To all my friends and fellow fans of South Jersey history and Places to Go and Things To Do - Thanks for visiting with me this year. I hope I'll have even more interesting places to share with you next year! I wish all of you an safe, healthy, and happy New Year!
Happy Trails, Jo Ann
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Shop Locally Movement
Just this past couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to shop locally five times. I live in a place rich with small and local shopping venues and I wanted to mention some of them.
First of all, anyone who loves history, is no doubt, also hopeful and supportive of keeping our small towns alive. We have all seen the strangulation of small town shops by shopping malls and super cheap places like Wal-Mart and I'm not saying that we should not shop in malls or at Wal-Mart, certainly there are good reasons for going to all those places and I do. I shop at Boscovs and Target and many other big stores,
However, that said, there are opportunities to support small family owned businesses as well, and keeping our minds and eyes open to that is a good way to support keeping our small towns viable.
My favorite immediate go-to hardware store is and always has been 1.Carr's Hardware on Broadway in Gloucester City. They not only have everything I'm looking for in my, admittedly amateur repair efforts, they also have advice and they will order what you need if they don't have it. In addition, they will recommend workmen who can do those things beyond my ability. They are a very nice family and it is a pleasure to shop there and visit with them.
Once, a year ago, I had something wrong with my car. It stalled in the middle of driving, at red lights, under an assortment of situations that made it dangerous and mind-boggling. I took it to my former mechanic, to the Ford Dealer, and finally, my daughter was so worried she got in touch with a mechanic friend with whom she had gone to high school. He was partner in what was then a new shop. I took it to them and they resolved the situation immediately and at half the cost of one garage, and one third the cost of my fruitless visit to the Ford dealer. 2.Innovative Automotive on the corner of Market Street and Kings Highway, is a reliable and honest repair shop. I have been to them a few times since for various problems and I wanted to recommend them to everyone I know who has a car. (by the way, it was a crack in the black rubber intake L pipe.)
I had already spent over $2000 by the time I took it to them and was considering getting a new car. They fixed it for under $400.
As recently as last summer, I would drive almost an hour to South Jersey farm stands to buy my local honey which, as all honey users know, is the most healthful honey to buy. You want local bees and not adulterated or processed honey. After all that driving (which I did enjoy in terms of lovely landscape) I discovered that all the honey I bought at the farm markets down there, was also carried by 3.Vercchio's on the Brooklawn Circle (Route 130 in Brooklawn). That produce market is the picture of American BOUNTY! I love to go there and see all the brightly colored fruits and vegetables and find new and mysterious fruits to try (like persimmons). And they have local honey in a variety of flavors - Cranberry, Blueberry, Wild Flower to name my favorites. They are also famous for their prices. This year I was also able to buy Claxton's fruit cake, which may be a joke to the wider public, but it is a life-long favorite holiday treat to me.
Finally, after walking the dog at Big Timber Creek a couple of days ago, while my daughter was home visiting me from New York, we were headed to Collingswood to go to lunch and we drove along Atlantic Avenue in Audubon. We passed a charming corner cafe' called 4.Simply Soup and decided to eat there instead. We had the 1/2 sandwich and soup special lunch offer at $7.95. We had a delicious white bean and escarole soup, homemade, and white albacore tuna salad sandwich on rye. One of my chief small grumbles at eating out is TOO MUCH FOOD. I'm trying to watch my weight and, too often, I'm watching it go up! The half sandwich and cup of soup was perfect - just enough to leave you full and satisfied but not so much that you had to bag it or stuff yourself. I highly recommend this little cafe, and I may add it was very popular with the locals, as I saw both times that I went there. I liked it so much when I went with my daughter, that I returned with friends. They also have take-out and platters and desserts and an atm machine. You can call 856-546-3939 for more information or to order in quantity. Simply Soups, 301 E. Atlantic Ave., Audubon, NJ
Hope you had a happy Holiday so far, and I look forward to sharing tips for places to go and things to do in South Jersey in the New Year!! If you have a place you want to add, e-mail me at wrightj45@yahoo.com and I'll gladly pass along your recommendation.
In fact, a writer friend of mine recently had her book of poems printed and bound at 5.Belia's Copy Center in Woodbury on Broadway and she wanted it known that they did a wonderful job and were very helpful and patient with her in the process. I have had a great deal of work done there myself and also recommend them. They are, also, a family run local business.
Happy Trails, and SHOP LOCALLY!! Jo Ann
First of all, anyone who loves history, is no doubt, also hopeful and supportive of keeping our small towns alive. We have all seen the strangulation of small town shops by shopping malls and super cheap places like Wal-Mart and I'm not saying that we should not shop in malls or at Wal-Mart, certainly there are good reasons for going to all those places and I do. I shop at Boscovs and Target and many other big stores,
However, that said, there are opportunities to support small family owned businesses as well, and keeping our minds and eyes open to that is a good way to support keeping our small towns viable.
My favorite immediate go-to hardware store is and always has been 1.Carr's Hardware on Broadway in Gloucester City. They not only have everything I'm looking for in my, admittedly amateur repair efforts, they also have advice and they will order what you need if they don't have it. In addition, they will recommend workmen who can do those things beyond my ability. They are a very nice family and it is a pleasure to shop there and visit with them.
Once, a year ago, I had something wrong with my car. It stalled in the middle of driving, at red lights, under an assortment of situations that made it dangerous and mind-boggling. I took it to my former mechanic, to the Ford Dealer, and finally, my daughter was so worried she got in touch with a mechanic friend with whom she had gone to high school. He was partner in what was then a new shop. I took it to them and they resolved the situation immediately and at half the cost of one garage, and one third the cost of my fruitless visit to the Ford dealer. 2.Innovative Automotive on the corner of Market Street and Kings Highway, is a reliable and honest repair shop. I have been to them a few times since for various problems and I wanted to recommend them to everyone I know who has a car. (by the way, it was a crack in the black rubber intake L pipe.)
I had already spent over $2000 by the time I took it to them and was considering getting a new car. They fixed it for under $400.
As recently as last summer, I would drive almost an hour to South Jersey farm stands to buy my local honey which, as all honey users know, is the most healthful honey to buy. You want local bees and not adulterated or processed honey. After all that driving (which I did enjoy in terms of lovely landscape) I discovered that all the honey I bought at the farm markets down there, was also carried by 3.Vercchio's on the Brooklawn Circle (Route 130 in Brooklawn). That produce market is the picture of American BOUNTY! I love to go there and see all the brightly colored fruits and vegetables and find new and mysterious fruits to try (like persimmons). And they have local honey in a variety of flavors - Cranberry, Blueberry, Wild Flower to name my favorites. They are also famous for their prices. This year I was also able to buy Claxton's fruit cake, which may be a joke to the wider public, but it is a life-long favorite holiday treat to me.
Finally, after walking the dog at Big Timber Creek a couple of days ago, while my daughter was home visiting me from New York, we were headed to Collingswood to go to lunch and we drove along Atlantic Avenue in Audubon. We passed a charming corner cafe' called 4.Simply Soup and decided to eat there instead. We had the 1/2 sandwich and soup special lunch offer at $7.95. We had a delicious white bean and escarole soup, homemade, and white albacore tuna salad sandwich on rye. One of my chief small grumbles at eating out is TOO MUCH FOOD. I'm trying to watch my weight and, too often, I'm watching it go up! The half sandwich and cup of soup was perfect - just enough to leave you full and satisfied but not so much that you had to bag it or stuff yourself. I highly recommend this little cafe, and I may add it was very popular with the locals, as I saw both times that I went there. I liked it so much when I went with my daughter, that I returned with friends. They also have take-out and platters and desserts and an atm machine. You can call 856-546-3939 for more information or to order in quantity. Simply Soups, 301 E. Atlantic Ave., Audubon, NJ
Hope you had a happy Holiday so far, and I look forward to sharing tips for places to go and things to do in South Jersey in the New Year!! If you have a place you want to add, e-mail me at wrightj45@yahoo.com and I'll gladly pass along your recommendation.
In fact, a writer friend of mine recently had her book of poems printed and bound at 5.Belia's Copy Center in Woodbury on Broadway and she wanted it known that they did a wonderful job and were very helpful and patient with her in the process. I have had a great deal of work done there myself and also recommend them. They are, also, a family run local business.
Happy Trails, and SHOP LOCALLY!! Jo Ann
Monday, December 23, 2013
Contact
I'm admittedly remiss in responding to comments in a timely matter, so if you wish to reach me for discussion of posts or events, best to use my e-mail wrightj45@yahoo.com THANKS and Merry Christmas!
Jam-Packed December 2013
So sorry, I let my readers down on things to do the first 3 weeks of this month. That's because I was so busy putting up lights, decorating the tree, cleaning the house for guests, buying the gifts, then wrapping the gifts, then cleaning again, that I didn't get to do any of my usual candlelight tours (or my cards!). And as always, every day I am Big Timber Creek Dog Park walking my pal, Trixie. Actually, though, I volunteered at one candlelight event - as usual, I did an evening as a docent at the James and Ann Whitall House for their candlelight weekend, themed, 'A Soldier's Life' and enjoyed very much listening to our re-enactor soldier in Ann's Parlor. Wonderful Event!
Therefore, I apologise because I missed the Battle of Iron Works Hill, among many other things I enjoy. BUT there are still some places to go and things to see this month:
Smithville still has Victorian Christmas Candlelight Tours on December 27th and 29th. My daughter will be here with me for a week and maybe she and I will be able to go to that.
Historic Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Rd., Eastampton
and for tea dates call (856) 767-3159
One of the things I missed telling you about closer to the day that I actually attended was the Burlington County Historians' Roundtable which is a 'don't miss' event for those interested in South Jersey History. Run by Burlington County Historian, Joe Laufer, (with ehelp from Paul Schopp) it is a supreme model of what counties should do to promote their resources. This month the meeting was held at the Lyceum of History and Natural Science (formerly Mt. Holly Library) at 307 High St., Mount Holly, NJ. (Call for info.609-265-5858)
They have some things coming up worth noting. As you know my interests overlap in nature and history.
At the Lyceum, lecture series: Jan. 8 and 9 Migratory Waterfowl
Sat.,Jan 11, 9:30 a.m. Smithville Park - hike and tour Winter Ecology Happy Trails, Rails and Tails! Jo Ann
Therefore, I apologise because I missed the Battle of Iron Works Hill, among many other things I enjoy. BUT there are still some places to go and things to see this month:
Smithville still has Victorian Christmas Candlelight Tours on December 27th and 29th. My daughter will be here with me for a week and maybe she and I will be able to go to that.
Historic Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Rd., Eastampton
and for tea dates call (856) 767-3159
One of the things I missed telling you about closer to the day that I actually attended was the Burlington County Historians' Roundtable which is a 'don't miss' event for those interested in South Jersey History. Run by Burlington County Historian, Joe Laufer, (with ehelp from Paul Schopp) it is a supreme model of what counties should do to promote their resources. This month the meeting was held at the Lyceum of History and Natural Science (formerly Mt. Holly Library) at 307 High St., Mount Holly, NJ. (Call for info.609-265-5858)
They have some things coming up worth noting. As you know my interests overlap in nature and history.
At the Lyceum, lecture series: Jan. 8 and 9 Migratory Waterfowl
Sat.,Jan 11, 9:30 a.m. Smithville Park - hike and tour Winter Ecology Happy Trails, Rails and Tails! Jo Ann
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Book Review - It's Been a Long, Long Time, Marianne Lods
On one of my many enjoyable trips to Millville, I stopped, with a friend, in Bogart's Book Store and bought a book by a local author. The cover was appealing because it featured old black and white family photographs and I am a great fan of family history.
Today I finished the book and I can tell you I couldn't put the book down once I began to read it. Here is my review:
Just finished this book which I bought at Bogart's Book Store in Millville. The cover caught my eye as I, too, love family history and the images were intriguing. While reading this book, I found myself crying and hoping for the best for these people through all the adversity they had to face. My father served in the navy in WWII and it brought back memories of my parents' lives and memories of that period. I've promised to lend the book to a freind with realtives in the South Jersey area of the poultry farms of the Jewish families who left NYC for better opportunities. What a great story. We rarely hear about the ordinary people in the places where the big events of the War took place. I really wanted to know what happened when the family came to New Jersey!
As it turns out, after doing research, I found out that the author is a director of the administering board of the Glasstown Arts District. Here is information about that -http://www.glasstownartsdistrict.com/index.php
One of the best aspects to this reading adventure is to find out the story behind a family in an area I have explored so often and learned about from other sources. In aprticulary, I have read in Utopia, New Jersey, by Perdita Buchan, about the beginning of the poultry business for Jewish families in South Jersey in the towns such as Norma, Brotmanville, and Alliance. In fact, I attended a fascinating lecture by Ms. Buchan one summer at the Samuel Assiz Museum in a small synagog there.
Happy Trails, Happy Rails, and Happy Tales - Jo Ann
Today I finished the book and I can tell you I couldn't put the book down once I began to read it. Here is my review:
Just finished this book which I bought at Bogart's Book Store in Millville. The cover caught my eye as I, too, love family history and the images were intriguing. While reading this book, I found myself crying and hoping for the best for these people through all the adversity they had to face. My father served in the navy in WWII and it brought back memories of my parents' lives and memories of that period. I've promised to lend the book to a freind with realtives in the South Jersey area of the poultry farms of the Jewish families who left NYC for better opportunities. What a great story. We rarely hear about the ordinary people in the places where the big events of the War took place. I really wanted to know what happened when the family came to New Jersey!
As it turns out, after doing research, I found out that the author is a director of the administering board of the Glasstown Arts District. Here is information about that -http://www.glasstownartsdistrict.com/index.php
One of the best aspects to this reading adventure is to find out the story behind a family in an area I have explored so often and learned about from other sources. In aprticulary, I have read in Utopia, New Jersey, by Perdita Buchan, about the beginning of the poultry business for Jewish families in South Jersey in the towns such as Norma, Brotmanville, and Alliance. In fact, I attended a fascinating lecture by Ms. Buchan one summer at the Samuel Assiz Museum in a small synagog there.
Happy Trails, Happy Rails, and Happy Tales - Jo Ann
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Presentation on the Civilian Conservation Corps in SJ cancelled tonight
As you may remember, I posted some time back that I would be doing a presentation on teh CCC in South Jersey for the Salem County Genealogical Society tonight at Friends' Village in Woodstown. It has been cancelled due to dangerous conditions later in the evening. Although the snow has stopped, forecasters are calling for low temperatures and frozen roads after dark, so President Bonnie Beth Elswell decided to postpone the presentation until February or March.
Be careful, be safe, and if you don't have to travel, stay home and do those Christmas Cards (or put up the train platform)!
Safe Travels - Jo Ann
Be careful, be safe, and if you don't have to travel, stay home and do those Christmas Cards (or put up the train platform)!
Safe Travels - Jo Ann
Albert Horner Phography Exhibit
Albert Horner's photographs of the New Jersey Pinelands are on display right now:
Pinelands Exhibit
Event Dates: 12/1/2013 - 12/31/2013
Reception: 12/7/2013 2PM to 4PM
Location: Burlington County Library
609-267-9660
5 Pioneer Blvd
Westhampton NJ 08060
I am an artist and I worked at the University of the Arts for 22 years. All my life I have visited galleries and viewed painting, ceramic, sculpture and photography exhibits. These photographs by Albert Horner are the most beautiful I have ever seen. If you can possibly get ther to see them, you should. They are large, gorgeous, subtle and profoundly evocative of the soul of the pines.
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Old City Hall, Bordentown, NJ
Sorry for such a delay between postings, so many places to go, so many things to see - especially this time of year with the Historic House Tours and luncheons and dinners for us volunteers.
Today, I was supposed to go to a luncheon at the Gloucester County Historical Society Library, but my car on the fritz and, fortunately, the dinner for volunteers at the James and Ann Whitall House, Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, was postponed, or I would have had to cancel out of that as well.
The list of things I want to mention today are:
The Whitall House Candlelight Tour
Bordentown Model Railroad Show and the Old City Hall Restoration Project
The Burlington County Historians Roundetble at the Lyceum in Mount Holly
The First Snow - Timber Creek Dog Park
On Friday, December 6, I was a docent in the room usually known as Ann's Parlor. Our new director, Jennifer Janovsky has not only opened two upstairs rooms this year, but she has launched a number of interesting new events and themes. This year for the Candlelight tour, our theme was A Soldier's Life
and I was fortunate enough to share the room, not only with Patty Kehler, DAR member and docent, but with a guest, Tracy Fallon, a Re-enactor, not only for the Revolution, but also WWII. He was so knowledgeable and he and Patty offered historical details on the house, the War for Independence, George Washington, and numerous other interesting subjects. The hours flew by.
This must be the year of the model railroad, because displays have been held all over the place. So far I visited the Burlinton City Railroad Days display and the Bordentown exhibition at the Old City Hall, a wonderful building to visit in its own right. There were two floors of wonderful exhibitions of model railroad platforms. One woman model engineer reminded me to mention the John Bull in my blog. I think that platform was hers.
The John Bull was a British-built steam locamotive operated for the first time on September 15, 1831. It became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian operated it in 1981. The John Bull was initially purchased by and operated for the The Camden and Amboy Railroad the first railroad in New Jersey where it was used extensively from 1833 until 1866.
My father, when he was a younger Ironworker, was part of the team that moved a locomotive to its site in the Smithsonian and we often visited it there and he talked about that historic job. I wonder now if it was the John Bull.
Anyhow, there was also a display called "Remembering Seaside" which is noteworthy for its unuusual display of ferris wheel, other rides and sandy platform. Everyone there was friendly, informative and the whole experience was enchanting.
In a side room where sweatshirts, tea shirts and train whistles (I wish I had bought one) were being sold, I met two volunteers in the Restoration Project for the building which is located at 11 Crosswicks Street in Bordentown. How I admire volunteers in the history community. Where would we be without their selfless devotion to rescuing and maintaining our cultural history. The Old City Hall boasts a Seth Thomas clock tower also in need of financial assistance. The clock is neighbor to a bell which has tolled continuously on the hour since the 1880's. There is a marvelous brochure on the Old City Hall available if you visit the model train exhibition, which I heartily recommend that you do!
This entry is long enough, so I'll save the rest for tomorrow!
Happy Trails! Happy Rails! Jo Ann
Today, I was supposed to go to a luncheon at the Gloucester County Historical Society Library, but my car on the fritz and, fortunately, the dinner for volunteers at the James and Ann Whitall House, Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, was postponed, or I would have had to cancel out of that as well.
The list of things I want to mention today are:
The Whitall House Candlelight Tour
Bordentown Model Railroad Show and the Old City Hall Restoration Project
The Burlington County Historians Roundetble at the Lyceum in Mount Holly
The First Snow - Timber Creek Dog Park
On Friday, December 6, I was a docent in the room usually known as Ann's Parlor. Our new director, Jennifer Janovsky has not only opened two upstairs rooms this year, but she has launched a number of interesting new events and themes. This year for the Candlelight tour, our theme was A Soldier's Life
and I was fortunate enough to share the room, not only with Patty Kehler, DAR member and docent, but with a guest, Tracy Fallon, a Re-enactor, not only for the Revolution, but also WWII. He was so knowledgeable and he and Patty offered historical details on the house, the War for Independence, George Washington, and numerous other interesting subjects. The hours flew by.
This must be the year of the model railroad, because displays have been held all over the place. So far I visited the Burlinton City Railroad Days display and the Bordentown exhibition at the Old City Hall, a wonderful building to visit in its own right. There were two floors of wonderful exhibitions of model railroad platforms. One woman model engineer reminded me to mention the John Bull in my blog. I think that platform was hers.
The John Bull was a British-built steam locamotive operated for the first time on September 15, 1831. It became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian operated it in 1981. The John Bull was initially purchased by and operated for the The Camden and Amboy Railroad the first railroad in New Jersey where it was used extensively from 1833 until 1866.
My father, when he was a younger Ironworker, was part of the team that moved a locomotive to its site in the Smithsonian and we often visited it there and he talked about that historic job. I wonder now if it was the John Bull.
Anyhow, there was also a display called "Remembering Seaside" which is noteworthy for its unuusual display of ferris wheel, other rides and sandy platform. Everyone there was friendly, informative and the whole experience was enchanting.
In a side room where sweatshirts, tea shirts and train whistles (I wish I had bought one) were being sold, I met two volunteers in the Restoration Project for the building which is located at 11 Crosswicks Street in Bordentown. How I admire volunteers in the history community. Where would we be without their selfless devotion to rescuing and maintaining our cultural history. The Old City Hall boasts a Seth Thomas clock tower also in need of financial assistance. The clock is neighbor to a bell which has tolled continuously on the hour since the 1880's. There is a marvelous brochure on the Old City Hall available if you visit the model train exhibition, which I heartily recommend that you do!
This entry is long enough, so I'll save the rest for tomorrow!
Happy Trails! Happy Rails! Jo Ann
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Franklin Parker Preserve, Burlington County - Great Hiking!
The Chatsworth Lake entrance to Franklin Parker Preserve is off 532, however I'm attaching the web address of the NJ Conservance so you can get better directions if you don't have a gps in your car or on your phone. As I didn't drive there myself, but was a passenger in my hiking buddy's car, I can't give you directions from my own experience. Here is the web address to find directions
http://www.njconservation.org/franklinparkerpreserve.htm
The hiking that we did, Barb Solem, Barb Spector and I, a couple of days ago, was all along the cranberry bogs and blueberry fields at the Parker Preserve. We started off with lunch at the Tabernacle Inn which I cannot praise highly enough. The food, every time I have been there, has been excellent and the service is warm, friendly and accommodating. Their buternut squash soup is the best I have ever tasted.
Hiking he Prserve is easy, there are flat, well maintained sandy roads bordered by the bogs which I believe are no longer in use and have been allowed to begin their return to their natural state. I understand there are owls to be seen but I didn't see any. This was strictly a dog and buddy hiking expedition, though both of the Barbaras are avid bird watchers and did recently see a Snowy Owl at 50 yards at the Forsythe.
We hiked for a good 2 hours or maybe 6 miles that day and tried two different entrances to the park. We were looking for beaver lodges which we heard from a wildlife photographer friend of Bab Solem's, could be seen there.
There are no end of preserves and aprks in which to hike in South Jersey, another thing I love about whre I live. As always if you want to talk to me via e-mail you can reach me at wrightj45@yahoo.com. Here is a list of other preserves from the web site above: I never knew about them before. Learn something new every single day! (Happy Trails! Jo Ann)
http://www.njconservation.org/franklinparkerpreserve.htm
The hiking that we did, Barb Solem, Barb Spector and I, a couple of days ago, was all along the cranberry bogs and blueberry fields at the Parker Preserve. We started off with lunch at the Tabernacle Inn which I cannot praise highly enough. The food, every time I have been there, has been excellent and the service is warm, friendly and accommodating. Their buternut squash soup is the best I have ever tasted.
Hiking he Prserve is easy, there are flat, well maintained sandy roads bordered by the bogs which I believe are no longer in use and have been allowed to begin their return to their natural state. I understand there are owls to be seen but I didn't see any. This was strictly a dog and buddy hiking expedition, though both of the Barbaras are avid bird watchers and did recently see a Snowy Owl at 50 yards at the Forsythe.
We hiked for a good 2 hours or maybe 6 miles that day and tried two different entrances to the park. We were looking for beaver lodges which we heard from a wildlife photographer friend of Bab Solem's, could be seen there.
There are no end of preserves and aprks in which to hike in South Jersey, another thing I love about whre I live. As always if you want to talk to me via e-mail you can reach me at wrightj45@yahoo.com. Here is a list of other preserves from the web site above: I never knew about them before. Learn something new every single day! (Happy Trails! Jo Ann)
- Apshawa Preserve
- Bear Creek Preserve
- Burden Hill Preserve
- Candace McKee Ashmun Preserve at Forked River Mtn
- Daniels Preserve
- Dorothy Preserve
- Drakestown Preserve
- Evert Trail Preserve
- Franklin Parker Preserve
- Lakes Bay Preserve
- Metedeconk Preserve
- Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
- Skyline Preserve
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