What "local thing" have you never been to/visited? (East Brunswick: restaurant, shop)

[EEEPNJ]

I've never been to the Pine Barrens.

I agree Seaside OVERRATED. But I too used to go, with my old boyfriend who had the Camaro with the T-tops. LOL

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

I've never been to the Pine Barrens.

Sure you have-you just didn't stop on your way to Seaside! In college I took a course on New Jersey history and my professor (North Jersey guy) basically referred to the Pine Barrens as "that place you drive through on the way to the shore."

[EEEPNJ]

Is that it really? I thought there had to be more to it than that.

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

Is that it really? I thought there had to be more to it than that.

That's by no means ALL of it. The Pines are a huge area of New Jersey. It just so happens that they are concentrated in the southeastern part of the state, so most folks that live west and north have to drive through some portion of them to get to the shore. See my replies to Raven's thread asking about stuff to do in the Pines.

[EEEPNJ]

Is that the area where the big fire was in Forked River back in the 90's?

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

Is that the area where the big fire was in Forked River back in the 90's?

Yes. The Pines have frequent fires as well as controlled burns to get rid of underbrush which, if left unchecked, can create huge wildfires, not to mention the fact that scrub pines have serotinous cones, which means they can only open to release their seeds when heated. The Pines were also the scene of the huge fire at the Warren Grove Bombing Range, which is part of Fort Dix. Fort Dix, Maguire Air Force Base, and Lakehurst Naval Air Station lie entirely within the Pine Barrens.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by wileynj

Would love to go to Ellis but the Statue... could take it or leave it.

Yeah, you've got to see it at least once. I walk by it once or twice per week usually (in Liberty State Park).

Unfortunately, they won't let you walk to it from Liberty State Park, but I've been there a few times.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

That's by no means ALL of it. The Pines are a huge area of New Jersey. It just so happens that they are concentrated in the southeastern part of the state, so most folks that live west and north have to drive through some portion of them to get to the shore. See my replies to Raven's thread asking about stuff to do in the Pines.

The Pinelands comprise 22% of the state surface area, and is the least densely populated area on the Eastern Seaboard between Boston and Richmond VA.

[JERSEY MAN]

Originally Posted by mike0421

The Pinelands comprise 22% of the state surface area, and is the least densely populated area on the Eastern Seaboard between Boston and Richmond VA.

And a little trivia to add. The Pinelands sit on top of the largest underground aquifer east of the Mississippi River.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by JERSEY MAN

And a little trivia to add. The Pinelands sit on top of the largest underground aquifer east of the Mississippi River.

And damn, that water tastes good! Best water I ever had was well-fed water at a friend's house in Shamong. I think that aquifer's spatial extent actually goes into Camden County, beyond the Pinelands border.