First Ride Report - South Jersey to Red Bank and Back

[82CB750SC]

So it's the start of the summer for me and I wanted to get out on the road.  I decided to go see my old college roommate up in Red Bank, NJ.  I left from Pennsauken,  NJ.  Typically, if you were to take the quickest way, this trip should take about 2 hours...my trip took 3 1/2 hours because i made a few stops on the way.

I made sure I packed all of my tools, a change of clothes, a cooler with drinks, GPS, directions, phone, and charger. 


My first stop was at a Wildlife Refuge that has a good size lake, Assumpink Lake, for lunch.  Getting back to the lack was difficult due to the terrible roads.  Just when you think the road was ok, it suddenly turned into giant pot holes, gravel, and sand.  I took it easy and made it through.   











After a Wawa sandwich, I jumped back on the road (very carefully) and headed towards Monmouth Battlefield Memorial.  This was about 40 minutes away from the lake. There was a couple cool statues, plaques, paintings, and other exhibits.  There was also a ton of photo ops outside.












After checking all this out, I went directly to Red Bank to see my old roommate.  Once I was there is a cage for me for a while.  We went into town and I got some photos of a small bay with some boats.  Apparently, Bon Jovi lives on the other side of the bay. 





After some lunch we went to the highest point on the eastern coast.  You can see New York city from here.  There was a 9/11 memorial there as well.










Then it was dinner time with his folks.  Once back to his house it was getting pretty late, so I was forced to take the quick way home.  1 1/2 hours of 2 interstates at 70+ mph was pretty stressful, but i was home before 11. 

I hope to do this ride again soon, but take a different way home.

[hockeyhawk]

Great pics Joe, very scenic. I would love to ride out that way. Were you anywhere near the Red Bank Armory? It was converted into a hockey rink, my kids have played there a handful of times.

[82CB750SC]

If I was, I had not idea.  sounds like something I need to check out next time I head up there.

[Burgi]

Very pretty, I love all the historical sites you get back east.

[hppants]

Looks like you are having fun.  The refuge on your first stop - was that fresh water, brackish water, or salt water?

Thanks for sharing.

[82CB750SC]

You know, i'm not sure.  i thought it was freshwater, but i could be wrong.

[luckylindy]

 Good report and pics.

[ariwhiteboy]

Wow looks like a nice relaxing ride.  Thanks for sharing with us. 

P.S. What is the sticker on the back of your helmet?

[82CB750SC]

P.S. What is the sticker on the back of your helmet?

That's a sticker that was given out if you passed the rider training course here in Jersey.  it's reflective so i figured on the back of my head is a good spot. 

[ariwhiteboy]

P.S. What is the sticker on the back of your helmet?

That's a sticker that was given out if you passed the rider training course here in Jersey.  it's reflective so i figured on the back of my head is a good spot. 

Awesome    I got a really cool plastic pocket sticker from a local bike shop that holds an emergency info paper.

[happycommuter]

Ooh, the convenience store where Kevin Smith filmed Clerks is in Red Bank, as is (maybe) his comic book store.   I've also heard that BonJovi lives in Rumson.

I had no idea there was a Baron/General Von Steuben statue down there.

Please everyone, do not be fooled by these pretty pictures of natural and historical beauty.  The Garden State is mainly a post-apocalyptic hellhole of smog, urban decay and debri-strewn roads with views of graffiti. It is a horrrible, horrible place and nobody from out-of state should ever visit.

[JB1290]

Great report. Love the pics. 

[ariwhiteboy]

Please everyone, do not be fooled by these pretty pictures of natural and historical beauty.  The Garden State is mainly a post-apocalyptic hellhole of smog, urban decay and debri-strewn roads with views of graffiti. It is a horrrible, horrible place and nobody from out-of state should ever visit.

So is that a real warning to be taken seriously or some attempt to keep all that beautiful riding to yourself?    Although given your penchant for bright colors and tough mad max posture I'm inclined to take it seriously.

 

[hockeyhawk]

If I was, I had not idea.  sounds like something I need to check out next time I head up there.

Here's a map to the Red Bank Armory and a pic from the last time we were there, it's an awsome building.

http://www.rinkatlas.com/?q=Red+Bank+Armory&Search=Search

[Burgi]

Please everyone, do not be fooled by these pretty pictures of natural and historical beauty.  The Garden State is mainly a post-apocalyptic hellhole of smog, urban decay and debri-strewn roads with views of graffiti. It is a horrrible, horrible place and nobody from out-of state should ever visit.

Heck with the scenery just tell me the state isn't full of those awful MTV Jersey Shore types. 

[happycommuter]

I kid.  NJ has, or at least had, a reputation as a toxic wasteland and the treasure trove of natural beauty still left in the densely populated state is a secret even to most residents.
I'm pretty sure that the Red Bank area is several magnitudes of gentrification above the Jersey Shore scene.

http://www.jerseydoesntstink.com/

[tellz50]

Looks like you are having fun. The refuge on your first stop - was that fresh water, brackish water, or salt water?

Thanks for sharing.

hppants, Assunpink Lake is a fresh water lake and from memory I'm thinking it might be man made. Nice bass, perch, crappie, etc... fish species to catch and in the past you use to be able to ice fish depending on how cold the winter was. You can also hunt deer, pheasant, quail, etc... on the property since it's a wildlife management area run by the state.

Nice ride report CB750SC! Us riders from NJ (and any riders in neighboring states) should all meet up sometime this summer.

[hppants]

Thanks TellZ50 - the shoreline and water vegetation in those pictures looks like some of the coastal saltwater marsh I frequent.  No oil yet in my spots - fingers crossed.

[mikem1968]

Despite being the crux of many a joke -- Jersey does has it's nicer areas - some shore points are less "crazy" than the whole Seaside Heights scene (which seemed so cool 20-25 yrs ago to me when I was a teenager, but not so much now). The northern / north-western and southern most points away from the whole Manhattan / NJ / hudson river crossings / "fall-out radius" can be very different from most of those cities in that area.  Sadly I live within that area, but try to get away as much as possible.

The girlfriend is looking at buying a house somewhere up in Hopatcong or someplace right now (even has an offer in on one and just awaiting the bank okay) -- so hopefully -- very soon we'll be moving away from the crazier / mostly -- urban part of NJ. I'm just glad I learned how to ride over here, I figure if I can survive the kind of cage drivers I encounter around here every day, then living out in the "country" (well country to me anyway) should be a sinch.

Mike

[Gizmo]

Well done, thanks for posting. If you ever want to try south, try the Cohansey river area of Cumberland/Salem counties.

The Red Bank Armory rink is about 10 minutes from that park. (I got a kid who plays pucks, they should be playing the Red Bank Generals in Sept/Oct).

[darian]

Good report/pics.  Was baby blue a period correct color for that cannon?