The Oppenheimer Walk

Our day trip begins in a stunning chapel and ends in an alleged mafia joint.

Princeton University Chapel

We park on the edge of Princeton University campus and walk a few hundred steps to its impressive chapel. Built of Pennsylvania sandstone to replace the older structure that burned down, the 1920s Gothic structure might be considered a cathedral elsewhere. It stretches 277 feet long and rises 121 feet into the spring-blue sky. It’s open to the public every day.

Princeton Battlefield State Park & Institute Woods

Although now mostly a windswept field where people picnic and sunbathe, the Princeton Battlefield State Park was where, on January 3, 1777, George Washington scored his first victory against British regulars, just two days after the famous Delaware crossing. In the near distance the woods beckon. Owned by the Institute for Advanced Studies, the 589 acres are open to the public.

To reach the woods, we walk from the battlefield parking lot to the Thomas Clarke House at the top of the hill, cutting between the house and adjacent shed and then descending to the woods behind.

Although well-maintained, the trails are not marked, but GPS and the Institute Woods map (see below) point us in the right direction.

Once onto Trolley Track Trail, we turn left and continue for a 1,000 feet or so until we see an institute building to our left and a pond between. In a crucial scene from the movie Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer meet beside pond to discuss the risks of atom splitting.

Immediately after the pond we take the first trail (Founders Trail on the map) that appears on our right until reaching the Swinging Bridge over Stony Brook. The bridge is well maintained by the institute and sways gently as you cross it.

Chick & Nello’s Homestead

After our walk, we drive to nearby Hamilton for a delicious dinner at Chick & Nello’s Homestead. This vintage 1930s Italian restaurant is rumored to have once been a mafia joint but we didn’t see any gangsters while there. Every meal starts with complimentary hot peppers and bread (not sure where this tradition began) and continues with classic dishes like chicken cacciatore and steaks cooked over charcoal. The bartender is generous with his pour, and we go home well-fed, tired, and happy.