✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤
✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this ✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this one is pretty alright. ✨
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Press
  • Writing
  • Contact

Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Explore: Gingerbread Castle {Hamburg, New Jersey}

November 17, 2017 · Narrative

Adventuring all over the great state of New Jersey, there are treasures and hidden mysteries down every road. Let’s visit the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg.

Untitled

When my sister and I were kids, our family often took Sunday adventures together, and we took turns choosing where we would go or what we would do. I loved those days, and try to do the same with my kids as well. We go monthly, and while we don’t necessarily take turns on choosing our adventure, I always try to do something that I know they will enjoy.

Both of my kids like exploring, and Nick particularly is always down for finding an abandoned property or graffiti, and we have found over the past few years that New Jersey has no shortage of abandoned properties. In August, we discovered an old amusement park in Hamburg, which is about a thirty minute, mostly scenic, drive from us.

Untitled

Untitled

This property operated as an amusement park for about 50 years, and it finally shut down in the 1970s, which is likely why I had never heard of it before. In the 1990s, it reopened as a Halloween attraction, but a fire ended up closing that down. In 2003, a husband and wife purchased the property and hoped to restore it. When that proved more costly than they anticipated, even after securing grants, they tried to sell it on eBay. That wasn’t successful, and it was eventually sold at a Sheriff’s sale in 2007 for $680,000 (that’s quite a hefty sum for property that is in such disrepair!). In 2008, it was listed as being owned by a property developer who vowed not to knock it down. Unfortunately he hasn’t done much else to it either.

Untitled

(You can see some of the original pictures of the amusement park in its heyday here, as well as more history)

After reading the above linked article, I was on high alert when we visited, since it was clear that although the property is abandoned, it’s also clear that the area is regularly patrolled and I didn’t want to get caught trespassing.

Untitled

So we poked around, didn’t stay too long, and kept a look-out.

Untitled

We explored around the main gingerbread castle area and, of course, took the requisite pictures, and we also checked out the adjoining mill property. Although there are parts of the amusement park that are definitely closed off for public access, we found a way in.

Untitled

And that’s about all I’m going to say about that. ;)

Untitled

There’s that fine line between being curious and getting in trouble, and after about a half hour, I pulled the Mom card and said we needed to get out of there. The kids totally would have gone further in had I let them, but tbh, I was getting a little freaked out that we would run into a group of squatters or the police, neither of which was how I wanted to spent my Sunday afternoon.

Untitled

Untitled

It’s a shame to see the property in such a sad state, and for so long, and its future certainly seems dismal. But if you happen to be in the area, it’s a pretty cool look back into the way it used to be.

50 Gingerbread Castle Road
Hamburg, NJ

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPRINT

Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: abandoned property, amusement park, Gingerbread Castle, Hamburg, New Jersey

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Storytelling…
Through photos.
Words. And recipes.

Archives

Categories

Instagram

✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨

Pinterest

✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤
✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this ✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this one is pretty alright. ✨

Copyright © 2022 Sweetnicks · Theme by Vicki Harrison Design