Whether you’re a born-and-raised New Jerseyan, a recent transplant, or just passing through, New Jersey Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Peter Genovese takes you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of theGarden State. Learn the proper way to cook a garbage can turkey, get the skinny on the real birthplace of baseball, and hear the story of Waving Willie, New Jersey’s friendliestroadside character. Meet the undisputed Weenie Queen of Garfield; a Hickory Dickory Dock clock–covering car artist; and a gas station-turned-restaurant-owning undertaker. Feel the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat at the New Jersey Cockroach Derby, and relive the OK Corral shoot-out and shoot cap guns at bad guys in Wild West City.

Explores haunted places, local legends, crazy characters, and unusual roadside attractions found in New Jersey.

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No state has been so frequently mocked, maligned, or misunderstood as New Jersey. Yet the state is filled with amazing places and people who rarely receive the media attention they deserve. For the past twenty years Star-Ledger columnist Peter Genovese has been one of the rare voices singing the praises of his state’s hidden wonders and gritty charms. For this new book, Genovese spent months scouring the state for rich stories and fascinating locations. New Jersey State of Mind takes us on a journey to over twenty-five of these places and introduces us to the colorful characters who live and work there, from a demolition derby driver to a female craft brewer, and from a Cuban celebrity chef to a Portuguese pig breeder. He also reveals the many natural wonders that have earned New Jersey its “Garden State” nickname, from cranberry bogs to river tours to wild bird sanctuaries. Collectively, these pieces paint a picture of a diverse state full of hard-working individuals who care for their communities. This book cuts through the myths and stereotypes surrounding the state and reveals the proud beating heart of the real New Jersey.

From the glacially scoured quartzite ridge that hosts the Appalachian Trail to the spectacular columnar basalt of Orange Mountain, New Jersey packs a boatload of geology into a small area. Its nineteenth-century marl pits were the birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology, bog iron deposits in the Pinelands were used to produce cannonballs for the Revolutionary War, world-famous fluorescent minerals are found with zinc deposits in the Franklin Marble, and the coastal plain sediments contain convincing evidence of the meteorite impact that killed the dinosaurs. This absorbing book opens with an overview of the state�s geologic history and proceeds with 13 road guides that unearth the stories behind the state�s rocks, sediments, and barrier islands. More than just a guide, Roadside Geology of New Jersey is chock-full of insightful discussions on such timely topics as sea level rise, climate change, and uranium mining. Get the scoop on why so much sand moves during superstorms such as hurricane Sandy, and learn about more than a century of efforts to stabilize the beaches along the Jersey Shore.

Ocean Grove is New Jersey's most interesting and curious town. Founded in 1869 as a religious Utopian Society it is now a 21st century beach-side resort that attracts thousands every year. " Forgotten Ocean Grove" unearths many of the curiosities that have been lost to time. This is not an ordinary history book. It contains 147 mini-stories from the past to the present. It is also an excellent guide for a walking tour of the Grove. If you are a visitor, new resident or your family has been here for generations you will love what you learn about our tiny hamlet at the Jersey shore called "God's Squire Mile"

Winner of the 2005 New Jersey Author Award for Scholarly Non-Fiction from the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance Long before Bruce Springsteen picked up a guitar; before Danny DeVito drove a taxi; before Jack Nicholson flew over the cuckoo's nest, Asbury Park was a seashore Shangri-La filled with shimmering odes to civic greatness, world-renowned baby parades, temples of retail, and atmospheric movie palaces. It was a magnet for tourists, a summer vacation mecca-to some degree New Jersey's own Coney Island. In Asbury Park's Glory Days, award-winning author Helen-Chantal Pike chronicles the city's heyday-the ninety-year period between 1890 and 1980. Pike illuminates the historical conditions contributing to the town's cycle of booms and recessions. She investigates the factors that influenced these peaks, such as location, lodging, dining, nightlife, merchandising, and immigration, and how and why millions of people spent their leisure time within this one-square-mile boundary on the northern coast of the state. Pike also includes an epilogue describing recent attempts to resurrect this once-vibrant city.

Perfect Camping for You in New Jersey! The Garden State provides a spectacular backdrop for some of the most scenic campgrounds in the country. But do you know which campgrounds offer the most privacy? Which are the best for first-time campers? Matt Willen traversed the entire state—from the northern reaches of Stokes State Forest to the Atlantic coastal islands—and compiled the most up-to-date research to steer you to the perfect spot! Best Tent Camping: New Jersey presents 50 private, state park, and state forest campgrounds, organized into five distinct regions. Selections are based on location, topography, size, and overall appeal, and every site is rated for beauty, privacy, spaciousness, safety and security, and cleanliness—so you’ll always know what to expect. The new full-color edition of this proven guidebook provides everything you need to know, with detailed maps of each campground and key information such as fees, restrictions, dates of operation, and facilities, as well as driving directions and GPS coordinates. Whether you seek a quiet campground near a fish-filled stream or a family campground with all the amenities, grab Best Tent Camping: New Jersey. It’s an escape for all who wish to find those special locales that recharge the mind, body, and spirit. This guide is a keeper.

Despite the many jokes and stereotypes about New Jersey and its residents, in reality the state is a wildly diverse place, home to a vast variety of landscapes, cultures, and people. There is no singular New Jersey experience, and the stories that its residents have to share about the state will surprise you. New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State is an eclectic anthology featuring personal essays, interviews, and comics from a broad group of established and emerging writers and artists who have something to say about New Jersey. It offers a multifaceted look at the state’s history and significance, told through narrative nonfiction, photographs, and illustrations. New Jersey Fan Club is edited by Kerri Sullivan, founder of the popular Instagram account Jersey Collective (@jerseycollective), which features weekly takeovers by different New Jerseyans. This book functions the same way: it gives dozens of different contributors the chance to share what New Jersey looks like to them. The book is an exploration of how the same locale can shape people in different ways, and it will inspire readers to look at the Garden State with fresh eyes and appreciate its bounty of beautiful places and vibrant spaces.

The history of criminal offense in New Jersey is documented in this book, beginning with a general survey of crime in the state and then focusing on its headline cases, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the John List killings, the mob activities that inspired The Sopranos, and the murder that led to Megan's Law.