Photo Credit: dailyrecord.com

I thought I knew New Jersey.

It’s where I was born and raised, where I spent my college years and where I have decided to put down roots. It’s where I have spent countless hours in pursuit of my passion, hiking wooded sanctuaries that look nothing like the New Jersey portrayed on television.

But on a tour of the southern Highlands stretching from Boonton to Phillipsburg, I stood in awe of places I never knew existed. That, in fact, was the promise made to me by Elliott Ruga when I agreed to take his Highlands road trip, which traced more than 100 miles of scenic roads passing fertile farmland through five counties and as many watersheds.