James E. McGreevey
Governor

William D. Watley
Secretary of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523

NEW JERSEY OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM WEBSITE OFFERS BIRDSEYE VIEW OF
FALL FOLIAGE OPPORTUNITIES

Trenton, N.J. (September 24, 2003)—There's no better season to discover the Garden State than autumn, when Mother Nature's paintbrush saturates New Jersey in hues of crimson, copper and gold. Now, the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism's fall website (www.visitnj.org) provides visitors with a unique window to view the state's vast array of activities and attractions at their vibrant best —from fall foliage and driving tours to links to Jersey Fresh for agricultural festivals and fall recipes.

"Fall is my favorite time of year," says Nancy Byrne, executive director of the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism. "Crisp weather and breathtaking fall foliage abound, whether you're hiking nature trails in the Delaware Water Gap, canoeing in the Pinelands or even picking Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables."

Six sample-driving tours have been designed for visitors to enjoy New Jersey's autumnal beauty. For instance, Garden State Cornucopia, a farmlands tour, takes visitors through some of the state's famous Jersey Fresh agricultural acres while Fun and Foliage combines the state's breathtaking fall scenery with historic sites. If scaling mountainsides are your preference, Reach for the Stars, provides a birdseye view of the northernmost corner of the state, including Stokes State Forest and the Delaware Water Gap. Nature enthusiasts also can explore Pinelands Pleasure, which focuses on the Pine Barrens, a national preserve that is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. Nature's Window, a woodlands tour, travels the north central part of the state with its array of picturesque parks such as Ringwood. A Touch of History takes visitors through some of New Jersey's historic and quaint towns, such as Titusville's Washington Crossing State Park, where George Washington made his famous Christmas Day crossing in 1776.

Another great way to discover New Jersey this fall is to visit some of the state's farms, roadside markets, pick your own and garden centers. The tourism website links to the

Jersey Fresh site where you can even find Jersey Fresh recipes to prepare with your freshly harvested Garden State produce.

To determine the best time to view colors, there's a link to the Foliage Network, which details weekly foliage reports and leaf drops across the northeast.

For more information on New Jersey events and activities, contact the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism, at 609-292-2470 or visit the website at www.visitnj.org.