P H OT O S : T K T K T K T K T T K

66 October 2014 NJMONTHLY.COM

PALISADES

removed in favor of creating a scenic parkway and camp.

“The cliffs’ survival is not a happy accident or coincidence,” says Nelsen.

“People determined that it had to be saved. Now it seems so obvious, but it really was an extraordinary achievement. If nobody had done anything, the quarries would have been happy to keep blowing up the cliffs, and the land would have been cluttered with billions of dollars of [private estates]. It was a fight.”

DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC

Landmark in 1965, the park encompasses more than 100,000 acres and 24 miles of Hudson River shorefront, cliffs and uplands. Only 2,500 narrow acres of the park are actually in New Jersey.

Our strip of this paradise stretches 12 miles from Fort Lee north to the state line, averaging less than a quarter of a mile wide.

Two main trails run the length of the Jersey section: the Long Path skims the clifftops, and the Shore Trail follows the edge of the Hudson below.

Marked with aqua-blue blazes, the

13-mile New Jersey section of the Long Path traverses easy to moderate terrain.

The trail starts south of the George
Washington Bridge at Fort Lee Historic
Park, gaining a mere 200 feet as it heads
north to the State Line Lookout. Along
the way, it provides access to a number
of 400- to 500-foot overlooks, including
Rockefeller Lookout and Alpine Look-
out, both offering extraordinary views
of the Hudson and beyond.

The Long Path also passes by the Greenbrook Sanctuary, a 165-acre mem-bers-only woodland preserve ( membership is $35 a year), as well as the Women’s Federation Monument, a minature castle-like structure dedicated in 1929 to honor the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs for their part in preserving the Palisades. Toward the end of the Jersey section, hikers can spot an abandoned swimming pool, a remnant of one of the mountaintop mansions.

(The trail continues another 343 miles to John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany, New York.)

While the Long Path is dramatic, it tends to get crowded and can be noisy, thanks to passing cars on the nearby Palisades Parkway. The white-blazed 12.2-mile Shore Trail, situated along the river below the cliffs, is a more peaceful alternative.

“A natural instinct for first-time hikers is to go to the top of the cliffs for the views, which are great,” says Nelsen.

“But I think the nicest hiking is actu-
ally along the riverfront.”
The Shore Path starts at Fort Lee
Historic Park, but winds down to the
river, where it hugs the shoreline, pass-
ing Hazard’s Dock—a boat launch for
trailer-towed boats under 24 feet and
jet skis ($20 cash) or car-top canoes
and kayaks ($10 cash)—and through a

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on display. For guests 21 and older.

6-9 PM. $35 per person or $60 per couple. Camden’s Children’s Garden, Camden (856-365-8733; camdenchildrensgarden.org)

11th Annual South Jersey Pumpkin Show

7OC TOBER 10-12

This three-day festival o;ers
activities for the whole fam-
ily, including amusement
rides, pumpkin-wine sam-
plings, a Little Miss & Mister
Pumpkin Pageant and a live
performance of The Legend
of Sleepy Hollow. New this
year is a costume contest for
children ages 3 to 10 and the
Cast Iron Toss for women

18 and up. This year’s Big Pumpkin Weigh-O;, set for Saturday at noon, gives pumpkin growers a chance to win $4,000 for the plumpest pumpkin.

Friday, 5-10 PM; Saturday, 10

AM- 8 PM; Sunday, 10 AM- 5 PM. $6 per car. Salem County Fairgrounds, 735 Harding Highway, Woodstown (856-765-0118; sjpumpkinshow.com)

West Cape May Lima Bean Festival

7OCTOBER 11

The lowly legume takes center
stage, delighting locals and
visitors alike with its array of
recipes, crafts and products.

Proceeds from this annual event benefit the West Cape May Shade Tree Commission.

9 AM- 5 PM (Rain date: October 12). Free. Wilbraham Park, 133 Myrtle Avenue (609-884-9325; westcapemaytoday.com)

Sussex County Harvest, Honey & Garlic Festival

7OC TOBER 11

The fifth annual festival celebrates the county’s agriculture, ecology and arts. Browse the farmers’ market for local produce, flowers and wine. The Sussex County Beekeepers

FALL FESTIVALS FOR ALL

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CAPE MAY

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Hall (200 Congress Place) offers an adult fright night on October 31 with a costume contest, spirits, food and dancing.

Fall is prime time for migrant species to be spied at Cape May Bird Observatory (600 N. Delsea Drive). October 24 through 26, the New Jersey Audubon Society offers a birders’ festival that includes field trips and boat rides, plus evening workshops led by the observatory’s new director.

There is no shortage of options for fine or casual meals. Try the Blue Pig Tavern (251 Beach Avenue) for farm-fresh eggs, bacon and berries from Beach Plum Farm, or venture to Red Store (500 Cape May Point), another of NJM ’s Top 25 restaurants, for general-store atmosphere, house-baked goods and memorable food.

Take advantage of the off-season to visit George’s Place (314 Beach Avenue), where during summer lines wind around the corner. The fare is Greek/Mediterranean and the menu is broad. At M’Ocean (429

Beach Avenue), a newcomer, the view is the ocean and the ever-evolving menu is from the sea. Longtime favorites like Tisha’s (322 Washington Street) and the romantic Ebbitt Room ( 25 Jackson Street), with its farm-to-table cuisine and artisanal cocktails, are satisfying year-round.

Fall is a fine time for a weekend stay; when the temperature drops, so do the rates. Choose from intimate Victorian bed-and-breakfasts and classic boutique hotels. The Mainstay Inn (635 Columbia Avenue), a grand, 12-room, 19th-century B&B, is appointed with period finery. Fall rates from $185. The 24-room Virginia Hotel offers fine dining and classic decor.

Fall rates from $129. Family-friendly Congress Hall has 108 rooms, energized with bright colors. Built in 1818, it has been updated with modern comforts like air conditioning and sumptuous marble baths, while retaining period touches like sash windows with Dutch-door bottoms.