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6 SPRING EXCURSIONS
New Jersey is full of outdoor treasures to explore
WRITTEN BY JESSICA PRESINZANO
D&R CANAL
Hike, bike or kayak along the
Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail,
which stretches more than 77 miles
along the Delaware and Raritan
rivers. Along the way, you’ll find
whimsical yard decorations like
gnomes and flamingoes, and stumps
and benches where you can sit and
relax. Quiet Frenchtown, a small
borough of roughly 1,300 people,
is dotted with restaurants, galleries
and craft shops where you can while
away the time after enjoying the trail.
• Bridge Street, Frenchtown along the
Delaware River; dandrcanal.com
TROY MEADOWS
NATURE PRESERVE
Troy Meadows is a 3,100-acre nature
preserve that straddles East Hanover,
Hanover and Parsippany-Troy Hills.
The National Natural Landmark
contains remnants of the prehistoric
glacial Lake Passaic and is home to
dozens of types of plants and wildlife
prime for peepin’. Besides tranquility,
you’ll find miles of trails through
forest and wetland with beautiful
natural vistas, calling geese and a
boardwalk above the marshy water.
Bring waterproof boots for your hike
— these wetlands are wet. • 201
Troy Meadow Road, Parsippany;
wildlifepreserves.org/preserves/troy-
meadows
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SPRING 2019 WAYNE MAGAZINE
BOTANICAL GARDENS
LAURELWOOD ARBORETUM
NEW JERSEY BOTANICAL
GARDENS AT SKYLANDS
On the land once owned by civil
engineer Clarence McKenzie Lewis
and his wife stand 13 specialty
gardens surrounding Skylands
Manor. The paths that wind through
the surrounding woods offer a great
opportunity for quiet contemplation;
walking tours of the gardens are
offered free every Sunday afternoon
at 2 p.m. from May through October.
Each garden has its own theme,
including annual and perennial
blooming flowers, peonies, azaleas
and winter evergreens. • 5 Morris
Road, Ringwood; njbg.org
GREENWOOD GARDENS
In the early 20th century, self-made
multi-millionaire Joseph P. Day
established the gardens as a private
retreat from the hectic pace of city
life, and now you can enjoy it, too.
The meticulously-manicured 28 acres
also include several structures
including a stone tea house framed
by ceremonial hand-washing basins,
numerous cottages on the grounds
and reflecting pool. The garden is
closed for viewing until May 1;
admission is $10/adults, free for kids
younger than 12. • 274 Old Short
Hills Road, Short Hills;
greenwoodgardens.org
LAURELWOOD ARBORETUM
This once-commercial azalea nursery
has become a nature sanctuary.
Tucked off the beaten path in Wayne,
the 30-acre arboretum incorporates
native plant, rock and barrier-free
sensory gardens into the landscape of
trees, foxgloves, rhododendrons and
other flowering plants. A wood
gazebo and numerous benches
facilitate moments of quiet reflection.
• 725 Pines Lake Dr. West, Wayne;
laurelwoodarboretum.org.
DOWNTOWN OCEAN GROVE
History and novelty combine in
Ocean Grove. In the center of down-
town is a massive Great Auditorium
— a church and concert hall —
which is framed by the streets angled
outwards toward the beachfront.
Stop by the Centennial Museum and
travel back to the 1880s, when the
community was established, or take
one of the town’s seasonal walking
tours. In the summer, a “tent city”
of canvassing attached to wooden
platforms and permanent kitchens
and bathrooms blossoms around the
concert hall. • 21 Pilgrim Pathway,
Ocean Grove; oceangrove.org
CHAZIN;
D&R CANAL