Last Sunday I had the chance to take a ride to Hamilton, New Jersey, to visit Grounds for Sculpture and visit Princeton, New Jersey, for the first time.

Grounds for Sculpture is an outdoor — and partially indoor — sculpture garden that showcases the work of American and international artists. The center was conceived in 1984 when J. Seward Johnson had the idea for a public space where the general public could become more familiar and comfortable with contemporary artwork and sculpture as an art form. In 2000 the space opened as a not-for-profit venture.

The space is made up of an indoor gallery dedicated to the work of Johnson and a sprawling outdoor garden showcasing the work of other American and international artists. We arrived as the first timed admissions were allowed and spent a few hours wandering the grounds, exploring and taking in the artwork. Although we didn’t get a chance to eat there, Rats is a restaurant set in a beautiful section of the property, and eating there is definitely on our list for when we return.

Because we went first thing in the morning, it was pretty easy to stay relatively cool, thanks to the constant shade and early-morning visit.

Following our trip to Grounds for Sculpture, we took a quick ride to Princeton. Despite living nearby for years, I have never been to the actual town. I wanted to visit Princeton Record Exchange, which co-workers have been telling me about for ages. It was a successful trip, as I found two records I have been on the lookout for, Alvvays and Anticocialites, both from Alvvays.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor