Clinton, New Jersey

When the name New Jersey is mentioned, many conjure stereotypes of chemical dumps, political corruption, and the Mafioso of the Garden State (sarcastically referred to as the 'Garbage State'). This is inaccurate, in that the state is blessed with numerous charming small towns. Clinton is one of these, and is as quaint as many you will find in New England. The center of town is a small reservoir along the Raritan River with a 100-foot-long spillway. On one side of this waterfall is an 1836 stone gristmill converted into an art museum. On the other side is the Red Mill Museum containing 40,000 artifacts. Lining Main Street are numerous antique shops and boutiques, awaiting your temptation. Connecting the two is the 1870 truss bridge, one of the finest examples of ornate wrought-iron bridges in the country. When the Clinton post office was established in 1829 the town was named for DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York and the primary impetus behind the then-newly completed Erie Canal.