Here is a look back at some of the places I have visited this semester. I visited the last drive-in movie theater in new jersey, I visited a inflatable play pen, I kicked off the autumn season with a trip to a Haunted Walk, and ended it with a night of terror at a Christian farm. I showed you a little bit about Rowan University and Glassboro, and took you to a pumpkin festival in South Jersey. I let you tell me a little bit about Rowan, and I heard from council members as well. I spent some time in the water, and ended with a trip in the snow.

This has been a great semester for me, and I would like to thank all those who helped, and supported this project. And to any future readers, I leave this website as a guide. A catalog of ideas for your life in South Jersey. Thank you.

-Christopher Carmena

The Experience: So the semester is drawing to a close and so do my posts for this blog. For my final adventure out in to the world of South Jersey I had originally planned out a visit to a local high performance kart track in Millville. Unfortunately the racing season is over, I had no idea go-karts were a seasonal business, and I have been informed it will restart some time in March. For any of my adrenaline driven junkies who want to find out some more information, you can read up on it here.

As a replacement I figured I would do something more time appropriate, and with the spirit of the upcoming holiday I will be attending the Dickens Festival in Medford, NJ. The event itself will be held on route 541, or Main Street, in Medford and you can get Mapquest directions here. The event was held Saturday 6th, 2008 in the historic portion of main street, as a free celebration of the holidays.

When I got there, on a snowy Saturday in December, the streets were swamped with people walking up and down the streets. We parked about a quarter mile off the main road and walked out into the frigid night. Police officers directed the major traffic down a side road, because about a mile off road was blocked off for the festival.

The streets were sporadically lined with all types of food vendors, selling kettle cooked popcorn, hot dog, and pretzels. The town itself, Medford, is a old Victorian style village established in 1847. It is littered with historic houses, some built before the 18oo’s by Flemish settlers. HMVA, Historic Medford Village Association, is responsible for preserving the state of this town, and promoting it through festivals such as this.

The warmth of this town could not be escaped, and a quote from the National Geographic Guide to Small Town excerpt provides a useful insight into the nature of this town and the importance of this festival, “Pine garlands and twinkling white lights provide a Victorian touch to tiny Medford in early December, when the whole township crowds Main Street for the annual Dickens Festival celebration. A cool northerly wind sends aloft the sweet aroma of steaming apple cider and cinnamon, as bundled up revelers, carolers, characters from a Christmas Carol, and musicians alike greet familiar faces, of which there are many. For that’s the kind of place Medford is: a friendly tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone.”

The bustling scene at the street, the smiles on the faces of everyone as the street is transformed to a Dickens 19th Century story, added to a general happiness in the air. The sweet music from carolers could be heard saturating the air. We walked, occasionally popping in a store to look around, and regain feeling in our extremities. We admired and laughed at the brave characters walking around in nineteenth century get ups, and my girlfriend even got caught by one on stilts who singled her out to wish her a happy holiday. After a brief, but embarrassing incident, in which her cheeks became redder than the Santa suit he was wearing, we continued on our way, determined to walk the entire length of the festival before giving in to the cold.

On the way we passed  small pen, with two actual rain deers that were set up for the amusement of all the people around. This was probably the saddest thing at the Dickens Festival. The small pen gave no space for the animals, who were visibly terrified at the large group of people encircling them. The cheers of the crowd definitely had a stressful effect on the deers.

We finally got near the end of the entire street to find a great little spot hosted primarily by the Medford United Methodist Church. Not really a religious person, but free cookies, apple cider, and hot chocolate made this an appealing place to hang out for a little and see what was going on. Nearby was a small petting zoo, which eventually transformed itself into a nativity scene that involved a cast of church volunteers, the usual batch of farm animals (goats, calf, and sheep), as well as a camel. That’s right a camel. Immediately I wondered where you find a camel. Is there a 1-800 number? A store? Well, it doesn’t take much these days, but a quick google search later pulled up tons of “rental” zoos. If you want a good laugh take a look here, and keep in mind the key words used were only, “camel rental.”

After this, we pretty much reached the end of the festival, and we about faced a booked for the car, and warmth. The Dickens Festival was a great experience, even with the cold, that I would not miss. As a part of the holiday season, it is a charming town, that embraces its historic background. The snowy atmosphere, the smells, the bright lights of lite Christmas trees and streetlights, brick faced buildings, the actors, and carolers made this great. The only problem is that it is only for one day a year.

When we got there I was not surprised to find that the Aquarium is enormous. From the outside, the building stretches, what seems to be several “blocks.” It is brightly decorated on the outside, and sports a beautiful view of Philadelphia. We paid for our tickets, which were pretty expensive considering the two 4-D shows we added to the bill, and rushed in to avoid being in the biting cold any longer. We shed our jackets and winter clothing and found a locker to stash our stuff for the rest of the day. After a bit of confusion, a dollar refund later, we figured out the proper way to use the lockers and were ready to continue 

We worked our way through the crowded gift store and diner that was near the entrance, and made it the start of the exhibit. Here I flashed my knowledge, and admittedly showed off some of the things I knew, reciting facts about fish without looking at the tablets of information, and adding some that it didn’t even mention. A summer working at a pet shop, paying dividends in useless information.

Some interesting tank designs were not lost on the spectator. One included a giant tank that was visible from many different locations. Some had large open panes of glass in which you go see large tortoises, various kinds of sharks, and a slew of other fish circling their enclosed area. The tank, which was decorated with a “sunken” ship, also had smaller viewing points which resembled the bolted interior of a submarine window. 

Another interesting tank design included a small overhead tank that only held stingrays. From this view one could see the entire underbelly of this bottom dwelling creature as they “glided” around the tank.  We tried to hold back a smirk from the tasteless jokes made at the expense of Steve Irwin and his fated assassins as dirty glares were shot in our direction from others who did not approve of posthumous humor. 

The most stunning tank arrangement was a glass tunnel that ran through the larger tank, leaving the viewer with a feeling of a complete surrounding of water. Sharks, and other large creatures swam overhead, oblivious to the gathering of tourists snapping away photographs in amazement. After spending about ten minutes in the crowded area, I conceded that a good picture would be impossible with so many in the tunnel. 

The aquarium also had a group of other aquatic animals, such as seals and penguins, which were held in outside tanks, much to our dismay, as we had left our jackets in lockers. Along with this, there was also an inside exhibit of two hippopotamus’ and water birds which were free to fly overhead, which added a level of unpredictability to the trip, and an extra pep in your stride. 

Next, and our final part of this trip was the 4-D shows. We had bought two tickets, one to the Planet Earth series and one to a SpongeBob show. Both shows were OK but ultimately disappointing. The word 4-D, did not live up to the “extra” dimension it claimed. It was basically the same 3-D show, with the same crappy paper glasses that make you go cross-eyed, and some water shot at you. The only consolation from this, and the brevity of the shows, was that the SpongeBob show was pretty funny. 

The Upsides: Awesome animals, interesting tank designs, “tunnel tank,” a large selection to see, interactive exhibits.

The Down Sides: A bit pricey, in Camden (if you really care), expensive food, lackluster 4-D shows.

Comparison and Verdict: In a retrospective look back at both aquariums, it is clear that the Baltimore Aquarium was just slightly better than the aquarium here at Camden. The aquarium was just as large if not larger. It included a wider diversity in animals, and had a rarer collection that included giant octopus. But not by much. The Camden Aquarium offered a wider selection of interactive exhibits, that allowed visitors to pet baby sharks, jellyfish, starfish, and other creatures. If you can take the trip to Baltimore, the aquarium is spectacular, but if you live in New Jersey, you would not just be settling to go to Aquarium Adventures. It is worth a look, and has something to offer everyone. 

Expectations: The problem is, so I hear, is that Adventure Aquarium is in Camden (dark ominous music similar to a DUM DUM DUM). It seems that most people, when they talk about such cities, talk in a hushed and scared voice. Always with a reassured passion that the city itself is uninhabitable. Intrinsically dangerous, and most definitely to be avoided. I have heard it about New York as a kid in North Jersey, Philadelphia when I came to college, and Camden and Newark, well just about always. I have never cared to much about this. The truth seems to be, everything is dangerous in some way, keep your eyes open, be smart, and you will most likely be ok. As for the aquarium itself, I expect to see some cool stuff. I am somewhat of an animal person, I have worked at pet stores before, and had different kinds of pets, so I am interested to see what this aquarium has to offer.

Hours of Operation: Open every day 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Pricing: It is a little pricey at $18.95 a person, but it is nothing that will break your wallet. Also their are IMax and 4D shows that are offered as well for an additional fee.

Location: Conveniently the aquarium has it’s own street and is located on 1 Aquarium Drive in Camden, NJ.

Mapquest directions from Rowan University.

Website: For any other information you may want about the Adventure Aquarium, check out their website here.

He also played a large part for Glassboro’s Revitalization plan, along with Mayor Leo McCabe. The revitalization plan is a  combined effort between Rowan University and Glassboro to create a new downtown area in Glassboro, that will facilitate the need of new businesses as well as students. It contains a new 884 bed housing complex for students, a new Barnes & Nobles bookstore, a 100 room Holiday Inn, and 125 new retail stores and businesses. This new downtown is aimed at adding new revenue, as well as giving students a place where they have something to do. Below is a slightly edited interview with Joseph Brigandi.

How long has this project been in the works?

Approximately 8 – 10 years

Are you happy in the way it has come to fruition? Is everything in the plan that had originally been planned, or were certain things left out, or unable to be passed?

Yes, very happy. I don’t recall anything that has been taken out of the plan, but it has been tweaked at times over the years.

What are the major goals of this plan? Short term as well as long term?

To improve the quality of life for the Glassboro and Rowan Communities. To make a seem less transition from Rowan to the Downtown so that you don’t realize when you are leaving the University and entering the downtown and vise-versa. To increase tax ratables and jobs and to make this a walkable, sustainable mixed use community using smart growth principles.

The Rowan Boulevard Project plans to bring in “125 new retail stores and restaurants, and more than 400 new local jobs.” What is the local impact of this improvement?

 Increased property values for all, better relationship between Rowan and Glassboro, less traffic and congestion, and improved quality of life for all.

Continue below to see the rest of RU Bored’s intervew with Joseph Brigandi

What kind of retail stores and restaurants will be brought in?

We had a comprehensive marketing study done a few years ago that measured the marketability and sustainability of approximately 120 different retail categories. The results of the study showed that approximately 40 different retail categories would be marketable and sustainable. A few examples would be clothing, bookstore, movie theater and restaurants. There will be a broad range of restaurants all the way from fast food to fine dining.

What atmosphere is the town seeking?

A vibrant walkable mixed use College Village that will be a great place for people to live, work and play.

Have these stores been allowed to seek rental space already? If not, when will this become available to businesses?

SORA, the Master Developer already have agreements with the Barnes and Noble Bookstore and the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. They are currently negotiating with a number of businesses for the first few retail buildings.

Will these businesses be geared towards student’s interests? If so, will Rowan University be involved in the decision process of the businesses that are allowed to rent?

Yes. The Rowan University Community, which includes the students were a large participant in the marketing studies and surveys and as a result many of the businesses will be geared toward student’s interests. Rowan has a seat at the table during our bi weekly update meetings and will have significant imput in the process. The final decisions will be made by SORA.

Will the opinions of Rowan students, as well as surrounding Glassboro residents be considered in the execution of the revitalization program? If so, what outlet is available to them?

As I mentioned previously both groups were important components in the marketing studies. As we continue to redevelop the entire downtown area both the Rowan Community and the surrounding residents will be a vital part of the process. There are many options available such as continued surveys, focus groups and volunteer committees for different projects throughout the redevelopment. Also, there will be many public presentations as we go through each phase of the project.

Do you believe that the Rowan Boulevard Project will bring the necessary “college environment” to Glassboro? Absolutely.

The outside of the store may scare most college students away but I urge everyone reading this to push on. Covered in a loud, bright rainbow and other array of blazing colors it is hard for this store not to stick out like a sore thumb. The store itself is small on the outside, and is part of a small strip mall off of Cross Keys Road. Inside the store is much larger, and extends further back. We were greeted by an friendly older woman, who was helping out another kids in the store.

The walls are decorated with shelves of pre-made objects, that all come with different prices depending on their size. Prices are anywhere from $4 on smaller ornaments to $15 on larger pieces. There is also a section with previous seasonals that are sold at a discount price. They also offer different types of art as well as classes in mosaics, beaded jewelry, scrap-booking, and other clays.

For me, the pre-made ceramic ornaments were perfect. I decided to paint three of them, a snowman, two children holding a heart, and Santa (keep in mind this is probably for my mom). We chatted with the woman for a little, and then selected our paints. My girlfriend painted her stuff neon green and purple, I stuck with the traditional Christmas colors: red, green, and white.

Now let me reiterate something, and make this one thing clear, I have very little artistic talent. Besides writing it is mostly down hill from there. But, the good thing about this place, depending on how you see it, is that you are not making any of what you are painting, instead just selecting what you want, and how you want to paint it. My kind of art.

We sat down with all of our paints, and snacked on the popcorn that the employee offered us. We sat down next to seem teenagers painting some stuff as well. As we sat people circulated in and out. A lot were parents with their kids, some were couples. Others seemed to be younger kids from the area. Everyone was friendly, several times coming over to see what we were doing, and talking to us about what we were painting.

We made a friendly bet, I bet I can paint mine faster, and better than yours. I lost the first bet pretty easily. The second one I am pretty sure I nailed. But you can be the judge. The three on the immediate left are mine, the elephant above is my girlfriend’s. Leave me a comment if you like.

The Upsides: Fair prices, creative present perfect for the time of year, friendly people, popcorn, other things you can do, don’t have to make the molds (positive for me).

The Down Sides: A little childish looking, if you want to make the ceramics you can’t here, if you don’t like kids not a place for you.

The Verdict: Generally, not much surprises me about this place. What I got is pretty close to what I expected. Good service, friendly atmosphere, and a good place to explore your creativity (especially with some of the other things they offer here). Christmas shopping can be dry and exhausting, and if you want a creative and fun way to do it, I highly recommend the Clay Place.

If you want to read other reviews on the clay place check out this link, and this one.

Expectations: I don’t know much about the place, but my girlfriend works at a similar store back home, and I thought they were always interesting. The only problem is, I lack pretty much all artistic ability when it comes to painting and drawing. But on the upside, this will probably be a present for my mom or another family member, so either way I’m making it up on the fridge!

Hours of Operation: Fall and winter hours- Closed Mondays

Tuesday-Friday 1:00 p.m -8:30 p.m

Saturday 11:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m

Sunday 12:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m (Starting in October)

Pricing: Prices vary according to the size of the ceramics you pick, and how you paint it. Studio fee is four dollars, which includes the use of the store and painting materials. You can reach The Clay Place at 856-740-3100 for more pricing information.

Location: The Clay Place is located on 672 Cross Keys Rd, Sicklerville, NJ.

Mapquest directions from Rowan University.

Website: Check out the Clay Place’s website here for more information and possible deals.

The town offers several buildings, antiques in architecture, that add to the general tone of the town. A massive Municipal building that puts most towns to shame. Large trees border the sidewalks, and the streets are lit by black antique street lamps that cast a soothing trickle of yellow light. The town itself is very similar to Princeton, although not as much history, and a way better driving situation.

Walking through the town, their was an array of music on every corner. Nothing special, in the sense that I had heard it before, but it was simple and tasteful. I heard covers of piano man, blues traveler (the man looked like Jerry Garcia incarnate), and elsewhere you could find blues, Christmas music, garden variety pop, and even bagpipes.

There were tons of people out, mostly families and couples strolling around, and I heard several people surprised at how many people had come out. Most were headed to restaurants, and had things to do, and were just passing through.

Unfortunately I had to fly solo for the night as well, which did not help things. And once I got past the atmosphere and music, there simply was not much to do. The stores lacked real interest, and unless you were here on a night out with your family, or significant other, I would pass. On top of this, the area seemed a little yuppie for me. I’m not saying I am not your typical white suburbanite, but there is such a thing as having to many bistros and polo button ups.

So it was on my way out of the town when I caught something out of the corner of my eye in a court yard. I stopped in my tracks and took two steps backwards before turning to face it. A six foot statue of a dinosaur in a courtyard. I was baffled at first. Why would a town to do that? How is that even relevant? But then I became more curious and walked up to the plaque inscribed with an artists’ name, John Giannotti. The statue had been created in 2005, to honor William Parker Foulke’s discovery in 1858 of the first complete dinosaur skeleton. The discovery shocked the scientific world and changed the way we thought of natural history forever.

Cool. Now where is my car?

The Upsides: Quaint town, good atmosphere, not bad for a date or a night out with a family, music on every corner, free, and dinosaur statues (if that’s your thing).

The Down Sides: Not much to do, could have some better stores, not the friendliest to a college student (seemed more family orientated), only so much on main street, yuppies, and dinosaurs?!

The Verdict: Haddonfield is a great town, and probably even better to live in it (if you have the money), and has a lot to offer if you are going there for the right reasons. I, had to go at it alone for the night, and thus found it particularly unforgiving in having anything fun to do. So my advice is, if your planning to go bring someone. Take someone out on a date, and have something to do other than just walk around.

Expectations:I don’t know much about Haddonfield, except I’ve heard it is a pretty ritzy type area, so I don’t know what to expect. I will say though, my experience with such “main street” events is that they are usually towns that have a cute, Soho or Village type atmosphere, with many little stores. The problem that I have usually found with this Soho inspired “main streets” is that ultimately it’s not New York. The street’s atmosphere only lasts so long before in turns back into suburbia. If your interested in attending events of this type, check out this article by the Courier-Post.

Hours of Operation: Being held on two dates: November 7, and December 5.

                                 5 to 9 p.m.

Admission: FREE!

Events: Check out some of the artists, events, and promotions that will take place here.

Location: 101-198 Kings Highway in Haddonfield, NJ. The numbers are broad because it is not a specific place but instead a location that includes a portion of Kings Highway. Somewhere between these numbers is the best place to start.

Mapquest directions from Rowan University.

Website: If you have any additional questions about Haddonfield’s First Friday, check out there website here.

So today I decided to go out and talk to some students and findout exactly what they thought of Glassboro and why.

Eddie Samuel, 20, a marketing and entrepeneur major at Rowan University thinks of Glassboro as a “pretty blue collar town aside from the school.” Samuel, who has followed business says of Glassboro, “the real estate seems pretty depressed.”

But for Samuel he has not experienced the greater part of Glassboro much. “I have had to much experience, I usually just stay in here at Rowan. There isn’t anything to do really.”

When I asked Samuel what there is to do in Glassboro, he stopped thought, and replied by asking me the same question. After a smirk, he said, “well I guess we have a Wal-mart and other stuff.” He immediately began laughing at his reply and added, “yea there is not much to do.”

But Samuel is not alone in this.

On campus I spoke to two brothers who had differing views of Rowan University. Brian Cohn, 21, is a computer engineer at Camden County College, but lives here at Rowan. When asked about Glassboro, Cohn concluded, “Glassboro is a town without a purpose, it was a town based on creating glass, and now the factory is gone. This town is Rowan University.”

But Cohn is more optomistic about the future. He talks about Rowan’s Boulevard Project which he thinks will definitely help bring the college atmosphere to Rowan University.

Others, found Rowan’s atmosphere appealing. Aaron Cohn, Brian Cohn’s brother, said of Glassboro, “I like the rural atmosphere, I think it’s an awesome little town. Its old school America, with small shops in a small town.”

But even Aaron had to admit that their was nothing to do campus, and Landmark was the only attraction outside of it.

The consensus seems to be that Glassboro, is a quaint town. An old one in decline, but revived by the budding University that took off after Henry Rowan donated money to it make it a bigger school. Still, most students are encouraged by the actions of Glassboro’s Revitalization program, which addresses all these needs.

                                           

The Experience: Last Friday i visited Creamy Acre’s Night of Terror, a farm located somewhere in the open pastures of Mullica Hill. I arrived to find a decent amount of people there, but not overcrowded. The entrance hosted many tables of foods and treats, including high school kids raising money for certain clubs. The farm also has a main store which sells hot apple cider, hot dogs, and things for the house. Once we purchased our tickets, $25 after our $5 off coupons, we entered the long maze of emptied lines that lead us to our first of six destinations: the ride of terror.

Before I start with the rest of the review, I will warn you ahead of time, if you want to be surprised I would NOT continue reading from this point.

The Ride of Terror is Creamy Acres’ name for their hayride, and it does not disappoint. In length, the hayride probably lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to a half hour, which is definitely not bad, and brings you down a winding path that changes in nature several times. The hayride is abundant in the usual ghouls and ghosts, who jump a board encouraged by the shrieks of the young children and girls. Sporting chainsaws, baseball bats, and other utensils they pass around the tractor smacking the sides, and frequently brushing by those on the ride. The ride takes you through several enclosed areas which were the highlight of the ride. They all had their own individual theme, such as prisons, or southern bars, but they all used the same tactics with frightening success. Disorientation by lights, loud sounds such as clashing of metals, and many talented actors working for them. I could not help think to myself, wow. This is well done. How much money do these people have? These are Christians?

The hayride brings you to your next destination, and from here you work your way through the remaining 5 events. The next was called Mayhem of Darkness. As evident from the name, you spend most of your time in an enclosed structure, that happens to be pitch black. The sounds of chainsaws and screams, coupled by your feeble attempts to make out light make for an uneasy trek. The only way to find yourself out is to grasping around at the walls, using them as your navigation out of the area.

Once out in the light again, you find yourself in a similar situation, the Dreaded Cornfield Maze. Coming into this, the cornfield was what I had heard most about. I heard tales of spending an hour or two lost in desperation in a cornfield. Sadly, this was the only attraction that did not live up to its expectations. The maze was merely walls poorly covered with stalks of corn, and there was a large amount of people “trapped” along side of us, and the collective effort basically lead to a line leading to the exit.

The fourth event was the Frozen Tundra. Admittedly I had no idea what to expect. There was something about polar bears and penguins that did not conjure any images of Halloween, nor put the fright into me. When we entered we were greeted by a thick icy fog which made it impossible to see more than two or three feet in front of you. There was chain link fences on both sides and most of the ghouls were behind this fence. This disorientation was effective and created a spookier effect than I thought it would have.

From here we were given 3-D glasses and moved onto the next entrance, to the 3-D Halls of Horror. An effective use of bright colors and obstacles, with foam and water being shot at you made this a better attraction. Their was also shots of air at your ankles, which got a couple people to jump in surprise.

The whole thing concluded with the Home for the Demented & Dead. Here, you have to take a rocky elevator up to the third floor and work your way through the mental mad house. The house worked as a perfect conclusion to the trek, as you worked your way through butcher shops with bodies hung by meat hooks, prison inmates, electric chairs, and more. Making my girlfriend laugh, I jumped (the only time!) as a ghoul jumped out of the area which I was looking; taking a back by surprise.

When we exited the Home for the Demented & Dead we realized that after two hours lost in a strange world of mazes and darkness, we ended up right where we began, and sadly we were finished. We exited only to find the masses that had joined in their pursuit of terror. The lines had grown enormously, and the wait for tickets reached out into the parking lot.

The Upsides: Well done, well invested, good committed actors, good props, 6 separate attractions, a long amount of time, and food.

The Downsides: A little on the expensive side, the cornfield maze, can be a bit crowded, that it had to end.

The Verdict: This was the Halloween attraction I had waiting for. It was well done, with committed actors who believed in their role. If you decide to go, get there early, stock up on some food, and enjoy. I fully recommend this to any thrill seeking Halloween fanatics, and even for those who just enjoy a good scream.

Expectations: I have heard only good things about this place. Several people have claimed they either soiled themselves or could not continue. From the looks of their website, the production value seems good and they seemed to have spent a lot of money and dedication in an effort to refine their gory product. My only reservation happens to be that the farm, Creamy Acres, calls itself a Christian run farm. In fact on their website their mission statement reads, “To glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that is entrusted to us.” I have to question the quality of sheer “terror” that I will find at this place. And although most would consider such “Jesus freaks” akin to the kids in the documentary Jesus Camp as terrifying, I happen to find the situation of a christian farm having a night of terror as rather ironic, and just a little amusing.

Schedule & Pricing: For both of these, check out this link and find schedule and pricing at the top. Careful though, price rates change depending on which day you go, and the hours of operation change accordingly. Double check everything before you go and expect to spend at the most $30 for the six attractions that come with it ( attractions include haunted hayride, cornfield maze, and four other attractions). Also if you can, look around for the thousands of fliers that have been passed around Rowan University Campus, as well as local outlets.

Location: 448 Lincoln Mill Rd Mullica Hill, NJ.

Mapquest directions from Rowan University.

Website: You can check out all other information at Creamy Acres website.