New Jersey Curiosities

Whether you’re a born-and-raised New Jerseyan, a recent transplant, or just passing through, New Jersey Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Peter Genovese takes you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of theGarden State. Learn the proper way to cook a garbage can turkey, get the skinny on the real birthplace of baseball, and hear the story of Waving Willie, New Jersey’s friendliestroadside character. Meet the undisputed Weenie Queen of Garfield; a Hickory Dickory Dock clock–covering car artist; and a gas station-turned-restaurant-owning undertaker. Feel the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat at the New Jersey Cockroach Derby, and relive the OK Corral shoot-out and shoot cap guns at bad guys in Wild West City.

In this completely revised and updated edition of New Jersey Curiosities, award-winning columnist Pete Genovese introduces readers to the other side of the Garden State--not just The Sopranos, ' ten-story-high landfills, and the ugliest highway in the history of pavement (the New Jersey Turnpike). New Jersey also claims the world's best spaghetti, nicest sandwich, and biggest ice cream cone, not to mention world-famous crabs, cheesesteaks, chili dogs, peanut brittle, and milkshakes. But it's not all about food. Within these pages you will discover animal actors, the nation's oldest nudist camp, and the International Castor Oil Association (which is taking new members).

Perfect Camping for You in New Jersey! The Garden State provides a spectacular backdrop for some of the most scenic campgrounds in the country. But do you know which campgrounds offer the most privacy? Which are the best for first-time campers? Matt Willen traversed the entire state—from the northern reaches of Stokes State Forest to the Atlantic coastal islands—and compiled the most up-to-date research to steer you to the perfect spot! Best Tent Camping: New Jersey presents 50 private, state park, and state forest campgrounds, organized into five distinct regions. Selections are based on location, topography, size, and overall appeal, and every site is rated for beauty, privacy, spaciousness, safety and security, and cleanliness—so you’ll always know what to expect. The new full-color edition of this proven guidebook provides everything you need to know, with detailed maps of each campground and key information such as fees, restrictions, dates of operation, and facilities, as well as driving directions and GPS coordinates. Whether you seek a quiet campground near a fish-filled stream or a family campground with all the amenities, grab Best Tent Camping: New Jersey. It’s an escape for all who wish to find those special locales that recharge the mind, body, and spirit. This guide is a keeper.

Despite the many jokes and stereotypes about New Jersey and its residents, in reality the state is a wildly diverse place, home to a vast variety of landscapes, cultures, and people. There is no singular New Jersey experience, and the stories that its residents have to share about the state will surprise you. New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State is an eclectic anthology featuring personal essays, interviews, and comics from a broad group of established and emerging writers and artists who have something to say about New Jersey. It offers a multifaceted look at the state’s history and significance, told through narrative nonfiction, photographs, and illustrations. New Jersey Fan Club is edited by Kerri Sullivan, founder of the popular Instagram account Jersey Collective (@jerseycollective), which features weekly takeovers by different New Jerseyans. This book functions the same way: it gives dozens of different contributors the chance to share what New Jersey looks like to them. The book is an exploration of how the same locale can shape people in different ways, and it will inspire readers to look at the Garden State with fresh eyes and appreciate its bounty of beautiful places and vibrant spaces.

The history of criminal offense in New Jersey is documented in this book, beginning with a general survey of crime in the state and then focusing on its headline cases, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the John List killings, the mob activities that inspired The Sopranos, and the murder that led to Megan's Law.

From the northern reaches of Stokes State Forest to the Atlantic coastal islands, camping in New Jersey has never been better. The Best in Tent Camping: New Jersey will guide you to the quietest, most beautiful, most secure, and best managed campgrounds in the Garden State.

Beyond New Jersey’s bustling cities and busy turnpikes are lesser known marvels of nature and history, all within easy reach of a traveler consulting this book. Let Backroads of New Jersey guide you to the natural wonders, historic sites, and other secrets of the Garden State, from scenic lake country and bountiful farmlands to woodland forest preserves and the glistening white-sand beaches of a 127-mile Atlantic Ocean shoreline. One of the original thirteen colonies, New Jersey was the site of some of the most famous battles of the American Revolutionary War. Today you can walk in George Washington’s footsteps and revisit milestones of the Revolution at Washington Crossing State Park, the historic Morristown area, and the great Princeton Battlefield. This book’s twenty-nine backroads tours also invite you to experience nature at its most splendid, in the Meadowlands, the Delaware Water Gap, the Great Swamp, and the Pine Barrens region--the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. Follow the multitude of seaside routes along the boardwalks and beaches of the Jersey Shore from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south. Or turn inland and stop at a world-famous diner, buy farm-fresh Jersey tomatoes at a roadside stand, or explore the hidden corners of old, industrial cities like Paterson, Hoboken, and Newark. And don’t overlook the state’s oddities and folklore: Grovers Mill, invaded by Martians in Orson Welles’s infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast; Flemington, where the Lindbergh kidnapping trial took place; and Leeds Point, birthplace of the mythic Jersey Devil. Whether you’re planning a day trip, looking for unusual destinations, or simply want to learn more about the region, all routes in Backroads of New Jersey will lead you to the true heart of the state.

State Oddities takes a different kind of look at the American nation, spotlighting the fun foibles, peculiarities, and twists in each of the 50 states that are (mostly) united under the Stars and Stripes. State Oddities is a fascinating trip through the 50 states for students studying America, teachers planning classroom activities, and general readers who will enjoy an eye-opening journey through the nation's fun side. It offers a compelling look at the character of America through the individuality of 50 very distinct states that together form the USA. This book paints a picture of the broad sweep of the American story, offering a gateway to the country as it developed into one nation filled with individual states that can be remarkably different from each other, yet unified under such national symbols as the American flag and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The author of State Oddities has become known as a master of "painless history," telling America's story in a sparkling style along with the historian's eye for fascinating detail. On the book's cross-country journey, the reader will find that it differs from other works by taking a fresh look at stories we think we know.