NJ Musings: Gallivanting in Great Gorge
Fall fun in and around Vernon, NJ.
I’m lucky to have a great group of girlfriends from college that have stayed in close touch for decades. We met in our late teens and early twenties, some of us sophomores, some of us juniors. Some of us lived together in the same dorm, some in the same house, and some on other campuses. We’ve remained a close knit group, and even as life has taken attention away from friend time over the years, we’ve always found a way to back to each other.
In full, we are a core group of ten. In 2020 we lost one to cancer, and over the years we’ve lost two others to Florida. The rest of us remain in the NJ/NY area. Most have kids and husbands that needed tending, but now that many of them are either already into, or moving into the empty nest phase of life, there seems to be more free time to plan get togethers that many, if not all of us can join.
Last year in September, after a long covid-related delay, we held a memorial for our lost friend in Asbury Park. The day brought us all back together (minus one who had come down with covid the week prior). It was a sad, yet celebratory day, and for many of us, the first time we felt comfortable at an indoor event for a hundred. This friend was not a peripheral part of the group. She was not only the de facto heart of the group, she was also the one who drew other friend groups together until everyone knew everyone and the friend groups pollinated new friendships across not only the college groups, but high school, work, family, beach houses, and friends she made and collected throughout her life.
We left the memorial an even tighter unit, with the scars of her loss (and covid-related isolation) cementing our resolve to make time for each other even when life got in the way. Our first post-memorial get together was scheduled pretty quickly. We spent a long weekend at one of the group’s vacation property in Tupper Lake, NY, a town tucked away in the Adirondacks, not far from Lake Placid. We hiked, shopped, cooked, drank wine, and binge-watched both seasons of Ted Lasso. It was a wonderful weekend.
So this year, when another of the group tossed out the idea of spending a long weekend at her parents’ condo in Great Gorge, NJ, we all jumped at the chance. We arrived on Friday night, our cars filled with supplies and selections of shoes. The weather looked like it was going to cooperate, and we figured we had a full selection of things to do over the next couple of days. The condo was located in Great Gorge Village, a sprawling property in Vernon Township, in Sussex County right on NJ Route 94 and about 7 miles from the NY state border. The complex includes condos (privately owned and lived in as well as vacation rentals), a hotel, a spa, a restaurant, a lovely-looking outdoor event space, and a 9-hole golf course. It’s in a great spot (even though you have to watch for bears), and perfectly situated for both outdoor enthusiasts, leaf peepers, and indoor relaxers.
We balanced the weekend with everything we like to do, and could have used a couple more days if we wanted to really take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and multitude of things to do.
We spent the day on Saturday in the adorable town of Warwick, NY, which is just a 20-minute drive from Great Gorge Village, and right over the NY state border. Shops, lots of restaurants, boutiques, very dog-friendly café, and great people watching. A couple of us even got a tarot card reading at the LightClub Curiosity Shoppe, a new establishment on Main Street. We were only in town for a couple of hours, but be could have easily spent the whole day there. Some of the other places we stopped in were Café e Dolci (for coffee and giant slices of cake), Style Counsel (bought a cute poncho), and Newhard’s (lots of useful and decorative stuff for your home).
Tip: Park at one end of town (the intersection of Church Street and Main Street is a good starting point) and do a loop down and back. Don’t forget to check out Railroad Avenue which runs parallel to Main Street and has a few other restaurants to check out.
Sunday’s big activity brought us to Pennings Farm Cidery right on the same 94 that took us into Warwick, and only nine miles from where we were staying. This place was huge and there was something for everyone. Apple picking, live music, food trucks, a farmer’s market, and ciders galore. We arrived at about 2 p.m. and the place was packed. It was a beautiful, quintessential fall day. The trees were not quite at their peak, but colorful enough to make the drive from the condo extra pretty and enjoyable.
I’ve never been a huge fan of hard ciders, but this place had something for everyone, including a selection of craft beers on tap and wines. I tried two ciders, a seasonal pumpkin version (had to…) and their Cold Crash. Both were pretty good and I would definitely try some of the others based on the two I tasted. They normally do flights that allow you to taste 4 at a time, but the day we were there is was too crowded and they weren’t offering flights. Next time, I guess.
We hung out for a couple of hours, listened to the live band for a bit, grabbed a bite at the food trucks, visited the cider barn at the top of the hill, and purchased some goodies from the indoor market (a 4-pack of the pumpkin cider and a blueberry jam). I would definitely return for more cider, more live music, even outdoor goat yoga (!) in warmer weather. Check out their very full event calendar here.
Tip: If you are thinking of trekking up the hill to the barn, consider bringing a folding chair or a backpack chair and blanked. The lawn is enormous, but seating was limited and it was very crowded that day we went.
There really is a lot to do in the area. We didn’t have time to hike or hit golf balls, but I’ll leave them on the list for next time on the list. Here are some other local places close to Great Gorge Village to consider when more time allows:
Hiking the Appalachian Trail and Stairway to Heaven trail
Wawayanda State Park
Crystal Springs Resort
Legends Riding Stables
Treescape Aerial Adventure Park
Skiing, golfing, and spas, oh my!
There should be a few great Fall weekends left before the snow comes and it’s time to ski. And one final tip: If you do plan a weekend away, try and find a great group like mine to do it with.
© 2022 Kim Selby. All rights reserved.
All photography © Kim Selby unless otherwise credited.