October 2022: Fall Day Trips | New Jersey Monthly

October 2022: Fall Day Trips

With the beautiful fall weather often comes the desire to get out and take advantage of all New Jersey has to offer.

Our Fall Day Trips package features everything from the Great Swamp to South Mountain Reservation’s fabulous trails to a historic excursion in Phillipsburg.

For a city respite, visit the Great Falls of Paterson and try out some of Silk City’s fantastic Middle Eastern food. Or learn about our country’s early history with an outing in Trenton, home to sites like the Old Barracks, now a museum that houses a unique collection of Revolutionary War artifacts.

Happy exploring!

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GARDEN VARIETY

Collage of four portraits of young children in Halloween costumes

This Maplewood Photographer Captured Trick-or-Treater Portraits for Nearly a Decade

Chad Hunt’s Halloween series functions as a time capsule for grateful parents.

Exterior of Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee showcasing mural of silent filmmakers

Barrymore Film Center Opening in Fort Lee, a City Rich with Movie-Making History

“This is where the motion picture industry started, and this is where a theater belongs to commemorate that,” says Mayor Mark Sokolich.

Collage photo of architect Nina Cooke John next to a rendering of her Harriet Tubman memorial in Newark

NJ Architect Hopes Visitors Connect to Her Harriet Tubman Memorial on a ‘Spiritual Level’

Nina Cooke John’s Shadow of a Face, slated to be formally unveiled in Newark in March 2023, is an homage to the noted conductor of the Underground Railroad.

Photographer Jay Blakesberg stands above Bono of U2, who is lying on the ground of a stage during a November 2021 performance

Rock Photographer’s New Book, Museum Exhibit Showcase Musical Greats

Jersey native Jay Blakesberg has been capturing such artists as the Grateful Dead and Joni Mitchell since the late 1970s.

Collage image featuring book jacket of author Laurie Lico Albanese's new novel, "Hester," and an author photo of Laurie Lico Albanese sitting at a desk with a pen and filled notebook

Montclair Author’s Novel Reimagines the Life of Hester Prynne

Laurie Lico Albanese’s new historical romance, Hester, revisits the classic heroine from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.

Group of people stands wearing hard hats and holding shovels outside of BergenPAC in Englewood

Multimillion-Dollar Renovation Complete at BergenPAC in Englewood

The nonprofit theater’s overhaul includes a new stage and improved acoustics.

Portrait of Honeycat Cosmetics' Terri Spruill

A Second Career Creating One-of-a-Kind Bath and Body Products

Terri Spruill left her stressful hospital job to focus on Honeycat Cosmetics. Almost a decade later, her inventive line is 50 designs strong.

MoMA multi-color goblets

Fun Finds to Bring Into Your Home This Fall

Embrace autumn with rich colors, clean lines and a marvelously mod aesthetic.

Children play a game of ring toss

Wynona’s House in Newark Empowers Community to Aid Abuse Survivors

The nonprofit helps Essex County children and families facing abuse through investigative, prosecutorial, treatment and prevention services.

Prudential building in Newark, as seen from Broad Street

How the Newark Alliance Is Driving Inclusive Economic Growth

The nonprofit connects major institutions to Newark’s smaller businesses. It also works to address issues like the digital divide and the cost of living.

FEATURES

Different Strokes: Former Knick J.R. Smith Talks Transition to College, Golf

New Jersey native J.R. Smith used to be an NBA sharpshooter. Now he spends his time golfing—and in the classroom—at North Carolina A&T.

Portrait of Robert Pinsky

Robert Pinsky Traces Poetry Roots to Vivid Long Branch Youth in New Memoir

In Jersey Breaks, the former U.S. poet laureate, whom Bruce Springsteen has called “the voice of the Jersey Shore,” probes his Monmouth County childhood.

Horseback riders at Watchung Stable in Mountanside

Take a Trot on Horseback at Watchung Stable

Guests can traverse the Watchung Reservation—a verdant, 2,000-acre preserve in Union County—on horseback while learning about local wildlife.

Passengers on the River and Steam Train in Phillipsburg

Ride a Train to the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine

Board a historic passenger train in Phillipsburg, ride along the Delaware River and arrive at an interactive mining exhibit.

The Great Falls in Paterson

Visit the Historic City of Paterson

People come from as far away as France to gaze at Paterson’s stunning Great Falls. Plus, there’s plenty of fabulous Middle Eastern cuisine to try nearby.

A felled tree in the Great Swamp's woods

Explore the Great Swamp, a Sanctuary for All

Take a trek through the Great Swamp, where woodlands, grasslands, brooks and ponds provide a habitat for a wealth of aquatic life, birds and mammals.

Trenton's capitol building amid fall foliage

Geek Out on Hamilton History (And Much More) in Trenton

New Jersey’s capital city offers the kind of deep-dish American history you can only find in a few U.S. cities. (And don’t forget about its thin-crust pizza!)

Two hikers at South Mountain Reservation

Get Lost in South Mountain Reservation

Put on your walking shoes and hike to Hemlock Falls, a 25-foot-high cascade in the heart of the 2,110-acre wooded oasis.

Illustration of graveyard with Jersey-affiliated figures standing among tombstones

Visit These New Jersey Cemeteries For a Fascinating Walk Through History

Searching for our state’s notable dead may seem macabre, but these graveyards offer up history, art, serene landscapes and even poetry.

Rendering of monument that will pay tribute to Africans buried in a historic Elizabeth cemetery in unmarked graves

Elizabeth Monument Will Pay Tribute to Africans Buried in Unmarked Graves

The 21-foot memorial—an initiative of the Ancestors Speak 313+ project—is being built at the historic Siloam-Hope First Presbyterian Church.

Finn’s Point in Pennsville

‘That Place Is Haunted’: Confederates, Nazis Buried Side by Side in Salem County Cemetery

Finn’s Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, created for Confederate dead, also houses the remains of 13 Russian turncoats who joined Nazi forces.

Joint image of an Essex Fells house designed by architect Edward Bowser Jr. and a black-and-white photo of Bowser working in Le Corbusier’s studio in France in 1950

The Forgotten Genius of Edward Bowser Jr., One of New Jersey’s First Black Architects

The work of Edward Bowser Jr., which invites comparisons to Frank Lloyd Wright, has been largely overlooked until now.

HOME & GARDEN

The dining room in the Panjwanis’ Bridgewater home

This Bridgewater Couple Launched a Custom-Furniture Site

Enthusiastic about Amish-made furniture that’s modern, transitional and environmentally friendly, the Panjwanis founded Contemporary Craftsman.

WHERE & WHEN

The Gaslight Anthem’s Reunion Comes With Great Expectations

After a years-long hiatus, the New Brunswick band announced a reunion in March. Now they’re gearing up for a Jersey concert—and a brand-new album.

EAT & DRINK

People eating in Primal's dining room, which overlooks the Cape May beach

Restaurant Review: Primal in Cape May Has Become One of the Hottest Tickets in Town

The high-end steak house serves prime beef and fresh seafood alongside a panoramic ocean view.

Meredith O’Brien on the porch of her Fair Haven home

She Struggled With Anorexia for Decades. Now, She’s Helping Others Heal

Meredith O’Brien runs a private practice in Red Bank focused on eating-disorder recovery. She published a memoir about her own journey this summer.

Eggplant salad at Al-Basha in Paterson

Al-Basha in Paterson Offers Middle Eastern Fare at Modest Prices

The Crooks Avenue offshoot of the downtown eatery serves fresh and flavorful Palestinian-inspired cuisine.

A pizza pie topped with sausage and pepperoni at Conte's Pizza and Bar in Princeton

This Princeton Pizza Parlor Has Been Making Pies Since 1950

Conte’s Pizza and Bar, known for its thin-crusted pizza, is also a fun hangout spot, featuring a full bar and an outdoor bocce court.

Lunch at Fins in Bradley Beach

Fins in Bradley Beach Boasts ‘TropiCali’ Cuisine

The casual, surf-themed Shore spot blends dishes from Southern California, Latin America and the tropics.

Thomas Haden Church and Paul Giamatti in a scene from the movie "Sideways."

Almost Two Decades After ‘Sideways,’ Has Merlot Made a Comeback?

Released 18 years ago this month, the cult hit Sideways unexpectedly crushed public perception of merlot. But this lovely grape deserves better.

EXIT RAMP

Illustration of a young girl looking up at her mothers who is looking in a mirror and sees a reflection of Celia Cruz smiling back at her

Parkway Rest Stop, Renamed for Celia Cruz, Prompts a Ride Down Memory Lane

For a writer whose late mother adored the barrier-breaking Queen of Salsa, the Forked River service area serves as a poignant link to the past.