and Blairstown. I wanted to visit The Toy Chest at 335 High Street, a toy store that is in the small downtown section of Hope, NJ. In 2023, I returned to hope to visit the Hope Historical Society which was supposed to be open and was closed during the hours of operation.
Downtown Hope, NJ in the Fall of 2023
Downtown Hope where Annie was dropped off and Ralph’s bike. Very Clever!
Plus, I wanted to see what the cemetery in Hope looked like this time of year. It is where the opening scene of the movie, “Friday the 13th” was shot. It looks more like the movie this time of year.
The Moravian Cemetery on High Street in Hope, NJ, where “Friday the 13th” was shot in 1979.
The location documentary on “Friday the 13th” in Blairstown and Hope, NJ
My interview with former Scout Master Donald Stein for the “35th Anniversary of the movie ‘Friday the 13th'”, who worked on the film with the Blairstown Fire Department.
The Blog on the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library’s “35th Anniversary of the movie “Friday the 13th”:
After seeing the famous cemetery, I visited the stores in Hope. My first stop was the Hope Junction Antiques at 331 High Street. This unique little store was a combination of antiques, works from local artists and in the upstairs gallery was a display of art from a painter who lived in the area (this is where the famous diner scene from ‘Friday the 13th’ was shot).
The Hope Junction Antiques at 331 High Street in the fall of 2023.
The store windows for Halloween and Friday the 13th
The store already had their Christmas merchandise out and while I was admiring some handmade ornaments, the owner came out and we chatted for a while. Come to find out she was an expat from Bergen County and had lived in Ridgewood, NJ. Small world. What I did not know was that I later found out this store was used for the opening scene in the diner for the movie, “Friday the 13th”.
I ended up buying some of her handmade Christmas ornaments that she created when she was stuck at home during COVID. She created some interesting works. After my purchases, it was off to the toy store.
The merchandise at Hope Junction Antiques is one of a kind
On a recent trip back to Hope, NJ lead me back to Hope Junction Antiques and their beautiful Christmas windows and decorations. I went out for the ‘Hope Annual Moravian Christmas’ on December 11th, 2021, an event which included a Lantern tour of the Downtown buildings, a live Nativity and a Candlelight Service at the St. John’s Methodist Church at 7:30pm. The luminaries that had been planned had been canceled because of the upcoming rainstorm but they put some out for the tour on the edges of the streets.
My first stop when I went into town was to talk to the owner of the store, Lisa Iulo, to tell her that my mom loved here homemade Santa ornaments that I bought from her last month. She took pictures of the outside of her store for me before I started the tour. Talk about beautiful decorations!
Hope Junction Antiques at Christmas time is amazing!
These festive little sheep are available at Hope Junction Antiques
There are interesting items to peek in the window at Hope Junction Antiques
The Toy Chest toy store
The Toy Chest was still open at 4:00pm and I had a lively conversation with the owner, Kirk Perez, who funny enough was another expat from Little Ferry and had moved down to this section of New Jersey to be closer to his wife’s family. It is a great little store loaded with all sorts of games, plastic toys and action figures.
The Toy Chest has an interesting selection
What he has added since my last visit since 2016 is all sorts of interesting high-end collectables dealing with horror and fantasy films, a complete line of Playmobile and Lego products and creating a showcase on the second floor for wooden toys and board games. The main floor also has an extensive collection of action figures and memorabilia from the film “Friday the 13th”.
The front of the store
There are a few more unique little stores along the strip but otherwise I just walked around a little and then got to Blairstown down the road for a quick drive through the downtown at twilight. It was a nice little tour.
In 2021, I was chatting so much with the merchants in Hope, NJ that I never got to Blairstown. It has gotten so dark so early (I hate it when it gets dark at 5:00pm) and had been so gloomy outside, I decided to head home early. It was pitch black outside when I got to Route 80 East. When visiting in the summer, I wanted to see more of the park.
In 2023, on the beautiful fall afternoon, all these smart merchants embraced the original film and were either wearing ‘Friday the 13th’ shirts, carrying Friday the 13th merchandise or having photo shots as the real estate office did with the bicycle. The Moravian Church was even selling cemetery dirt for $10.00 for a donation to help the church.
The cemetery dirt on sale on Friday the 13th.
The afternoon was a step back to a quieter time where people are not on top of each other and there is a slower pace. It really is another part of New Jersey not touched by time as the other parts of the state have become. It still is the New Jersey of my childhood.
The Delaware Water Gap in all its glory in the summer of 2023.
Hope was just as beautiful in the Fall of 2024. The town had just finished a busy Halloween and was preparing for Christmas.
The Methodist Church
Where Annie was dropped off in the movie “Friday the 13th”
Open: Sunday & Monday 9:00am-4:00pm/Tuesday Closed/Wednesday 12:00pm-6:00pm/Thursday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm (Seasonal-will close after Thanksgiving and reopen by Easter. Please check their website).
Open: Sunday 2:00pm-4:00pm/Monday-Tuesday/Closed/Wednesday 2:00pm-4:00pm/Thursday/Closed/Friday 2:00pm-4:00pm/Saturday Closed (check the website for additional open hours)
It has been a year since I started the blog site and the project has now taken me on an extensive trip to Los Angeles, a tour of the State of New Jersey and the Anniversary Day of the project to the much changing and gentrifying Newark, NJ. You heard correctly, Newark like all major cities is going through a revival and I had two afternoons and evenings at the Newark Conservatory located on Prince Street.
I have been a member of the Newark Conservatory for years but never really got involved in their events until recently. The organization is small but is currently looking at way to ‘Green’ Newark. Yes, Newark still does have its share of problems but like any other city has small groups of people trying to deal with them. I have seen so many changes in the downtown area alone.
The Conservatory has sponsored many interesting events and is doing their best to promote urban farming. On June 4th, they sponsored a ‘Strawberry Jam’, promoting their strawberry crops at the Court Street Farm. It was an interesting event with strawberry tea infusions, strawberry jam tastings and tours of the farm and the Kruger mansion, which sits on the back part of the farm.
The Newark Conservatory Gardens
The farm has some interesting crops being grown and the strawberry crop was pretty extension. We were able to take the tour around the farm, have tastings of the various fruits being grown and see how the local kids were getting involved on the farm.
The Kruger Mansion sits at the edge of the farm like a sad remnant of a bygone era. The poor mansion, which once stood in one of the most fashionable areas of the city, is falling apart and it is such a beautiful home. It has been partially renovated but the rest of the house is falling apart. It is so overgrown that it sits like a haunted house on the edge of optimism. There are plans to fix it but like they said to me it takes money.
The Newark Conservatory Farm with the Kruger Mansion right behind it.
The other event they ran was a ‘Wine & Cheese in the Garden’ event to raise money for the main farm on Prince Street. It was a really beautiful night of tour of the main gardens, tasting local vineyards in New Jersey and a lecture on the future efforts of the gardens. The event attracted a large number of supporters and members and the gardens were in beautiful shape with long flowering beds and natural art work.
The Conservatory has big plans with the renovation of a church into an experimental kitchen and classrooms and expanding the gardens further. These grass roots efforts are really improving this area of the city.
So on this very special One Year Anniversary of the ‘Walk in Manhattan and traveling Beyond’, I wish my best to all the readers and a very Happy Father’s Day to everyone. A big Happy Father’s Day to my dad, Warren, who could not be with me in Los Angeles or Newark on this special day but is always with me in spirit on these walks.
My father and I at the Junior Friends of the Library First Annual Grandparent’s Day lunch
Its amazing how many wonderful things there are to see in your own backyard! I’ll keep on walking!
The Northwest Bergen History Coalition 6th Annual History Day Theme: ‘Spreading the News: Rail, Mail & the Press in Days Gone By’
Special Exhibitions at each Museum
Come discover how we communicated when letter were left at the local inn, when postcards were our ‘twitter feed’ and the operator listened to all our calls on the party line. See how mail was delivered by train and what our local newspapers were like in 1900.
I took a day out of touring in the city to tour my own county, Bergen County, New Jersey is rich in Revolutionary, Civil and WWI &II history yet we still have a big link to our Colonial past in each town in Bergen County.
The unfortunate part of this tour is that it only covers a small portion of the county and it was hard to get to all of the sites in one day and really see them once a docent took over. I just didn’t want to leave the sites quickly because each tour was special in its own way.
I got off to a late start and got lost in Ridgewood because the Map Quest was not very good in describing the location of the first site on the west side of Route 17 South on the Ridgewood side of the highway. From there it just got easier.
My first stop was at the Schoolhouse Museum at 650 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). This quirky little school house sits at the edge of a vast cemetery next to Route 17 South in Ridgewood.
The School House Museum, built in 1872, is maintained by the Ridgewood Historical Society. This year’s exhibit is ‘Farm to Home: Exploring Our Agrarian Roots with Artifacts from the 18th and 19th Centuries’. Objects on display include early Dutch artifacts, farm tools, home furnishings, quilts, coverlets, pottery and tin ware. During the Spring, there will also be a special small exhibit featuring letters and writing tools as well as newspapers communicating important events. For History Day only, a letter from George Washington will be on display. The current exhibition is called ‘Farm & Home: Exploring our Agrarian Roots with Artifacts from the 18th & 19th centuries’. The museum is open from 1:00pm-3:00pm on Thursdays and Saturdays and 2:00pm-4:00pm on Sundays.
Schoolhouse Museum at 650 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ
I bought my pass here to start the tour and a nice donation of $10.00 let me into all the sites on the tour. Since I was the first one to the museum, I got a personal tour by Dot, a retired teacher from Ridgewood who taught in Hasbrouck Heights. It’s a small world.
The Schoolhouse Museum is a step back into Bergen County’s rural past with many interesting displays from the Lenape Indians who first lived in the area and taught the Dutch how to farm and fish to early Colonial clothing and its purpose when working. The displays were beautifully presented and well noted by their cards. The section on cooking utensils and their changes over time with modernization was interesting. How to bake on an open hearth versus a modern cast iron grill is the difference from a rotary phone to a smartphone.
Farm equipment in the collection
The fact that many of these items came from people’s basements and private dwellings was the most interesting part. That people kept these heirlooms for so long and then gave them up when they moved and donated them to the museum really tells the story of Ridgewood’s farming past.
The museum’s antique toy collection
We had good conversation for over an hour and the ladies volunteering that day invited me back in the future and then provided me with chocolate bites and bottled water, which I thought was a nice touch.
My next stop on the tour was The Hermitage located at 335 North Franklin Turnpike in Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey (see my review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). The old homestead sits on a rather large parcel in the middle of a residential and commercial area that shows how time has progressed on in this town.
The Hermitage at 335 North Franklin Turnpike in Ho Ho Kus, NJ at Halloween
The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark and house museum, incorporates an 18th century stone house that was visited during the Revolutionary War by General George Washington. It was also the site of the marriage of Aaron Burr and Theodosia Prevost. Its picturesque Gothic Design dates to the 1847-48 Gothic Revival renovation by architect William Ranlett for Elijah Rosencrantz. The house was willed to the State of New Jersey by his granddaughter Mary Elizabeth in 1970 and is furnished as it appeared in the 1890’s. A special exhibition in the 1888 summer kitchen honors the legacy of Bergen County historian, Claire K. Tholl. Her maps, books and drawings are on display.
The Hermitage in the Summer months
Bumping your head on some of these tours is easy as parts of the homes visited were built when people must have been smaller. When you start the tour of the Hermitage, you enter through the kitchen which was built in the late 1700’s and it is small. The rest of the house was built before the Civil War with high ceilings and a more Victorian flair. The rest of the house had been modernized in the 1920’s.
The Revolutionary War display in the house
The later history was hardly the glory days of when Aaron Burr married there. The last of the Rosencrantz descendants had gone broke after the Crash and their source of income which was a tearoom to traveling tourists from New York City when the Franklin Turnpike was a major thoroughfare, had dried up as fewer cars were traveling through the area. It had gotten to the point where the family was living in the back room of the house and the rest of the house was shut down. The house is still in need of a lot of repairs so donations are accepted by the foundation. It is an unique house with an interesting history so take the time and tour the house in detail.
Revolutionary War display at The Hermitage
The next home on the tour was The John Fell House at 475 Franklin Turnpike in Allendale, New Jersey (see my review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). The house was vacated by the former owner and was scheduled to be knocked down for townhouses. The community rallied together and saved the house from the wrecking ball. Now the house is being renovated room by room to its former glory.
The John Fell House at 475 Franklin Turnpike in Allendale, NJ
The historic John Fell House is named in recognition of Founding Father, John Fell, a revolutionary war patriot, who purchased the property circa 1766. The house was also home to Colonel Joseph Warner Allen, a Civil War hero for whom Allendale is named.
This 22 room Colonial Revival mansion was home to a Founding Father, a Civil War Colonel and a Sunday School that led to the first church in Allendale. The stately house is set on a hill on 2.8 acres near the center of town. The property also includes a late 19th Century Barn, exceptional wetlands and a stand of old-growth.
The Fell House Living Room
The history is very unique. John Fell led the local resistance movement against the British. He was arrested at the house by 25 armed Loyalist and imprisoned in New York City, where he kept a secret diary documenting the British Army’s horrific treatment of American prisoners of war. Located across the street from the house is the Celery Farm Natural Area, 107 acres of wetlands and woods originally known as “Wolf Swamp” and later “Fell’s Meadows”, which was originally part of the Fell estate.
The original section of the John Fell House
The home, which was built circa 1760 and originally called Peterfield, has had several subsequent owners, including John H. Thompson, John G. Ackerman, the Stephen Cable family and the Joseph B. Taylor family, who enlarged it in the Colonial Revival style in the early 1900’s. Colonel Joseph Warner Allen for whom Allendale is named, stayed at the house while he surveyed the route for the Paterson-Ramapo Railroad. He was a key New Jersey figure at the beginning of the Civil War. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Exhibits will include recreations of early 18th and 19th century broadsides, early local 20th century newspapers featuring historic military news, copies of historic letters, photos and railroad news. Jim Wright gave a brief talk and a slide show on “Revolutionary Communications: Getting the Word Out in John Fell’s Day.”
The Teapot Collection in the Kitchen
The Fell House is owned and operated by the Concerned Citizens of Allendale, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit group, which saved the house looked mostly modern to me as it had just been lived in by a family before the sale. The exterior of the house needs lots of work saved the property from being bulldozed to make way for a controversial townhouse development. The house is home to a tearoom, community events, school events, nature programs and an annual holiday open house.
The organization has also developed several history programs that inform the public and students about the history of the John Fell House, including reenactments of his arrest at the house. During every open house, docents inform visitors of the timeline of the house and its important role in American history. Historic preservationists have studied the house and produced a Preservation Plan that document the history of the home, barn and landscape while suggesting how to best restore, preserve and maintain the house and property. As a member of the Northwest Bergen History Coalition, the organization works with eight other historical sites to encourage both children and adults to learn about the region’s amazing history. (The Historic John Fell House Pamphlet)
The house tour was very interesting and the docents lead some of us to the outside grounds to show some of us some new discoveries such as an old well that was discovered. The only problem with the tour was that house was modernized for current times as it was a private home until just recently and needs more period furniture and decorations to it. While the outside looks historical on the outside, the interior is quite modern. The Fell House has a rich history but is a work in progress. It is still worth the trip just to see the grounds and hear about its rich history.
The next site on the tour was The Waldwick Signal Tower at 1 Bohnert Place, which had just finished a renovation (see my review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). The tower sits in a rather obscure place by the railroad tracks up the tracks from the station. You have to make several twists and turns to get to the tower.
Waldwick Signal Tower at 1 Bohnert Place in Waldwick, NJ
Built in 1890 by the New York Lake Erie and Western Railroad, the Waldwick Signal Tower was the key to the movement of railroad traffic within the newly created yard facility. Eventually it also handled 4 tracks of heavy m service on the Erie’s route between New York and Chicago. Manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week for over 50 years, it was also the hub for maintenance of the signal systems between Ridgewood, NJ and Suffern, NY. The tower museum is dedicated to the railroad workers of the area and educates visitors about the variety of jobs and operations of the Waldwick Facility. Check http://www.allaboardwaldwick.org for a schedule of events. (Historical pamphlet)
The train sign inside the Signal Tower
Waldwick’s Train Signal tower is both historically and architecturally significant. It is a rare historical treasure for its residents and railroad enthusiasts from far and wide. Before the turn of 20th Century, the Waldwick rail yard was an active repair depot and turn station for the Erie Main Line from Jersey City, NJ to Port Jervis, NY and was a major employer in Waldwick thus contributing to the bough’s residential and commercial growth.
The ornate Queen Anne style building was built in 1890 and housed the mechanism connecting switches and signals allowing trains to safely move from one track to another. The tower men who operated the switches by hand had a great power indeed in their time. By the mid 1980’s upgrades in computerized signal equipment warranted the elimination of the tower.
The lighting display at the Signal Tower
The tower was slated for demolition in June 1987. The Waldwick Historical Society members led by Kay Williams campaigned to place the tower on The National Registry of Historical Places. This accomplishment allowed the tower to at least stay dormant till the next wave of enthusiasts came along in 1999. Michael Brunkhorst and Glen Corbett banded together a group of citizens to form the All Aboard committee of Waldwick’s Historical Society. Curtis Springstead of Wanaque who is the great-great grandson of the renowned locomotive engineer Harvey Springstead, got wind of the tower’s trials. He stepped up to the plate and purchased the tower for $6,000 then gave the Tower to the Borough of Waldwick as a gift to preserve for future generations in honor of the trainman’s family name. The small All Aboard group set out to create awareness of the tower’s existence and it’s plight.
The historical sign of information
Before long, fund drives were organized and grant applications were filed. The response of the number of supporters including Mr. Robert Keeble have given this project a solid start. Meticulous measures are currently being made can now be witnessed at the track end of Bohnert Place, to maintain the tower’s historic authenticity. Attention is being given to the placement of exact shaped decorative shingles and the repair and replacement of the original slate roof are among the initial stage of it’s restoration.
The railroad tracks outside the Signal Tower
Mission Statement: The All Aboard continues seeking membership and financial support to complete the tower with the vision of becoming “The Harvey Springstead Memorial Tower at Waldwick” for generations of Waldwick citizens and for rail enthusiasts everywhere. If funding continues the tower is sure to be the pride of Waldwick with time and care. (All Aboard Pamphlet of the Waldwick Historical Society).
I was the only one at the tower that part of the afternoon. It was a colorfully decorated tower full of pictures and timelines. The docent who was there that afternoon could not believe the number of visitors that the tower was getting that afternoon. I told him if it were not for the tour, I would have never known the tower even existed. The history of the tower and how it played a role in the town of Waldwick. It was considered very innovative at that time. The fact that it was still being used into the 80’s was pretty amazing. Now they want to bring back some of the equipment that was being used at the time that is just sitting in warehouses. It will be an interesting place to revisit once those items are put into place.
I double backed on the tour with only an hour left and I went to the Zabriskie House at 421 Franklin Avenue in Wyckoff, New Jersey (See my review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). This old home is a combination of historic home and modern day living as it was in the family’s hands until 1973.
Zabriskie House 421 Franklin Turnpike in Wyckoff, NJ
The original stone structure of the house was built by William Van Voor Haze in 1730 on a 550 acre of tract of land and is believed to be the oldest house in Wyckoff. Prior to 1806, a small parcel of land was purchased from William’s son and heir, Albert, to build the Wyckoff Reformed Church. In 1824, Albert completed a major addition to the house in the classically Dutch Colonial style and the original section of the home became the dining room.
The entrance to the house
The house was purchased by Uriah Quackenbush in 1867 and was willed to his granddaughter, Grace Quackenbush Zabriskie, the wife of the late County Judge John B. Zabriskie. In 1964, Mrs. Zabriskie, the last resident owner, donated the pond and the surrounding acreage to the township of Wyckoff. Upon her death in 1973, she bequeathed the house and the antique furnishings to the town. Throughout its history, the Zabriskie House has been used, at different times, as a village store, a candy store, a tavern, a hotel and a ballroom.
The kitchen in the original section of the house
Under the guidance of the house’s Trustees, the Zabriskie House is continuing restoration for future generations to enjoy. The Trustees have recently overseen extensive work on the porch and stairs, re-oiling of the roof, stone step repairs and limited gutter installation. Children can try colonial toys and all can guess the at the ‘What It’ table.
The Zabriskie House gardens
This was one of the quickest tours I went on as the house was closing down for the day and I was in the kitchen looking at one of the docent’s daughter’s wedding pictures. I excused myself and walked through out the house. It had been left the way it had when Mrs. Zabriskie was still living there. There were many antiques mixed in with the modern furniture. Nothing remains of the original owners but the docents told me that a clock was still in the house from the Quackenbush family. Most everything left in the house was owned by Mrs. Zabriskie.
The grounds outside the house
The docents described all the rooms to me and how the house was added on through the years. Watch your head as some of the places have low ceilings. The kitchen really gives you an idea of how old the home really is in comparison to the rest of the house. It was a nice mix of the old and the new. At the end of the tour, the members of their Friends group had the nicest selection of homemade treats and lemonade. It was nice to talk to members and what goals they have for the house. It looks over the pond in the park next door and is a picturesque view.
The house gardens outside the home
I had just enough time to visit my last house, the Van Allen House at 3 Franklin Avenue (corner of Route 202 & Franklin Avenue) in Oakland, New Jersey. Most of the volunteers were leaving for the day but let me still walk around as many of them were talking around a table. The house is falling apart and the grounds are over-grown.
Van Allen House at 3 Franklin Avenue in Oakland, NJ
The Van Allen House was host to George Washington and troops on July 14, 1777 and helped get word to his field officers by allowing him to compose documents there which were dispatched by carriers along the Ramapo Valley trail, now Route 202. In 1915-1919 owners of the Van Allen House and builders of the Stream House adjacent were the publishers and editors of the Sussex Register of Newton, NJ. Edward Page often published trade and economic articles in the NY Times, inspiring his son Allen to take over the Sussex Register until Allen’s death in 1917, passing on ownership to the father Edward until he died 12/26/1918. The Sussex Register joined the NJ Herald in 1928. (Tour Pamphlet)
Van Allen House artifacts
I was able to tour the Van Allen House and grounds on my own. Most of the docents were relaxing after a long day. I walked up and around the house and there was not much to see as the house needed a serious renovation. The new roof had just been put on the house but there still were leeks in it. The grounds were loaded with weeds and was in need of a good landscaper. The one thing the house had going for it was their gift shop. They had the most interesting sewn dolls that one of the members makes and they had a beautiful selection of Christmas ornaments.
Van Allen House artifacts
One the Van Allen house goes through some form of restoration, it will really be a jewel on the tour as it sits on a nice piece of land that was part of the original estate.
Overall it was a nice tour of the historical sites and gave me a real insight to old Bergen County when it was still called Franklin Township that was formed in 1771. The population was small. The families who lived here all knew one another , worshipped together and intermarried. It showed the important role that Bergen County played in the American Revolution. If you are able to take time out to visit these sites, you will be pleasantly surprised on what you will learn. I did not realize how much history was right in the neighborhood. (Tour Pamphlet)
Van Allen House bedroom
Don’t miss this amazing tour of Historical sites in Northern Bergen Country each May.
Places to Visit:
The Schoolhouse Museum-Ridgewood Historical Society
(This project is dedicated with much love to my father, Warren George Watrel, who still inspires me!)
Hello and Welcome to ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’, an extensive project to walk the entire island of Manhattan. My name is Justin Watrel and I will be your guide in exploring the island of Manhattan, searching every nook and cranny of the island for the unusual, the usual and the in between.
The official walk started in front of the Marble Hill Houses in the Marble Hill neighborhood
‘Walking the Island of Manhattan’ may not be terribly original as there are about four other people doing the project at the same time, but this project is different in the way I see the island. Not rushing through to prove I have walked it but to see what these neighborhoods are all about and what is there to discover and enjoy.
The unique homes of Marble Hill were my starting point in June 2015
For all you ‘Manhattanites’ who think you know your island, I will show you things that you have never seen and places you have never gone, restaurants you have never tried and historical sites and museums you never knew existed. Maybe just a few blocks from where you live. As the son of two “Brooklynites’, I have traveled around the city a lot since 1969, my first time in the City when my parents took me to Chinatown to Hunan Gardens, a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street. I ended up there for eight birthdays until it closed in the early 2000’s.
Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown every February
“My Walk in Manhattan” is a project to walk the entire island of Manhattan in New York City from top to bottom from the beginning of the Summer of 2015 until I finish the walk. Manhattan is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide and covers a total area 23.7 square miles. Along the way of walking the streets of Manhattan, I will be walking into parks, museums, restaurants and looking at the architecture of the neighborhoods and the buildings in them.
My soon to be path around the Island of Manhattan
I have found that people miss a lot when they walk with their cellphones and only look down at it. When you look up, you see the true beauty of the City. You see the stone work of old brownstones, you see small boutiques off the beaten track and can indulge in those hole in the wall restaurants that are usually found by foreign tourists. Nothing is more interesting then seeing a stone face on a building staring back at you, a tiny pocket park that residents created out of a garbage dump and that small entrepreneur trying to create a vision.
The Cable Building at 611 Broadway
This project was inspired by many things. My major inspiration for this project follows the recent passing of my father, Warren George Watrel. My dad and I loved to walk around the city and spend the day at various museums, walking around Central Park and the Conservatory, taking the subway to try new restaurants in Chinatown or Little Italy or any new place I had read about in the Village Voice (my Bible when looking for things to do on weekends).
Columbus Circle on the West Side
My father was a ‘Brooklynite’ from Williamsburg (long before it was ‘Hipster Central’, he would have been amused) and loved the city, so this voyage is dedicated to him. Having watched the movie “The Way” with Martin Sheen, we look for inspiration in our travels and try to find the answers to why something happens the way it does. Walking to explore does that.
I was my father’s caregiver after his illness hit him and I continued my trips into Manhattan as my father got better. It was the inspiration to this site’s sister site, ‘BergenCountyCaregiver.com’. After he passed in 2014, I wanted to spend Father’s Day doing something different yet do something that we would have done together. Thus started the first walk in Marble Hill.
My first Day in Marble Hill, Manhattan
Another inspiration was a recent article in New York Magazine entitled “Which New York is Yours? A Fierce Preservationist and a Pro-Development Blogger Debate” in which the author Justin Davidson asks about the disappearance of New York’s Character. “What does that character actually consist of? If we did make an all-out effort to preserve it, how would we know what to protect?” How much is the city changing? I have worked off and on in New York City since 1988 and the answer is in some parts of Manhattan it is night and day. Could you imagine walking in Bryant or Tompkins Square Parks in 1990?
I did and they were very different places back then. With the changing Zoning Laws and gentrification of many neighborhoods, its not the city of 1970’s movies. What I am looking for are those unique little pocket parks that we pass, those statues of people we have no clue who they are and those historic plaques of places gone by and people we don’t know.
Astor Row Houses in Harlem
Another are the books, ‘Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost its Soul’ by Jeremiah Moss and ‘The Death and Life of the Great American City’ by Jane Jacobs. How do cities keep progressing and changing? How does change effect a city and what direction are we going in? Does the Island of Manhattan have to be all luxury or can it be mixed to help keep the creativity alive and keep innovation going? Do we want the big bad 70’s again or the luxury brand of the 2010’s and 20’s? How is it impacting and changing the city? How much has Manhattan and the rest of the boroughs changed with the rezoning of the city under the Bloomberg Administration. This can also be looked at in the documentaries “Gut Renovation” and “My Brooklyn”.
The last inspiration was my doctor. He said I have to lose ten pounds. I am hardly over-weight but like many people he feels that I will be healthier if I lose the weight and keep it off. I want to see how a walk like this tones the body.
Bowling Green Park in Lower Manhattan
I know many people before have walked the entire length of Manhattan while others have or are attempting to walk the every block in the city, mine has a more personal reason. To really see the city I love from the ground up and explore parts of the island that I have never ventured to and see what I find there. Along the way, I want to see how the city changes while I am taking the walk. This is not the “Christopher Columbus” attitude most people are taking when exploring the neighborhoods but more honoring those residents who are trying to make the City better.
The Bowling Green Park Fence
My project also includes stops at various points of interest and to get a better feel for all the neighborhoods, I am walking both sides of the street to get a better look at the buildings in each neighborhood and what defines the character of a neighborhood. I get the impression from some of the readers of Mr. Davidson’s article and from comments on the Internet that Manhattan is some “playground of the wealthy that is being gentrified to the hilt and soon no one will be able to afford any part of Manhattan”. Like in any place, there are people struggling everyday to survive in New York and like every city in the country, people are moving back in droves and want a quality of life for them and their families.
Delacorte Clock in Central Park
In the Age of COVID, it has been interesting starting the project again. I had been on hold from March 13th, 2020 through June 10th, 2020 when the City was closed for anyone other than First Responder and people who had to work there. I was so happy when I could return and continue walking Manhattan. My walk down Broadway for the forth time was a surprise with all the businesses closed on the Upper West Side and I met the challenge of “The Great Saunter Walk” , the 32 mile walk around the perimeter of the island in 14 hours. There is now more to see and explore and write.
The COVID world though has me facing closed businesses that I have covered over the years. Restaurants and stores that I have mentioned in this blog since 2015 have since closed permanently or closed for the time being, I am not too sure. We also have a walking world of masks that keep us safe. The times in Manhattan are changing from the way we eat in restaurants to the way we shop and visit museums.
SoHo boarded up after the June Riots 2020
Fifth Avenue boarded up after the June Riots 2020
Things are constantly changing in Manhattan since the riots in June and COVID keeps raging in the City with people not wanting to wear masks. I hope that things will get back to normal soon. I still see people out and about doing their thing and enjoying the warm weather so I am optimistic about life. Still though, Manhattan keeps changing with the Theater District boarded up and Chinatown looking like a ghost town. We will see how New York City recovers from COVID like the rest of the country.
By August of 2025, the area completely bounced back
I have now expanded this site to three other blogs, ‘VisitingaMuseum’ (VisitingaMuseum.com), which features all the historical sites, community gardens and small museums and galleries I find in not just Manhattan but throughout the rest of the NYC and beyond in the suburbs.
‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC’ (DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com), where I feature wonderful little restaurants, bodegas and bakeries that I find along the way. The one requirement is that the meal is around $10.00 and under (for us budget minded people).
“LittleShoponMainStreet” (LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com) where I find unique and creative stores in Manhattan and locally whose merchandising, displays, merchandise and service stand out in an age of Amazon. This harks back to a time when shopping was enjoyable and not a chore.
I have also added two new sections to the blog, “My life as a Fireman”, which I have moved from an old site that I had created for my old engine company to describe my experiences on the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department over the last 16 years. Also, this is what takes up my time when I am not exploring New York City.
Justin Watrel, Fireman
Another is “A Local Journey” are tours of downtown’s and communities outside the New York City area to travel to when you need to escape the City’s clutches. I have specific guidelines in finding stores, restaurants and museums/cultural sites in the area. This has lead me to really explore my own town of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ and exploring out of town destinations like Red Hook, NY and Beach Haven/Long Beach Island, NJ. You would be amazed on what these small towns offer.
Downtown Red Hook, NY in the Summer months
With COVID still rearing its head when I am in New York City, I do everything to stay safe from being fully vaccinated (I have take both shots and no I have not turned into a ‘Pod Person’) to wearing a mask and keeping hand sanitizer on me. I abide by all NYC Parks rules and try to stay away from people when in museums and restaurants.
Downtown Red Hook, NY during the Christmas holiday season
Even with all its problems, New York City is still the most exciting City on earth and follow the blog, neighborhood by neighborhood and join me in discovering what makes Manhattan one of the greatest places on Earth!
So to readers who will be following me on the journey walking through Manhattan and beyond, I hope you enjoy trip walking by my side!
Me in Red Hook, Brooklyn discovering my new love in “Street Art”
This project is dedicated to my father, Warren George Watrel, with lots of love and many wonderful adventures and memories to keep me company as I take “My Walk in Manhattan”.
My dad, Warren and I at his 60th high school reunion in 2013
‘Break My Stride’ still plays in my mind when I do this walk.
This walking song plays in my mind when I start ‘Walking’. Thank you Mary Mary!
mywalkinmanhattan 