EventsComingUp!

Lots of good things happening down our way this upcoming week.  First of all there is the music festival in Woodstown at the Salem County Fairgrounds June 4, 5 and 6. 

Second, a friend told me there is an event at Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, NJ this Saturday.  I wasn't able ti find it listed in a cursory exploration of web sites but then most web sites seem not to be update.  I couldn't find any information on the lecture series at the Corson Poley Center in Burlington, or the Burlington County Historian's Roundtable either.  After Joe Laufer died, it seems updates stopped on the website.  But if you want to call and see what's going on, here's the contact information:  It is Sunday as I type so I can't do it.

RED BANK BATTLEFIELD
100 HESSIAN AVENUE
NATIONAL PARK, NJ 08063
856-853-5120
http://www.gloucestercountynj.gov/depts/p/parks/parkgolf/redbank/


Third, the largest World War II Re-enactment in the world takes place at Reading, Pa. and if I could go I would, but I don't like to make a drive like that by  myself these days with my eye-sight problems and my old car and none of my friends are WWII followers as I am, so I can't go this year.  I hope you can though!!  Fortunately their link is updated and you can find all you need to know if you want to go: 

http://www.maam.org/wwii/ww2_sched.htm

My "Fan Club" took me to lunch today

How thrilling it is to have people acknowledge your efforts and proclaim their pleasure in your book!  That's what happened today when Wes and Roger took me to lunch at Connie Mac's Irish Pub to talk to me about my book Black Horse White Horse.  For those of you who don't know about it, I wrote that book in 2006.  It is a historical fiction account of two WPA workers, a writer and a photographer, traveling the back roads of South Jersey during the summer of 1937.  The places they visit are real and many of the events they witness did occur, but the characters are entirely made-up.

For a year or so after I independently published the book, I gave presentations on the Civilian Conservation Corps in South Jersey.  The last presentation I gave was a year or so ago at the Genealogical Society of Salem County monthly meeting at Friends Village in Woodstown.  They were a great audience, very interested and with their own memories of the CCC in their area.

Anyhow, Wes enjoyed my book so much he bought several copies and gave them to his friends.  I asked them today what a member of a writing club that I attend asked me yesterday.  "What did they like about it?"  

Both men said one of the things they liked so much about it was that it was a Road Trip,  And since both men are history buffs, too, they liked the hsitory of South Jersey that is contained in the book.  

What a delight it was to meet people who really enjoyed my book and wanted to talk about it.  Thank you Wes!!!  Thank you Roger.  Wes will be giving a talk on the CCC at the Batsto Speaker's Series in August, I think he said it was on the 8th.  I'll be there!.

Magic in Burlington for Memorial Day Weekend!

AS you know I'm always on the lookout for great day trips for you and for me.  Today, I visited one of my favorite spots, Burlington, and I was on the hunt for a new place to eat since the Cafe Galleria closed down.  At the Antique Center in downtown Burlington, the ladies at the counter suggested Curtins Wharf.  I'd passed it before, the marina, and seen the boats, and I thought today was a perfect day to try it out.

First, however, we decided to hunt for treasure, and visit with the past, at the Burlington Antique Center.  We like to pic our favorite objects.  Mine has always been the hand-made canoes hanging on the wall, but today it was a very large train on a shelf.  Gail's was a beautifully painted bureau and vanity set.

The best was yet to come.  At Curtin's there was enough crowd to make it festive but not so much as to make it too busy and the B E S T jazz ensemble imaginable.  It was the Bob Pollitt's Jazz Band and they were wonderful.  (check them out on YouTube - they perform in Collingswood in the Jazz series at the Community Center too)  The music, the sun, the delightful breeze blowing over the mighty but peaceful Delaware River, all blended into perfection.  There were a great number of healthful and vegetarian menu items as well.  I strongly recommend that you visit Curtin's Wharf for a delightful eating and listening experience.  I'll be a regular from now on.  It is one of my new 'favorites.'

On the way home, we drove through all the river towns and I stopped at some of my favorite spots, such as the old marina in Riverton, and Zena's (under new management and new name, but the same home-made pastry and delicious coffee).

What a picture perfect way to spend the delightful holiday Saturday with no highway jam ups or noisy crowded beaches to contend with.  So, if you haven't already made plans, go on over to Burlington and have lunch at Curtin's Wharf and visit the Antique Center and buy someone a nice present.  I'm going back for a black wrought iron plant stand I liked.

Remember someone who served to make sure we all remained free and to help keep the rest of the world free on this Memorial Day.  My father, brother, grandfather and uncles will be in my heart and on my mind and I'll be thinking of them with gratitude for their service in three wars!

Jo Ann
ps.  I almost forgot, the Antique Emporium itself is a favorite building of mine, enormous and spacious and a former automobile establishment of historic interest in and of itself.  Check out the photos to the left as you enter.

Off the Leash Dog Walking and MORE

This time of year, my most frequent hiking buddy, Barb Spector, and I are looking for places to hike that won't put us in danger of Lymes Disease, which she has had, as have so many of my woodland hiking buddies, but I have so far avoided.  Anyhow, the other consideration that I have is places I can walk m dog off the leash.  First of all, she stops a LOT to sniff, and after all, it is her walk, too, so why shouldn't se?  Secondly, when she wantes to go fast, she is too fast for m, so why should I be strangling her and she pulling on the leash, when I can find places to walk her off the leash where (1) there are few other dogs (2) there are few bikes (3) we are not likely to get into trouble with park guards.  Well, a few days ago, our destination for all these considerations was the trail beside the lake at Batsto - perfect in every regard, but not paved and tick free.
Today, we found all of the above at Milville.  There is a wonderful biking hiking trail beside the Maurice branch that flows through Millville.  It is paved, it is scenic, it is not busy and there are lots of places for a dog who likes to cool off by wading in the water to take a short dunk. 

As always when we visit Millville, we have lunch at WILDFLOWERS, which is ALWAYS delicious.  While there, I picked up some brochures and so here are some places to go and things to do in that area:

1.  GlassWeekend 2015 runs from June 12 - 14Glass Arts at Wheaton and Studio events, for more information visit glassweekend.com

2.  I have not yet been to the Levoy Theater but they have a fabulous line-up of shows including RENT, and many wonderful concerts ined up including Suzanne Vega, Leon Russell, and others.  go to www.Levoy.net for more info or call 856-327-6400

Meanwhile, on your visit to Millville be sure to visit the Art Gallery, directly across the street from Wildflowers and look at the stunning paintings of Bobbie Berg. As you know if you've been reading my blog, I am an artist, so I rarely buy other paintings as my walls are full of my onwn, but if I did, I'd buy Bobbie's paintings. 

I missed Mayfest at Smithville, 1 North Ne York Rd, Smithville, Nj today because I was hiking at Millville, but if you made it there, I hope you had a great time.

Happy Trails!  Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
ps.  Family History note:  I've been working on a variety of family history projects and tomorrow, I'll be having lunch with two cousins, one I haven't seen in over 40 years!  They are both Wright cousins.  I'm working on a family history scrapbook at present.