2001 April New Jersey
Mom died on November 15th, 2000. It was after that when my Dad and I started
traveling together 2-4 times a year. We had been close for a long time, but
grew even closer with all the vacations he and I eventually took.
The first place he wanted to go to was New Jersey. He was born and raised there
and wanted to get back and visit relatives and his old stomping grounds. So in
April we both flew out to Newark (him from Oregon and me from St. Louis) and we
started a 1 week vacation/visit trip. We rented a car which I drove since I’m
more familiar with city driving and we booked a room in Somerset Quality Inn. I
still had to teach him about the necessity of staying in resorts for vacations!
We immediately noted a few things: directional signs don’t have N,S,E, or W on
them, they list a nearby town (which doesn’t help if you don’t know the nearby
towns); there are no left hand turns (ramps go off to the right then you have to
wait at a light to cross); and it must be New Jersey law that when the light
turns yellow, 7 cars must go through the light.
First on the agenda was for DAd to reconnect with his Gadziala relatives in
the area. So on different days, we drove to each of their houses: his Aunt
Anna’s (where cousin Dan and Trish were living at the time); cousin Mickey and
Dottie’s'; cousin Tommy and DAna’s; and cousin Butch and Barb’s. We had nice
visits with all of them.
Also high on the agenda was to visit the gravesites of his parents. Even
though his Mom had died in Oregon, she was flown back to New Jersey to be buried
with Dad’s dad in a south Plainfield cemetery.
We also took his Aunt to North Arlington cemetery where her parents (Dad’s
grandparents) were buried. (Lucasiks)
Lukascik's grave
Dad also got a kick out of driving around Plainfield and Millington and
checking out the places he lived in 70 years earlier. I was rather surprised
the 3 places were still standing and actually looked pretty good. Although I
didn’t take pictures of the apartment complex in Plainfield. It didn’t look to
be in the best of neighborhoods.
When they moved from Plainfield, the lived in an apartment in Millington for
awhile.
From there they moved onto Bungalow Terrace into this house. The current
owner even came home as we were looking at the place and chatted with Dad for
quite awhile.
There was a river in the back that he spent hours fishing and boating in.
This is the place he remembered the most fondly from his childhood.
Dad back in the 1930s
As we were getting ready to leave, the owner of the bungalow drove up, so we chatted with him awhile.
He even marveled at how good his old grade school looked.
He enjoyed seeing the old train station (Hoboken station) and reminisced about all the
trips he took on it with his friends. They used it pretty much like we use
metros now.
We even had time for a little touristy stuff.
One day Trish took off work and took us down the coast to the boardwalk. It
was closed that time of year, but we still enjoyed wandering around.
Of course I’m always anxious to go to the beach when I’m anywhere close to
one. I was impressed with how nice the New Jersey shore is.
He always joked that there were treasures to be found everywhere. Here he
found a hat---not what I’d consider a treasure, but…
Not sure what he was taking a picture of here, but I always enjoyed our
little photography excursions.
Another day we went to Washington Crossing Historic Park on the other side of
the state. From this site, General George Washington and men of the Continental
Army and militia crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 and marched
to Trenton, New Jersey. There they attacked and defeated Hessian troops
quartered in and around the village. This surprise attack and victory set the
stage for Washington's subsequent victories at the Second Battle of Trenton and
Princeton. Now it consists of nationally recognized restored structures that
would have completed an 18th century farm complex. They also had period clad
workers there explaining the way things were done back then.
back of the inn
kitchen
boat barn
river on property
bringing the sheep in for sheering
sheering the sheep
cabin in the flower preserve
the visitors' center
corn bin
how food was prepared in fireplaces in the old days
historic house at Washington's Crossing
house to the historic inn
ice house
Here some ladies
were talking about the women’s work in the kitchen.
During the winter of 1776-77, this home of Robert Thompson and his son-in-law
William Neely was used to aid and care for convalescing soldiers who were
healing from wounds or suffering from diseases and camp illnesses.
old inn at Washington's Crossing
necessity house
Also on the historic site is a 125 foot tower completed in 1931 to
commemorate the American Revolution. The tower height is reached by elevator and
23 stone steps. This site is open seasonally. Bowman's Hill observation tower
climbing up the tower
The tower has a fabulous view of the Delaware River and surrounding
countryside.
another historic house
Our final excursion was to Duke Farms. It is a 2,700-acre estate in
Hillsborough, New Jersey, developed by tobacco and hydropower magnate James
Buchanan Duke. By the time he died in 1925, he had transformed more than 2,000
acres of farmland into a park. Much of the landscape he created between 1893
and 1925 is still evident today. His daughter inherited the estate and opened
the gardens to the public in 1964.
Here is the greenhouse.
Overview of the italian gardens.
The english garden
The Japanese Garden
cactus garden
the grounds
It was a jam packed week and the start of many more jam packed vacations with
my Dad. He was a great travel companion. We had so many similar interests:
photography; hiking; sports; nightly cribbage games; even enjoyed a little
shopping. After this trip, I knew there would be many more.