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HILLSBOROUGH: Duke Farms is Garden State's garden spot

MARTIN HOLLANDER

October 1, 2006

With more than 2,700 acres of woods, lakes and fields, Duke Farms, in Hillsborough, N.J., at 80 Route 206 South, is an island of peace, fauna and flora in the most congested state in the nation. James Buchanan Duke (1856-1925), the North Carolina-born tobacco and hydropower baron, began in 1893 to purchase area farms and wound up with what is still today the largest private landholding in New Jersey. A self-taught arborist, botanist and hydrologist, Duke sited more than 2 million trees and other plants on the property and also built nine lakes and 10 waterfalls.

It all might have been lost if not for his daughter, Doris Duke (1912-1993). After James Duke died, his widow moved to sell the estate.

But Doris, just 12 years old and ever loyal to her father, proved to be one formidable preteen. She hired her own lawyers, blocked the sale and saved the land.

To get there, take the New Jersey Turnpike to I-78 West at Exit 14 (there are possible delays on I-78 due to a reconstruction project near Newark Airport) and proceed to I-287 South (don't follow the signs that say Route 24 to I-287). At Exit 17 on I-287, link up with U.S. 206 and drive about four miles south. Watch for Dukes Parkway East and turn right for Duke Farms. Alternatively, access I-287 North at New Jersey Turnpike Exit 10 and continue to Exit 17.

ATTRACTIONS

Duke Farms - open all year to the public Wednesday-Sunday - is part working farm, part woodland and offers tours and classes and a site for ecology research to such institutions as Rutgers University.

The tours, led by particularly well-informed guides, must be booked in advance at either 908-722-3700 or dukefarms.org. They include: the year-round Country Manor Tour (i.e., the Duke mansion) at $15 a person; the April-November Estate Park and Nature Tour ($10), which covers the estate's core and offers views of the lakes, waterfalls, fields, champion trees and, perhaps, foxes, eagles, hawks, herons, turtles and other birds and mammals; the Japanese Stroll Garden Tour ($10), also April-November, which includes grounds adjacent to the mansion and the Japanese Garden; and the Display Gardens Tour through the glass conservatories and the 11 specialized gardens within, which is offered September-May (the greenhouses are too hot in summer) and costs $10, or $8 for seniors and teens and $6 for children younger than 12.

Also available is the all-year, unescorted, 1.25-mile Walk on the Wild Side. The fee is $5, or $2 if you also take at least one guided tour.

The periodic seven-mile morning bike tours are a popular attraction. The remaining 2006 dates are Oct. 7 and 21. Reservations must be made at least five days in advance at 908-243-3627. The basic fee is $15. Take your own bike.

In addition to the excursions, there are horticulture classes and birding and nature programs, all of which are detailed at the Web site.

WHERE TO STAY

The nearest motel is the Days Inn (800-329-7466) at 118 Rte. 206, Hillsborough. Rates are $65 to $119.

Close to Exit 17 on I-287 is the Bridgewater Marriott (888-236-2427), 700 Commons Way, across from the Bridgewater Commons Mall. With an AAA card, rooms are available at $89.

Near Exit 13B on I-287 is the Hilton Garden Inn (877-782-9444) at 500 Promenade Blvd., Bridgewater. Rooms are $89 to $159.

WHERE TO EAT

Sandwiches ($6.95) and salads ($5.95) and drinks ($1 and $1.50) supplied by the Simply Incredible catering service can be had in a picnic tent next to the Duke Farms visitor center. It's open Wednesday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The nearest restaurant is Sarah Jane's (908-722-5454), which serves pasta and American food, with entrees from $12 to $20. To get there, turn left at the Duke Farms exit into the northbound lanes of Route 206. The restaurant is less than a quarter mile on the right.

The closest patch of eateries is mostly on Main Street in Somerville. Go north on Route 206 about a quarter mile to Somerset Street and turn right. Somerset merges into Main. Cuisines are Indian, Italian, Thai, Lebanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Cuban, bar, steak, seafood and fondue.

The Cuban restaurant, Martino's, at 212 W. Main St. (908-722-8602), is clearly a local favorite. Entrees ("platos principales") range from roast pork Cuban style at $12.95 to paella a la Martino's at $20.95. Bring your own wine or beer.

The Cedars, 45 W. Main St. (908-722-8686), offers Lebanese dishes with lunch specials at $9 or less and dinner entrees $15 to $25. Bring your own wine or beer here, too.

Pan-Asian cooking is available at Wasabi, 12 W. Main St. (908-203-8881), with sushi platters at $15 to $23 and other entrees from $11 to $25.