That's Why They Call 'Em Ghost Towns

It's been while since I've posted so I have some stories.  This is the first.  Last Monday, in spite of the heat, my mother and three sisters set out to explore the Pine Barrens.  Mignon, having left for California at age 19, only remembered passing through this unique area on our way to the shore.  This was once a thriving region for iron and glass production.  Soldiers during the Revolutionary War, traveled the bustling road you see below.  Today, the production of cranberries is the money maker.  If you live in NJ  and have never had the opportunity to watch the harvest, you should make it a point to in the early fall.  There are trees, orchids, and animals unique to the area which has the largest, cleanest aquifer in the nation.  There are more ghost towns here than in the west and we set out to find "Friendship", one such town.  Armed with AAA Map and NJ Back Roads book, we went on our adventure.

It wasn't long before we were "strangers in a strange land".  Are we lost?  Five women with strong opinions!  You can imagine!

The farther you travel, the smaller and sandier the roads.  We're laughing but clearly the map doesn't seem right.  A truck is coming in the opposite direction.  Mom wants Leslie to ask directions.  "The Piney might have a gun", she exclaims.  We forge ahead.  No "Friendship".  The Green Heads (biting flies) are swarming the car.  What to do?  We plod along.  Finally, we come upon a monument and we know we are way to west.

In the middle of nowhere, a famous plane crash.  We're still laughing but when another pick-up is coming in the opposite direction we hail for him to stop.  "How far is it to a paved road?" Leslie inquires.  "I don't go by miles around here," he replies, "Just keep going, go over 2 bridges and an S-turn and you're not to far,"  and off he goes barely hearing our "thank you" and "have a nice day."  Okay, at least we know we will end up on black top somewhere.  When we finally reach it, we know where we are, renewed we decide to go find "Apple Hill", the largest elevation in the Pines.  In the end, we realized we did pass the town of Friendship.  No marker or artifacts remain.  This is what we thought we might find, but we all decided it was that hole in the ground we past a ways back.

Getting tired of reading this travelogue?  We were tired too and I, of course, had to go to the bathroom but didn't think tempting the green heads and ticks was worth the risk of going outside like a true pine girl.  One other destination before we headed to the living town, Chatsworth was to see "Apple Hill", the highest elevation in the Pines. (200 feet, gotta love it).  Once again, sand roads, we make the left as directed.  Some of us have had enough and are looking forward to a stop at the General Store in Chatsworth.  Leslie sees more folks outside their house,  she's going to turn around.

At the end of the road, "look it's the hill", someone points out.  Okay, that's it, laughter erupts, again.  We all agree no one would believe this one.  We do find the hill and get out of the car to face 100 degree plus heat.  I can't frickin' breathe and still have to go to the bathroom.  But, we did manage to capture the irony of this place.

Now, on to Chatsworth, stop at a bathroom, anticipating a cold drink and some window shopping.

Can you see the "Closed" sign?  Despite all the mishaps, we were still smiling.  We headed for home, the only comment made was Camille's husband, "And, you didn't tell anyone where you were going?"  That's what happens when you put 5 adventuresome women together in a van.