Hike #302
On former CNJ line in Somerville
Following Hike #300 Cathy and I became very close again for a time before finally falling apart and this was one of the really good days I'm happy to look back on. I'm glad I'm able to hold onto the good memories instead of focusing on the bad.
8/23/7 Somerville/Bridgewater/Raritan loop with Cathy Fisher
Foot bridge in Bridgewater from the mall
Peter's Brook Greenway, Somerville
Along Peter's Brook Greenway
Peter's Brook Greenway
Peter's Brook Greenway
Peter's Brook Greenway
Abandoned CNJ South Branch Railroad, Somerville
Is that like a Loogie? Loogie gelato? ewww
Mirror shot
Old bridge in Raritan
Old bridge in Raritan
Historic marker
Snake on a branch in Raritan Power Canal, Duke Island Park
Along trail of Raritan Power Canal
Raritan Power Canal
Raritan Power Canal
Raritan Power Canal
Raritan Power Canal trail
Raritan Power Canal trail
Old building
Raritan Power Canal
Ardmeaer Park
Ardmeaer Park
A truss bridge being restored in Raritan
A small greenway in Raritan
Old rail spur in Raritan
Raritan Station, A Richardson Romanesque in Queen Anne Style
Raritan Station
Good Year Blimp
Good Year Blimp
NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line
On this, the date of Cathy and I'd 8th anniversery, I was able to get off work, and since we had no money Cathy said we should just go for a hike. I had no problem with that, so we opted to explore around the Somerville NJ area. We began walking from Bridgewater Mall near the Bloomingdale's store. We at first walked down to a road and went the wrong way for a ways and had to turn back. We went around the mall passing the Lord and Taylor Store, then crossed Rt 22 on a pedestrian bridge to Mountain Avenue I think it was, passing by a school and then reaching the Peter's Brook Greenway and a trail. I knew there was a greeway, but had no idea there was a trail, so we tried to follow it downstream. The trail, an improved crushed stone surface, led us by apartments at first, then along a street, back onto another trail section, all on the north side of the brook. We passed by some ball fields and such, passing some newly renovated bridges and a gazebo. We continued along the Peter's Brook Greenway which abruptly seemed to end, though we could cross a street and walk along the brook, on a public easement that seemed to have a sewer line under it. We followed it out across a grassy field and a basketball court where we reached Main Street, Somerville. We turned right here and stopped in a Krauzer's store. We were sad to see they did not have any good chocolate milk. We crosses Main Street and headed into another field area parallel with Peter's Brook heading south, then turned right continueing along the field away from the brook. We passed a little skate park area and started walking down Veteran's Memorial Drive toward the railroad station. We commented on how this would not be the place to live because there were a couple of neighbors argueing over some shrubs that the other neighbor should leave alone.We continued on turning left on South Bridge Street under the former CNJ Railroad, passing the parking area for NJ Transit where I'd parked many times before. We followed Bridge Street to the Somerville Cemetary and walked across out to the right of way of the former Central Railroad of NJ, which headed from Somerville out to Flemington junction. We followed the right of way right to the north end, near Somerville Station, then south to Rt 206, where a couple of latin guys pulled the weeds back for Cathy to pass by. We followed Rt 206 north to Orlando Drive, where we reached Raritan Shopping Center. We went into the Stop and Shop or whatever that store was, and got some chocolate milk that rather sucked. Still, I drank it, then we continued past some golf place heading west on Orlando, which became Mill Street I think, and paralleled Canal Street, the former route of the Raritan Power Canal that had been filled in at this point. We soon reached an old truss bridge on the left, called Nevius Street Bridge, that had been closed to vehicles the year before, now a pedestrian bridge, and we walked across and back. On the south side there was what appeared to be a castle, which I believe used to be part of the Doris Duke estate, but I'm not sure. There was also a guy on the bridge fishing that had more facial piercings than I've ever seen, and it looked at and very painful. He looked like he had Borg Implands (from Star Trek). We continued on and entered the power canal trail, which led along a path into a tunnel beneath the new alignment of the road and bridge that replaced the old truss bridge, and continued on along the trail on the filled in power canal. We soon crossed over a little bridge and reached where the power canal still had water in it. There were a couple kids there that we talked to a couple of kids who showed us the Crayfish they'd caught. They also told us to look out for turtles along the way. We soon saw a snake basking on a branch in the canal as well. As we walked, sure enough there were a ton of painted turtles basking, one of which was very large. We continued on, passing a rope swing, which I did'nt try, then continued along the canal. Cathy referred to this as the "Enchanted Area" where lot of tree roots crossed over the walkway in an interesting fashion. This was now her favorite spot in the state we had visited. We continued along, passing by a bridge site with the bridge missing, and the old truss bridge was sitting on the ground along the canal's north side, apparently being repaired. We continued along, and I believe we crossed the canal on a bridge at Robert Street out to Old York Road, part of a long famous road. We continued back east, and passed by a little park in the town of Bradley Gardens, and turned left on Woodmere and then another left on Centre Street, turning right along a little brook on a trail greenway that followed a Sewer line out to a school and playground. There was a police officer there talking to some kids, so we approached and asked how we could get through on an interesting route back to the mall. The officer told us we could cut through a hole in a chain link fence in an industrial area to Johnson Street, which went straight becoming Third Street, and turned left on Anderson, then walked the activer NJ Transit tracks to the Raritan Station. The station was very nice, referred to as Richardson Romanesque with a Queen Anne Style I believe, then we contined left on Thompson Street, then right on Schermann passing by another little park where we watched a blimp fly above, and a train drive by. We followed this road out to Rts 206 and headed north to the Somerville Circle. We walked along a bit and followed some parallel roads to the east of the Circle, but ended up at the end of a Cul De Sac, so we had to turn back and make our way through the break in a fence out to the highway, then up to Mountain Ave where we continued back under Rt 22, across the pedestrian bridge and to the Bridgewater Mall. We walked through the mall itself, to cool off, and to get back to the car which was on the direct opposite side of the mall. By the time we got back, we were too tired to shop around, so we just went to dinner at a place called "Chelsea's" on Rt 22 west of there. Aside from a dumb looking bulldog on all their advertisements/placemats/whatever, it was good!
1.) The pedestrian bridge heading toward Mt Ave from Bridgewater Mall2.) Me at the beginning of the Peter's Brook Trail3.) Cathy viewing Peter's Brook next to a big tree4.) View downstream on Peter's Brook downstream under a bridge5.) View up Peter's Brook from under the bridge6.) Cathy under a pavilian along Peter's Brook7.) Cathy on the abandoned CNJ tracks south of Somerville Station8.) Me on the railroad bed south of the station9.) What the hell? Who names a Gelato place "Luge's"? It sounds like "loogie". Like you hocked up a giant loogie and called it Gelato. Yuck.10.) Me taking a picture into the mirror at "Stop and Shop"11.) The bridge over the Raritan that was closed a year prior12.) Another bridge view13.) Raritan Power Canal historic marker14.) Snake in the power canal15.) Me along Raritan Power Canal16.) Turtles basking on a log in the canal17.) Another shot of the turtles18.) More turtles! Note the one big one!19.) Cathy along the canal20.) Where the roots grow rampant!21.) Abandoned building along the canal22.) Wetland along Robert Street23.) Ardmeaer Park in Raritan24.) More of the park25.) The truss bridge along the north side of the power canal26.) Cathy along a greenway in Raritan near the elementary school27.) Abandoned railroad spur along Johnson Street at the industrial area28.) Raritan Station29.) Historic marker on Raritan Station30.) OH MY GOD! A BLIMP!31.) AAAAAAHHH! It's still there! This is from Raritan.32.) NJ Transit train going by us along the park on Schermann Street
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