| Author | Message | ||
     tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 2942 Registered: 3-2004 |
Now that you've all suffered through at least two years of my ranting and raving, I thought I might try to make it up to you by providing you with a glimpse of life along the river. You may find my tidbits useful in your searches for places to visit, and I've often wanted to introduce those newly arrived in NJ to the delights that are not always visible from the main road. We just got back from a restaurant called the Black Bass, and I've mentioned it on the board in the past. I have to tell you about it. The building dates back to 1740 when there were Indians the restaurant lore refer to as "hostile" along the Delaware. It's quite a large building, as old river buildings go, and hard by the river and the canal on the Pennsylvania side, just across from Stockton on the NJ side. It's in a town called Lumbertown, PA. Go 78 west to Clinton, where you get on 31 south. Follow that to Flemington, where you find yourself in one of those lovely rotaries. Exit onto 202 west, and follow it toward Lambertville. Take the exit before PA to 29 north in NJ, crossing over to PA in Stockton, and going north for a few twisty, wooded miles on route 32, along the Delaware. When we arrived, the rain was gentle, and a the air had a lovely pine-smoke smell. We entered the old building with its New Orleans-like balconies and its rugged, colonial walls, into the lobby. Small alcoves, low ceilings, antiques everywhere brought us back in time but certainly not uncomfortably so. We were the first dinner customers of the evening, so we could peruse the whole place with the smiling patience of the staff. They were attentive and polite, the music was classical and delicate, and the art was fascinating, including a portrait of Jeremy Bentham dating to 1811, and a lovely "German School" landscape of the Delaware from the early twentieth century. Artifacts from the royal family of England line the walls, harking back to the earliest days, when the building was a shelter for Loyalists hiding both from Indians and Revolutionaries, who, as you recall, lived along the Delaware in considerable numbers. We had a delicious Chardonnay, a lovely goat cheese and anchovy salad, our son had a bowl tomato soup which should have a fancier name, given its hint of bouillabaise. I had "Charleston Street Crab" which was creamy, crabby, and mild. Husband had a New Orleans Creole spicy salmon. The food was great, not at all inexpensive, but the best part was watching the great, black Delaware directly out the large windows, as it flowed rather briskly past in the night. The river is "behaving itself" I like to say, these days. We haven't seen signs of anything like the past two years' events of h*** and high water. But we who live near the banks of this grand, old River know its power now, and respect its quiet might. At any time it can subtley, quietly, and inexorably turn into a swollen mass of turbulence and pain. The careful work of Irish immigrants as they lined the canal with stones is washed away now. Around 140 years ago, they toiled along the canal. Some are buried in its banks, having lost their lives through exhaustion, accident or disease. Others became river men, and all that's left are the locks and houses they lived in, here and there. The paths, center islands, and trees too numerous to count have been swept away in those early days of global aqueous violence wreaked on humanity over the past two years. So, we cherish the Christmas lights on houses where people along the river have restored their lives as best they could. We cherish the sparkle as we drive past in the rain. It's lovely here now, but the possibility of change in that loveliness is ever present. It's quiet along the road in Pennsylvania in the rain. Everyone's home. Do come and see what it's like before any more sadness comes to pass. You will enjoy it. Greetings and salutations, and thanks for reading!!! PS. If you do go to the Black Bass on the weekend, you'd be advised to make a reservation. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 2519 Registered: 12-2004  |
Wow, how pretty you describe it. Makes me "hungry" (in more ways than one) to go there. Will keep it on my list of "things to do." Do you have any recommendations for further north on the river? Anywhere between where Route 80 crosses in to Pennsylvania, and the bridge on 209 at Milford. Better yet, any place fun or interesting in the vicinity of Dingman's Bridge? | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 2944 Registered: 3-2004 |
Meandtheboys: You are speaking of an area that is varied in its types of places to go. If you like zooming around on ski slopes, or hopping on snow tubes, which can be lots of fun once the snow comes, but also lots of crowds and waiting in lines (obviously not my favorite things) there's Shawnee on Delaware, along route 209. It;s quite commercial and bulletin-board-ridden around there. However, this area is really beautiful right along the Delaware north of 80, where if you follow in the snow, or the summer, you end up in gorgeous, pristine countryside the way it was ages ago. We once explored after a snowfall, and found a llama farm on the river plain on the PA side a few miles north of 80, and actually met the farmer who allowed us to walk around his land. Seeing the llamas, sheep and goats literally in a manger in the snow was quite an interesting experience. I love the Water Gap because there's hiking along the Appalachian Trail, there's history at Millbrook Village on the Jersey side in the Delaware Water Gap National Park and Worthington State Park, you can search for fossils in the Delaware in the park, bacause the hills are so old, there are tons of trilobite-type fossils in the shallows of the river. Farther east, just an exit or two of of 80, is the town of Hope. I've seen lots of posters refer to Hope, because there's so much to see in this little town. It's an old Moravian village, with historical markers everywhere, and if you like real history and architecture, stone houses and antiques, you'll love it. There's an old mill call the Mill on the Pond, I think, in the town, and its OK for guitar by the fireplace and quaint, but the food is nothing extraordinary. Other things a bit more interesting are Land of Make Believe in summer, for little kids, quite fun, and Four Sisters' Winery along the prettiest road in NJ, route 519 off of 80 just past Hope, and of course closer to 80, between 80 and the main intersection of Hope, is Jenny Jump State Park, where you can even rent a cabin in spring, summer, fall or winter for a real outdoor camping experience. The views from Jenny Jump Mountain are fantastic on a clear day. I don't know about Dingman's Ferry. It got badly flooded last year, and I haven't explored it much. I hear it has become residential, and unfortunately that region of PA doesn't cling as much to the old architecture, or care that much for it. You are getting close to the Poconos there, and the traffic is downright painful most of the year, with little reward for braving it. The other sites I've mentioned are far more peaceful and pleasant, in our family's experience. | ||
| Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 2521 Registered: 12-2004 |
Thanks Tulip. Some great ideas there. Really looking for good, fun things to do with small kids. My family has a house on a lake in the Poconos, so our route is usually 209 through Milford and up Route 6. Only once or twice have we gone through Stroudsburg (generally when we're looking for outlet shopping, which isn't very often). Our alternate, less traveled route is Dingman's bridge. Seems like there's not much up there in terms of civilization, but I know there's a state park, and the river banks for as far as one can see going over the bridge seem deserted and natural. I guess I'm really looking forward to the day when the kids are old enough for all of us to jump in some canoes or kayaks and take a nice slow ride down the river! | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 2946 Registered: 3-2004 |
There are some lovely areas in the Poconos, near Lake Wallenpaupak, for example. My sons went to Y camp up there, and had a great time, two summers in a row. There are some nice little towns. It's so popular around Shawnee that in the summer it's tough to get to 209, as I'm sure you know. Stroudsburg is quite nice, and then if you go out west of the Poconos, you come to amazing mountains that are wild and even more awesomely huge than the Green Mountains of Vermont. That's interesting, but not much human habitation in that incredible mountain range. | ||
| TomD Citizen Username: Tomd Post Number: 345 Registered: 5-2005  |
I recall having lunch at the Black Bass a number of years ago. My favorite place in that area is the Inn at Phillips Mill. They have four or five rooms and I think a cottage out back. One time my wife and I were staying in the area and the place we were staying decided that we were only going to be there one night instead of two (I don't remember exactly how this happened), but we were kind of ticked and started home. We were disappointed because we had dinner reservation at the Inn a Phillips Mill. We stopped in on our way back home to cancel our dinner reservation and they told us they had an empty room that night. SOLD! Needless to say, we took the room and kept our dinner reservation. We had a great dinner and plenty of wine. Then afterwards we walked upstairs to our room. This was probably about six or seven years ago, but I still have fond memories of that place. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 2949 Registered: 3-2004 |
Black Bass actually has rooms also, with reservations recommended, especially for weekends. There are so many really charming inns and restaurants, but you have to experience them to know which ones are reliable and which are not. The region of Bucks County to the west of the river, and Hunterdon to the east is just intriguing. As I happen to like tulips and daffodils (surprise, surprise) I have located a wonderful tulip estate, where you can buy bulbs imported from Holland in the spring. You have to see the array of colors and shapes. It's really beautiful. There's a wildflower park just north of New Hope, again open in the spring.., The flatness of the land along the river makes it ideal on the Jersey side for biking, and in the spring, you can hardly drive down the roads with all the bikers around Stockton to Lambertville, mostly on the Jersey side. Route 32 along the PA side can get a little treacherous. Wouldn't want to bike there, and unfortunately, the flood took out a lot of the bike path along the canal. There's actually a footbridge at the Black Bass, across the Delaware, and a park on the other side with barbecue grills, picnic tables, and lots of hiking trails. If you come in summer, bring your mosquito spray, but in early spring it's quite pleasant. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3019 Registered: 3-2004 |
Driving this afternoon along the banks of the Delaware by Milford, the waterfalls through the pink and purple shale are plentiful. They reach out onto the road, so you literally drive beneath some of the splashes as you go. The river, it should be noted, is extremely full, and cresting over the banks of the canal on the Jersey side for a couple miles at least. The current is visibly fast, and the water is really brown. Everything, the trees, the ground and the water are all brown, with the purple rock of the hills. It's quite a sight, and sound. When spring really comes, all this will happen again. It's nice to know there's so much water around, but hopefully, it'll stay inside the riverbanks this time. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3208 Registered: 3-2004 |
This morning the snow was clinging to the trees all the way down the river, from Warren to Mercer County and beyond. Must have looked a lot like it did when Washington crossed it. The only thing missing were the big chunks of ice, which I have actually seen before when the ice floes up in Pennsylvania broke through the bridges of Phillipsburg and scattered along the river banks. This morning, though, the river was smooth and brown, with white steam floating upward in many places, making the other bank of the river invisible. The snow fell from the trees in unexpected but soft clumps, onto the road and even onto some cars. In the early morning, icicles hung in four foot long bunches from the soft rocks of the river cliffs. I often wonder how the Lenni Lenape saw all this. Steam, icicles, smooth, brown water (was it brown then?) and the snow billowing everywhere. It all looked like a little Swiss village in postcards. Really nice. Ya'll come visit!! You could cross country ski on the towpaths. I don't think there'll be much snow by this weekend, though, because it's melting fast. Funny they plowed in Warren County hills and tertiary roads, but not right in front of the statehouse in Trenton!! | ||
| Soda Supporter Username: Soda Post Number: 3743 Registered: 5-2001  |
Upper Black Eddy rocks. -s. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3593 Registered: 3-2004  |
Well, very wet today. Went into South Main St., Phillipsburg. Police won't let cars close to the river, which is cresting its banks, but not as high as it will be tomorrow morning. All access roads to the Delaware on the New Jersey side are closed off around Holland Township and Pohatcong. The Musconetcong is flowing hard, cresting its banks, but not as badly as I've seen it. You can't cross the Free Bridge because Easton and Phillipsburg entrances are flooded. The Musconetcong Valley is flooded. The mouths of the streams going to the Delaware are flooded. Carpentersville is flooded, and yesterday evening, as we rode along 611 on the Pennsylvania side, we could see basements of Carpentersville houses surrounded by the Delaware water. The towpath on the PA side was washing away where it had already been damaged during the hurricanes of spring '05. Our neighborhood is fine, but one mile west of us, a small farmer is flooded out. The culvert under our road has been cleaned, which has left houses on our street clear. From one mile west of here to the Delaware, the muddy, brush-strewn water is quietly rising. The Delaware itself, under the bridges of Phillipsburg, sounds like the ocean with a constant wave splashing against the shore. It's swirling around the old stone pilings of bridges, including Roebling's Riegelsville Bridge. They closed the Milford bridge early this morning. In general, it's mighty wet. Helicopters hover over Easton/Phillipsburg, and even the residents are volunteering to shoo cars away from anywhere near the Delaware. I will add to this blog when the water subsides, and we can see the damage that has been done this time. Presently, while we feel lucky so far, we know others around have not fared as well. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5517 Registered: 1-2004  |
Stay safe Tulip... | ||
| MeAndTheBoys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 4139 Registered: 12-2004 |
Good luck. Will be thinking of you. Only saw all this on the news last night. Showed pictures of Lambertville and New Hope under water. Heard reports of flooding in Wilkes-Barre! We're supposed to be headed north through Milford for the holiday weekend. Guess I better check on the bridges first. Here's hoping all our neighbors on the Delaware come through O.K. Such a beautiful, normally quiet river. Doesn't seem like it has this kind of fury in it, on a normal day. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3594 Registered: 3-2004 |
Justthe Aunt and MeAndTheyBoys, Thanks so much for your concern So far, the only inconvenience for us is that traffic toward the Delaware at Riegelsville is being diverted past our house. This morning, traffic is very quiet. Hopefully by the fourth of July, Milford will be OK, but we stood a safe distance from that bridge yesterday watching the raging river with others. The really endangered homes are between the canal and the river on the Pennsylvania side. The river was about one foot from the high banks on the Jersey side at about 2 pm yesterday. It's probably in the town by now, so it would be wise to check. We are just so lucky this time, but the cleaning out of the culvert under the road near our house made all the difference. | ||
| Scully Citizen Username: Scully Post Number: 694 Registered: 8-2005 |
Hi tulip. We've got a house on the river in Knowlton Township on Willow just off Rt. 46. The bank is steep, about 25 feet. The river's at 27 feet right now I believe. Which means all the wiring, insulation and new wallboard we just finished off (ourselves) from the last flood will have to be ripped out again. Had the house for about 15 years without a problem and now 3 times in 21 months... | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3595 Registered: 3-2004 |
Scully, You are a neighbor! Three times in two years...it's like a mantra all the way down the river. It's incredible. The other two times, everyone worked so hard to repair anything that could be repaired, and then... This is the second highest since 1955 for many towns along the river, including Trenton. Knowlton is beautiful, so it will be worth it when you rebuild. We just went over to Phillipsburg to see what's happening. The water is flowing fiercely down the river, and is coming right up to the bottom of the Free Bridge, and almost onto the railroad tracks, actually, around the tracks in the lower ground. We aren't getting as badly hit as Easton, though. I think Stockton, Lambertville and New Hope are really getting hit hard this time. This will have to be a lesson to builders and planners who are creating new suburbs upstream. | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3596 Registered: 3-2004 |
We just went to Milford. The water was about two inches below where it had been in spring '05, and it is expected to crest in about six hours. It's totally even with the highest part of the bank on the Jersey side. On the PA side, the story is sadder. Some beautiful old houses, including a sort of puddingstone house with perfectly rectangular stones all around, is being inundated. The river is coursing up into the house, up over the porch and into the front door. Other houses have forcefully moving river water pushing against their foundations. Others have the wistful tops of hydrangea bushes peeking out over the billowing, brown waves. The water makes a rushing sound like the sound you hear in a conch shell, magnified a hundred times. It's a constant roar, broken by the occasional thud of a log or tree or garden chair or metal barrel crashing against the bridge foundation. It's a sight. It smells like clay, if you've ever worked with clay, and it looks like liquid clay, or slip, coming down river in a mad dash. Objects speed by at about 60 miles per hour, it seems. If someone were to put a toe in, they'd be gone in an instant, yet people walk in droves to see the river, from the city and the small towns. They watch grimly, as if they were standing vigil. There's nothing anyone can do to slow this down. The neighbor, who is actually our mayor, has a beautiful old stone house hard by the Musconetcong. Although the Musconetcong has been much more tame this time than in previous times, he has a large pool in his back yard, now about six feet at its closest, from his house. He is pumping it out furiously, but it's a strange sight. The river is actually overflowing its bank into his backyard, although it's staying within its banks just above his house. It seems to depend upon the wall you have guarding your property from the river, if the river creeps into your yard. In any case, it makes us feel rather insignificant, sort of like looking at the ocean. Why can't we harnass this ferocosity, store it in a giant battery, and fuel civilization with it? Silly idea, perhaps, but you should see this force and current. I wonder if the banks of the canal, built in the 1830's by immigrant Irish Americans and Chinese Americans, will be standing after this! | ||
| Bajou Citizen Username: Bajou Post Number: 895 Registered: 2-2006  |
Dear Tulip: Please let us know if we can help. I'd be happy to jump in the car and bring stuff you all might need. Bajou | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3601 Registered: 3-2004 |
Oh, that's delightful, Bajou. I am MILES from you. Really, we are fine. We went down to Lambertville just now to see how it was, and had a wonderful lunch at the Lambertville Station Restaurant. That's how fine we are. The water is receding, although Lambertville's shoreline has really advanced. It's now into the parking lot of the hotel. Basements in Stockton and Frenchtown are being emptied by the fire departments, people who were evacuated will be coming back. This time, we were untouched by it. HOWEVER, I would love to organize a "dutch treat" party for everyone sometime. I have this dream that you could all come to Riegel Ridge Community House in Holland Township where they have a wonderful pool and party room in an old stone mansion with sweeping lawns. So many lovely places around here, and although some have been changed by the flood, communities rally to each others' aid here. Stockton is buzzing with emergency workers helping out. If you would like me to organize an event, I'd be happy to do so. And...Thank you for your kindness. I am overcome!!! | ||
| tulip Citizen Username: Braveheart Post Number: 3891 Registered: 3-2004 |
We decided to "do" the northern sector of the River over the past two months. First, we went up river to Sussex County, first to the eighth annual Pow wow, a kind of interesting event, then to the fair, then to the Peter's Valley Craft village. On the way to the pow-wow, back around mid-July, we saw the most remarkable thing. We were climbing a little hill in our car on a back road just north of interstate 80 going toward Blairstown, and all of a sudden my husband said, "Oh, look, look!!" I sat up, peered out at the road, and there, limping along looking a bit hot and tired was a little...BEAR!!!! The last time I saw a bear, aside from a zoo bear, was at Glacier National Park where they gathered in a certain spot all the time to catch the humans' food leftovers. This bear was just loping along across the road, then disappeared into the brush along the road. Very nice. Well, the pow-wow itself was pretty good, although it was a hot day and the dancers looked like they were withering in the heat. Of course, the "Aztec" dancers didn't wither. Actually, they performed three or four times, including once with actual fire in some kind of torch, jumping over it, pushing it down with their bare feet. The Lenni Lennape always have the same wonderful syncopation and fast line dancing, a little parade of grandfather, grandmother, mother, child in arms, father, uncle, other relatives dancing along smoothly in a row, stopping or pausing at exactly the same beat every time, perfectly synchronized. The grass dancers were fantastic, and one of the fancy male dancers was an international star, so it was quite a nice event. The chochke tents were great also, one in particular had fantastic Zuni earrings. Another event, the New Jersey State Fair on Sussex Fair Grounds, was OK, especially the peach and cherry ice cream, roast corn and brats. The horse show was...well...I guess we didn't catch the exciting parts, but the heat really prevented us from staying long enough. I love the exotic roosters, hens, rabbits, sheep, goats, even the pigs, but seeing the poor steer and cows tethered to their stalls was a bit sad. The third visit, to Peter's Valley to pick up a birthday present at the craft village in Layton was exceptional, but of course, the weather last weekend was the best I've seen this year, so we couldn't miss. You really should see Peter's Valley if you haven't seen it. Up at the Delaware Water Gap, on interstate 80, go to the river, then before the bridge to Pennsylvania, turn left onto a little road along the river. There's a three minute light, then you are on the road to Layton. It's a fanstastic road, taking you straight through Worthington State Forest, then Delaware Water Gap National Park. You will pass Walpack, a tiny village whose heyday was in the early 1900's. There's a nice restaurant, where for the past two weeks they have started serving lunch on the weekends. They serve dinner all week, and although rustic in the Adirondacky sense, they have pretty good food. It's nice to find an inn where you can actually take a break from the long drive through the park. Then, proceeding north another fifteen or twenty miles (I think) you get to Layton, where Peter's Valley craft village offers a lovely gift shop with lots of hand made jewelry, weaving, textiles, pottery, and a showroom upstairs. If you look for it, you can find Van Campen Inn, a two hundred (Plus) year old inn where Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and others stayed, on route to some place or other along the Delaware. Also, "Wm. Henry Gates ran the French and Indian War out of the house" as the general store owner in Walpack reported to us. His store sits high atop Blue Mountain, and offers soda, ice cream and treats and an expansive verandah with one of the best views in NJ. So, that's the story for now. The Delaware is low, calm and running a bit warm these days. Kids are floating on inner-tubes, colorful boats, kayaks, canoes and all sorts of aquatic conveyances abound, as well as swimmers. I don't know that I'd advocate swimming anywhere around P'burg, but up north in the park, it might be OK. It sure is pleasant to drive around there. You'd miss something special if lived in NJ and never saw it. |
