Driving to South New Jersey for the holidays. COVID status? Other Info?

[jztemple2]

My wife has decided that she doesn't want to spend another Christmas home, and since it's been several years since she's seen her NJ relatives she'd like to go there for the holidays. She's going to contact her relatives there about their plans, and I thought I'd ask the community here if anyone who lives in NJ or has visited recently would have any insight on current COIVD restrictions (restaurants, hotels, etc) and other info that might be helpful to us. We're planning to be there for a week sometime in the second half of December, driving our ever faithful minivan. Thanks for any help!

[Smoove_B]

There are no restrictions in NJ. That might change as we're (just today) at a 7-day weekly average that hasn't been since since 4/28/21, but I kind of doubt it. You can eat indoors, sit at a bar, go to a night club (all things I assume you're into?) and visit stores unmasked. There are some places that suggest or ask that you wear masks, but nothing is required. Many places have employees in masks because they're not crazy.

That being said, depending on where you're going (which town(s)), they might have additional guidelines or regulations. Since it's South Jersey, I tend to doubt it, but I can get you more information about local conditions if you want to send me a PM. Things might change pretty quickly here over the next 10-14 days at we see the impacts of Thanksgiving.

[Holman]

If you're passing through Philadelphia on the way to South Jersey, most places expect you to wear a mask, but indoor dining is still permitted.

[dbt1949]

If you're going to New Jersey be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

[Jeff V]

Make sure your tetanus shot is up-to-date, and avoid New Yorkers passing by at all costs.

[Daehawk]

Was nice knowin ya jz.

[Hrdina]

Calling South Jersey "Southern New Jersey" is a good way to let everyone know you're from out-of-town.

What town are you actually visiting? Some parts of South Jersey are more "South" than others. My dad was living down in Millville, and moved from there to Bradenton/Sarasota without missing a beat.

These days I live in the northern part of the state, but I was down south (Burlington County) over the weekend to visit my mom.

Everything Smoove said about masking is (unsurprisingly) accurate in my experience.

[jztemple2]

What town are you actually visiting? Some parts of South Jersey are more "South" than others. My dad was living down in Millville, and moved from there to Bradenton/Sarasota without missing a beat.

Her relatives are centered, IIRC, around Berlin. Her uncle worked there at the Farmer's Market.

Calling South Jersey "Southern New Jersey" is a good way to let everyone know you're from out-of-town.

I'll be wearing my Tommy Bahama shirts, so I don't need to even say a word for folks to know I'm from out of town

[Isgrimnur]

[jztemple2]

No, some of these:

[Isgrimnur]

There's more money in those shirts than my retirement fund.

[LawBeefaroni]

No, some of these:

Impressive!


There's not s tiki bar in existence that you don't have the camo pattern for.

[malchior]

What town are you actually visiting? Some parts of South Jersey are more "South" than others. My dad was living down in Millville, and moved from there to Bradenton/Sarasota without missing a beat.

Her relatives are centered, IIRC, around Berlin. Her uncle worked there at the Farmer's Market.

Berlin is definitely south jersey and a pain in the ass to get to. If you are into depressing casinos they aren't too far from there in both the northwest and southeast directions!

[jztemple2]

What town are you actually visiting? Some parts of South Jersey are more "South" than others. My dad was living down in Millville, and moved from there to Bradenton/Sarasota without missing a beat.

Her relatives are centered, IIRC, around Berlin. Her uncle worked there at the Farmer's Market.

Berlin is definitely south jersey and a pain in the ass to get to. If you are into depressing casinos they aren't too far from there in both the northwest and southeast directions!

We'll be seeing relatives and maybe eating out. I doubt we'll be doing any casinos or the like. And I know that Berlin does seem in the middle of nowhere, but we did drive there several times from Florida back in the paper map era. Personally, I'm kind of hoping that the trip falls through, I'm not really looking forward to dealing with the traffic, the temps and the relatives.

[jztemple2]

Well, it looks like the trip is going to happen, in spite of my druthers . There will be a side stop in North Carolina and then across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, up through Delaware and across the I-295 bridge to South Jersey . So I can avoid being on I-95 north of North Carolina. We might even go across the Cape May/Lewes ferry for a boat ride on the way back.

[Jeff V]

No, some of these:

I have the Target version of most of those. I even got complemented by the mayor over the summer on my shirt, which he then correctly identified as coming from Target.

[Hrdina]

Well, it looks like the trip is going to happen, in spite of my druthers . There will be a side stop in North Carolina and then across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, up through Delaware and across the I-295 bridge to South Jersey . So I can avoid being on I-95 north of North Carolina. We might even go across the Cape May/Lewes ferry for a boat ride on the way back.

Allow me to add to the admiration given to your wardrobe.

As stated above, Berlin is in the middle of f'in nowhere. I grew up in South Jersey, and Berlin is even more souther than where I was. Berlin is not quite as deep south as Millville, but it's close.

If you're driving up through Delaware, though, Berlin will look like heaven compared to DE. I love the ferry, although I don't think I've been on it since my oldest kid was a toddler (he's almost 25 now).

I used to spend a lot of time down near Berlin; my HS/college-era gaming group was centered in Atco/Waterford, which is just on the outskirts of metropolitan Berlin, maybe about 2/3 the way to the drag strip on Jackson Road.

[jztemple2]

The ferry is now dropped from the plans, although we'll still drive up through Delaware. On the way back we're looking to eventually hit Atlanta to see another relative, so we'll be heading from South Jersey through Pennsylvania so I can hit the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg . Assuming we don't hit it on a Monday or Tuesday when it's closed .

Berlin might be in the middle of nowhere, but it's less than fifteen miles from the hotel . It looks like we'll be planning to spend four days in Jersey visiting, although the wife has said we might leave a day early if we run out of relatives to visit; they might all be on the way to Florida

[Unagi]

Travel, spread , touch everything, visit everyone.


You know you are giving Smoove nightmares with your casual posts.

[jztemple2]

Travel, spread , touch everything, visit everyone.

You know you are giving Smoove nightmares with your casual posts.

Nothing casual about going to New Jersey over the holidays . Maybe it will snow, maybe the roads will be iced over, maybe I'll be stuck at the kid's table since I'm by far the youngest of our generation .

[jztemple2]

And the trip is off . Only a couple of the wife's relatives in South Jersey have responded and only one sounds like he's really excited to see us. My wife finally decided that spending five nights in Jersey to go see a couple of relatives wasn't a good idea, especially with weather and COVID. Instead we're going to do a few day trips around Florida over the holidays, go to the beach, and just hang out at the house and do the little jobs that we've been putting off. I actually spent part of the day pressure washing our sheds and the back fence is next. It's a lot easier to do when it's in the eighties, sun shining and the pool inviting.

Thanks for the inputs and other help from the folks who responded to my earlier requests. OO's are the best

[Hrdina]

And the trip is off . Only a couple of the wife's relatives in South Jersey have responded and only one sounds like he's really excited to see us. My wife finally decided that spending five nights in Jersey to go see a couple of relatives wasn't a good idea, especially with weather and COVID

She has chosen...wisely.

I was actually thinking about you guys on Tuesday. I had to take my wife to an appointment in Philadelphia, and came home via I-295 north. That took us past Exit 29A, US30 (White Horse Pike) East toward Berlin.

[jztemple2]

Thanks for the link. I followed the streetview off the interstate onto the Pike and noted the Wawa there. Do they still require that attendants pump your gas for you in NJ?

Talking about the White Horse Pike makes me also think about the Black Horse Pike as well. We have relatives somewhere around there too. One time years ago we were up there we were navigating with paper maps to get to someone's house off the BHP after a wedding and it turns out that within a mile there were two street addresses exactly the same, except that one was in one township and the other the next one over . We of course drove to the wrong one and since we didn't know about the other we just drove round and round till we gave up and drove to find a place with a pay phone

[Hrdina]

Thanks for the link. I followed the streetview off the interstate onto the Pike and noted the Wawa there. Do they still require that attendants pump your gas for you in NJ?

Require????

There are really no laws in NJ that are not for sale, but Full Service-only gas stations have become part of this state's identity.

Talking about the White Horse Pike makes me also think about the Black Horse Pike as well. We have relatives somewhere around there too. One time years ago we were up there we were navigating with paper maps to get to someone's house off the BHP after a wedding and it turns out that within a mile there were two street addresses exactly the same, except that one was in one township and the other the next one over . We of course drove to the wrong one and since we didn't know about the other we just drove round and round till we gave up and drove to find a place with a pay phone

I'm not sure that problem is specific to NJ, but when you have one road (like the WHP/BHP) that share the same name through several towns I guess it probably happens a lot there (especially when some of the towns don't cover a large area).

[Smoove_B]

You didn't even try to confuse him with by saying he has to get on on I-295 North to head south towards Philly at some point. But to be careful not to stay on 295 West when it just changes to 95 South.

[Hrdina]

You didn't even try to confuse him with by saying he has to get on on I-295 North to head south towards Philly at some point. But to be careful not to stay on 295 West when it just changes to 95 South.

That's the Advanced Class.

Besides, if he gets that far north he is truly lost.

I was perhaps a bit overly excited a year or so ago when I was finally, for the first time in my life, able to drive south from Newark to Philadelphia, and stay on I-95 the whole time.

[jztemple2]

You didn't even try to confuse him with by saying he has to get on on I-295 North to head south towards Philly at some point. But to be careful not to stay on 295 West when it just changes to 95 South.

I go through Orlando occasionally on I-4 East or West which runs north and south

[malchior]

You didn't even try to confuse him with by saying he has to get on on I-295 North to head south towards Philly at some point. But to be careful not to stay on 295 West when it just changes to 95 South.

That's the Advanced Class.

Besides, if he gets that far north he is truly lost.

I was perhaps a bit overly excited a year or so ago when I was finally, for the first time in my life, able to drive south from Newark to Philadelphia, and stay on I-95 the whole time.

Yeah I was about to say that is "mostly" fixed finally. Though I'm not psyched that another one of the few last free crossings is gone now over the Delaware. Frenchtown for life now.

[Hrdina]

Yeah I was about to say that is "mostly" fixed finally. Though I'm not psyched that another one of the few last free crossings is gone now over the Delaware. Frenchtown for life now.

You are referring to the Scudder's Falls bridge? I used to cross there a lot back when I lived in Clinton, and back when it carried I-95 rather than I-295. I guess the "magic spot" where I-295 East/West turns into I-295 North/South is right in the middle of the bridge?

Too bad about the toll. Now that I-95 is finally complete in NJ, it crosses the river on the Turnpike bridge which has always been toll.

[LordMortis]

I-295 East/West

That in itself would be the end of me without GPS. Odd number interstates, even auxiliaries, should be N/s. It is known.

[Hrdina]

I-295 East/West

That in itself would be the end of me without GPS. Odd number interstates, even auxiliaries, should be N/s. It is known.

I don't think that applies to auxiliaries.

Perhaps you haven't met I-195 E/W? It is just a few miles south of the bridge we're discussing.

Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of the route, without regard to the route number.

If you want to have some fun, head down to Virginia, where I-77, I-81, US-11, and US-52 can't make up their mind which way they're going.

[malchior]

Yeah I was about to say that is "mostly" fixed finally. Though I'm not psyched that another one of the few last free crossings is gone now over the Delaware. Frenchtown for life now.

You are referring to the Scudder's Falls bridge? I used to cross there a lot back when I lived in Clinton, and back when it carried I-95 rather than I-295.

Yup. They replaced it and added a toll because why have free crossings?

[jztemple2]

Sadly for those folks in South Jersey, since we aren't going there they won't be able to see my Christmas shirt

[Hrdina]

I might have been willing to drive down to Berlin just for that.