The users group usually tries  for four events a year.  The spring and fall are buddy shoots.  The summer is usually all different things, but we could make it a buddy shoot as well.  For the winter, we hope to have a holiday party, perhaps for the whole club.

Below is a first cut of suggested buddy shoots locations.  Which ones are you interested in attending? Which ones would you add?

PLEASE NOTE: I will collect your preference  in the meeting on Thursday.  

Philadelphia Zoo

oldest U.S. zoo, 1300+ animals,

Distance: 71 miles (from the Colts Neck Reformed Church)
Costs:  $16 + $20 per car parking
Website: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org

Alternatives: 

Bronx Zoo  $19.95 (free on Wednesday)+ parking $15

Central Park Zoo $12 ($9 senior) – combine with Central Park street photography?

Walk in the Central Park

Nature photography, animal photography, people photography—your choice!

Meet at 72nd street C subway stop, and walk by the Strawberry Fields (John Lennon Imagine memorial), Bethesda Terrace at the Lake (Angel of the Waters), the Boathouse, the Mall, then see polar bears&sea lions at the CP Zoo, or the skating ring if in winter.

Distance: public transportation to 72st subway stop C
Costs:  free (zoo is $12/$9 seniors)
Website:  www.centralparknyc.org/

Morris Canal: Waterloo Village

A restored canal town with remains of an inclined plane (an engineering marvel in 1820), a guard lock, a watered section of the canal, a canal store, and other period buildings (30 total). The Canal Society of New Jersey maintains a museum in the village.

Distance: 76 miles
Costs:  free (unless scheduled events)
Website: http://www.canalsocietynj.org

potentially: Morris Canal Plane 9W visit, climb into the restored tunnel to see a turbine;  east of Phillipsburg/Easton (Crayola Museum)  74 miles

http://morriscanal.org/plane_9w_tour.htm

http://morriscanal.org/Signage/Plane%209%20West%20Brochure.pdf 

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Main St.& Lakeside Avenue, West Orange; a ranger-led tour of Edison’s Glenmont estate house and the laboratory complex (We – Su 9:30 – 5). Turning ideas into inventions: the heavy machine shop, the precision shop, the very first recording studio, the photo department…Note: Glenmont residence does not have an elevator or railings; no photography inside.

Distance: 44 miles
Cost: $10 or free for Senior National Parks Pass holder (+ 3 add’l people?)
http://www.nps.gov/edis/planyourvisit/group-information.htm

Castle Williams Tour, Governors Island

A National Park Ranger-led tour (free!) includes a visit to the roof of the fortress with excellent views of New York harbor; includes Staten Island Ferry (free!) and the Governors Island Ferry

Distance: 41 miles to Staten Island Ferry
Costs: SI bridge toll $9.75 off-peak, Governors Isl. Ferry $2 return trip ($1 seniors)
http://www.nps.gov/gois/planyourvisit/explore-castle-williams.htm

Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Doylestown, PA

A working museum, demonstrating a production of traditional tiles (some on sales in museum’s store). Visit downtown Doylestown, the seat of Bucks County (New Hope on steroids), and travel alongside the scenic Delaware River.

Distance: 62 miles
Costs: $5/4, but free parking
http://www.buckscounty.org/government/MoravianPotteryTileworks/MoravianPotteryandTileWorks

Optional sites nearby:

Mercer Museum : $14/12, limits photography

Fonthill Castle:  prohibits photography:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fonthill-castle-doylestown

Sunrise over Manhattan

Meet at Jersey City waterfront or the Liberty State Park, the site of Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial, to photograph the sun rising over the World Trade Center and other downtown Manhattan skyscrapers.

Distance: 44 miles
Costs: free

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/liberty.html

Fall Foliage Frenchtown & Delaware River Scenic Byway

A small town on the banks of the Delaware River, upstream from New Hope/Lambertville. Small-town & river photo opportunities, with several eating places to choose for lunch.  Afterwards, cross the river into PA’s Buck’s county, stop for photos at the Uhlerstown covered bridge, and then follow a scenic Rt 32 south alongside the river and the Delaware Canal towpath, passing Point Pleasant (PA)/Tohickon Creek, through New Hope and Washington Crossing Park (lots of history there) to I95 for a trip back home.

An optional stop on the way to Frenchtown is the Bulls Island State Park, the beginning of the Delaware/Raritan Canal and a small footbridge above the river into PA.  Beautiful fall river scenery for those who can spend more time.

Distance: 70 miles
Costs: free

http://www.dandrcanal.com/pdf/Delaware-River-Scenic-Byway-map-10-11.pdf

Island Beach State Park

Lots of interesting plants growing in a mile stretch of sand that grows nowhere else.  Drive to the end and you can see Barnegat light house across the way.

Distance: 40 miles
Costs: $5 off-season

http://www.islandbeachnj.org/Recreation/hiking.html

Bridges

Outerbridge Crossing from Perth Amboy waterfront  — 25 miles

Verazzano Bridge from Staten Island/Fort Wadsworth – 40 miles, tolls

George Wahington Bridge from Fort Lee – 55 miles, tolls

Medford, NJ

Medford is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation’s first National Reserve. Part of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Are The lake/park area has a red mill and a church built from logs.

Distance: 58 miles

D R A F T   9/10/2015

Disclaimer:  the distances are from Colts Neck’s meeting place, the prices may be inaccurate