Month: July 2018
Location: Eatontown, Asbury Park, Sandy
Hook and Princeton
I knew that I would eventually have to visit the “Garden State” but the question was,
where? Jersey City and Newark, well,
there wasn’t much there that interested me.
People said that I should go to Princeton and while that was a good idea,
I wanted something more out of this state.
That’s when I thought about visiting the famous “Jersey Shore”. The first
thought, of course, was Atlantic City.
But I had been there before, and it was too far south. I was visiting on July 4th, which
was mid-week, and wanted to combine this trip with a visit to New York later
that weekend. Some place more
upstate would be ideal. That’s when I
came across Asbury Park and it seemed perfect.
So, I booked a flight to Newark and rented a car that would take me to
Asbury Park for a night. I would then go
to Princeton the following day and leave for New York a day later. It was a solid plan.
My flight to Newark was in the late morning on July 4th,
so it wasn’t a big rush to get to the airport.
I landed just after 2:30 pm Eastern and had to figure out a way to get to
the “Rental Cars”, for which I had to
take the “AirTrain”. It was an elevated train that stopped at all
terminals and eventually I arrived at my destination. With my car at hand and directions on my
phone, I set off for the “Jersey Shore”. I couldn’t find affordable housing in Asbury
Park, and hence had booked a room in Eatontown, which was about 5-6 miles from
the beach. The drive took me on the
infamous “New Jersey Turnpike” for a
bit and yeah, it was still as ugly as I remembered it. After about 45 minutes of driving I arrived
at my hotel which looked quite plain.
But with the demand in this area they were charging me a hefty rate,
though they did win me over a bit by having chocolate pudding as a check-in
treat.
I dropped my stuff off and called a ride, which took a long
time to get to me. In the meanwhile,
people around me were either going to or coming back from the beach. There are a few things in life which are just
not for me and lazing on the beach the entire day is top of the list. When my “Uber”
finally got to me, the most disconcerting thing was seeing that the driver had
a companion with them for the ride. This
is a strict violation of their policy and clearly the driver was choosing to
ignore that. Later during the ride, the
driver abandoned the car in the middle of a busy road and went to help some
ducks cross the street. I wish I was
making this up and as sweet as this sounds, it is still an unprofessional thing
to do – not to mention unsafe for themselves as well as people in the car.
 |
| From the roof of 'The Asbury Hotel' |
I finally arrived at my destination,
which wasn’t the beach, but a place called
‘The
Asbury Hotel’.
I was headed to
‘Salvation Rooftop Bar’ and this shouldn’t come as a surprise to
those who know me.
I do have my
priorities very clear when I visit any place!
The bar was your typical rooftop with great views and had quite a crowd
for this time of the afternoon.
I could
see the boardwalk, where I was headed after this, as well as the long beach of
Asbury Park.
I started with something
called
“Asbury Pain Killer” and with
that out of the way, set off for the beach.
 |
| The boardwalk |
Barring a brief visit to Atlantic City many years ago, I
have not been on any boardwalk. While
researching towns along the “Jersey
Shore” I had noticed that most of those had a boardwalk, and I was keen to
explore why that was such an attraction.
There was a huge structure that looked like an aircraft hanger and which
housed many vendors selling everything from food to souvenirs. A wooden path extended out on either side and
beyond the path and the building was the beach.
Both, the beach as well as the boardwalk, was bustling with people. I started making my way through the crowd and
very soon the beach would be emptied to prepare for the fireworks, meaning the
boardwalk would have even more people.
 |
| The famous 'Stone Pony' |
There were some attractions, including something called ‘Silverball Museum’, which housed
several “Pinball Machines” – a lot of
them. I would have gone in, if not for
the entry fee, since I wasn’t interested in playing anyways. Next to it was a place called ‘Langosta Lounge’, which was a typical
bar by the beach. It was also very full,
and I got a solitary spot at the end of the bar and ordered a drink called “Jalepeno and Pineapple Rita”. They had now started clearing the beach and people
were coming inside all the restaurants and bars. I stayed here for a bit and started walking
further down the boardwalk. One of my
colleagues had mentioned that I should stop by to see a place called ‘Stone Pony’, which was a music place
where Bruce Springsteen got his start.
Apparently he still stops by occasionally, but not today, since it was
a small building which hardly looked like a famous music spot. I suppose that’s the point of it all.
 |
| The beach was being emptied for the fireworks |
Towards the end of
the boardwalk was a place called ‘Watermark’,
that came highly recommended and which I wanted to visit. The tricky part was locating the entrance,
which wasn’t on the boardwalk, but rather a street behind it. After walking around for a bit, I finally
found it and went upstairs to see a place which had a large deck overlooking
the beach, as well as a nice lounge with comfortable couches and chairs –
including a fireplace. You had to order
a drink at the bar – which had no seats – and then proceed to wherever you
wanted to settle. I picked a nice couch
near the fireplace and enjoyed my drink called, “The Mermaid and the Walrus”.
 |
| Heading into "downtown" |
It was a beautiful evening as I left the boardwalk and
headed inland towards what passed off as the main town area. There were a few blocks of
streets with restaurants and bars and this was more of my kind of spot than the
beach. I was headed to a place called ‘Barrio Costero’, which was a very
trendy place serving Mexican cuisine. I
got “Guadalajara Old Fashioned” and
it was as good a drink as I had this evening.
On another street around the corner was a building resembling an old
house, both from the outside and the inside.
This was in fact a bar and restaurant called ‘Moonstruck’ and unlike other places, this one was quite
isolated. Part of the reason was the
ambiance, which resembled an old lounge complete with a piano, and I expected
someone to come and sing Sinatra songs at any time. As could be expected, their main specialty
was Martini and even though I liked the place, I didn’t stay long.
 |
| Headed for dinner |
I came back to the main, busy part of town – what a
difference just one corner makes – and into a place that was opposite of one I
had just left. It was called ‘The Bonney Read’ and man was it
full! I squeezed into one spot at the
bar and ordered “Nelson’s Folly Olde
Fashioned”, with a lot of hustle and bustle around me. There was another place that I wanted to
visit prior to my dinner and it was a bar called ‘Little Buddy’. What I did
not know was that it was also a “speakeasy”
and for the life of me, I couldn’t find the place. For someone who has traveled the country
successfully seeking these places, this was an amateurish effort. In my defense though, if I had known this was
one of those hidden places, I would have done my research.
 |
| The bar at 'Pascal and Sabine' |
I arrived at my dinner place ‘Pascal and Sabine’ ahead of my reservations and went to the bar
area to wait. There I met a gentleman
named Danny, who was of Colombian decent, but lived in Australia. We got talking and for the next 20 minutes chatted about multiple things including travel, soccer and everything that
guys at a bar discuss. When my table was
ready, I went over and while not the best, it was a decent meal. I asked my server about this bar I was trying
to locate, and he told me how to get there.
Apparently, it was inside a bar named ‘The Annex’, which itself was inside a pub called ‘Brickwall Tavern & Dining Room’. Yeah, talk about making it difficult.
 |
| The hidden 'Little Buddy' |
After dinner I walked across the street to have another go
at finding this place, just as the fireworks show was on at the beach. I saw a
guy at the door and he let me through into a “Tiki Bar” and secret or not, there were lot of people in there. With all the colorful décor and lights, it was
a festive ambiance and I liked it. I got
a drink called “Shipwrecked” and soaked
it all in. I had been in Asbury Park for
less than half a day, though it seemed longer. It had been a fun evening and though I could
have stayed out longer, I called a ride – a very expensive ride as it turned
out to be – back to the hotel.
 |
| Starting with a New Jersey institution |
I checked-out of my hotel just as people were leaving for
the beach. I was planning to be in
Princeton in the afternoon, meaning I had this morning to explore more of this
area. I debated going down south, to the
next township of ‘Belmar’, which had
a beach and probably another boardwalk.
But I decided to go north instead, to Sandy Hook, which called itself a “barrier split”, a coastal landform that
is usually formed due to sand and tides.
This one was almost 6 miles long and shaped like a hook – hence the
name. It also housed a “Coast Guard Base”, which was off-limits. But most of the area was managed by “National Park Services”, including
beaches and a Lighthouse. It was a short
car ride away, though before that I had to visit the great New Jersey
institution that is a “Deli”.
 |
| Inside 'Frank's Deli' |
Whenever you watch “Travel”
or “Food” related shows, they
emphasize that one must have a “deli
sandwich” in New Jersey. Now, that
could also be since New Jersey has no other contribution to the culinary
world! ‘Frank’s Deli’ in Asbury Park was considered to be one of the top
ones in the State and so I headed there before leaving town. I parked the car in their tiny lot and went
inside to see a long line. After a while
I realized that it was for pickup and so I moved past the folks and sat at the
counter. I had been to ‘Katz Delicatessen’ in New York and
while this was much smaller than that, the general interior was similar. There were tables arranged close to each
other and occupied by families. There
was a place for people to order their “deli
meat” to go and the portions, well let’s just say that no one left
hungry. I ordered a “Chicken Salad” sandwich and the thing which impressed me the most
was its construction. Yes, the sandwich
was enormous, but it held its shape when you took a bite, as all good
sandwiches should.
 |
| The lighthouse at Sandy Hook |
With a hearty lunch behind me, I set off for Sandy Hook and
at stages the road got really narrow with water on both sides. There was a small fee to enter and that gave
the visitors access to the various beaches and a 250-year-old lighthouse, which
was where I wanted to go. I arrived at
what looked like “town square” but
with abandoned buildings, that looked like they had been military barracks. I went inside the visitor’s center at the
base of the lighthouse and signed up for a tour, which wouldn’t start for
another 45 minutes. That gave me an
opportunity to explore the museum as well as the grounds. The exhibits presented a nice little history
of the lighthouse and its role in the early trade route into New York Harbor.
It was built in mid-1700’s and is the oldest operating lighthouse in the
nation.
 |
| The creepy ruins of "artillery battery" |
Besides the lighthouse, the premises were also a part of a
now de-active Fort. There were ruins of “artillery battery”, which were
accessible through some creepy looking passages through overgrown
shrubbery. As far as ruins go, this one
was a bit spooky and would make for a fantastic “Halloween” attraction. I
got out of there fast and since there was enough time to spare prior to my lighthouse
tour, I walked over to another abandoned site – which was further away
than I had anticipated – and even got into my car to drive around a bit. There were rows upon rows of abandoned
houses, which once housed the military folks stationed here, but now looked
like a “ghost town”. I returned for my tour and there were a few
other folks besides me who would be making the climb. And a climb it was.
 |
| Manhattan skyline from the top of the lighthouse |
Going up a spiral staircase does not allow for much resting
and so by the time the group reached the top, I was quite winded. But wait, now we had to go up a straight
ladder and squeeze through a narrow trapdoor in order to reach the actual
light. Getting up through that was
interesting and getting down would take some doing. But once I was up there I was glad to have
done so, because the view around me was spectacular. Our guide pointed out the ‘Statue of Liberty’ in the distance,
with Manhattan as the backdrop. We could
also see Staten Island as well as parts of New Jersey. It also provided us with a “birds-eye view” of this area and
besides the ruins, we could see the “Coast
Guard” base at the edge of land. The
guide told us more about the history of this place and the shipping corridor
that it served. Then it was time to make the treacherous decent down the
ladder, followed by the spiral staircase.
It was a hot day outside and it was felt inside the building.
 |
| The abandoned barracks |
Before departing I stopped at one of the houses,
which had been converted into a replica of what it was like to live here back
in the 70s. There was no
air-conditioning inside, meaning that I got out of there fast and with
directions to Princeton programmed in, started my hour-long drive. It took me through the interior roads and
towns, and even through some rain for a bit, before I arrived at my hotel in Princeton. As I walked through the lobby, I was
surprised that was more elegant than I had anticipated. But this was one of the premier “college towns” and thus had higher
standards than the place I had stayed at last night, which had been double the rate here.
 |
| Finally, the 'Princeton University Art Museum' |
There weren’t many sights outside of the campus and that’s
where I was headed. I took a ride to ‘Princeton University Art Museum’, but
there was a problem getting there due to construction. So my driver dropped me just outside the
campus, which was fine with me since I would be able to navigate using my
trusted phone. Well, that’s what I
thought. For whatever reason my “GPS” was not functioning well and I was
struggling to get oriented. I walked
about in circles for some time, with no clue where the said building was
located. Now, there are worst places to
get lost than this amazing campus, but I was getting annoyed by the lack of
maps to help people find their way.
Plus, none of the students that I asked for directions knew anything
about their campus! I entered a building
and asked some other students – who looked like they belonged to a “drama club” – and fortunately they were
able to point me to the right building.
 |
| It was a very respectable museum |
I have been to my share of museums during my travels and
some good ones too. I did not have much
expectations from this one, especially since it was inside a University. This one was not only respectable, but
could have put some of the other museums to shame. I enjoyed my time here and with no other
sights on the agenda for this afternoon, I was ready to hit the bars. Well, that would be a challenge since once
again, my navigation was acting up. I
was going to a place on campus, called ‘Dinky
Bar and Kitchen’, but had no idea how to find it. I asked a student and he gave me complex, but
detailed directions, which I hoped to follow.
Funny that none of the students knew where the museum was but could find
a bar easily!
 |
| The charming building of 'Dinky Bar and Kitchen' |
After a couple of wrong turns I finally arrived at the
place, which was inside a charming building that looked like a cottage. The interior was modern, with a nice bar
area, which was preparing for dinner crowd.
I ordered a drink called “Black
Diamond” and contemplated my next destination. I could either go into the downtown, where I
would be spending bulk of my time this evening, or take a ride to go a bit away
to a place called, ‘Flight Martini and
Wine Lounge’. With a classy name
like that, I decided to proceed there, which in hindsight wasn’t the best use
of my time.
 |
| The disappointing 'Flight Martini and Wine Lounge' |
We navigated through the evening rush hour – this was a
Thursday after all – to arrive at the ‘Crowne
Plaza Hotel’, which was in an area resembling an “Industrial Park”. The bar
was in the Mezzanine level of this hotel and I arrived to see that I was the
only person in there, much to the annoyance of the bartender. It was also very hot in there and I was told
that the air-conditioning was broken.
Now, being in the energy industry, I have certain insights on tricks
businesses play in order to save money.
A quick look at the grid told me that this particular zone was probably
in energy conservation mode and cutting power to air-conditioners is the best
and fastest way to do that. Also, since
the lobby of the hotel had been comfortably cool, they probably figured that
since no one was in the bar area, it would be best to switch off air to that
section. Well, I could respect that,
even thought it was quite unpleasant and even a ‘Cuban Mojito’ couldn’t stop me from getting out fast. Coming here had been a mistake.
 |
| A beautiful evening in downtown Princeton |
I took a ride back into town and was dropped off on a
charming street which constituted the main part of downtown Princeton. There were restaurants, bars and boutique
shops, and people had come out to enjoy the evening. I went to a bar called ‘Mistral’ and as far as cocktails go, these folks knew what they
were doing. The menu was full of
original creations and I ordered a drink called ‘Lion’s Tail’. The bar area
was nice and on the other side I could see the dining room, with an open
kitchen. A quick look at the menu
indicated that this might have been a good dinner option, but I had made other
plans. But that was for much later in
the evening.
 |
| The entrance to 'Alchemist & Barrister' |
Just across the street was my next stop, ‘Witherspoon Grill’. Now, this place was full as any during
dinnertime. Both, the dining, as well as the bar area were busy, though I managed to squeeze into a solitary spot at the bar. I enjoyed the buzz around me over my ‘Kentucky Old Fashioned’ and the place
was filling up even more when I left. Nearby in an alley was a supposedly popular spot called ‘Alchemist & Barrister’ and I arrived to see that there was some party going on in one of the sections. I got a place
at the bar and ordered “A&B Rum Punch”,
which was bright and colorful. This
looked like a college bar and I wondered if it was old enough for someone like
Albert Einstein to have visited.
 |
| 'The Peacock Inn' |
It was twilight now as I walked to the busy cross-street
bordering the campus and to a place called ‘Triumph
Brewing Company’. Although this was
a brewery, as evident from the huge vats behind the bar, I got a cocktail
called ‘What’s Up Doc’. There were some students over here, as well as
on the street outside, as I walked to my dining destination, ‘The Peacock Inn’. It was a few blocks away on a very quiet and
isolated street and from the outside looked like a house. It described itself as a “Luxury Boutique Hotel”, and the
dining room had white table cloth, but was quite empty. The service was good though, with them trying
their best to be a fine dining restaurant.
The food was okay and besides a very interesting group – with an
obviously drunk man – that showed up later, I was alone for the duration of my
meal. I took a ride back to my hotel and
since it was still early – by my standards I guess – I visited the bar, ‘Artisan Kitchen and Lounge’, for a
nightcap before retiring.
 |
| The quaint architecture of 'Princeton University' |
The next day was overcast as I checked-out and drove my car
to the campus. I parked in a garage near
the street where I had been the previous evening and then walked over. As I had found out yesterday, this is a
beautiful campus with its architecture and ivy-covered walls. I walked around admiring the buildings and
even stepped inside a chapel to take a look.
I spotted other tour groups and a guided tour would probably have been a
good idea. A few blocks from the campus
was a place called ‘Morven Museum &
Garden’, which was a historic house from the 18th century and
now on the “National Register of Historic
Places”.
 |
| The gardens and house of the 'Moven Museum' |
I walked down the path towards the house, noticing a
charming box for people to pick-up and drop-off books – almost like a community
library. The house itself was simple and
once served as “Governor’s Mansion”. It was nice to walk through the place and the
gardens, learning more about the families that lived there. After a while I started my journey back to
the garage to pick-up my car. While I
could have spent more time in Princeton, I had to drop off the car before my 48
hours of rental were up. However, I had
enough time for some brunch. One of the
places that had come up during my research was in a mall lot and was called ‘The Turning Point of Princeton’. There appeared to be several visitors to the
mall as I parked and went over to the restaurant, which was full as well. After a short wait I got a spot at the bar
and the food was worth the hype.
 |
| Final stop for brunch |
By the time I was ready to leave it was pouring outside and I got soaked, even with my short walk to the car. The thunderstorms continued on my way to the
airport, but by the time I arrived it had cleared up. I was headed to New York City and after
dropping off my car I got on the “AirTrain”
to the Airport station to take me downtown.
That seemed to take forever, but eventually I found my way to my
destination for a 35-minute ride that would drop me off in the middle of
Manhattan. It seems like Newark is the
best airport to fly into if headed to New York.
But this was about my 46th visit during these travels. I had been doubtful that New Jersey would
have much to offer, but had been surprised by how much fun I had in Asbury
Park. Plus, Princeton had been charming, thus making this one of the better trips of the lot.
