By Jeff Tompkins

Think you know northern New Jersey? Guess again!

Only thirty miles from Manhattan, Morristown and surrounding Morris County couldn't be a more convenient getaway – and when you see the extraordinary range of attractions here for yourself, you may end up wondering why you've never discovered this gem before now!

Morris County's rich historical legacy parallels that of bigger, better-known destinations in New York State and Pennsylvania. Morristown's Town Green, positively postcard-worthy, is just steps away from trendy, up-to-the-minute shops, restaurants, and bars that make the area a nightlife hub.

In short, this is an area where you can experience the best of the old and the new – or, as New Jersey's Star-Ledger put it, Morristown is the place "where history meets hip!"

Morristown was founded by English Presbyterians in 1715 and later played a key role in both the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. Careful cultivation of this heritage, as well as some smart growth decisions based around its status as a New Jersey "transit village," combine to give this community its special character. That character was recently affirmed in a major way when the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Morristown one of its "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in the United States – the only spot in New Jersey to be given that honor!

Home to many a Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, the surrounding county is dotted with charming Main Streets to stroll and abounds with hiking, birding, biking, antiquing, and shopping opportunities - making it a perfect weekend getaway or day trip!

Things To Do
Morristown, we're happy to report, makes a perfectly viable car-free getaway. New Jersey Transit trains run several times a day between Morristown, Newark, and New York City, and the train station on Morris Avenue is only a short walk down the hill from the center of town. While you will need a car (or car service) to visit some of the attractions described below, it's also possible to spend a full day or weekend here just getting around on foot.

But regardless of how you arrive, your first stop should be the Morris County Visitors Center, on Court Street, right around the corner from Washington Street, just north of the Green. The friendly staff will set you up with maps, suggested itineraries, and a wealth of information on local attractions. If you're pressed for time, the official Morris County Visitors Guide is the single best item to pick up here–it has useful maps of both the town and county as well as comprehensive listings for what to see and do during your stay.

Now suitably equipped, you can quickly orient yourself in Morristown. It's easy to do this on account of the classic Town Green, which has literally been the center of this community for more than 250 years. In the early days locals let their livestock graze here, and then it became a training ground for the town militia. Public executions took place here until 1833, and the Civil War monument in the Green's northeast corner was erected in 1871.

(On the north side of the green, you may notice an unusual statue of a man walking a German Shepherd on a leash. The individual in question is Morris Frank, co-founder of The Seeing Eye, a nearby training facility for seeing-eye dogs. For animal lovers, The Seeing Eye's proximity to Morristown is a nice bonus, because you'll almost certainly see trainers walking their dogs in and around town while you're here – we counted three pairs in 24 hours!)

Once you've got your bearings, there's a convenient way to delve into Morristown's history right on the northeast side of the Green – the Burial Ground located behind the First Presbyterian Church. This cemetery dates from 1731, and the rows of humble headstones bearing names like "Hephzibah," "Silas," and "Jabez," all in ye olde time lettering, are very tangible reminders of the Colonial era. The marker for the soldiers who died in the smallpox epidemic that hit this area in 1777 is especially moving.

By George, He Really Did Sleep Here
Okay, history buffs! You know about Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Trenton, but did you know just how crucial a role Morris County played in the American Revolution? The village of Morristown was the Continental Army's base twice – first in the winter of 1777 and again in the winter of 1779-1780, the latter of which was even worse than the one the soldiers endured at Valley Forge two years earlier.

In recognition of this heritage, Congress created the Morristown National Historic Park in 1933, the first National Historic Park anywhere in the country. The Park is actually comprised of several separate sites related to Washington's time here, all of them worth visiting and all testifying to New Jersey's decisive involvement in the struggle for independence. To help get you started, here are the most important:

On the east side of town, near where Morris Street becomes Morris Avenue, you'll find the Ford Mansion. Mrs. Jacob Ford Jr., a widow with four small children, offered her home (considered the finest in town at the time) to General Washington for use as a temporary headquarters in December 1779; today the guided tour of the Mansion gives a very good sense of how Mrs. Ford, her sons, and their servants co-existed in this small space with Washington and his staff during the long, brutal winter.

Across town, just up the hill from the Visitors Center (a hardy hike on foot or a short drive) sits Fort Nonsense, where Washington had his troops dig trenches and prepare other defenses in the spring of 1777. The spot got its name because of a later rumor that Washington was just creating "busy work" for his army. When you reach the summit, and see how far the view extends to the east, you'll understand for yourself what the strategic value of this land must have been back then.

Finally, for the most visceral sense of the hardships the American troops suffered in the winter of 1779-80, don't miss Jockey Hollow, just a short drive west of town. Reconstructions of the actual soldiers' huts (which typically held up to twelve men at a time) bring the experience home; as you visit, try to imagine surviving a winter that saw more than twenty major snowstorms in one of these shacks.

Jump forward in time a generation or two, to another revolution – The Industrial Revolution – with a visit to Historic Speedwell. Stephen Vail's thriving ironworks here produced most of the machinery for the S.S. Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1818. Twenty years later, on January 11, 1838, Stephen's son Alfred and his partner Samuel Morse ushered in the modern communications age by demonstrating the first electric telegraph to a crowd of locals inside the Factory Building (thus making Morristown the "birthplace of the telegraph"). Eight 19th-century structures have been preserved at Historic Speedwell, including the Factory Building, the granary, the carriage house, and the Vail family home. Guided tours, crafts programs, and other special events help bring all of this history to life.

The Arts and Crafts, Then and Now
Craftsman Farms, home of the architect, furniture designer and builder Gustav Stickley (1858-1942). A leading light of the American Arts and Crafts movement, Stickley championed clean, functional design over the heavily ornamented bric-a-brac that prevailed at the turn of the last century, and at Craftsman you can see both how he put those ideals into practice and how they remain just as relevant today.

Another major artistic figure called Morristown home in the late 1800s, too. Thomas Nast, the cartooning genius who gave us the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and the Americanized Santa Claus, lived in the Thomas Nast House, at the corner of Macculloch Avenue and Miller Road, from 1872 to 1902.

Now a National Historic Landmark, the Nast House is privately owned, which means public access is limited. However, directly across the street, Macculloch Hall houses a major collection of Nast's work that is open to visitors, along with the rest of this elegant 1819 mansion and its gardens. (Both the Nast House and Macculloch Hall are part of Morristown's de facto Historic District, several square blocks west of South Street with a terrific assortment of Federal, Greek Revival, and especially Victorian homes.)

Morristown's present-day arts scene lives up to the illustrious legacy noted above. The Simon Gallery, on Bank Street, has made a name for itself as a prime venue for contemporary painting, showing a mixture of emerging and established artists' works in eight shows a year. Locals saved South Street's Community Theatre from the wrecking ball in 1994, and today this one-time movie palace (originally opened in 1937) plays host to a variety of live performers. One spring, the lineup included the New Jersey Symphony, the Charlie Daniels Band, Pat Benatar, and a touring ballet troupe from Moscow.

South Street is also home to plenty of boutiques that prove you don't have to head into a big city for high-end fashion: the womens' clothing and shoe stores here lean towards artsy and upscale. And just a few minutes north, on the other side of the Green, the bargain-shoppers' mecca Century 21 beckons with the promise of the same steep discounts as its sister stores in New York City – but with much smaller crowds!

And speaking of shopping, if you're in the mood to see a little more of Morris County, don't overlook the historic hamlet of Chester, just a few miles west of Morristown on Route 510. A refreshing alternative to the mall experience, Chester's flourishing commercial district boasts dozens of shops specializing in antiques, crafts, artwork, toys and gifts of every description.

Morris County is also home to three well known colleges: Drew University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and St. Elizabeth's. The Norman Rockwellesque Main Streets of Madison and Chatham along Route 24, atypical college towns, provide an eclectic shopping experience. Between trendy gift shops, spas, and wine stores, you're sure to find the perfect souvenir. For larger retail chains, head to Parsippany, where you'll find bargains galore!

Get Swamped
Morris County isn't home to just any old swamp – it's home to a great swamp, or more specifically the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a 7,500-acre tract that's home to dozens of mammals and more than 200 species of birds at different times of the year - perfect for the aspiring bird watcher! In the early 1960s, local activists raised funds to prevent this area from being turned into an airport by the Port Authority, and by 1968 the Swamp was designated a "National Wilderness Area" by Congress. Today visitors can enjoy eight-and-a-half miles of trails, a wildlife observation center, guided tours, and other programs offered by two education centers located in the Refuge.

For more domesticated greenery, the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township features extensive gardens, tree and shrub collections, and programs for the public. In fact, there are number of parks and gardens throughout the county that afford hiking and biking opportunities. And in winter, practice your triple axle at the Mennen Sports Arena, where skate rentals are available.

See more info on activities and businesses.

Lodging
A mere five-minute stroll from the Town Green on Speedwell Avenue, the Hyatt Morristown is tough to beat for convenience of location and a full range of amenities. The Hyatt offers 256 guestrooms, 22 meeting rooms, and several in-house dining and drinks options, like the Eclectic Grill, a full-service restaurant doing contemporary American, and the Qube Lounge, which features cocktails and lighter fare.

The Hyatt also adjoins the Headquarters Plaza - a complex with a multiplex movie theater –you don't even have to leave the building to see what's playing. Visiting New Yorkers, meanwhile, will be delighted to find themselves right across the street from Century 21.

If you're in the mood for a slightly more traditional ambiance, there's the Best Western Morristown Inn, which combines modern conveniences with the trappings of a Georgian Colonial inn. (A print of George Washington graces the lobby along with several fine period antiques.) The Inn is located at 270 South Street, less than a mile from the Green and right in the center of the town's restaurant row.

Two more options outside of town, in Morris County, are East Hanover's Ramada Conference Center and the Days Inn in Ledgwood.

For a wonderful bed & breakfast experience, the Parrot Mill Inn in nearby Chatham is a 1780 mill house that retains a lot of 18th-century atmosphere. Each of the ten rooms with bath has been styled for its own unique character, and guests will also enjoy the Parrot Mill's own Visitor's Guide, a handy introduction to Chatham's small-town charms.

And for a memorable experience, there is the Madison Hotel - along Route 24, just outside Morristown proper. A gorgeous property with Georgian architecture, the hotel hosts weddings and special events and is adjacent to Rod's Steak and Seafood Grille, an area landmark!

See more info on lodging.

Dining
Ethnic cuisine is not hard to find in Morristown. Two Thai restaurants, Origin and Sirin, as well as well as an unbelievable five Japanese restaurants within one or two square miles – Asahi Sushi, Little Tokyo, Nagano, Nara, and Sushi Lounge. (Quick! Let's all move here!)

Morristown also boasts several stylish Italian restaurants where you're more likely to encounter carpaccio and polenta than garlic knots and red sauce. Among the most popular are Pazzo Pazzo, which gets good press for its chic decor as well as its menu, and La Campagna, specializing in northern Italian fare.

Whether you're looking for a full meal or just a tasty snack, Raul's Empanadas is an excellent introduction to some of Morristown's Latino flavor. For a sublime pairing, try the cream chipotle with the fiery "Inferno" or any of the other beef empanadas. (Raul's is also open until 3 am on weekends, which makes it a great place to finish up after you've been carousing at any of the local bars and clubs.)

Just down the hill from the Green on Morris Avenue, George and Martha's American Grill offers a modern twist on traditional fare. Comfort food like the hot wings has a devoted local following, so you're well advised to see (and taste) for yourself!
In surrounding Morris County, you'll also find some other noteworthy restaurants to try, like The Grain House in Basking Ridge and Sally Lunn's Tea Shop in Chester.