The best part of New Jersey is out of the way

Everyone who lives in the great Garden State has a certain pride in their little corner of Jersey.

They have the best pizza there, the best delis, the best people and the most convenient spot to live in.

For the most part, we all live in our own little bubble with very little deviation in where we travel throughout the state, except for maybe those trips to the shore.

I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to a lot of places in this state through work, but one place has eluded me.

I am deeply embarrassed that for the first time in my life, I just recently made it to the northwest corner of our state.

The intention was there for the past several years, but I never had the occasion to go.

That's the case from most people who live in New Jersey.

Whether you live in the densely populated area of Central Jersey or the northeast part near New York, you would have little reason to venture out to that part of the state.

The same goes for us in South Jersey.

Warren and Sussex Counties are not on the way to anywhere often traveled.

Sure Routes 78 and 80 go through the area but many people just see these areas on their way to Pennsylvania or beyond.

Recently my daughter and I finally had the time to take the 2-and-a-half-hour ride to Sunrise Mountain.

For flat-landers like us the whole drive once you get as far as Hunterdon County was awesome.

We stopped along the way a few times for some pictures and then finally got to our lunch destination 121 miles from home at Gyp's Tavern.

It's a hole-in-the-wall, hunter friendly long-time legendary bar on the shores of Lake Kittatinny in Branchville, NJ.

That's right, Branchville, population 841, and almost as many bears.

It's right on the edge of Stokes State Forest and Sunrise Mountain.

The scenery is nicer, and so are the people. The traffic is a lot lighter too.

It doesn't even seem like you are in New Jersey at all.

Seems more like Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine.

Like every new place we discover on a trip or vacation, it makes you want to move there. It's just so far from the rest of New Jersey. Maybe that's why I liked it so much!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.