Getting Back on Track: The Epic Bel-Del RR Trek — Milford, Holland, Riegelsville to Carpentersville

https://www.strava.com/activities/18523588564

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/evening-ohv-off-road-drive-fbaf579
最棒的

The art work at the Newark LightRail stations, "Riding with Sarah and Wayne"

 At the NJPAC/Center Street light rail station, the tracks are designed as a giant musical score. The tiles between the rails represent the notes, while the lyrics along the edge are from Sarah Vaughan’s 'Body and Soul.' Broad Street station also features her hit 'Send in the Clowns' embedded in the same way. These are part of NJ Transit’s tributes to the two Newark legends, Sarah Vaughan and Wayne Shorter.

The Grauert Causeway steps

Between the Hamilton Park Observation Deck and the Liberty Steps in Weehawken, there's a WWI Memorial with its own lookout. Peering down from there, you can see the remains of a grand, abandoned staircase (40°46'19.4"N 74°00'56.9"W) —it really makes me wonder what this cliffside path looked like in its prime.

Update: I found additional information and a substantial collection of historical photos of this old stairway, shared here:
https://www.wtstills.com/documentary
https://www.maggieblanck.com/Weehawken/Weehawken.html
https://weehawkenhistory.org/s/wtm/item/4463#lg=1&slide=0
https://weehawkenhistory.org/s/wtm/item/142#lg=1&slide=0

St. Michael’s in Trenton

 

Exploring the hidden history of St. Michael’s in Trenton. The church sits on a raised foundation, preserving the original graveyard in the crawl space below. A quiet, eerie reminder of the city's colonial past right beneath the floorboards.
This unique site is a highlight of Patriots Week 2025, a city-wide celebration of Trenton's revolutionary history happening now. I highly recommend visiting St. Michael’s to experience this surreal "living history" for yourself.

Event Details: patriotsweek.com/events/
Church History: stmichaelstrenton.org

🇬🇧 The Royal Coat of Arms at the Old Barracks, Trenton 英國皇家徽章 1714年至1801年 間的版本

 紐澤西首府德倫頓舊軍營（Trenton Old Barracks）之英國皇家徽章解析

英國王室徽章的歷史版本還真多！查了半天，終於搞清楚德倫頓舊軍營這裡的石雕，是屬於 1714年至1801年 間的版本。這正是漢諾威王朝（喬治一世、二世及三世）的時代，也解釋了為什麼右下角會出現獨特的「白馬」與「不倫瑞克兩隻金獅」。

這個盾徽分為四個象限，各代表了當時英國君主所主張的領土或繼承權：

Spooky Stroll: From Railroads to Riverbanks: Exploring Bulls Island, Lambertville and New Hope

 

The ignored beauty of Bulls Island

 Facing northwest from the southern tip, with the river on one side and the feeder canal on the other. Crowds pack the lot for the footbridge to PA, but the real history—like the wing dam/D&R Feeder inlet up north and this old Embankment? / Spillway? here at the southern tip—is often left in the shadows.

Photos taken on: 5.31.2025 & 11.27.2024

Northern Manhattan's Best-Kept Secrets

 6.12.2024, 4.19.2025 & 7.22.2025

New Croton Aqueduct

American Redout Marker

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DAR_American_Redout_1776_marker_closeup_of_marker.jpg

CP Nave = Control Point Newark Avenue 紐華克大道鐵路控制點

 臉書相本View Full Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.639886045697940&type=3

CP Nave = Control Point Newark Avenue 紐華克大道鐵路控制點. CP Nave 位於 Bergen Arches 的東端出口附近

1. 歷史上的「三大巨頭」 (The Big Three)

在 20 世紀的黃金時代，這裡主要由以下幾家鐵路公司共享或交會：

• 伊利鐵路 (Erie Railroad)：這裡是他們的生命線。著名的 Bergen Arches（伊利切口）就是為了連結這家公司的貨運碼頭而開鑿的。

• 賓夕法尼亞鐵路 (PRR - Pennsylvania Railroad)：他們的 National Docks Branch（國家碼頭支線）會在這裡經過，將貨物送往紐約港。

• 紐約中央鐵路 (New York Central)：他們的 River Line（河岸線）也在這個區域交匯。

2. 現在的經營者 (Current Operators)

隨著鐵路公司的倒閉與合併，現在如果你在 CP Nave 附近看到火車，它們通常屬於：

• CSX 運輸 (CSX Transportation)

• 諾福克南方鐵路 (Norfolk Southern)

• 共同鐵路 (Conrail Shared Assets)：這兩家大公司（CSX 和 NS）共同擁有的服務商，負責管理這片複雜的區域。

3. CP Nave 的地標意義：立體交會Landmark Significance of CP Nave: A Multi-Level Junction

這裡最酷的地方在於它的**「立體結構」**：The coolest part about this location is its three-dimensional structure:

• National Docks Branch 在這裡會跨越（或是連通）下方的鐵路。The National Docks Branch crosses over (or connects with) the rail tracks below at this point.

• 它標誌著從 Bergen Arches 出來的深谷段，與通往 Jersey City 碼頭區（或現在的市區）平地軌道的轉折點。It marks the transition where the deep cut of the Bergen Arches emerges and meets the grade-level tracks heading toward the Jersey City waterfront (or modern downtown area).

再探博根拱門秘境 Bergen Arches (Erie Cut)

View Full Album 查看完整相簿: [Bergen Tunnels(DL&W), Long Dock Tunnel(Erie), and the Bergen Arches(Erie)]

walking route 2025.3.11 當日完整健行路線圖 = Strava

城市廢墟探險：博根拱門秘境 Bergen Arches (Erie Cut)

View Full Album 查看完整相簿: [Bergen Tunnels(DL&W), Long Dock Tunnel(Erie), and the Bergen Arches(Erie)]

walking route 當日完整健行路線圖 = Strava

The Bergen Arches: A Hidden Urban Canyon

The Bergen Arches is a mile-long abandoned railway trench in Jersey City, originally carved in 1910 for the Erie Railroad. Known as the "Erie Cut," this massive stone corridor has been reclaimed by nature since 1957, transforming into a hauntingly beautiful urban forest.

Today, its towering stone bridges and graffiti-covered walls create a "subterranean cathedral" atmosphere. Walking through this quiet, sun-dappled canyon offers a perfect "alternative pace" away from the city's modern hustle.

Bergen Arches：博根拱(門)橋 該段鐵路路徑上標誌性的多座巨大石造拱橋在上方。
Erie Cut：伊利路塹 "Cut" 指的是為了讓火車通過而人工開鑿出的「深溝」或「路塹」）。
ㄑㄧㄢˋ (qiàn)，指坑、壕溝，也比喻困難或險要地形， 

博根拱門（Bergen Arches）：澤西市的地下森林秘境

博根拱門（Bergen Arches）是一段隱藏在紐澤西州澤西市（Jersey City）地底、長約一英里的廢棄鐵路溝壑。它的正式名稱是「伊利鐵路路塹」（Erie Cut），開鑿於 1910 年。

這條路線最迷人的地方在於其獨特的荒廢美學：

• 壯闊的石造建築：當初為了讓火車穿過卑爾根山（Bergen Hill），工程師在堅硬的岩石中鑿出深達 20 多公尺的溝壑，並橫跨了數座巨大的石造噴砂拱門橋。走在其中，抬頭仰望那些高聳的拱門，彷彿置身於一座由岩石與鋼鐵構成的「戶外大教堂」。

• 自然與文明的角力：自從 1957 年火車停駛後，這裡被人類遺忘了半個多世紀。現在，大自然重新接管了這片土地，廢棄的鐵軌間長滿了茂密的樹木與植被，形成了一座與世隔絕的「城市森林」。

• 街頭藝術畫廊：深谷的石壁與斑駁的橋墩，如今成了街頭藝術家們的畫布，佈滿了色彩斑斕的塗鴉，為這段滄桑的歷史增添了現代的叛逆氣息。

對許多徒步探險者來說，卑爾根拱門不僅是一段鐵道遺址，更是一條另類的步調——它帶領我們穿梭時空，看見工業時代的壯麗縮影，以及自然生命力如何在廢墟中重新綻放。

Bayonne & Bergen Point

 

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-97df5fa-588

https://www.strava.com/activities/12844808482

https://www.meetup.com/hikers-cyclers-and-kayakers-of-central-jersey/events/304265677/?eventOrigin=your_events

Bethlehem

 https://www.strava.com/activities/12817584259

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-at-monocacy-way-trail-loop-9e7ba61

https://www.meetup.com/hikers-cyclers-and-kayakers-of-central-jersey/events/303890552/?eventOrigin=your_events

Bethlehem Evening hike & Drive

 https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/evening-hike-ab00b14-235

Delaware Canal Delaware Canal PA10 & / Easton / Philipsburg

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/12811438805

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/activity-november-8-2024-64ff798