New Jersey

A paddle slips beneath the black surface, and a ribbon of electric blue follows. Beneath the board, waterproof…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A red mill beside a waterfall, a row of candy-colored Victorian porches, and a mountain trail that ends…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

Fog hanging over a mountain lake, waves rolling against an undeveloped barrier island, and the Manhattan skyline glowing…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A dark shape moves between two stands of hemlock, pauses beside an overturned log, and disappears before your…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A morning walk beside a quiet lake, an afternoon browsing a historic downtown, and dinner near the ocean…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A pair of real trees rises through the middle of the dining room, smoked wings are heading toward…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A wall of more than a thousand agave spirits in Metuchen, fresh tortillas hitting the griddle in Red…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 25

A box of familiar cereal costs less than expected. So does the pasta sauce beside it. Then you…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

A paper plate, a plastic fork, and a fried flounder sandwich can tell you more about a seafood…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

The first clue is the spinning tower of meat behind the counter, its crisp outer edges disappearing almost…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

The first clue is usually the smoke. It drifts from a charcoal grill, curls around freshly baked bread,…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

A narrow slit near the top of a concrete tower frames the Delaware Bay like a widescreen photograph.…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

A quarter placed on an empty bridge. Footsteps climbing a lighthouse staircase when nobody is there. A gnarled…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

A burger lands beside your elbow just as the trailers end, the fries are still hot, and you…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

A dark stain on an old wooden floor. A weathered grave marker carrying a name nobody remembers. A…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 24

The first warning comes from the mozzarella. It may still be warm when it lands in your cart,…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A brass duck bookend, a stack of 1970s concert posters, and a punch bowl large enough to require…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A wall of air roars beneath your feet. Your instructor gives the signal, you lean through an open…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

The soft thump of a record dropping into place can turn a quiet shop into a listening room…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A nickel does not buy much anymore, but inside Aunt Charlotte’s Candies, it can still make a child…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A glass case glints with costume jewelry while a six-foot superhero watches from across the room. Upstairs, an…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A bourbon-spiked maple glaze is already a persuasive reason to get out of bed. Add a tangy sourdough…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A staircase disappears between shelves in Montclair. An old dairy barn in Denville has traded cows for donated…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 23

A frosted mug of buttermilk is not what most people expect beside a paper-wrapped hot dog, but Hot…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22

A century-old portrait leans beside a stack of vinyl records. Down the aisle, someone is inspecting a ceramic…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22

A Bengal tiger watches from the grass while, just a short walk away, Revolutionary War rifles hang inside…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22

A pizza slice bends under its own weight, a paper cup of fries gets a vinegar shower, and…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22

A wall of green steel rises over the Delaware River at the edge of Palmyra, framing the roadway…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22

The first sip might come beneath the morning rush of Jersey City, while the last could arrive within…

By Duncan Edwards · Sep 22