Ten Places You'd Take a Tourist to See Friday Foto Friends

 

My county is Ocean County in New Jersey.
It is located on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is 65 miles from Philadelphia, 78 miles from New York City, 150 miles from Baltimore, Md., and 88 miles to Wilmington Delaware.
We have no large cities, just small towns, beach and countryside.
I live right on the coast just across from the island


Linking up with Debbie for Friday Foto Friends as well.



So,10 places that would be nice to see?

1. Barnegat Lighthouse out at the end of Long Beach Island just across the bay from me.
I can see it actually.
It is 177 feet tall.
It is lovely to see at night all lit up.







2. Island Beach State Park and Long Beach Island...
the state park is pristine seashore.  Many of our beaches are considered the nicest in America.
We have a lot of red fox living there too.

The sand dunes are huge. You can't even see the ocean until you climb to the top!

3. The Pine Barrens   
Millions of acres of pine, cedar, holly trees , lakes and cedar water streams that flow into the ocean.
There are state parks and trails to walk,
There are cranberry bogs and waterlilies galore.
It is nice to take a canoe down the rivers and streams or you can just go swimming.
In summer you can see lightning bugs(fireflies) and hear the peepers by the millions (itty bitty tree frogs)

4. Great Adventure and the Safari Park

Since New Jersey is so small, staying in one county shows you not much.
I would have to take you outside to show you Atlantic City...

5.Atlantic City.. which is in Atlantic County just south of me.

6. Cape May...down in Cape May County. A Victorian seaside town where famous people like Abraham Lincoln spent summer holidays.
Bed and breakfasts are all over and all of them are real Victorian homes decorated in the style.  Holidays are special there. There are many fine restaurants and downtown is walking only.
The town features horse drawn carriages and horse drawn wagons and quaint shops.
 Every single house is a big old Victorian in one style or another.
The place is amazing in any season.  If you celebrate Christmas, Cape May is brilliant during that time of year.

Angel by the Sea B&B

Twin Gables B&B   I stayed here and actually almost bought it back in the 1990s.

Downtown during winter holidays.
No cars!
Band concerts all year long in the Gazebo and lovely little restaurants for tea or a full meal.
 Can you tell I love this town?


7. Washington's Winter Home in Morristown NJ
Just a bit north of me.
Amazing inside. His giant boots and Martha's itty bitty shoes... He was 6'4" she was about 4'10 or so.
The house is as they left it.
New Jersey is filled with historic places from the Revolutionary War. Stories of heroes are all over the place.

8.  You  can see Philadelphia. It isn't that far away at all.
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Franklin Institute, Rocky's staircase!  The homes of all the famous men and women.
You can eat cheese steaks and soft pretzels with mustard or have a 5 star meal in a top ranked restaurant.
 The South 9th Street Italian market is worth a trip to the city all on it's own.
No , it isn't one store...its a entire experience of stores and shops. You can eat yourself into oblivion there!

9. New York City.
     It isnt that far away at all. Driving will take about an hour but the ferry will take us to the Lower East Side in no time. It is an island after all.

There is so much to see and do that it could never be listed in one place.

10.  New Jersey in General.
We are under appreciated!  We are mostly forest and ocean, farms, 2nd largest place for thoroughbred race horse breeding after Kentucky, dairy farms and we are famous for our tomatoes, cranberries, vegetables and flowers.
We are the Garden State for a reason!

Delaware Water Gap between us and Pennsylvania

small town New Jersey.. typical

We are forests and farmland mainly

We have many old Mills

Princeton where I first lived after getting married

Downtown Princeton. 2 of my kids were born here

downtown Red Bank NJ.. lovely small town

My town is a fishing village

In New Jersey we are Irish, Italian, German, Dutch and Swedes... all intermarried too.

We have the inland waterway canals.

Long Beach Island... a barrier island. I live on the bayside across from it.
It is 17 miles long

You can click to enlarge any photo.

Atlantic on the right... bay on the left.

Looking from ocean beach entrance back towards the bay.  A storm is coming!

St. Catherine's in Spring Lake  another of my favorite NJ towns by the shore.

Hope you enjoyed the visit.
Come again soon.