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As a Jersey girl, born and raised, I am very defensive of my home state, just like most New Jersey natives. Although New Jerseyians will argue over which part of New Jersey is the best (Morris County, in case you were wondering), we will undoubtedly unite when a non-native begins to criticize our home state.
If you are not from New Jersey, the first thing you probably think when you hear “New Jersey” is “why does it smell that way?” However, as many from the glorious Garden State will tell you, the vast majority of New Jersey is a beautiful state with some of the nicest national parks, greenest farms, most picturesque sceneries and wonderful smells.
It’s time to set the record straight: New Jersey does not smell. There is a small corner of New Jersey that does have an unpleasant odor. However, most of the smell wafts down from New York City; it is the excess smell that cannot possibly be contained in the already supersaturated haze that covers most of the city. I’ll admit – that small corner might as well be an extension of New York City at times, but since it is part of New Jersey, and has that same Jersey pride, it cannot be cut off and floated out to sea as I have suggested on occasion.
On that same note, you cannot judge all of New Jersey based on such a tiny part of the state. Most people who are not native to New Jersey and simply drive through the state travel along the Turnpike. That’s the biggest mistake you could make. The Turnpike does not have any nice scenery along it through that little corner so the assumption is made that all of New Jersey must look and smell like that. If you were to travel along the Garden State Parkway, you would get to witness some pleasant sights along with fresh, clean New Jersey air.
The part of North New Jersey I’m from has a lot of farms, as much of the rest of the state does too. My middle school had corn fields on either side, a horse farm behind it and a heavily wooded area with a river across the street. The only bad smell we ever had was when the wind changed directions and we could smell the horses.
In South New Jersey, we have some of the nicest beaches you could find on the East Coast. Sure, every once in a while garbage floats onto the beach, but that is an unfortunate side effect of being situated south of New York City. Are you beginning to see a pattern?
In case you don’t believe me that New Jersey is a wonderful state I’ll give you a few places to check out that will show you all that the Garden State has to offer.
Normandy Beach in Normandy, N.J.: This beautiful beach is located in a small, community-oriented town with clean sand and plenty of things to do within walking distance.
Stony Hill Farm Market in Chester, N.J. (which is where I live, in case you were curious): This may seem strange to go to a farm, but if you go from late September to late November, you will find one of the most elaborate and detailed corn mazes, which will provide hours (yes, it takes hours to get through) of fun.
Camden Aquarium in Camden, N.J.: Sure, Camden may be a bit of a rough area, but what state doesn’t have that? The Camden Aquarium is a cool place to visit any time of the year no matter how old you are. Walk around, explore some sea life and you can even pet a shark!
Statue of Liberty in Liberty State Park, N.J.: You may think it is located in New York, but it really is in New Jersey. Go check out the Statue of Liberty, an awesome national landmark.
Investigate the Hooker Man between Flanders, Long Valley and Chester, N.J.: The Hooker Man is a New Jersey legend which I will briefly explain. A man worked along the railroad tracks between these towns and apparently lost his arm in an accident so it was replaced with a hook. Now he haunts the tracks at night where he lost his arm. Those who have witnessed this have seen an eerie floating light along the tracks.
These are only a few of the beautiful, entertaining or interesting places in New Jersey you can visit. New Jersey is a great state that is worth visiting. Please don’t write off my favorite place as a smelly, disgusting “armpit” of the country. New Jersey is the Garden State for a reason. We have so much to offer, and if more people were willing to travel through the state on roads other then the Turnpike, they would be able to see this. So the next time you begin to think badly about New Jersey or have the urge to talk trash about this misjudged state, think twice about it and then hop in your car or on a train and check out this magical place.
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