A guide to local waterfalls
MILFORD — "A Guide to Waterfalls of the Upper Delaware River" will make it's debut at a book signing on Saturday, June 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the ARTery Gallery in Milford. A project of authors and artists Marie Liu and Dawn Benko, the book provides detailed information about 12 waterfall destinations around Pike and Sussex Counties along with the images that they have created of those waterfalls.
This region along the Delaware River is a treasure trove of spectacular waterfalls that are easy day trips for locals and vacationers alike. Milford was once a resort destination in the early 1900's for this very reason.
When train and plane transport became popular, the resorts eventually closed, but the natural treasures are still here and are now protected by New Jersey, Pennsylvania and The Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area.
When Liu and Benko first met at the ARTery cooperative gallery where they exhibit their work, it was quickly apparent that they shared a love of exploring the natural areas throughout the region and creating art that reflects that. Marie, who had wanted to do this book for some time, realized that Dawn could be the partner to help move the project from idea to reality. With Dawn's knowledge of New Jersey, the book was expanded to include four falls on the Jersey side of the river. They plan to expand the book over time to include even more destinations. The book will continue to be available at the gallery after the book signing.
Marie has been painting the local waterfalls since she moved to Milford five years ago.
"I am constantly jotting down directions to these great places and saw the need for a more comprehensive directory — one with driving directions, trail descriptions, amenities, pictures and interesting information — while at the same time giving us a chance to share our paintings and photographs," said Marie.
Dawn Benko is an award winning photographer and native New Jerseyan. Her passion for capturing “the moment” has seen her through an A.S. degree in photographic technology at Florida Institute of Technology and a 28-year photojournalism career. In 2007, she began in earnest to pursue her true passion — nature and wildlife photography.
Growing up in Andover Twp., N.J., where she was always exploring the local woods, helped to foster that passion. Moving to the Montague area 20 years ago was a natural step, and Dawn has spent countless hours sitting in area swamps and exploring the many trails of the local parks and forests.
“Both nature and photography have been loves of mine since I was a four-year old, flipping through my mom's National Geographic Magazines," says Benko. "The highest compliment to me is for someone to say, ‘Your photography is like nothing I’ve seen before,’ because that’s what I’m trying to accomplish with every photo."
The ARTery Gallery is located on 210 Broad St. in Milford. For more information call 570-409-1234 or visit arterygallerymilford.com.