Carteret sits on the shore of the Arthur Kill, the tidal strait that separates New Jersey from Staten Island, and it will not win any beauty contests. Refineries, tank farms, container yards and rail lines fill the water's edge, and the neighbourhoods of Carteret, Sewaren and Port Reading are mostly working-class towns that grew around the industries on the river. It is a very long way from the Berkshires and the Mohawk Trail, and so is the feel of the place. Think of it as the New Jersey that keeps the Northeast supplied.
The town takes its name from Philip Carteret, the first English governor of the colony, appointed in 1665, and the region was settled early because of its position on the Raritan Bay and the sheltered strait. In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, copper smelting, chemical works and oil terminals came, and the river was heavily polluted. A great deal of cleaning-up has taken place, and the water now holds more life than it has in decades, including herring, striped bass and a few surprised dolphins in the bay.
Across the Arthur Kill, the long, flat green of Staten Island's western shore is visible, and the Outerbridge Crossing, a cantilever bridge opened in 1928, connects Perth Amboy to the island close to here. It carries the name of the Port Authority's first chairman, which is a very New Jersey way of honouring a bureaucrat.
For a rider, the roads are practical: Roosevelt Avenue, Route 35, the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway all converge here with dense traffic, heavy trucks and many traffic lights. Potholes after winter are bad, and drivers are often in a hurry. If you ride in, aim for off-peak hours, and watch for sand and gravel from the trucks. Raritan Bay Waterfront Park offers a calm place to sit and look out over the water, with a view of Staten Island and the passing ships.
Fuel and food are no problem at all. Gas stations line the main roads, and the diners and delis serve large breakfasts at fair prices, including the local taylor ham or pork roll, which people in this part of the world will argue about with real heat. This is an end-of-day stop, with a hot meal, a bed in a chain hotel and an early start.