One of the most underrated attractions in America is in NJ

If you have never been to, or even heard of, the Grounds for Sculpture, you are missing a real jewel of New Jersey.

The travel website HawaiianIslands.com put out a list of the 20 most underrated tourist spots in America, and it was wonderful to see the Grounds for Sculpture taking the number 5 spot.

hawaiianislands.com

It has been a favorite place for my family to visit since the kids were young, and I look forward to strolling the grounds every year.

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook

Nestled on the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds in Hamilton, Mercer County, Grounds for Sculpture opened in 1992.

Grounds for Sculpture/facebook/david michael howarth photograph

It was the vision of the late artist Seward Johnson to create a space where artwork could be sited within the landscape, and visitors could delight in discovering contemporary sculpture.

groundsforsculpture.org

Nowhere else can you literally walk into a real-life creation of a Monet painting or take a stroll through the woods and encounter a towering sculpture that blends into the landscape.

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook/DAVID MICHAEL HOWARTH PHOTOGRAPHY

You might also be greeted by one of the gorgeous Peacocks with their broad and colorful tail feathers on full display.

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook

You don't need to be an art expert, or even an art lover, to enjoy all this amazing place has to offer. The park is now exhibiting nearly 300 works.

Johnson, who passed away in 2020, filled the park with his life-sized bronze statues that often depict figures inspired by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks. They literally bring the paintings to life, and invite visitors to step inside.

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook

When he was working at the site, he often spent the night in a dazzling real-life version of Van Gogh's bedroom. The wild angles and twisted perspective are masterfully recreated. Stepping into the bedroom may cause a bit of vertigo as your mind tries to process what you are seeing.

Grounds for Sculpture/Facebook/david michael howarth photograph

Most overrated and underrated in New Jersey

To come up with it's list, HawaiianIslands.com says they "used TripAdvisor’s own reviews to find the most overrated and underrated tourist spots in America."

Among the most overrated attractions in America include Guggenheim Museum in New York City and two theme parks close to New Jersey: Sesame Place and Hershey Park.

They also calculated the most overrated and underrated attraction in each state.

For New Jersey, they named the most overrated attraction as the Ocean Resort and Casino in Atlantic City. The rating was based on the reviews left on TripAdvisor.com.

As for the most underrated, that would be Great Falls National Park in Paterson. This is another gem of an attraction in New Jersey and very much worth the visit.

nps.gov

Carved by glaciers 13,000 years ago, the Great Falls are 77 feet high and 260 feet wide. More than 2 billion gallons of water rush over it daily. It is the 2nd largest waterfall, by volume, east of the Mississippi River, behind only Niagara Falls.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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These are the best hiking spots in New Jersey

A trip to New Jersey doesn't have to be all about the beach. Our state has some incredible trails, waterfalls, and lakes to enjoy.

From the Pine Barrens to the Appalachian Trail to the hidden gems of New Jersey, you have plenty of options for a great hike. Hiking is such a great way to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature, plus it's a great workout.

Before you go out on the trails and explore some of our listeners' suggestions, I have some tips on hiking etiquette from the American Hiking Society.

If you are going downhill and run into an uphill hiker, step to the side and give the uphill hiker space. A hiker going uphill has the right of way unless they stop to catch their breath.

Always stay on the trail, you may see side paths, unless they are marked as an official trail, steer clear of them. By going off-trail you may cause damage to the ecosystems around the trail, the plants, and wildlife that live there.

You also do not want to disturb the wildlife you encounter, just keep your distance from the wildlife and continue hiking.

Bicyclists should yield to hikers and horses. Hikers should also yield to horses, but I’m not sure how many horses you will encounter on the trails in New Jersey.

If you are thinking of bringing your dog on your hike, they should be leashed, and make sure to clean up all pet waste.

Lastly, be mindful of the weather, if the trail is too muddy, it's probably best to save your hike for another day.

I asked our listeners for their suggestions of the best hiking spots in New Jersey, check out their suggestions: