Did you know Thomas Edison spent most of his adult life in New Jersey? He also invented many of his 1,093 inventions here. In 1887-88 he built a lab complex in West Orange, NJ. This is where the kinetograph (a motion picture camera) and kinetoscope (a boxlike device for viewing motion pictures through a peephole) along with the phonograph and incandescant light bulbs were invented.
The property is now a National Historic Park and you can visit to learn more. It is a self guided tour along with recorded info. The day was really overcast and we had hoped that it wouldn't rain until we got home. No such luck as it started raining while we were here. Luckily it stopped when we were in the three story lab so we didn't get too wet.
On the grounds of the lab you will find all kinds of interesting things. The first movie studio ever built is here. It is nicknamed the Black Maria and was built to that the roof could be opened to follow the sun. It was also built on rollers so it could be turned to follow that sun.
It was really interesting to visit the lab. Edison had a fabulous library with books on all types of things. There is also a story that when Edison died the large clock in the library stopped. Nobody will admit to stopping it but it has never been started again. You know the song - and the clock stopped, never to run again, when the old man died. There is also a time clock there that everyone used to clock in, even Edison!
Did you know Edison invented the first talking doll? It never really took off because it was too fragile.
We asked about visiting the home but it is only open on the weekends. Hey, that gives us something to come back to.
We then headed over to Bayonne, NJ to visit the 9/11 memorial in New Jersey. It was created by a Russian, Zurab Tsereteli and donated to the US by the Russian people. It was dedicated on Sept 11, 2006. It is called the teardrop and located in a park on a point in NJ that you can see NYC from.
It was cloudy and overcast but we could see the New York skyline from here as well as the Statue of Liberty. If you look close you can see the new World Trade Center under construction.
They also have a piece of steel from the tower on this site.
On the drive out there was a golf course along the water. We found out it cost $400,000 to join and $200,000 a year in membership fees! Hey Nick, want a membership?
So that was our day. I hope you had a good day. We certainly did. Enjoy all the photos.
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