American History Museum of Deptford

      Friday, June 25, 2021: In a large white former farmhouse, I entered a museum that claimed, “Our museum is not a building filled with artifacts: It is a building filled with history…told with artifacts.” The Museum of American History at Deptford, New Jersey, 138 Andaloro Way, Deptford, NJ (in Gloucester County) (856-812-1121) contained six rooms of exhibit items, texts, and pictures on two floors. Each room covered a different theme: Local Deptford History, Pre-Columbian History, and a room with antique tools & equipment, as well as fossils, farm equipment, and glass & ceramics. Overall, I experienced an interesting and educational hour here!     

Merrill Park

    Friday, June 18, 2021: I went a bit farther on this date: Merrill Park, Fairview Avenue, Colonia (near Woodbridge in Middlesex County), New Jersey (732-381-3555). Here on 182 acres, this park contained fields and courts to take part in different sports, along with playgrounds, picnic groves, and a small animal haven. When I was there, I ate my picnic lunch, and afterward, I saw and took pictures of the animal haven. The animals I noticed were plenty of chickens, some ducks, and a few geese, as well as a vulture, a peacock, goats, and a cow. Finally, we drove through this park and glanced at the different facilities before heading home. Therefore, if you are in that part of Middlesex County, it would be worthwhile to check out this park--and be as active or relaxing as you wish!   

Woodbury

 

     Thursday, June 17, 2021: On this day I took a quick trip to the county seat of Gloucester County, New Jersey: Woodbury. My first stop was the headquarters of the Gloucester County Historical Society or the Hunter-Lawrence-Jessup House, 58 North Broad Street (856-848-8531). Although the first owner built the house in 1765, through the years, different owners altered it, and it looked like a Victorian Gothic house. When I was there, the museum was closed due to covid-19, but I did notice a nearby historical plaque which read that this was the site where British General Cornwallis had his headquarters on November 12-24, 1777. Later, I went to South Broad Street to browse at the businesses in Woodbury’s downtown. The styles of the buildings ranged from the 19th century to into the 20th century. My favorite shops were Woodbury Antiques and the Nerd Mall. This last place sold comic books, action figures, games, and so forth. If nothing else, I spent an interesting few hours browsing!     

Whitall House

      Saturday, June 12, 2021: This has been a place my parents used to take me to on a daytrip during my childhood in the 1960s. Back then, there was the “old house” on the property, a few monuments, and some cannons. We mainly enjoyed the parkland for a picnic and later did some beach combing along the Delaware River. Years later, the Ann Whitall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution restored the “old House.” Nowadays, it has been known as the Whitall House at Red Bank Battlefield Park, 100 Hessian Ave., National Park, NJ (Gloucester County) (856-853-5120) and had been opened for tours. I toured it in the early 2000s and on the date above. (I have a more detailed account about this house in Volume 1, Issue 3, of Dotty’s Dimensions.) Inside, this house has been restored to the way it looked on October 22, 1777 when the Battle of Red Bank took place. Outside, I saw an 18th-century styled garden containing plants that a family from the 1770s would grow for many purposes: medicine, to make dyes, flavoring food, and so forth. In addition, I also noticed some of the monuments, cannons, parkland, and beachfront that I remembered from the 1960s!   

Amish Farmers Market

      Saturday, June 5, 2021: I’ve been to Amish markets in Pennsylvania, but this is the first time I have been to one in New Jersey. The Amish Farmers Market, 108 Swedesboro Road, Mullica Hill, NJ (Gloucester County) (856-478-4300) included about 16 vendors selling the following merchandise: wine, baked goods, and a coffee shop, as well as gifts, candy (sweets), and seafood. Other vendors sold salads, cheeses, and deli meats, as well as fresh meats, pretzels, herbs, produce, soups, cooked chicken, and this place included an Amish-styled restaurant. Whew! From the outside, it looked like a strip mall, but inside, it was quite different from most grocery stores. After buying a few items here, we later drove down Main Street in Mullica Hill its colorful downtown of many Victorian buildings containing antique shops, restaurants, and other businesses.  

Sea Girt Lighthouse

      Thursday, May 13, 2021: For the first time in years, I saw the ocean at the New Jersey Shore: Sea Girt to be exact. Upon arriving, I saw the outside of the Sea Girt Lighthouse, 9 Ocean Avenue, Sea Girt (732-974-0514). Since 1896, this lighthouse had been a beacon for ships off the NJ Coast between Sandy Hook and Barnegat. Although the interior wasn’t open, I did see it online through videos and pictures. One of the rooms looked like a circa 1890s living room, and other rooms displayed items, pictures, and texts dealing with local history, in addition to a Fresnel lens that the lighthouse keeper had to light with kerosene. Anyway, after taking pictures of this lighthouse and other close by sights: the Pavilion, the ocean and beach, the non-commercial boardwalk, and some grand-looking Victorian houses along Ocean Avenue, I ate a picnic lunch and called it a relaxing day. A short drive to the nearby town of Manasquan with over 40 businesses in the downtown, that someone described as a “Normal Rockwell painting,” could make for a full day!   

Thompson Park

      Thursday, May 6, 2021: Middlesex County’s largest park (675 acres), Thompson Park, Thompson Drive and Lakeview Avenue, Monroe Township (732-745-3900) included plenty of activities in practicing different sports, a few playgrounds, and trails for hiking. In addition, there was a lake for fishing, picnic areas, and an animal haven/zoo. When I was there, I ate my lunch near the lake, and later, I saw the animals: several white-tailed deer, goats, and hogs, as well as chickens, ducks, and geese. Other birds included ring necked pheasants, an emu, and peacocks, including a white peacock. Speaking of animals, another area of this park offered a dog park in two sections for large and small dogs where the public could let their four-footed friends run freely. Overall, you could visit here and be as active or relaxing as you want—and the same goes for your dog!