When you think of New Jersey, I’d bet that you don’t think of horse farms. The one in the painting above is in Andover New Jersey. Until recently, when I thought of New Jersey, it was the urban centers across the Hudson River from Manhattan that came to mind. For others, it’s the Jersey Shore. My images of New Jersey have changed though as I now have family living in Sussex County (New Jersey’s lake district).
Our September visit this year found us enjoying apple picking at a charming commercial orchard in Randolf NJ. It was the first day of the picking season and absolutely delightful.
I love eating outside on a nice day so the wharf side restaurants on Lake Hopatcong were right up my alley. The view from Alice’s was great and The Windlass Restaurant is on a wharf which brings up images of summers on a boat.
We used our stay at a hotel in the area as an opportunity for exploration. Sussex County New Jersey is just an hour away from the Poconos in Pennsylvania and we enjoyed hiking at Skytop.
Of the local hikes in Sussex county we really enjoyed trails in the Allamuchy Mountain State Park. This watercolor was painted near Lake Jefferson along the Musconetcong River near a small waterfall.
Another hike in the area that was was great was in the Andover in the same area as the horse farm at the opening of this post. There, the trail in Kittinny Valley State Park follows the shore of Lake Aeroflex which has a tiny airstrip at the end.
Family ties will certainly take us back to New Jersey many times and that’s a good thing.