East Coast
Getting Out Of Suburbia
Within two weeks of moving to Verona Dan and I had met (online) a couple of riders who live literally "over the hill" from us. They offered to take us out on a ride through some of New Jersey's rolling hills and farmlands. Curious about what NJ had to offer for a motorcyclist, I didn't hesitate to accept. On the day of the ride Dan declined to go due to a small cold, to the three of us (Brian, Minnie and me) headed out to see what we could find.
September 20, 2009
Total Miles: 461 miles
Northwestern New Jersey
Tickets: 0
Mishaps: 0
Puckers: 0
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Botanical Gardens at Ringwood State Park
Our hosts, Brian and Minnie on their 1150 GS
Touring around Ringwood
Ringwood

Ringwood is less than an hour from my door and almost directly north of home. Once they showed me the gardens and building, we struck out west in a very jagged and haphazard fashion. The mountains in this area run roughly north/south, so by going west we ran into some nice passes and rode up many valleys.
Stonetown Rd above the Wanaque Resevoir
Boat in Monksville Reservoir
Brian and Minnie
Wanaque Reservoir
At one point, Brian tried to get us lost on some dirt roads. I was impressed that his GPS even acknowledged the roads that we *did* find. We couldn't find our way through, but it was a fun couple of miles giving it a try! Eventually we stopped in Colesville for lunch, where this guady motorcycle was parked.
Looking for a dirt road adventure
Fringe on the floorboards? Consider me floored.
After lunch we continued west to High Point State Park, the highest point in New Jersey (1,803'!!!). We didn't stop to climb up the tower (Brian and Minnie had been here before and I thought I'd save it for when Dan was with me) but we did stop for a quick photo or two. Not quite as grand of a view as the West Coast, but it was still a nice day. After High Point, we stopped near Port Jervis and then meandered our way in a south/south easternly route to get home.
The Monument at the top of High Point State Park
The view from the top of the park