I spent a couple of days this week doing research at the New Jersey State Archives. This was my first on-site trip to any kind of archives, but I had a buddy to meet up with who has been down this road before, so that helped. My preparations were good - I completed orientation and received my official researcher card, and then it was on to the microfilm. It's been years since I've used I microfilm reader, but apparently it's like riding a bike. :)
I made awesome discoveries on my first day - 10 birth, marriage, and death records! These included my father's mother as well as both paternal and maternal aunts and uncles (my grandfather was born in NY, but most of his younger siblings were born in NJ).
Then I took a couple of days to spend with family and review what I had found to make plans for round two. My second day's find at the archives - Dad's Irish grandfather, James Carroll, was a railroad engineer! Yeah, that explains a lot...like the basement filled with model trains growing up! Now, of course, he needs to find out which railroad - maybe his favorite Erie Lackawanna line will be replaced with a family affiliated one. :)
My father never knew his grandfather - Dad's own mother died when he was 9, and her father died at the age of 33. So Dad never even knew his name before. It was great to be able to tell my father about his grandfather, and make a family connection to the trains he's been fascinated by his whole life.