If Saturday is as nice as it's supposed to be, we'd like to spend the day going the hour and a half north and seeing this area -- fall color should be great. I have a map, but what should we stop and see -- short hikes to specific waterfalls? observation points? other things? Any "don't miss" recommendations for a nice place to stop for Saturday lunch?

NeoPatrick, Am also looking for things in this region. We've never been to New Jersey and I've searched Fodors in vain for ANYTHING that discusses the natural beauty, small towns, hiking, etc. that I think is there somewhere! I might start a separate thread...but hope you get some responses. All I seem to get for New Jersey are the typical things like Atlantic City etc that I'm definitely not interested in. Think there is a Skylands region that might be what we're looking for, but nothing comes up in Fodors. This is the first time Fodors has failed us! Leslie

Well, The Gap is for you. The whole northwest corner of New Jersey is gorgeous, the AT passes right through, and you will not be able to imagine anything more different from the NJ you see from the Turnpike.

I discovered it on a field trip for a university geology course, and a relative lived and painted there after graduating from art school in NYC.

Anoter interesting but not conventionally beautiful area is the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey.

Do you know the writer John McPhee? He lives in Princeton and has written extensively of the wild areas in the state, both in the New Yorker and in his collections and books.

Interesting that this thread was brought back up even though it originally didn't get any comments. That weekend in October we did take a drive -- top down, but only slightly cold, and of course I left the heater on!
We followed the Delaware River northward from Lambertville, crossing back and forth between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We only went as far north as Easton. Then we got sidetracked by heading over to the casinos at Bethlehem to meet friends for lunch. Meanwhile we stopped and walked at a number of places along the river. It was all quite beautiful.

Between here and there, just north of Stockton is a beautiful small road that winds along a creek and ends up at New Jersey's only covered bridge. It's especially pretty.

It's really true that those who only know New Jersey from traveling north on the turnpike or from flying into Newark, really don't have a clue how beautiful the rest of the state is.

Patrick, I never caught your original post. If I had, i would have given the area a very high rating.....especially that time of the year. Glad you enjoyed the experience.

Well, come spring, I'll break the convertible out of the garage and make a concentrated effort to really explore.

Patrick, I missed the original post too. We often take the road, 209 I think that goes from I - 84 to I- 80 through a bit or National Park part of the Gap when we are on a road trip south. That part of the route is busy in the very north and south parts but lovely in the middle. There is one commercial waterfall area with an entrance fee, but the park service areas are lovely and there are a couple of beautiful waterfalls. There are nice trails through the woods to get to them and some toilets at the beginning of at least one. There is a VC part way down and if you get their map you can find roads to avoid some of the congestion at the southern end.

Watch out for deer and wild turkeys as they like to use the road too.

I've learned to watch out for deer all the time around here -- they are everywhere, and my partner has hit two of them in the past year! Or rather they hit him! But a shot of Wild Turkey sounds pretty good -- on the rocks, please.

Funny, "there is a VC part way down" caught my eye because US 209 through the Gap used to be known to truck drivers as the Ho Chi Minh trail since it twisted around so much. A different kind of VC!

I used to drive it between Boston and North Carolina because off season it was pretty traffic free except for big trucks avoiding traffic and presumably weigh stations.

Yes, it was the Ho Chi Minh trail, but there aren't through trucks on it now, so it is a pleasant drive through the country along the river.

Hi,

Just came across this thread. On Rt. 80 west, take the last exit in NJ. River Rd/Old Mine Rd. through Worthington State Forest along the Delaware river up to Millbrook Village. A nice drive in a beautiful area. From here either continue on to Flatbrook and then over the Dingman's bridge and back down 209 on the PA side or take Millbrook Rd. back to Blairstown and Rt.80. The area around High Point is also worthwhile. Just over the NJ/NY border, if you go through Port Jervis, take rt. 97 along the Delaware River along the stretch called "Hawks Nest".


www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/drive.htm

http://portjervisny.com/hawks_nest_in_autumn.htm

http://portjervisny.com/fr-pj.pics.hawks.nest.htm

Visit Hunterdon County, NJ. It's beautiful here, especially in the Lambertville, Stockton, Frenchtown, Sergeantsville area. Any road you drive in this area is beautiful. You can rent bicycles in Frenchtown, NJ, and ride along the Delaware River to Stockton to have lunch. There are paths on both the NJ and PA side of the river, and you can walk the paths in Lambertville, Stockton, Frenchtown, Milford or anywhere in between. You can rent tubes in Frenchtown and go tubing down the river. Go down to Lambertville and walk across the bridge over the Delaware river into New Hope and visit the shops and restaurants. There are some wineries on the PA side of the river as well. Beautiful houses to look at in Lambertville. It's a terrific area to visit (and it's even better to live here!).

Hancai, another Lambertville resident? Someone else mentioned living in Lambertville a few weeks ago. I live in ( on) Lambert's Hill myself and agree with everything you say. Maybe we need to do a GTG -- I wonder if there are others, and surely some Buck's County people?

NeoPatrick, I live in Kingwood Township, which lies between Frenchtown and Stockton. I absolutely love the area and feel privileged to live here. I consider it to be one of the most beautiful parts of NJ.

Patrick or Hancai - Is Bowman's Tower in Pennsylvania still standing? I grew up in Hatboro, PA, and as a hippie-chick teenager in the 70's I spent A LOT of time in New Hope and surroundings, including climbing up Bowman's Tower. And walking the bridge into Lambertville, but mostly for beer, which, back then, you could buy at age 18 in NJ. And enjoying the live bands at Jon & Peters. And canoeing on the canals. We had a friend who lived in a cottage along the canal just north of New Hope, and it was a beautiful area back in the 70's. We might have to do a road trip down Route 32 to see how the area has changed (or is still the same).

Patrick - I hope this fall you try again to do the Lambertville to Delaware Water Gap run, and don't get distracted by the casinos. Autumn time in the mountains can't be beat.

Robyn

Yes Bowman's tower is still there. I've only been there once and can't remember if I climbed it but you can still see it from the NJ side on 29.

Funny I missed this post as my Grandparents lived in Kingwood for many, many years. They just passed away so I haven't been that what way in months.

Thanks for the info, sassy. I'm glad to hear the tower is still standing. I wonder if you can still visit and climb it. It was nice reminiscing an almost forgotten childhood memory.
Robyn

Hey. Did you all see Lambertville just made the Forbes list of the 15 "Prettiest towns in America"?