My home state gets a bad rap, ok, some of it IS warranted (we have more superfund sites  than any other state and considering the size of the state that is embarrassing), but, but… BUT I tell you, there are gems here, one of which is Big Brook Park which goes across parts of Monmouth County (which has a rich history itself), Big Brook is one of the few (rare) places in the entire country where you can openly dig for fossils (and it is a rich trove at that), personally I habit the Colts Neck section, NJ horse country… yes, you read that correctly, NJ has a horse country section, tons of farms, all of twenty to thirty minutes from the more urban areas like Newark, how odd to be able to hop in your car for 15 minutes and feel like you are in the middle of nowhere… that is where this video is, a park nestled in the backyards of a very affluent area actually, the reeds are a playground for the local deer, and there is just something about the sound of the wind on the reeds section, an instant recognizable sound, one you just want to close your eyes and let your ears bathe in, like the wind brushing the earth’s hair, all this surrounded by the various trappings of New Jersey, a special place, and yes, I always find some interesting things back there… 

If anyone is interested or in my general area I will gladly give you directions and tips, I see more families down there this year, a great place for kids to explore and learn, and the cost? free… how does that grab you.  I have met plenty of people in my travels there from Delaware to Pennsylvania,  it is worth the drive if you plan it out.