Wayne, New Jersey: Grave of Lad, a Dog

Albert Payson Terhune wrote popular books about his dogs. America's first dog pop star is buried on the old Sunnybank estate -- now a small park -- on the eastern shore of Pompton Lake.

This is a really nice little park, and Lad's grave is right off the parking lot. There are several areas where beloved dogs have been laid to rest, and a root cellar building, but we didn't find a marker for where the original house might have been. Not much in the way of lake views, as there are a lot of trees along the shoreline, but it was a nice stop. I recommend it if you loved these stories and need a place to stretch your legs!

Albert Payson Terhune did NOT write childrens' books. While children loved his stories, Terhune never wrote down to their level. In August of 2005, Lad's grave was fully restored -- paid for by the sale of my 2005 Sunnybank Calendar (created as a fund-raiser for Sunnybank).

Because time and the elements have destroyed many trees on the hill above where the house once stood, when it rains, the water floods its way down the hill and over the lower-lying grounds. Lad's grave is one of the areas that get absolutely soaked; the meadow also fills up so that the water is more than ankle deep. On the hillside (as you call it), where many of Terhune's dogs rest -- the area is called Champion Rock -- it will get soaked with water because of the lack of the aforementioned root system but the lower lying ground suffers the most in a storm.