Visiting in NJ

[william3045]

...Actually I am here on business for 2 weeks. But...I will have next weekend, (19 and 20th) free and would like to go to the coast and do a little sightseeing. Any recommendations on some historic, scenic, marina, seaport type towns/places just to go look at boats and daydream? I'm in Mount Arlington NJ, about 40 Mi inland fron Newark. Mystic Seaport was a thought but thats about 175 Mi from me. Being from Colorado this is a treat for me ...(except for the work part).

 

[Jim]

A Sailing Road trip! NJ

William, if you have a rented motor car, you can travel south on the Parkway from Arlington and tour many historic boatyards along the way. I'd begin @ Exit 98, stop by Manasquan Inlet for breakfast and watch the fishing boats go out to sea. Then stop by Beaton's and Trader's Cove in Mantoloking, the yards are rich with old and new boats. Travel a bit south to Forked River Marinas, and then on to Barnegat, Mariners Marina. By the time you get to Mariners, you will have seen a thousand boats (most on the hard now), production, racing and historic. The Barnegat Bay is steeped in historic sailing history, it will be evident at every stop. I suspect there are many of us who would meet you along the way and add to the local color and interest. Too bad it's not a few weeks from now, most of us will be sailing by then...you could have a sail! I'd be happy to meet you in Mantoloking. Enjoy! Jim

 

[Scott]

Sandy Hook is pretty close

Exit the Parkway Southbound at Exit 117 and follow the signs on Route 36 to Sandy Hook National Seashore. This is about 90 minutes from Mt. Arlington. You can get a great view from the high point in Atlantic Highlands. It's the highest point (it's only about 290' high I think - a guy from Colorado isn't going to be short of breath way up there) on the Atlantic Coast from southern Maine all the way down to Mexico in the Yucatan (believe it or not!). It's on the bay side of Route 36 just before you get to Sandy Hook and there is a park with a lookout. Great view of Atlantic Ocean, Sandy Hook and NYC (on a clear day). Then you can travel up along Sea Bright and go in to Red Bank along the Navesink if you want. It's easy to get back on the Parkway from Redbank if you are going further south.If you go up to my sailing grounds - my boat is stored in Mt. Arlington (covered in snow!) - the ice fishing and snowmobiling is still going strong.Send me an email at s.wilton@att.net if you want. I'll bet you didn't bring your skis to visit Mtn. Creek! We were in Steamboat Springs not too long ago - and the trip went way too fast!

 

[william3045]

so many places and so little time!

i'm working the software hard plotting the southern trip. looks like a pretty solid 3-4 hrs down to mantoloking via the scenic rt. (including Sandy Hook). doesn't give much time to stop and smell the roses...errrrr..salt! i might head down that way. Barnagat Bay was one i had foregotten about. don't think i could do the trip justice in a day unless i wanted to overnight there. (a possibility). Jim, could you be more specific about a rt/hwys/towns? i find driving here somewhat different, to put it VERY mildly than the "point it that direction" method that i'm used to *pop. Thank God i have my notebook, 2 batteries, and some serious mapping software with me that interfaces w/ my trusty garmin 72. and btw, if you're truly free i might buy you lunch at mantoloking if i do make it down that way. my e mail is wrd@attglobal.net if you per chance wanted to send a map.william

 

[Scott]

Thanks for bringing the sunshine with you!

We need some Colorado sunshine if we are ever going to warm up around here. It looks like it is here for a while! It takes a long time to get used to the roads around here, I feel your pain!If you are staying in Mt. Arlington you might like to have dinner at the Windlass. They have pretty good Italian cuisine and nice atmosphere right on the lake. It's 10 minutes from Route 80, head up Howard Blvd through Mt. Arlington, into Jefferson Twp (Lake Hopatcong). Just up the hill past Sunset Sails and Jefferson Lumber, turn left on Nolans Point Road, go to the end and turn right to the Windlass. The Jefferson House is a good spot, too (right nearby) except they are closed at this time of year.Too bad you are not here during the summer, it's not a bad place to visit. In March, I think I'd rather be in Colorado!!

 

[william3045]

Sounds like a good place to go

Thanks Scott. I'm actually staying in Rockaway at the Hilton Gardens off Mount Hope Ave but drive up to the Howard exit each day. I've been kinda taking pot luck as to eateries so i may do that tomorrow night. I don't find Nolans Pt Rd either on mapquest or my Delorme software but I'm a pretty fair navigator and your instructions seem clear enough. Yeah, the weather here is a bit different. I'm cold! when I left CO it was in the solid 60's but I hear it has snowed since. (figures since i had just uncovered my boat) Ahhh, springtime in the rockies....thats just when you can get sunshine in the morning and 24" of snow by evening!

 

[Rick Webb]

Hey, I know Right Where You Are

I go to Picatinney Arsenal every once in a while. The trip I always wanted to make was a cruise up the Hudson to West Point, not sure if anyone offers one. West Point is a wonderful day trip though it is not on the coast. Ellis Island was one of my favorite trips and really close. Cape May is also a nice place to visit but is a bit of a trek.

 

[Scott]

We'll look out for you

We live in the neighborhood so my wife and I will go over at about 7:30. If you see an older balding guy with a good looking young chick (my wife), that's us!When you go up Howard and get to the State Police Hdqt on Great Cove, this is a 3-way intersection, so you bear left following the lake (the road is then named Espanong Road) for just a short distance going up the hill. Nolans Point Road is a very hard left with signs pointing the way to Windlass and Jefferson House. You'll go up the hill before going back down towards the lake. If you miss NPR, the next road in is Homestead. You can follow that to the end, left on Castle Rock, go the end and right on Nolans Point. Pretty simple to find.We haven't been there since last summer, so we're looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!

 

[william3045]

Scott, I think you underrated the Windless

Sorry to have missed you last night. I got in late and saw your post probably about the time you were having dessert. I and a coworker however unthinkingly walked into the St Patric's Day celebration at the Windless tonight at about 6:30! Wonderful atmosphere! Had an irish trio singing and even a gentleman who played the "pipes". Place was packed, crowd was lively, service was great as was my linguini w/ white wine clam sauce. After all that I got to wondering if you under-stated the "good looking young chick" too. Thanks for the recomendation and directions. There's a chance I may be coming back up here 3rd quarter this year. I can guarantee the Windless will be on my list of places to visit. (For that matter I still have another week here....hmmmmm).william

 

[william3045]

Jim, please e mail me again

i went to my mail to e mail you back about meeting you sunday at Mantoloking but the e mail you sent had disappeared! (Thats not the first time thats happened to my mail on these hotel lan connections.) it sounds like a nice trip and i'd look forward to it. hope we can get together. you could call me at the hilton garden inn in rockaway if you want. 973-328-0600 room 210. you may have to leave a message as i am not here much but i will get back to you. (i'll refrain from posting my mobil # but would certainly give it to you e mail). hope i hear from you again i time to arrange the trip.william droll

 

[Scott]

Try the Thirsty Moose sometime, too!

You picked the better night for the Windlass, they were closed on Wednesday night! Sue and I ended up at New Orleans Steakhouse instead. I'm glad you stumbled in on the right night.Thirsty Moose has a bar and tavern style dining on the main level. Restaraunt style on the second floor, and if they opened it yet, more tavern area in the basement where they used to have music (and may be doing it again). Anyway the setting is rustic with a giant moose head on the wall as you can imagine. The food can be very good, and they serve buffalo and other game if you want. Every Friday or Saturday night that Sue and I are in there, they have a guy strumming on guitar starting around 8:00 and it's always fun to be there. It's a friendly, laid back atmosphere.You have to go north on Route 15 (towards Jefferson) past Berkshire Valley Road (Shell station and New Orleans Steakhouse in the divider), go up the mountain, make a U-turn and go back all the way to the bottom again and look for it on the right hand side. It's just a little uphill from the Exxon station that is in the divider so you can't cross there, but it gives you an idea where it is at (if you're heading downhill at 70 mph it's easy to miss the place). I won't steer you wrong! We may go there on Saturday night, my daughter is home from spring break and is going back to school on Sunday. 3rd Quarter, we'll be sailing!