While Covid-19 has put restrictions on our normal life it hasn’t affected 2 of my greatest pleasures, hiking and craft beer. Actually, I have done way more hiking, and maybe a little less drinking…maybe. I’m sure for most of you the last 10 months have been pretty rough. One thing that has always made me feel good and clears my head is hiking. There is nothing like being in the woods and taking deep breaths as you get farther away from civilization. For me it’s one of the best stress relievers.
Maurice River Bluffs Reserve
One of my favorite hikes in South Jersey that I enjoy with my family and our 10-month-old Great Dane Hooper, is near Millville at the Maurice River Bluffs Reserve. There are 5 different colored trails for your hiking pleasure. You can do quick 30 minute hike or you could pack a lunch and spend most of the day there. While some of the trails take you along the Maurice River with some spectacular overlooks, there are others that will bring you deeper into the woods. Those trails will give you the opportunity to see some wildlife, we saw about a dozen deer the day that we went. All of the trails have picnic tables placed throughout so if you want to bring a lunch, or maybe do a wine/beer & cheese hike, you have plenty of places to do it. There is also quite a few biking trails that criss cross the hiking trails if that is more your thing. No matter if you are hiking or biking the Maurice River Bluffs is a great place to recharge your batteries.
Getting Thirsty
When you go hiking for a couple hours you tend to get thirsty. This is where the reward comes into play. Once you leave the ample sized parking lot of the Bluffs you only need to travel about 5 minutes until you arrive at one of our favorite breweries, Glasstown Brewing. Located at the Millville Airport Complex, owners Paul and Jen Simmons and the whole crew at Glasstown always greet you with a smile and make you fell right at home. They have plenty of outside seating with fire pits and 25% seating inside the taproom. They always have a dozen or so beers on tap and have recently added a couple seltzers for your drinking pleasure. You can also bring your own food.
If you are looking for more of a pub atmosphere after your hike you could travel about 13 minutes to The Brass Tap located in Vineland. The Brass Tap has a pretty expansive tap list of South Jersey beers as well as some national craft beer favorites. Along with the great draught and bottle selection, they also have some really good food to fill you up after your hike.
As always, enjoy your pour… and hike!
