Hi Everyone:
My name is Charlie Fineran and I guess the shortest definition of me in regards to my blog would be 'Open Space Advocate & Outdoor Enthusiast for Education and Recreation'!
While this is my personal blog, I will also use this to assist me in my position as Director of Open Space at Allamuchy Township, NJ along with all the other individuals, groups and organizations that I deal with in various capacities.
BAD NEWS & GOOD NEWS
BAD NEWS - I am just initiating this project and I am telling you up front, I am not the greatest when it comes to computers so if by chance something looks a little off, unfinished, etc., feel free to have a laugh on me AND assume I hit the wrong button and will then probably be frustrated trying to figure out how to get back to where I was, might even have to call some friends! I will eventually catch on!
GOOD NEWS - I have a huge collection of photos, emails and articles about Open Space, National & State Parks and just plain ole interesting sites, organizations and activities, which I believe will interest you, your family and friends! Over the years I have visited many places, taken many photos and then written short accounts of those visits using email as one method for Open Space Outreach. I have always been pleased with the responses, but over time, been growing frustrated trying to follow suggestions of formally posting or publishing all my material.
Over the years my photos and articles have been displayed, but always at the generosity of people and organizations that I have been associated with! The name "Travels With Charlie" was created quite awhile ago by Art Charlton, at the time, Director of Warren County's Dept. of Public Information & Tourism! He would take a chosen email and then post it on the County Web Site as a slide show in the Tourism Section. Allamuchy Township, where I am Director of Open Space, would post various articles and photos but someone else had to do the work and space was limited! Allamuchy Elementary School also followed the same format of the slideshows and kept the name "Travels With Charlie"! Thus my blog will be a continuance of an ongoing concept in name recognition, but without the issues of cost, size, access and responsibility, those issues should no longer be "negative factor" and the blog format will allow me to post what I have for direct access or through links!
The following photos will serve nicely as an introduction to my blog! First, they will give you a general tour of places throughout our beautiful State and they will also give you a good idea of how I use photos for Open Space Outreach and take advantage of projects offered by other groups to advance Open Space, Historical Sites and just plain nice places to visit! In 2008 the State of NJ, Dept. of Tourism teamed up with P.C. Richards & Son and The Star Ledger in a project to create a book titled 'Great Destinations NJ' This project encouraged people to submit photos of places and activities in NJ which were displayed on line. You were given ample space to describe each of your photos. I decided this would be a great way to get the word out about all of New Jersey's Natural & Historical Treasures! Each photo I submitted had a pretty nice article describing the site. Unfortunately, all the writing I did was on their website and I never figured out how to get all the info back. For this blog I will try to give you at least a title. The visitor to the site could vote on the photos and at the end of four months the photos with the most votes would be placed in a book and then sold. 1,017 photographers, 16,893 photos and 886,176 votes later the book became a reality! None of my photos made the book, but I did have three honorable mentions on an attached CD that came with the book.
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| Winter on the Delaware River |
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| Artist in the Delaware Water Gap |
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| Looking West at the Water Gap |
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| Dawn at Allamuchy Pond, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| haven't figured out how to delete duplicates, yet! |
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| On Appalachian Trail - Rd markers are Rattlesnake Swamp Trail & Yards Creek Lower Reservoir |
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| Allamuchy Mtn State Park - warm day in January 2007 |
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| Deer Park Pond, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Blue Mtn. Lakes, Delaware Water Gap Nat. Recreation Area |
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| Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City |
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| Battleship New Jersey at Camden, NJ |
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| view from Catfish Fire Tower - DWGNRA |
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| Basilica Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, from Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ |
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| Charlie Fineran at Buttermilk Falls, DWGNRA |
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| Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ |
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| Dawn at Allamuchy Pond, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Allamuchy Township |
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| Delaware River at 30+ feet Delaware Water Gap |
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| tiny fawn at Panther Valley Golf & Country Club, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| Dunnfield Creek, Worthington State Forest |
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| Essex County's 9/11 Memorial at Eagle Rock Reservation, West Orange, NJ |
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| Farm along the Pequest River taken from Allamuchy Open Space Lands |
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| Sun Rise during Winter Solstice looking over NYC from Eagle Rock Reservation |
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| Fishing on the Delaware River photo taken from Karamac Trail |
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| still working on how to delete!! |
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| Fox & kits great lawn of Rutherfurd Hall at Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Cooling off - Sea Girt, NJ |
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| Great Falls on the Passaic River, Paterson, NJ |
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| Great Falls on the Passaic River at Paterson, NJ |
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| Same message as the other duplicates |
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| Great Falls on the Passaic River, Paterson, NJ |
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| One of many great lookout points at the Great Falls |
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| High Point Monument along ridge from Delaware River |
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| Village of Hope, Warren County, NJ |
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| Horizon Blimp visits Allamuchy Elementary School - photo from I 80 Scenic Overlook |
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| 'Hunter's Pace' Horse Event by historic Allamuchy Freight Depot amid Open Space Lands |
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| Delaware River Flooding at Easton, PA & P'Burg, NJ - photo from RR bridge |
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| Sunset at the I80 Scenic Overlook mp 20east, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| I 80 Scenic Overlook - distant mtns. 20 miles away part of Worthington State Forest & DWGNRA |
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| Lackawanna RR Viaduct crossing Delaware River with Water Gap to the right |
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| Scenic Point along Appalachian Trail on Mt. Minsi looking at Delaware Water Gap |
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| Lake at Batso Village, Wharton State Forest |
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| Scenic Point on Appalachian Trail, Mt. Minsi looking at Delaware Water Gap |
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| NYC in distance looking over Sandy Hook from the Atlantic Highlands |
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| Fiery Sky at dawn overlooking Sandy Hook from Atlantic Highlands |
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| Raccoon Ridge looking North along the Delaware River, Worthington State Forest |
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| Navisink Twin Lights Lighthouse - Atlantic Highlands |
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| Storm waves close out Manasquan Inlet from Pt. Pleasant Beach |
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| Historic RR & Ferry Terminal at Hoboken - Liberty State Park |
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| State Line Overlook above Hudson River in Palisades Interstate Park |
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| Area by Panther Valley Scenic Overlook, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| view from Panther Valley Scenic Overlook, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| One of the dynamic restaurants at Atlantic City |
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| Dawn at Allamuchy Pond, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| River Belle Paddle Wheeler along inland waterway Point Pleasant, NJ |
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| Rutherfurd Hall from Allamuchy Pond Trail, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Sandy Hook Lighthouse - ca 1760 still operational at Sandy Hook National Recreation Area |
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| Summit Trail view looking East, Jenny Jump State Forest |
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| Summit Trail view West at Delaware Water Gap, Jenny Jump State Forest |
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| Sun rays through the storm clouds, Sea Girt, NJ |
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| Dawn, Sea Girt, NJ |
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| Dawn - Sea Girt, NJ |
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| Digital camera image of Sunset over Delaware Water Gap |
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| Swan nest, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| Warren County, NJ's TRex off Rt 46 across from Pequest River |
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| Enjoying the moment at Mt. Tammany, Delaware Water Gap |
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| Tow Path Trail, between Musconetcong River and remnants of Morris Canal, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Tranquility Mill on Pequest River, Green Twp., NJ |
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| Upper Van Campens Glen, Delaware Water Gap Nat. Recreation Area |
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| Lower Glen at Van Campens Glen - DWGNRA |
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| Van Campens Glen - DWGNRA |
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| six foot water snake, Allamuchy, NJ |
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| Smith's Store along Morris Canal, Waterloo Village, Allamuchy Mtn. State Park |
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| Waterloo Village, Allamuchy Mountain State Park |
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| Edwin B. Forsyth National Bird Sanctuary, Smithville, NJ by Atlantic City |
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| Ice on the Delaware River - DWGNRA |
I am looking forward to introducing you to the many hidden 'Treasures' located right in our backyards, along with keeping you abreast of great resources where you can gain information about activities throughout the year at these sites!
Enjoy Your Open Space
Charlie Fineran
