Back Roads, Charming Towns : Retirement, Relocation, Vacation : Back Roads, Charming Towns Blog : Vikki Grodner

        

NJ: Fran and I are both professional refugees of the B.C.  As two Jersey girls, when we decided to get together for lunch earlier this week, it made sense to find a midway point in our state to rendezvous. Due to the hour time difference between charming Middletown, her neck of the woods, and Basking Ridge, mine, we had to do a little research to find a location. To our good fortune, we discovered the perfect spot in the quaint and tasty Metuchen Inn (above).

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NJ: We recently had reason to celebrate. Alex was accepted to his first-choice university for the fall of 2007 (Roll Tide!), so naturally we wanted to head to one of his favorite spots. In this case, the Minute Man Restaurant on Highway 202 in Bernardsville, NJ filled the bill.

From its caramel-colored, wood-slathered walls to the mile-high pies in the front case, a trip to the Minute Man is like a big, friendly hug.

     

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NJ: Even on an overcast day, there is a glow permeating Wightman’s Farms in Harding.

Perhaps it results from the rush of activity brought on by youthful exuberance, perhaps it emanates from the brilliance of the season’s rich autumnal hues.

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NJ: A place where animals lounged and basked in the sun in days past is a place where human beings love to hang out and live in the present. Basking Ridge, New Jersey is today’s featured “charming town.”

Located 36 miles west of New York City in central New Jersey, Basking Ridge is a combination of rural simplicity and small-town amenities with big-city proximity.

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It is state fair season in much of America. Over the years, 
this annual event has evolved from a simple celebration of a locale's agricultural progeny to include a full-blown extravaganza of music, amusements, and family activities. 

To visit the state fair is a chance for some to revert to activities that evoke childhood memories; for others, it is a chance to experience some of life's simple pleasures for the first time. Regardless of your vantage point, the state fair is a  great way to spend a day or a weekend -- eating fresh produce and down-home cooking, enjoying local arts and crafts and experiencing the novelties available on local fairgrounds everywhere this summer and fall.

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VA: The pink low slung building with turquoise window frames blinking across its facade lazily co-exists with a horse pasture in Natural Bridge, Virginia. A King Kong gorilla statue keeps a watchful eye on the colorful outpost. And inside, you are welcomed by a bronze life-sized Elvis. You have arrived at the very original Pink Cadillac Diner.

                

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CA: After the circuitous ride down a makeshift road kicking up dust on bald fields, the first thing you notice in climbing off the bus is the smell. It is not an offensive or over powering scent, just one that is clearly present. But after all, this is the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

Considered one of America’s premiere food events, the festival -- now in its 28th year -- was started when local garlic growers pitched the idea to the town of Gilroy, California. No one expected much that first year. So when attendance far exceeded expectations, the pungent fest was born. In 2006, the Gilroy Garlic Festival is expected to draw 130,000 guests.

As soon as I arrived, I was on the lookout for the infamous  -- and interesting-sounding -- garlic ice cream.

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