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THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

⤓ Issue #5:
I visited the sights to see in New Jersey's northern-most county: Sussex County.

1.   HIGH POINT STATE PARK
2.   FRANKLIN MINERAL MUSEUM
3.   WILD WEST CITY
4.   SCRANBERRY COOP ANTIQUE CENTER
5.   STERLING HILL MINE MUSEUM
6.   TOMAHAWK LAKE
7.   PETERS VALLEY CRAFT CENTER
8.   NJ STATE FAIR
9.   OLDE LAFAYETTE VILLAGE
10. SUSSEX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM
11. STOKES STATE FOREST
12. LAFAYETTE MILL ANTIQUE CENTER

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THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

⤓ Issue #3:
1. ATLANTIC CITY-This seaside-resort city is the first place most people think of when they hear about New Jersey. I, a non-gambler, had as much fun (maybe more so) than most people who came to gamble.
2. BRANCH BROOK PARK, Newark-This was a day of surprises for me as I walked through a park that looked like an enchanted land during cherry blossom time.
3. DEY MANSION, Wayne-George Washington slept here in 1780. Here, he used this solidly built, Georgian house as his headquarters.
4. OCEAN CITY-This family oriented, shore-resort town offered a more relaxing atmosphere along its boardwalk compared to Atlantic City.
5. KEYPORT-Located along New Jersey’s third coast, the Raritan Bay, Keyport included a downtown with retail stores and restaurants in different price ranges—not just upscale.
6. MOUNTAIN CREEK WATER PARK, Vernon-Between the water slides and tube rides as well as the wave pool and other water amusements, there is something for almost everybody to feel refreshed about here.
7. SPACE FARMS ZOO & MUSEUM, Beemerville-Although the combination of a zoo and museum of old-time Americana sounds unorthodox, it does work to entertain and enlighten visitors of several ages from toddler to elderly.
8. BATSTO-Because of its somewhat isolated location in a wooded area, this former iron- and glass-making town made me feel like I traveled past a few centuries.
9. EDISON NATIONAL HISTORIC SIGHT, West Orange-Despite the park officials closing the labs and the Black Maria replica for restoration, I could still tour the 19th-century mansion of Thomas Edison and get a look at how he lived.
10.JANE VOORHEES ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM, New Brunswick-Here, located on the campus of Rutgers University, this mid-sized museum included art from around the world from ancient times through the 21st century. It is most famous for displaying non-conformist art from the former Soviet Union.
11. JERSEY GARDENS OUTLET MALL, Elizabeth-The state’s largest outlet mall, located off Exit 13A of the NJ Turnpike, included stores that offered discounts of around 20 to 50% off the ticketed prices.
12. NEW JERSEY NAVAL MUSEUM, Hackensack-Once you tour the main feature of this museum, the submarine USS Ling, you will wonder how the naval personnel served in such a claustrophobic area. Then, you can look at the exhibits both outside on the museum grounds and inside the main building.

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THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

 ⤓ Issue #2:
1. GOLDEN NUGGET ANTIQUE MARKET-around 60 indoor dealers and nearly 200 outdoor dealers sell their merchandise of antiques, collectables, and other items just south of Lambertville.
2. FORD MANSION-learn more about how the Ford family, George and Martha Washington, and Washington’s officers endured one of the worst winters during the American Revolution in Morristown.
3. WALT WHITMAN HOUSE-how the author of Leaves of Grass spent his final days in Camden.
4. RED MILL MUSEUM VILLAGE-find out how this mill operated from 1810 to 1928, and learn about the lives of the people who lived in the adjoining village in Clinton during that time.
5. MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM-view Native-American art and American art from the 18th century to the present in this mid-sized museum.
6. HURRICANE HARBOR-this water park is the third park to open in this theme-park complex in Jackson.
7. BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE STATE PARK-observe the views from the top of the lighthouse, fish nearby, or just enjoy the local flora and fauna on this northern tip of Long Beach Island.
8. LEAMING’S RUN GARDENS-walk through colorful gardens and woodland trails, and see an early 18th-century farm in Cape May County.
9. CAPE MAY COUNTY ZOO-along winding woodland trails, meet the other creatures who share this planet with us.
10. APPALACHIAN HOTEL-whether you want a quiet weekend in the mountains, or take part in winter sports, this hotel in Mountain Creek will cater to both kinds of persons.
11. HARMON COVE OUTLET CENTER-you can save from 10% to over 60% in merchandise at this largest enclosed-outlet mall in Secaucus.
12. BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY-learn about life onboard this ship, now docked in Camden, which saw action in World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, and the Persian Gulf.

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THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

⤓ Issue #1:
1. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY-take a tour of this lovely campus and feel like an ivy-league student for a day--regardless of your SAT scores.
2. JOCKEY HOLLOW-learn about how an 18th-century farm family and George Washington’s troops coped with the winter of 1779-80.
3. LAMBERT CASTLE-Once upon a time, a boy came to America to seek his fortune; in the 1890s, he became rich enough to build a castle.
4. WATERLOO VILLAGE-Step back in time and learn about life in the 18th and 19th centuries in this village, as well as what life was like for the local Native Americans.
5. NEWARK MUSEUM-NJ’s largest museum, located in NJ’s largest city, is a first-class museum for the arts, both fine and decorative, and natural science.
6. GREAT ADVENTURE-If you like thrill rides, fun entertainment, or just walking around the 11 theme areas of the park, this place is worth a special day trip.
7. SANDY HOOK-NJ’s northernmost beach area offers lessons in history and nature, or you could just have a relaxing time in this non-commercial beach peninsula.
8. SIX FLAGS SAFARI-Drive your own hardtop car or ride the tour bus through the largest safari outside of Africa; unlike Africa, this safari included animals from six continents.
9. MOUNTAIN CREEK-NJ’s largest ski resort also offers quiet autumn getaways for those of us who want to admire the lovely fall foliage.
10. DUKE GARDENS-Tour through 11 theme gardens at the estate of the late Doris Duke and feel like you took a trip around the world’s gardens--without the jet lag.
11. LIBERTY VILLAGE OUTLETS-Even if you don’t buy much in these 60 outlet stores offering merchandise at 25% to 65% off, just walking around and browsing at this re-created colonial village is worth the trip.
12. NJ STATE HOUSE-No matter how well or badly you think the lawmakers are running NJ, once you see NJ’s capitol building, you will be impressed from its gold-exterior dome to the floors inside.