January 1, 2019 was unseasonably warm here, so Margarita kicked off 2019 with a 6.5 mile hike at Franklin Parker Preserve , a 16 square mile former cranberry farm located in the heart of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

We had never hiked here before, and were surprised throughout our hike with so many exciting things!

First, we came across a suspension bridge to cross.

The forest trails were gorgeous.

We came across random huge Adirondack chairs to take a rest along our path!  Next time we will have to plan to stop and eat lunch here!

 

There was even an abandoned railroad.

The old cranberry bogs were mesmerizing, especially as the sun began to set.

There was a flooded area and Margarita refused to go through the running water, so I had to carry her.

 

This is a hike we will definitely be doing again with some of our other pups!