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Show off NJ’s (or your own home state’s) beauty!!


JLMoran

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OK, so @bossdog421’s photos of his neck of NJ, and the reactions it’s gotten, have me wanting to start a thread about how gorgeous NJ really is, even the more suburban parts close to NYC. Here’s a photo I took just a couple days ago from a park not 5 minutes drive from my home in northeastern NJ.

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Yeah, the big radio antenna breaks up the beauty a bit, but we’re far from “the garbage pit of America” or “the armpit of America” that many stereotype us as. We’re “The Garden State”, and while that name may refer mostly to the farmland further south, there’s a lot of natural beauty here.

C’mon NJ peeps, show us the pretty views from your own neck o’ the woods!

And if you’re not from NJ (hey, nobody’s perfect ?), but you’re own state gets bashed as ugly or boring or whatever, put some pics of your own that can show us what we’re missing.

If we can’t appreciate the views from a cruise ship in exotic foreign (or Alaskan) ports, let’s get some appreciation for what’s in our own proverbial and literal back yards.

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Swallow Falls, Muddy Creek Falls (highest waterfall in Maryland), the Lower Falls and Tolliver Falls can all be found in Swallow Falls State Park, located in Garrett County (the furthest county to the west).  These are also about a half hour from my home.  Swallow Falls and the Lower Falls are all part of the Youghigheny River, while Muddy Creek and Tolliver both feed into the Yough. (prounced Yock...rhymes with Lock)

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1 hour ago, JohnK6404 said:

Some pics of the gorge in Watkins Glen State Park in western New York right on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region. A beautiful place to visit, camp, see a NASCAR race, visit wineries, etc.

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... not my pic, but here is the racetrack... Watkins Glen International...

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Love the Finger Lakes Region .... especially the west end of them.  I had many friends go to SUNY-Geneseo so I became relatively familiar with Bath, Hammondsport, and some of the other towns along Keuka Lake --- Letchworth State Park is amazing.

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52 minutes ago, coneyraven said:

Love the Finger Lakes Region .... especially the west end of them.  I had many friends go to SUNY-Geneseo so I became relatively familiar with Bath, Hammondsport, and some of the other towns along Keuka Lake --- Letchworth State Park is amazing.

I hear that Letchworth is amazing! It's on the to do list along with Niagara Falls (can't believe I have not been there yet!). Letchworth is a little west of Watkins Glen and not far from both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Love the Adirondacks too... such a different world when you leave the NY Metro area and head north! When I was younger, my friends and I used to hike into the Adirondacks and do some "real" camping (backpacked into the woods). ?

 

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22 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

@JohnK6404, that park is gorgeous! Are the trails to the gorge and waterfall all paved, or at least easily walked?

Its a nearly 4-hour drive for me to get there, so it’ll have to wait for when I can do a weekend getaway with a stay someplace, but definitely want to check that out!

In all honesty, I don't remember, the last time I was there was 20 years ago (when we all in college) ---- it seems to me, the picnic area is at the base of the falls, so, you can drive there.  The really amazing photo shoot is looking at the falls with the railroad bridge above them.  That's a "one-of-a-kind" right there.

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2 hours ago, JLMoran said:

@JohnK6404, that park is gorgeous! Are the trails to the gorge and waterfall all paved, or at least easily walked?

Its a nearly 4-hour drive for me to get there, so it’ll have to wait for when I can do a weekend getaway with a stay someplace, but definitely want to check that out!

Hey Joe! Yes, all of the pics I took were from paths through the portion of the gorge accessible to the public. From what I remember, there is some decent stone stair/step climbing at points, but it's all safe to walk with railings in the appropriate places. It's definitely worth the visit between the gorge, nice small town, Seneca Lake and the surrounding wineries. 

Some shots of the entrance to the park and other random pics...

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On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 7:18 AM, JohnK6404 said:

Some pics of the gorge in Watkins Glen State Park in western New York right on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region. A beautiful place to visit, camp, see a NASCAR race, visit wineries, etc.

You had me at camping.

You had me at wineries.

You REALLY had me at camping with access to wineries.

Why ruin it with NASCAR?

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On 6/24/2020 at 12:32 PM, JLMoran said:

And now you have sealed the deal. ?

If you like camping... very nice with some really private, peaceful sites... multiple wooded "loops" generally with a large main building in the center with 24/7 bathroom facilities with outlets. The usual mix of sites with or without electric hookup for RV's, etc. We've camped at Watkins Glen State Park about 4 or 5 times, but not within the last 10 years. We need to get back out there!

 

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1 minute ago, JohnK6404 said:

If you like camping...

Ummm, that'd be a "NOPE!" I'm not even a big fan of "glamping"; went to just outside of Wildwood / Cape May last year at a KOA site that had cabin rentals, and still didn't much care for it.

Had my fill of camping after three years of sleepaway summer camp in the Adirondacks. Loved going canoeing or hiking, until it became a multi-day trip with camping involved; schlepping all the stuff, the bugs, the lack of plumbing, the lousy food (although the s'mores were always welcome ?),... Nein, danke!!

Now, gimme a bicycling tour with an AYH at the end of each day, plus a restaurant and Ben & Jerry's in easy walking distance, and I'm all on board!

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9 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Ummm, that'd be a "NOPE!" I'm not even a big fan of "glamping"; went to just outside of Wildwood / Cape May last year at a KOA site that had cabin rentals, and still didn't much care for it.

No room service and a balcony overlooking the ocean... LOL!  ?

As we get older... the tents get larger and the air mattress gets thicker... on to an Aerobed!

 

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