OT: gloucester / salem / cumberland counties
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I went to Rowan for grad school, and am in the area every week on average to visit my best friend.
What kind of stuff are you looking for? There are farms, Delaware Bay, and Parvin State Park if you're looking for outdoorsy drives. Washington Township and Deptford in Gloucester and Vineland/ Millville in Cumberland are bigger towns for the area with stores.
With the holiday season coming up, there's also the Hagerty Christmas light display in the Pitman Grove that's open from 5:30-8:30 (or 9:30 Fri-Sat) evenings in December. The entire neighborhood seems to take part, and they display a lot of antique figures and dioramas.
What kind of stuff are you looking for? There are farms, Delaware Bay, and Parvin State Park if you're looking for outdoorsy drives. Washington Township and Deptford in Gloucester and Vineland/ Millville in Cumberland are bigger towns for the area with stores.
With the holiday season coming up, there's also the Hagerty Christmas light display in the Pitman Grove that's open from 5:30-8:30 (or 9:30 Fri-Sat) evenings in December. The entire neighborhood seems to take part, and they display a lot of antique figures and dioramas.
Save this for next summer:
http://www.delseadrive-in.com/
It's worth a drive. It's still open this year, but gotta imagine it gets pretty cold out there.
If you want to see the "different world" part of Vineland, stop by the USell Flea Market or the KMart (not the Walmart...that's where the rich people shop). That place scares the hell out of my wife when I take her there.
http://www.delseadrive-in.com/
It's worth a drive. It's still open this year, but gotta imagine it gets pretty cold out there.
If you want to see the "different world" part of Vineland, stop by the USell Flea Market or the KMart (not the Walmart...that's where the rich people shop). That place scares the hell out of my wife when I take her there.
Gloucester County Peach Festival in July. Peaches all day everyday in July/August. Peaches in Gloucester. Tomato farms in Salem/Cumberland counties. Vineland is the tomato capital of the world and Glass capital too. The Delaware Bay has the best Oysters on the planet.
I grew up in Gloucester County in Washington Twp, about 10 miles SSE of Philly - pure suburban sprawl, but not too far from the Pine Barrens. Perfectly fine place to grow up, but for an adult, I like Central Jersey way more, as RU is there, there are more things to do, better restaurants, etc.
I live in Gibbstown, grew up in Swedesboro (both Gloucester County).
Pine Barrens. Go there. Enjoy nature. Be happy. Take a kayak with you or go rent one.
Lots of nice wineries in the area. It's probably the top thing the area has going for it, other than being close to Philly and tax free shopping in Delaware.
www.newjerseywines.com/wine-trails.html
Cowtown is one of those "I saw it once, no real need to see it much more" type of things; they have a rodeo and a flea market.
www.cowtownrodeo.com
Rowan University Edelman Planetarium, Glassboro. Public showings are offered during regular semesters on Sunday afternoons at 3:00. $5 adults, $3 children-12 & younger.
www.rowan.edu/planetarium
Red Bank Battlefield (nice stroll in the park type of setting, not much to do there, but it's free).
www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/Departments/ParksnRec/redbank.cfm
There's a lot more stuff, but nothing that's like "WOW, I really have to go there." I like where I live, though, because for NJ, I'm not paying $1M for a 500 sqft house.
Pine Barrens. Go there. Enjoy nature. Be happy. Take a kayak with you or go rent one.
Lots of nice wineries in the area. It's probably the top thing the area has going for it, other than being close to Philly and tax free shopping in Delaware.
www.newjerseywines.com/wine-trails.html
Cowtown is one of those "I saw it once, no real need to see it much more" type of things; they have a rodeo and a flea market.
www.cowtownrodeo.com
Rowan University Edelman Planetarium, Glassboro. Public showings are offered during regular semesters on Sunday afternoons at 3:00. $5 adults, $3 children-12 & younger.
www.rowan.edu/planetarium
Red Bank Battlefield (nice stroll in the park type of setting, not much to do there, but it's free).
www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/Departments/ParksnRec/redbank.cfm
There's a lot more stuff, but nothing that's like "WOW, I really have to go there." I like where I live, though, because for NJ, I'm not paying $1M for a 500 sqft house.
Grew up in Cumberland in one of the more rural areas. Not much to do when I grew up, other then blowing stuff up in the fields or forests. For entertainment we went toward the shore or toward Philly.
Now, if you have any interest in any kind of Motorsports, check out the schedule at New Jersey Motorsports Park, http://www.njmp.com/ . I'm not into it, but from what my brother-in-law tells me there are some big time events there.
For smaller time events, there are dirt bike events here, http://www.njmpfod.com/ , which my nephew sometimes races in.
Great place, my Grandparents house was a minute away down Garrison Road. Their backyard extended behind what is now Tri-City paper and I could see the screen from their house. Unfortunately the drive in was closed during my formative years, so never got to take advantage of it.
I used to live there and spent a lot of time in those places and I get scared.
Now, if you have any interest in any kind of Motorsports, check out the schedule at New Jersey Motorsports Park, http://www.njmp.com/ . I'm not into it, but from what my brother-in-law tells me there are some big time events there.
For smaller time events, there are dirt bike events here, http://www.njmpfod.com/ , which my nephew sometimes races in.
Great place, my Grandparents house was a minute away down Garrison Road. Their backyard extended behind what is now Tri-City paper and I could see the screen from their house. Unfortunately the drive in was closed during my formative years, so never got to take advantage of it.
I used to live there and spent a lot of time in those places and I get scared.
I'm not a Jersey native, but I've lived in Gloucester County for about twenty years now.
One thing that always cracks me up is that anybody I meet from north of I-195 thinks we're all "Deliverance" down here. We're right across the river from Philadelphia...
One thing that always cracks me up is that anybody I meet from north of I-195 thinks we're all "Deliverance" down here. We're right across the river from Philadelphia...
Philadelphia is a different kind of deliverance experience...
Sparacio Farm for the best early-season strawberries. Look for them to open a little before Memorial Day.
There's a South Jersey themed show on NJPTV. I watched a bit of it last night and two things interested me. I don't know exactly where they're located but there is a hands on construction machine themed park for kids. It seems like a fun place to go if you have kids under maybe 10. The other was an outdoor art "museum" that I'm thinking of seeing if my daughter would like to go to since that's an interest of hers.
I remember seeing Return of the Jedi at that theater when I was a kid.
I know you are being somewhat tongue in cheek, but I kind of agree about the K Mart, but Walmart isn't any better. And FWIW there is a nice Target across the road (with a Starbucks and everything! iknowrite).
Currently live in Gloucester and work in Cumberland County.
Honestly not much in the way of events or destinations, but its a nice place to live IMHO. Its not like Philly is a long drive, and neither is the shore.
The kids construction site is www.diggerlandusa.com. Right next to Sahara Sam's in Camden or Burlington County, I believe.
One great site to see way further north in Hamilton/Trenton if you haven't been there is a place called Grounds for Sculpture. You definitely won't regret the day trip. Giant sculpture garden. You could walk around for hours enjoying the scenery and take pictures.
One great site to see way further north in Hamilton/Trenton if you haven't been there is a place called Grounds for Sculpture. You definitely won't regret the day trip. Giant sculpture garden. You could walk around for hours enjoying the scenery and take pictures.
I live in Cape May County which has parts similar to Cumberland & Salem.
I don't know how you people can live like you do up north. It's nothing but traffic jams and refineries.
I don't know how you people can live like you do up north. It's nothing but traffic jams and refineries.
I grew up in Woodbury, the seat of Gloucester County, where my family has lived since the 1600's. I would recommend a visit to Mullica Hill for antique shops, etc.
In Salem County there's the Cowtowm Rodeo and Fort Mott state park.
In Cumberland, Weston Village is a good choice.
Like 16E has insinuated, there's a TON of history in that Gloucester County area (if you're into that type of thing).
Growing up we preferred the term "Ghetto Farmland".
When I was in fifth or sixth grade, I was at a school sponsored skating party. Somebody figured out if you went behind the skating rink, you could see the movie at the drive in playing, but without sound. The movie was "Revenge of the Nerds". Me & my buddies learned a lot that evening.
I have grown up and lived in Woodbury my whole life. It all depends what your looking to do. Collingswood and Haddonfield are both great to go out to eat and go to the little shops along the main streets. Cherry Hill Mall is good for shopping as well, in addition to the new Gloucester Premium Outlets. There is a bunch to do depending on what your interested in.
LOL. Collingswood, Haddonfield, & Cherry Hill definitely aren't the Alabama part of the state. OP was looking for an experience. If he wants suburban sprawl he can stay up north.
To the Cumberland County people: did that crazy guy ever get the Palace of Depression rebuilt?
To the Cumberland County people: did that crazy guy ever get the Palace of Depression rebuilt?
Close, but not quite.
Cranberries are mostly in Burlington and Ocean Counties, in the Pines. Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties are below the Pine Barrens, for the most part, and have traditional open field truck farming of tomatoes, corn, eggplant, and a zillion other awesome fruits and vegetables.
For my money, the Salem County Fair is still the best county 4-H fair in the state, hands down.
My family is full of farmers in this area. Nothing's better than spending a Saturday morning at a local farmers market selling produce and having so much fresh stuff at your fingertips. Our farm is known for good asparagus, tomatoes, and other stuff throughout the year. In the last five years, we've been experimenting with a lot of new and interesting produce, so I don't blink when I see Asian long beans or husk cherries when I'm watching a show like Chopped.
I grew up on a farm in South Jersey as well. I'll never forget the consternation in the ranks at the county co-op when a long time farmer told everyone he was going into a contract with an Asian food wholesaler and that he was going to grow 10 acres of bok choi - "whatever the heck that was."
Now its a common crop in the area, along with many other Asian and other world specialties. The prevalence of Chopped, other shows like it, and the whole foodie thing, has been fantastic for NJ vegetable farmers. The best thing that has happened to NJ farmers in years is the growing realization of people in the NY/NJ/Philly area remembering how much better their food tastes when they get away from the supermarket and buy local.
To the OP: if you are going to visit South Jersey, do it in mid-summer when you can experience the local farmer's markets at their best.