Saturday, November 7, 2009
Have you ever been somewhere that you know historically has so much richness that you wish you could have been around and the time to see it? I feel that way when I walk on the Brooklyn Bridge or “New Amsterdam” in Manhattan. For this edition of “A Tale of New Cities,” I joined up with the (Rutgers) University Outing Club to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in Griggstown. (You can find them online at
http://universityoutingclub.org/.)
As one of the members said, “It’s a great reason to go outside.” With a handful of outings still ahead of them for this season, the outing club sets up a season of outdoor activities that you can check out online. “It used to be a club exclusively for Rutgers, but as the years have gone by, it has turned into a club for anyone that loves the outdoor experience,” says the club's Ed McSherry.
Get to the D&R and park your car near the old railroad crossing sign. Stop into the bridgetender house for some information on the park and to read an authentic journal entry from someone who used to oversee the canal. This begins your journey back in time to 1830s New Jersey.
You could almost imagine the migrant and Irish immigrants digging, mostly by hand, the 44 miles, 75 feet wide, and 7 foot deep canal to supply a means of transportation between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Hard to believe that over a century and a half later, 36 miles of this canal still remains intact and reminds us of a time when mass transit was fueled by mules or steam.
Besides the obvious historical tone of the outing, it was simply a beautiful day trip. The Outing Club was a great crew with welcoming us - and our dog, Jersey, who was an even bigger hit. Although it was apparent that they were all familiar with each other, they never made us feel like outsiders. The path was an autumn wonderland, a sight for foliage lovers. Bright colored trees draped over the path providing a seasonal rainbow. The shade was perfect for joggers and bikers alike.
Perhaps one of the most unexpected delights of the day was the rowing races we encountered. Known as a practicing spot for Princeton’s crew team, this particular Saturday showed off some of our nation’s finest crew teams in a race: Harvard was present as well as Yale, Brown, Columbia, and NJ’s own Princeton University. Even if you are not there for a crew race, on a regular day you could enjoy boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, and picknicking at some access points.
The same feeder canal follows the Delaware through many historic towns such as Lambertville/New Hope, visited in The Mirror last spring. Connecting both canals visually on map and in person will be a great experience for kids of any age. Although winter's approaching, it’s not too late to spend time outdoors with our New Jersey history, in our New Amsterdam.
The University Outing Club “welcomes anyone who enjoys the out-of-doors.” For more information contact Ed McSherry at
edmcsherry007@hotmail.com or 732-245-9438.
- Jen Legra
