We took up residence near this little guy in Freehold, NJ. Having never seen a black squirrel before, and being naturally inquisitive, I Googled “black squirrel” to see if they are the same creature as the grey ones we’re more used to seeing (they are). But as luck would have it, the second link on the Google page was to the Black Squirrel Bar in Washington, DC, our very next stop. Even more fortunate, the Black Squirrel is just a couple blocks away from our favorite Korean restaurant, Mandu, where we had already planned to meet a friend for dinner. Another sign? Without question.
The Black Squirrel calls itself a “gastro pub,” which I guess is supposed to mean they have good food. We didn’t go there to eat, but we did sample a calamari and vegetable appetizer dipped in tempura batter and served with chipotle tartar sauce. It was a little salty, but certainly better than the standard pub grub. They also claim to serve Belgium’s best wheat beer, (it’s not). Fortunately, they have plenty of other options on the menu, including some fantastic beers made by Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio. We’d never heard of Great Lakes before, but a helpful bartender introduced us to them, and now we’ve added another place to stop on our to-do list.
Everywhere Once 
Now do you remember what I said about letting the road guide your travels? This is a perfect example. And guess what – we have black squirrels upstate. Have fun you two…
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That’s one cute squirrel. I’ve never seen a black one before.
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Oh so sweet – I’ve never seen a black squirrel either and your photo is quite beautiful.
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Cute squirrel, and you’ve gotta love it leading you to a pub! That one should be pet!
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Ha. Love it. Or maybe the lead in a “children’s” book: Chauncey, the drunken squirrel.
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I first saw one in Maryland and thought the poor thing had fallen into some paint.
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Too funny.
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Very, very cute! Thanks for visiting my blog.
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Actually black and grey squirrels are known for their damage to farm crops, especially corn and wheat. They were destructive over a wide area during the colonial period. Pioneer farmers in southwestern Pa frequently had almost the whole of their corn crops destroyed by squirrels and raccoons. They traveled in armies numbering many thousands, devastating all grain fields in their line of march. Unlike other wildlife, squirrels seemed to increase, rather than decrease, after settlement began. The PA General Assembly offered a bounty of 3 pence per head. In 1749, the sum of 8,000 pounds in Pa currency was expended as bounty on more than 640,000 squirrels. In 1837, Octavius Hastings produced over 300 black and gray squirrels, which he had shot within 4 miles of Meadville, PA. About 95% were jet black. (Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life, 1640 – 1840, by Stevenson Whitcomb Fletcher, 1950)
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That’s good research Sinclair. Thanks for sharing.
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Wow, Sinclair, you know your stuff. I’ve seen a couple of black squirrels before and if I ever see one again, Squirrel Burgers!!!
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Yes, but is it? (related, I mean) Very sweet but I like the red ones best.
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The only time I saw a black squirrel was in Montreal…so I thought it was a Canadian thing. 🙂
Love how you went with the flow…
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Never look serendipity in the mouth . . . or something like that. 🙂
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Grey squirrels were introduced over here (UK) and have decimated our population of red quarrels that survive in only a few remote regions. They are now considered vermin here or as we call them bushy tailed rats. That doesn’t stop us thinking they are cute though, and I’d rather have them than real rats in our roof!!
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you can find black squirrels in nyc in an area called stuyvesant town on the east side of manhattan. i was surprised to discover them. we moved below stuyvesant town to the lower east side neighborhood and last spring our neighbor spotted a black squirrel! nice to know they can be found in nj too.
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Definitely a sign. On an unrelated note, though, what did you eat at the Korean restaurant?
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Hi Dave,
We’re particularly receptive to such “signs” https://everywhereonce.com/2010/09/20/bar-harbor-brewing/
And Mandu’s Bibimbap is incredible!!
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Yes, I’m a big fan of Bibimbap. Especially when it comes in the hot stone bowl. Also, thanks for the link!
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Thank you for visiting my Cambodia trip. I like your blog. Happy traveling!
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Thanks for liking our Southeast Asia blog.
Squirrels around here are the giant red flying kind!
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Looking forward to the giant flying red squirrels when we get out that way.
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for sure. If you see an animal AND find out there’s a bar named after it… it’s like God himself telling you that you should relax and enjoy a pint!
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If you ever need another reason to relax ans enjoy a pint, it’s a good a one as any. 🙂
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Marysville, Kansas is also known for its black squirrels.
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Very nice to have you over at my blog, Brian! Regarding black squirrels, I worked one summer during college on a small island in the river where Lake Huron and Lake Erie met between Ontario, Canada and Michigan. The place was thick with black squirrels. Especially noteworthy was the lack of any on either mainland. I’ve kept my eyes out for them ever since and love seeing them–thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for visiting my blog today and liking “The Lighthouse”. I’m so glad your visit brought me to your blog. Fantastic post above. Can’t wait to learn more about your adventures. Please stop by again soon!
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Thanks for stopping by my blog. I look forward to more of your posts and photos. Regards.
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Boy, that sure makes fodder for some crazy jokes!
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Serendipity comes to people who are alert to see the connections. I like the way you “notice” – and the way your “liking” my blog lead me to your Seven Lessons … to which a hearty hear-hear!
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Beautiful black squirrel…had not seen one until now. *Thank you.* *And thank you for the “like” at my blog:)
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What’s even stranger to me is the fact that the first time I saw a completely white squirrel was precisely in front of the white house in Washington D.C.
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I worked in Princeton, NJ for four years and LOVED seeing the black squirrels around town. They’re so unique and have been embraced by the PU community. My friends would always get scared by them…I’d call them racist and push them closer to the squirrels. 😉
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The closest we’ve got to squirrels are pesky possums! I hope you’re including Australia on your world adventure.
Happy traveling. I look forward to eating more of your blog.
Airstreamfamily.com.au xx
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Whoops that should have said reading…
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Thanks for reading my blog and liking my post!
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amazing, never heard of a black squirrel, great picture
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I’ve never seen one either! They look like the rich relative of the brown squirrel we have. You know, all dressed up in black.
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This might be the first time I’ve seen a black squirrel. We have seen plenty of grey ones, brown ones and red ones. Thank you for sharing, Brian and Shannon.
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I loved seeing the ‘basement squirrel’ in this post. I can’t believe I’ve never seen one before in my travels. I’ll have to watch out for them. Thanks for the ‘like’ on my blog post today. Looking forward to checking out more of your blog…
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Your Freshly Pressed award is WAY awesome. You certainly deserve it (have only just seen it). Congrats.
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There is a community of black squirrels in Princeton, too. I saw some in my neighborhood near Washington, DC and blogged about them here. http://sandydgreen.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/a-scurry-of-squirrels/ Thanks for visiting my blog!
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I ‘m glad to know there are black squirrels also.I have only ever seen grey ones.I like your picture of the black squirrel.Thanks for visiting my blog.
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Nice story. I was not aware of black squirrels. Thanks for reading my blog!
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A first for everything. Never seen a black squirrel before. A cute little chap.
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Thanks for checking out my blog! Happy travels
inspireyourlifestyle.com
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Whats weird is a long time ago, when I was little I was in New York and I fed a black squirrel some peanuts, nice little reminder, I like it!
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Wow what an exciting life you lead x I do envy you your travels! Enjoy every minute and post bits for us housebound armchair travellers to enjoy!!
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Brian: Great shot! Sure is a good looking squirrel…In Illinois, the city of Olny is noted for both black and white squirrels. Black squirrels have started showing up in the Peoria area the past few years. Thanks for the, “Like.” Hope you stop by again. I will!
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Great photo! the Choctaws have a legend that says total eclipse of the sun is when a black squirrel is eating the sun. I would love to use your photo of this squirrel when telling the story. Would you give me permission?
Judy
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