New Jersey has some very unique and distinctive characteristics, as compared with other states I have visited. In the short two weeks that we spent there, I noticed some things that make you go hmmmm (as the song says), and others that make you go ahhhhhh! I’ll do my best to explain.

There is a line in Hamilton (the Broadway musical) that says, “…everything is legal in New Jersey.” I have seen Hamilton several times, and wondered what that line meant. (Imagine one of those scenarios where everyone around you is laughing at a joke that you just don’t get, but you laugh anyway).

I just sort of contextualized that it meant that New Jersey is more liberal and has an “anything goes” kind of vibe. Well, perhaps that was true in the late 1700s, when people were dueling to the death in the streets there, but not today for sure! After spending a couple of weeks in NJ, it is abundantly clear to me that they have rules, policies, and laws there–and some are pretty unique.

Everything is not legal in New Jersey

It’s illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. It is the only state in America where this is the case. And, there are signs at the pumps that threaten a $500 fine if you try. Evidently, there was a law passed back in 1949 that never changed. Take note if you plan to fill up in New Jersey, folks!

And while on the subject of strange rules, I stayed at a hotel in New Jersey for a couple days while Dan took a work trip to Arizona. (I wanted to take the opportunity while he was gone to dye my hair and do my nails and all that stuff that Dan thinks smells bad.) Anyway, I can’t believe how many times I was told about their “policies” in three days.

• “We don’t have public restrooms–its against our policy.” (Said to me by the front desk clerk when I asked to use the bathroom at check-in.)
• “You can’t take food out of the breakfast area–it’s against our policy.” (Yelled to me across the room by the breakfast attendant while I was wrapping a muffin in a napkin.)
• “We do not allow late check-outs–it’s against our policy.” (Said to me by the front desk when I called to beg for an extra hour because I hadn’t slept the night before because I don’t know there must have been a dozen wild monkeys having a party in the room next door until like 3 in the morning.) But, they don’t tell people to be quiet during sleeping hours–it’s against their policy. Oh but also, they’ll amend their policy for $20 cash.

Sorry, I just felt the need to rant for a minute. That was probably just one bad hotel experience, and likely does not represent all of New Jersey. And, I was probably just cranky cuz I was missing Dan. But, let’s move on to some of the things that made me say ahhhhhh–because New Jersey is truly pretty ahhhh-some!

I personally think the #1 BEST thing about New Jersey is that Dan was born there! And it is where he spent the majority of his childhood years. Of course, we drove through his hometown of Stratford, and waved at his old house. It is fun to see the nostalgia in his eyes when he shows me around his old stomping grounds and tells me stories about growing up.

Friendly’s

One of Dan’s favorite restaurants as a child was Friendly’s. It was the place where he could pick a big ice cream sundae as a reward for earning straight A’s on his report card. It’s not just a NJ thing, but it’s a thing Dan loved in NJ.

Wawa

It’s also an east coast thing, but they’re everywhere in New Jersey! I absolutely love Wawa—I’m such a big fan! It’s a convenience store/gas station, but they have everything there–you name it! Delicious fresh food and drinks made to order! I love their hoagies and breakfast sandwiches, and they have a peppermint cookies and cream smoothie that is to die for! And, their prices are very fair–a smoothie is around $5. Every time we went in a Wawa, Dan sang this commercial jingle from when he was a kid, Come to Wawa when it’s hot hot hot!

Philly Pretzel Factory

These are the best soft pretzels in the country, I’m convinced. I was never a big pretzel fan UNTIL I went to Germany and tasted pretzels the way God intended them to be. And then I came back to the USA and realized it was just a Germany thing. UNTIL I had a Philly Pretzel Factory pretzel. And, I am going to make a declaration here, they are basically the same thing! I don’t know how they do it, but they do it right! Bravo, Philly Pretzel makers! And, funny story, we went to the mall and they were selling big soft pretzels at one of the restaurants and Dan said to me, “Why would anyone eat those when you could have a Philly pretzel,” to which the employee (who overheard our conversation) chimed in, “They woudn’t…so we ordered these from our local guy……at Philly’s….wink wink.”

The Phillies

And speaking of “Philly,” Let’s talk about baseball, which happens to be a very big deal in New Jersey. One of the first things I noticed was so many people everywhere you look in Phillies hats! I’m used to Dan sporting his Phillies gear all the time, but it was fun to visit a place where he blends right in! Case in point, one day I noticed he was wearing his Maine flag hat, and I asked why, and he said that if he wore his red Phillies hat and we got separated, I’d never find him!

In case you’re wondering why people in New Jersey like the Philadelphia Phillies, I’ll try to take a crack at answering that. There is no MLB team in NJ. So, New Jerseyans either root for a New York team (Yankees or Mets) or Philadelphia, depending on proximity to stadiums. Dan is from South Jersey, which is a very quick 20 minutes from Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. So, he’s a South Jersey boy and a major Phillies fan. He has been to “The Bank” many times, and to Veteran’s Stadium (The Vet) before that.

Fun fact: The first organized baseball game EVER was played (documented, anyway) in Hoboken New Jersey (1846). So, New Jersey has been big into baseball for a LONG time!

Chickie and Pete’s

If you go see a Phillies game at The Bank, you’re going to want to get yourself some famous crab fries at Chickie and Pete’s. Scrum-yumptious, as Dan likes to say! You will lick your fingers–and maybe the empty box! Their Old Bay Seasoning is irreplicable!

Rita’s Italian Ice

The last food place I’m going to mention that is a “must do” in New Jersey (you can find them other places as well, now) is try some “water-ice” as they call it (it’s pronounced “wooder”). Dan likes the fruity flavors, and I always go for the cookies-n-cream. And no custard for me, just Italian ice. Happiness, indeed!

The Local Vibe

You are probably thinking that all we do is eat, eat, eat when we travel, but that is soooo not true. (Although, sometimes it seems like it.) We love to get a feel for each location, which to us means tasting the food, shopping in the local shops, walking around the neighborhoods, and getting out in nature. And, we love finding great public parks. And, we feel like we hit the jackpot on this next one!

Laurel Acres Park, Mt. Laurel Township, New Jersey

We found this beautiful park near where we were staying in New Jersey. (You guessed it, it was near Cracker Barrel. haha) It was the perfect place to walk, run, leaf-peep, and see some urban wildlife.

And, the first attractive creature I met was this guy. I used Google Lens to try to help identify him, and I think he is a Great Blue Heron. He posed quite handsomely for me, and I had a wonderful time photographing him!

Some of his key identifiers are his blue/grey color, yellow eyes, grey crown, long legs and neck, and very wide wing span.

And, I spy with my little eye, a very cute guy running in the background below. Do you see him? Go, Dan, go!

I captured this next shot of him in flight, and I’m pretty proud of it! Look at the clarity in that eyeball! It looks like he is frozen in mid-air! I think my old photo boss would have high-fived me for that! (Hey Robert, if you’re out there and happen to be reading my blog, check this out! And, sorry we haven’t spoken since 1995….)

Since Dan was running for what seemed like hours (he is training for a marathon, and he runs a lot!) I decided to sit on the ground and watch the GBH. He looked like he was about to do something cool, and I was positioned to capture it. The white background you see is the water fountain feature behind him–and I was zoomed in very closely on his eye from like 25 feet away. He was still in this pose for what seemed like 5 straight minutes. I didn’t want to lose my focal point, so I was barely breathing.

And, then it happened. In less than a second he went from where he was perched on the rail to the surface of the water 10 feet below.

I kept shooting, and, WOW–I saw him catch a fish in his beak! WOW!!!

I held perfectly still and was able to maintain my focus on his eyeball, and with a very fast shutter speed, I was able to stop motion and also capture a very clear shot of the fish!

And, in no time, he was airborne again–fish securely in his mouth.

I was totally blown away–thinking about how amazing this bird is–to be so perfectly still and patient for so long, and then seize the moment and capture exactly what you want. Kind of like I just did with my camera! I felt amazing, too!

And would you take a look at that wing-span?! WOW!

As I was walking away, so excited about the cool shots I just got, I saw this little cutie in a nearby tree, and decided to give her a little attention, too. She sat really still for me for about 1.5 seconds–which is why I only got one photo. I’m really loving my new telephoto lens! And I think I’m falling in love with wildlife-photography!

I found a little nature trail beside the main park, and I wandered in for a walk. I heard rustling in the trees, and I spotted this big guy–do you see him all camouflaged in the trees? My awe was quickly replaced by my anxiety, though, as I started to wonder if I was safe–not knowing if deer eat people. (Do you know?) So, I started to back up slowly.

And just then, he turned and stared me down. I started to panic and pray in my head (This is something I do by default sometimes– a product of my religious upbringing, I guess) and I backed my way right out of the woods!

I laughed at myself a little, though, because I saw Dan run by when I got back to the main park area and I yelled, “Hey! You should run in the woods, there’s a big huge deer!” And, of course, he did. Heck, I’m not worried about him, he’s a big strong man. And, he’s a fast runner. Haha. And, just in case you’re wondering, he lived. And, he didn’t even see the deer.

But, I made a note to research and learn more about wild animal interactions! And, in my research, I learned that I did the right thing. When you see a deer in the woods, you should keep a safe distance, and walk away slowly. You don’t know if it is protecting its family, and might become aggressive. Most of the time, deer are gentle, calm creatures, but, like any wild animal, you never know. Here is an informative article I found from REI about wildlife safety.

Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned for the next one!

XOXO,

Joanna