Princeton was a stop in New Jersey that happened pretty much by accident. Driving along, I saw a sign that said Princeton – 30 miles. I asked Robert “THE Princeton? As in, Princeton University?” When he confirmed this, I decided that it was worth driving to.
I was very glad that I was only driving the truck and not pulling the travel trailer along because, like many Eastern cities, Princeton has narrow streets and limited parking areas. I did find parking meters along University Avenue that were only 30 cents for an hour or parking though, so it was reasonable.
I explored the area of the University near University and Nassau Streets – the old stone buildings were gorgeous and walking through campus gave me a reflective mood – similar to what you might expect when attending church in an old cathedral. It just had a solid, reverent, grounding feel to it that you don’t always find on a college campus. Now, I did only see about 1/3 to ½ of the campus, so there may have been a more classic American college / Animal House vibe going on in the portion I did not see.
To me, Princeton was all about the architecture. Sure, I picked up a sweatshirt, and poked around in the upscale shops across Nassau Street from the campus, but, overall, I wanted to just take photos of the buildings. They are beautifully made and a pleasure to look at. The campus grounds are nicely landscaped and cared for, so that the buildings look even better. Ivy is trained onto the walls here and there and trees seem to be situated in spots perfectly suited for sitting with a book for awhile. It just has a feeling of presence and history that you don’t find in many places.
I visited on a Monday and didn’t have any problems finding parking. I did not do any preplanning so I didn’t have the information on the campus tours. They are student-led one hour tours and they depart from Clio Hall. No reservations are required. If you have time I would assume this would be a great way to learn some of the history behind the beautiful buildings on campus.
See more photos in our Princeton photo gallery.
