In a stretch of road dominated by power lines and energy plants, one might think a giant cow standing in a field is an outcome of technology gone haywire.  Not so.  A dairy farm on Bennett’s Lane in Franklin Township is home to an enormous fiberglass bovine statue on wheels, known as the “Big Cow of Middlebush,” where she is simply beloved eye candy.  Like any good wheeled cow, she moves (or is moved?) around the field randomly to keep things fresh.  Previously brown and white, she got a new coat of paint and literally changed her spots to black in 2009.  Her real, living pasture mates seem totally nonplussed by her presence; Elsie no doubt would be proud to know her. The farm is private property, so we had to pull over into one of the power stations across the street (perhaps…also private property) and scamper up to the barbed wire fence to snap a photo.

A few jogs through New Brunswick and we arrived at the Loews Theater on Rte. 1–not to see the latest laughable Hollywood moneymaker–but to view the somewhat infamous resting place of Mary Ellis, a spinster from the late 1700s.  Mary, alas, was duped by a cad sea captain who seduced and promised to marry her, only never to return.  Legend has it that she stood like a sentinel on this piece of land to watch for his ship coming in on the Raritan River.  She got a pretty bum deal.  Not only did the jerk never write, take her dancing or show up whatsoever, but many years after her death and burial in 1827, her family property was sold to commercial interests.  Her remains have since been witness to the operation of the Great Eastern Supermarket, the Rte. 1 Flea Market (bulldozed circa 1995) and finally the Loews Theater that currently stands.

The grave marker of Ms. Ellis is in a stone-walled structure behind the theater, about 7 feet above ground and surrounded by cemetery-style fence.  We haven’t yet been able to find explanation of the many names appearing on the headstone.  During our visit nobody seemed to be giving a second glance to this somber island in the center of the asphalt parking lot, and we were able to climb up the stone sides for photo opps without even the circulating security guard blinking an eye.

Wanting to lighten the mood, we thought we’d make our last stop for the day at the Shipwrecked Ferry of East Brunswick (by no accounts the ship of Mary Ellis’ cad sea captain) that was visible for many years from the NJ Turnpike.  This rusting hull sat polluting the Raritan River just beneath a Rte. 1 overpass, and was reportedly able to be seen from a vantage point near the Edgeboro landfill.  Doing our duty as New Jerseyologists, we drove over to the area and proceeded through several no no-trespassing gates in search of this legendary watercraft.  We saw many Gotham-city like pipes, rotting wood piles, dilapidated Winnebagos and the below ancient truck container advertising Green Stamps.  The ferry eluded us, and for good reason:  We later heard from an unconfirmed source that the ill-fated ship had been hauled away and scrapped some time ago. RIP, shipwrecked ferry!