Heading to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention? Here are 10 really, really good reasons to cross the bridge and experience New Jersey:
Our Pizza Can’t Be Beat
Photo courtesy of Pexels.
Pizza! We’ve got the best. Locals love Ralph’s, a no-frills neighborhood spot in Haddon Heights. For a fancier spin, try the wood-fired pies at Treno Pizza Bar in Westmont. An 18-minute train ride on the Lindenwold Hi-Speed Line from Center City Philadelphia deposits you practically at their doorstep.
The Bustling Downtowns
Photo by Frank Veronsky
Speaking of food, don’t miss the exciting dining scenes in downtown Collingswood and Haddonfield. Our top pick: Zeppoli, the genuine Sicilian trattoria in Collingswood – and a fixture on our annual list of Jersey’s top 25 restaurants. (FYI, it’s BYO.)
Visit a Literary Legend
Photo by Rob Yaskovic.
Need a break from insipid political blather? Visit poet Walt Whitman’s home in Camden, as well as his nearby gravesite. Then read a few pages of Walt’s classic Leaves of Grass. It’s very inspirational.
Get Some Fresh Air
Photo by Jauhien Sasnou
Dying to stretch those cramped calves? Nothing is more patriotic (or rejuvenating) than a run across the Ben Franklin Bridge, which spans the Delaware River between Philly and Camden.
Come Sail Away
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: Forsaken Fotos
For more inspiration, march across the river to the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial. America’s most-decorated warship is docked on the river in Camden.
Meet Some (Non-Political) Animals
When you get tired of the zoo at the Wells Fargo Center, check out Adventure Aquarium, also on the waterfront in Camden. No donkeys, no elephants, but plenty of sharks, clownfish and crabs to give delegates a break from the two-legged sharks, clowns and crabs at the convention.
Get Out Your Seat and Stomp Around
Photo by Ron Wyatt
Want to convince the folks back home that dinosaurs are surrounding you at the convention? Head to Kings Court in downtown Haddonfield and snap a selfie with Haddie, a lifelike statue of a Hadrosaurus Foulkii, a duck-billed dinosaur that once roamed the Jersey seashore. The 8-foot-tall statue commemorates the 1858 discovery nearby of the world’s first dinosaur skeleton.
Or Is It Taylor Ham?
Credit: Jeff Stewart Photography
Pork roll! Don’t know what I’m talking about? You’ll have to come to Jersey to find out.
See the Philly Skyline
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: Jordan Staub
Want a great view of the Philly skyline? You can only get that from the Jersey side of the Delaware.
But Beware of Christie
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: DonkeyHotey
And remember, if you don’t visit New Jersey, Chris Christie might get really angry. There’s no telling how that will affect traffic when you try to get back home.