SUMMIT~CHATHAM~MADISON, NJ

From a wee tadger to quite the adult, every Christmas season I headed down with my family, via train, to Philadelphia, to the glories of John Wanamaker's Grand Court & the pumpkin pie beckoning from Woolworth's lunch counter (a wonderful story in itself).  Throughout my 30s, you'd find me driving the back roads to & through Manhattan, always with Mom & Mim in tow, often with Margaret Gladish transforming our trio into a quartet.  

Didn't really do a holiday trip through most of my early married years - Margaret was married to Bob, Mim was living on the central Jersey shore, I was sort of preoccupied with John.  

Then, for about five years, from 1996-2000, Mom & I revived the annual Christmas jaunt, this time heading up New Jersey back roads to Bernardsville, then over to Basking Ridge, to Summit, Chatham & Madison.  It's a trip I still highly recommend for anyone looking for the feel of a charming small town Christmas.

There is no better way to end "Small Business" Saturday than by singing the praises of  Summit, Chatham & Madison, not-to-far destinations sure to delight anyone who enjoys small shops & surprising finds.  

Summit

I lost my heart to Summit, NJ the first time I drove through the streets of that deliciously & genuinely retro small city, back in the mid 1990s, when I occasionally worked not far, at Prudential Health System's Parsippany headquarters.  

Summit has the feel of the sort of Bedford Falls, slightly larger than a small town but too cozy to be called - at least by me - a city.  

If we'd gone this holiday season - usually today, the Saturday after Thanksgiving - we'd have parked in Lot 4 (although Lot 1, off DeForest, might be the more rational choice,  #1 would beckon, since it borders the railroad tracks).  Then, we'd walk along Springfield Ave (doesn't that just sound like a street in a Gary Cooper or Jimmy Steward movie?!), from Kent Place Boulevard to Summit Avenue.  

Always envisioned sumptuous bedrooms & master bathrooms that lured one into long lingering soaks whenever I wandered A Home at Plumquin.  I refuse to feel any sense of competition between The Papery, which I've been loyal to for many years, and the Paper Source, which I've never checked out in Summit (it's a new comer) but their Princeton store is delightful.  Would have been well neigh impossible to pry Mom out of  Penzey's Spices.  While it's the ONLY Penzey's in NJ, PA is blessed with two - in Pittsburgh & Philadelphia.  We're mega blessed that the Philadelphia store is in Chestnut Hill, an enjoyable 30-minute drive from Bryn Athyn.  When it comes to Zoom, Mom would be the one trying to drag me out;  totally entranced by its offbeat selection of zany toys for all ages.

About this time, we'd be feeling a bit peckish, in need of a late lunch.  

There is NO place better to quiet hunger pangs than at the vintage Summit Diner, which can best be described as a diner's diner. It's a mecca for those who appreciate all that is special about real diners & know the real deal when they see it.  Nothing glitzy, it's well preserved at what it is - a diner delivered back in 1939 to its site across from the train station.  If you're a diner fanatic like we are, it's worth the trip all by itself.  "Without question, the Summit Diner is what diners were, before too much in the diner world went terribly wrong. Warm from the food cooking on the grill, cheerful because skilled cooks produce food on a human scale, and a friendly island in a real town, this place is a lesson to the rest of the state and perhaps the rest of the world. "

Chatham

Fortified & refreshed, we'd make the hike back to the car, then be off to Chatham.  I don't have a lot to write about Chatham, a totally charming small town.  We'd just drive around until we found a spot we wanted to check out, then park & wander.  Worked every time!

Madison 

Then, it was back in the car for the mosey up to Madison.  Confession - we have never gotten out of the car in Madison, although I have no idea why.  It's about the same size as Summit &  every bit as charming & for much the same reasons - like a small city out of a favorite classic movie.  I loved the town center decorations, the feel of community that pervades Madison.  Has a stronger feel of Christmas than Summit, even just rambling around in a car.  So, why didn't we ever park & at least window shop?

One reason we didn't linger longer might have been due to the alluring call of Morristown's Madison House.  Oh my gosh - what's not to adore with Madison House!  Everything is elegant - the building, the  public spaces decorated for the season,  even the clientele.  But best of all are the two antique railroad parlor cars adjoining the main dining room, which first drew us to the Madison House. (Word is they were owned by department-store magnate John Wanamaker and legendary 19th-century financier Jay Gould.)  Naturally, Mom & I always had an early dinner there, wishing John was with us.  

Home again, home again

After that, it was back to hearth & home, taking the fastest routes since it was dark & not much to see on a back roads ramble.  

It's been eleven Christmases since I made that trip; not much fun by myself & John's time is often occupied in December (as it is now) with a commission from a commercial client.  And there are so many memories I haven't begun to share. 

Is this not-too-far Christmas Trip worth your precious time & gas?  Totally!!  Anyone up for ramble?