This completely updated treasury of trails takes you to the best wild places in the Garden State. Hike along the Appalachian ridge or over the ragged Wyanokies, pass into pine barrens or through marshes and dunes on the coast, and you’ll see that New Jersey has so much more than just cities. This fully revised edition takes you deep into its wild heart.
A treasury of trails that takes you to the best wild places in the Garden State Known more for its urban areas than its green spaces, the Garden State is actually a crossroads for major interstate trails including the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail, the 150-mile Highlands Trail, and the 60-mile Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. Hike along the Appalachian ridge or over the ragged Wyanokies, pass into pine barrens or through marshes and dunes on the coast, and you’ll see that New Jersey has so much more to offer than just cities. These 50 routes cover walks, hikes, and backpacking trips from the Kittatinnies to Cape May. With excursions from 1.5 to 28 miles in length, accompanied by driving directions, trailhead information, difficulty ratings, and detailed maps, this roster of hikes will suit everyone from families out for a nature walk to adventurous backpackers up for challenge.
The most famous long-distance hiking trail in North America, the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail—the longest hiking-only footpath in the world—runs along the Appalachian mountain range from Georgia to Maine. Every year about 2,000 individuals attempt to “thru-hike” the entire trail, a feat equivalent to hiking Mount Everest sixteen times. In Walking on the Wild Side, sociologist Kristi M. Fondren traces the stories of forty-six men and women who, for their own personal reasons, set out to conquer America’s most well known, and arguably most social, long-distance hiking trail. In this fascinating in-depth study, Fondren shows how, once out on the trail, this unique subculture of hikers lives mostly in isolation, with their own way of acting, talking, and thinking; their own vocabulary; their own activities and interests; and their own conception of what is significant in life. They tend to be self-disciplined, have an unwavering trust in complete strangers, embrace a life of poverty, and reject modern-day institutions. The volume illuminates the intense social intimacy and bonding that forms among long-distance hikers as they collectively construct a long-distance hiker identity. Fondren describes how long-distance hikers develop a trail persona, underscoring how important a sense of place can be to our identity, and to our sense of who we are. Indeed, the author adds a new dimension to our understanding of the nature of identity in general. Anyone who has hiked—or has ever dreamed of hiking—the Appalachian Trail will find this volume fascinating. Walking on the Wild Side captures a community for whom the trail is a sacred place, a place to which they have become attached, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
The best guide to the Westchester outdoors just got even better. Walkable Westchester, an indispensible handbook to hiking, walking and exploring in Westchester County, has been issued in a second edition. It includes more than 600 miles of trails in over 200 parks, preserves and sanctuaries. Discover Westchester as you walk, hike, run, ride a horse, walk your dog, bike, cross country ski, or snowshoe. This edition, at 448 pages, is bulging with new and updated information, including details on 26 new parks, 42 more miles of trails, and intriguing sidebars on history, lore and nature. There are plenty of new photographs, detailed maps as well as county locator maps and driving directions with GPS coordinates. Every park description has been updated and enhanced, all making for informative, yet delightful reading. The book covers a wide variety of walking, from level, paved pathways to narrow woodland trails. The environments range from salt-water wetlands to rock outcroppings. So for any kind of walking this book is the perfect companion, whether a suburban mom looking for a paved path or a veteran hiker out for a day-long trek. It's even fun reading on a treadmill. One doesn't have to walk them all, because the authors already have, several times; just let them be your guide so you can pick the best ones for yourself. The book features: Information on 200 parks, preserves, sanctuaries, and protected open space including 26 additional parks not in the previous edition. Descriptions of over 600 miles of trails including 42 miles of new trails. County-wide locator maps and detailed maps of all but the smallest parks. History, science and local lore. Great photographs to encourage you to visit. Icons of activities permitted in each park. Driving directions, GPS coordinates, and availability of public transportation. Links to websites for additional information about the parks. Park contact information.
Discover the darker side of the Garden State with this anthology of gritty mystery stories. Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each volume is compromised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct location within the geographical area of the book. In New Jersey Noir, a star-studded cast of authors sifts through the hidden dirt of the Garden State. Featuring brand-new stories (and a few poems) by Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Safran Foer, Robert Pinsky, Edmund White & Michael Carroll, Richard Burgin, Pulitzer Prize–winner Paul Muldoon, Sheila Kohler, C.K. Williams, Gerald Stern, Lou Manfredo, S.A. Solomon, Bradford Morrow, Jonathan Santlofer, Jeffrey Ford, S.J. Rozan, Barry N. Malzberg & Bill Pronzini, Hirsh Sawhney, and Robert Arellano. Praise for New Jersey Noir “Oates’s introduction to Akashic’s noir volume dedicated to the Garden State, with its evocative definition of the genre, is alone worth the price of the book . . . Highlights include Lou Manfredo’s “Soul Anatomy,” in which a politically connected rookie cop is involved in a fatal shooting in Camden; S.J. Rozan’s “New Day Newark,” in which an elderly woman takes a stand against two drug-dealing gangs; and Jonathan Santlofer’s “Lola,” in which a struggling Hoboken artist finds his muse . . . . Poems by C.K. Williams, Paul Muldoon, and others—plus photos by Gerald Slota—enhance this distinguished entry.” —Publishers Weekly “It was inevitable that this fine noir series would reach New Jersey. It took longer than some readers might have wanted, but, oh boy, was it worth the wait . . . More than most of the entries in the series, this volume is about mood and atmosphere more than it is about plot and character . . . It should go without saying that regular readers of the noir series will seek this one out, but beyond that, the book also serves as a very good introduction to what is a popular but often misunderstood term and style of writing.” —Booklist, Starred Review “A lovingly collected assortment of tales and poems that range from the disturbing to the darkly humorous.” —Shelf Awareness
This is an attractive, pocket-friendly guide to walks on sixteen of the best trails through preserved open space in Princeton, New Jersey, and its neighboring towns. This revised edition includes eight new walks, several of which have been created on land that has been preserved since the popular guide was originally published in 2009. The walks range from two to four miles, but many include suggestions for trail connections that allow you to extend your hike if you choose. The guide includes detailed color maps of the trails, directions on how to get to them and where to park, and recommendations for the most scenic routes. Each walk has been designed with a "reason to walk" in mind: a special boulder or waterfall to find, a bit of local history or a beautiful vista to enjoy. The guide is illustrated with specially commissioned color photographs, sixteen of which are featured on detachable postcards. A guide to 16 trails through preserved open space in Princeton and neighboring towns Directions for how to get there and where to park Detailed walking directions, trail distances, and color trail maps Suggestions for connections to other trails 8 new walks are featured in this revised edition, including the Scott and Hella McVay Poetry Trail, the Stony Brook Trail, and the trails at St. Michaels Farm Preserve Specially commissioned color photographs 16 detachable color postcards Proceeds benefit D&R Greenway Land Trust, Friends of Princeton Open Space, and The Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association to support trail maintenance and land stewardship
Guidebook describing 24 coastal and inland walks on the island of Jersey, ranging from 4.5km (3 miles) to 12.5km (8 miles) in length. Almost all of the walks link directly with one or two other walks, allowing all kinds of extensions to the route. The walks can also be joined together to create the 80km (50 mile) Jersey Coastal Walk, part of the Channel Island Way. The walks use good paths and tracks as well as quiet country roads. Occasional more rugged paths explore the island's excellent cliff coastline. Jersey has an excellent bus network and the walks can be accessed by public transport. There are also plenty of opportunities for refreshment, details of which are provided in the text. Clear step-by-step route description is illustrated with States of Jersey 1:25,000 mapping (very similar in style to British OS mapping), and route statistics and a summary table make it easy to choose the ideal walk. Famous for sunshine, year-round walking, history and a wonderful coastline, Jersey is an intriguing destination for travellers. Outwardly British but with French overtones, the island has plenty of fascinating historical sites and attractions to visit, including castles, churches and museums. The guide includes a brief overview of Jersey's turbulent history and unusual constitutional status, as well as notes on local points of interest.
Wedged between the hustle of New York and the grandeur of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia is America's smallest big city, America's biggest small city, and America's most American city. It is also a city in flux. Bruce Buschel is a native Philadelphian who revisits his hometown and, in doing so, revisits his personal history and the city's complex identity. Buschel was born on Broad Street, his father died on Broad Street; he flunked out of college, sold cameras, and purchased drugs on Broad Street; he wrote for a newspaper on Broad Street, touched JFK's left hand on Broad Street, and met his second wife when she worked on Broad Street. On his thirteen-mile walk down the boulevard, Buschel talks to everyone from the old Italian tailor down the corner from the Chinese Mennonite pastor to the Jewish funeral home director across the street from Bilal, the Muslim restaurateur. On Broad Street, he finds livestock just a few steps from Joe Frazier's gym. The newly dubbed "Gayborhood" is just a stone's throw from the home of the heartbreaking Eagles. A world-class ballet rehearses at the Rock School while outcast rockers practice at the Paul Green School. The gas station attendant on Broad Street may be a recent immigrant, but he has already adopted the brusque manners and terse responses of a fourth-generation Philadelphian. Naturally, William Penn oversees the whole insecure, glorious mess from his perch atop City Hall. After 9/11, Americans were drawn to Philly's authenticity and history. After decades of decay, something positive is happening, and dyspeptic Philadelphians are trying to adjust. A lot has changed since Buschel grew up there, but he hasn't managed to shake the attitudes instilled in childhood -- mere mention of the '64 Phillies (and one of the greatest collapses in baseball history) still stings. He has retained his irreverent sense of humor, his distrust of authority, his ambivalence about New York, his disdain for New Jersey, and, above all, his sense of loyalty -- if not outright love -- for his native city.
AMC's Best Day Hikes near Philadelphia will take you through 50 of the region's best hikes for all levels. Ideal for families, tourists, and locals alike, this easy-to-use guide will help you explore Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware year-round, from lesser-known excursions to area favorites, including several hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Take a walk through historic Valley Forge, discover the beautiful Brandywine Creek State Park, and see the Pinnacle's spectacular views on the Appalachian Trail. Fully revised and updated, this edition features new hikes in Wolf's Hollow Country Park, Stroud Preserve, Brendan Byrne State Forest, Rockhopper/Dry Run Creek Trails, Trexler Preserve, and Blue Marsh Lake. All descriptions of previously featured trails have been updated to reflect the most recent openings, closings, and reroutings, highlighting the best hikes within an hour or two of Philadelphia.
