Michelle and I took a trip to New York and New Jersey in June to visit the capitols. We were fortunate to visit the New Jersey State House a few days before it closed for four years of renovations. The executive wing, as seen in the exterior photos, is first up for renovations, hence the boarded up windows. While we did get to tour the governor’s office…it was empty. Chris Christie moved away for the renovations weeks before!

The legislative wing was great. We essentially had a private tour with a guide who has worked for the state for 30 years. He offered some great insights on the workings of the general assembly and senate. I even got extra time to setup my tripod and panorama head for a few shots.

New Jersey gets a bad rep. I have no clue why, but I know it’s popular to hate on Jersey. Everyone we met on this trip was quite pleasant. The state trooper we met at the state house allowed me to walk up the $2M (!) scaffolding to get a close-up of the dome. He even informed us that we should go down the highway for lunch rather than stay in Trenton, because “Trenton is a shithole”. Even Princeton was okay, despite being an Ivy League school. We may visit again, after the renovations, to get better shots. A state house with boarded windows is just sad. It’s still better than New Hampshire’s fake rotunda!