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James E. McGreevey |
William D. Watley |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523 |
ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR
OF HISTORIC MORRISTOWN Trenton, N.J. (January 3, 2003)—An impressionistic watercolor depicting Morristown's Towne Greene covers the 2003 edition of the New Jersey Travel Guide. Painted by acclaimed Czech-born artist Kamil Kubik, the watercolor also celebrates Morristown's 2002 designation by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, representing the best-preserved and unique communities in the United States. "We wanted to pay tribute to our heritage as one of the original 13 colonies, while recognizing the many nationalities that have since settled here and continue to contribute such rich diversity to our state's culture, " says Byrne. "We looked to the best known gateway into the new world, sitting right in our harbor, and selected an artist recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor." Kubik escaped from his native Czechoslovakia when the Communists seized power in 1948 and wandered the world, painting stage sets in Australia and portraits in London and San Francisco before settling on nature and street scenes for which he is best known. New Jersey has large Czech and Eastern European communities. "The painting, with the memorial and American flag prominently featured, hopefully will remind people of the revolution that let us become a democratic melting pot, " says Byrne. " It marks the site where George Washington's Revolutionary Army spent the winters of 1779 and 1780." New Jersey's 2003 Travel Guide contains everything a visitor (or resident) might want to know about the state's attractions. It's all presented in easy-to-reference categories, with alphabetical indexes to towns and attractions, maps, calendars of events, transportation and contacts for further help. Up front are mini-features on state history, 127 miles of ocean beaches, family fun, nature, sports, camping, arts and lighthouses (for which New Jersey is noted). Separate sections each contain comprehensive information on the state's six different regions: Shore, Greater Atlantic City, Southern Shore, Delaware River, Skylands and Gateway. Also highlighted are mini-features on beaches, the outdoors, golf, fishing, history, arts and culture, shopping and lighthouses (for which New Jersey is noted). New Jersey may be small, but its geography, like its population, is very diverse, as reflected in these regions. They conform to the varied terrains of ocean beaches, the Delaware and Hudson Rivers, sandy flat farmlands that continue to live up to the slogan, "The Garden State," mountains that form part of the Appalachian chain and are high enough for exciting skiing, and vast forest preserves remaining forever wild through the Green Acres program. The shore region runs from Sandy Hook to Holgate, just north of Atlantic City. Greater Atlantic City stretches south and west, to Brigantine, where it becomes the South Shore Region. This is the southern cape, jutting into the mouth of the Delaware Bay, from which Cape May takes its name. It covers the bay shore up to Salem. The Delaware River Region runs along the bay shore, taking in Camden, Trenton and Princeton. Here the river turns and narrows and the area becomes the Skylands Region, with sparse populations, mountains and forests stretching all the way north to High Point on the New York border. Finally, the Gateway Region, so designated because of its proximity to New York City, encompasses the metropolitan area from lower New York Bay up along the Hudson River to the New York State Line. The Travel Guide and other information guides are available free at all New Jersey Tourist Information offices or from the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism, 1-800-VISITNJ (847-4865); or maybe ordered from the website, www.visitnj.org "America the beautiful-only smaller," New Jersey encompasses less than 9,000 square miles, but it's surprisingly diverse, combining the best of metropolitan sophistication with rural farmlands, rivers and mountains - all accessible within a few hours. Ocean beaches stretch 127 miles, from Cape May Point to Sandy Hook. Vast expanses of forever-green acres are exemplified in the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and 1.1-million-acre Pine Barrens Reserve. There are mountains for skiing and climbing; trails for hiking, towns for shopping and culture. While super highways, express buses, trains and ferries provide quick and direct access into New York City and Philadelphia, back roads wind through historic hamlets, farmlands and pristine forests. Along the way are botanic gardens, historic architecture, museums, sporting events, gaming casinos and kids' action parks. New Jersey is a vacation destination for the best days of your life!
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