NewarkThe northeastern portion of New Jersey offers an eclectic mix of culture, heritage, sports and shopping. Newark is the third-oldest of the major US cities and the largest in New Jersey. It is a hub of transport connections, arts and culture, and fast city life. The Newark Museum is considered one of the nation’s most comprehensive fine arts museums and the largest museum complex in the State, with 80 galleries of art (ancient and modern) and science, a planetarium and a mini-zoo. Branch Brook Park has more cherry blossoms than Washington, DC in the springtime, and plays host
to an annual cherry blossom festival. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is the home of the
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and features performances from international artists.
ExcursionsJust east of Newark lie the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The
Circle Line ferry operates services to these important historic sites from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Liberty Science Center, located in Liberty State Park, is one of New Jersey’s leading attractions, and offers a hands-on science museum with an IMAX Dome Theater, as well as exhibits on inventions, technology, environment and health. North of Newark is Palisades Interstate Park, comprising 2500 acres of scenic roads, stunning views, picnic areas, a historic museum and nature sanctuary, and hiking and skiing trails, plus an enormous children’s fun park. The Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, northwest of Newark, is home to professional football, basketball and ice hockey teams, as well as a world-class racetrack.
The Edison National Historic Site in West Orange offers tours of Thomas Edison’s home, laboratory and library. It also displays the equipment and chemicals with which Edison invented the first incandescent lightbulb, photograph and motion picture.
Atlantic CityKnown as ‘America’s Favorite Playground’, it features 12 casino hotels, world-class entertainment, championship sporting events, gourmet restaurants and the famous boardwalk, which dates from 1870. Atlantic City is also home to saltwater taffy, numerous trade shows and conventions, and the annual Miss America Pageant.
The Atlantic City Boardwalk is an attraction in itself, lined with dazzling casinos, amusement rides, games and shops on one side and by 10km (6 miles) of sand beach and surf on the other. The notorious Trump Plaza Hotel and Trump Taj Mahal Casino (one of the largest in the world) are to be found here. The Gateway at Bally’s has new shopping and dining facilities on an elegant walkway connecting the casino hotel to the Claridge Casino, as well as extra convention and meeting space. Convention Hall, an art deco architectural extravaganza, houses the world’s largest pipe organ. The Atlantic City Art Center and Historic Museum traces the city’s history as a 150-year-old seaside resort and entertainment center, and includes photos and memorabilia from the Miss America Pageant. The Shops on Ocean One is a modern shopping mall situated on a boardwalk pier shaped like an ocean liner.
ExcursionsThe Greater Atlantic City region also has a quieter side. The Towne of Historic Smithville, an authentic 18th-century village filled with shops, is worth a visit. Coastal wildlife is preserved at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, due north of Atlantic City in Brigantine, where the Sea Life Museum can also be found. The Gardner’s Basin area is home to the Ocean Life Center, a marine education attraction with aquariums and a ‘touch tank’. The Noyes Museum in Oceanville is known for its large collection of American fine and folk art. The region is also home to one of the oldest vineyards in the USA – the Renault Winery (which also features the Glass Museum) in Egg Harbor.
Delaware River RegionThis area of pristine wilderness is richly steeped in history and natural beauty. American history buffs can visit battlefields and barracks that tell the story of New Jersey’s important role in the birth of the USA. Arts and culture can be experienced at the many museums and theaters in the region.
Trenton is home to the second-oldest State House in continuous use in the USA. Other attractions include the Trenton Battle Monument and Trenton City Museum. Evening entertainment ranges from a Trenton Thunder minor league baseball game (during the summer) to a night at the theater in Princeton.
The Old Barracks Museum on Barracks Street is the site of the famous day-after-Christmas battle during the Revolutionary War and includes restored soldiers’ quarters, 18th-century period rooms and antiques. The New Jersey State Planetarium and Museum, which examines New Jersey history back to 500 BC, and William Trent House are also worth visiting.
Princeton, 18km (11 miles) north of Trenton, is a charming, historic town, home of the world-renowned Princeton University. The town offers excellent art exhibitions and music, as well as dance and theater performances, exclusive shops and restaurants. Walking tours take visitors to Princeton University and the battlefield where Washington’s army defeated the British in 1777. Other attractions include Einstein’s House (he was a Princeton University lecturer), Princeton University Art Museum, Bainbridge House, Clarke House on the Princeton Battlefield, and Drumthwacket, a stately Greek-revival Southern-style mansion that is now the Governor’s official residence.
Camden, a town 43km (27 miles) south of Trenton in the Delaware River region, has Walt Whitman’s House and the New Jersey State Aquarium, which combines entertainment, science and cutting-edge technology with some 5000 aquatic animals and over 80 individual fresh and salt water exhibits. Next door is the 25,000-seat Tweeter Center, which presents a wide range of headliner entertainment. New to the Camden Waterfront is the USS New Jersey Museum, aboard one of the most decorated battleships in US naval history.
Historic Salem, 53km (33 miles) south of Camden on Route 45, has 60 18th-century buildings along Market Street, museums, exhibits and the 500-year-old Salem Oak, near the court house. The
Cowtown Rodeo, in nearby Pilesgrove, is the oldest rodeo on the east coast and has competitions every Saturday from May to September and a large flea market every Tuesday and Saturday.
Camping, canoeing, swimming, fishing, horseriding and hiking can be enjoyed in a venture out to the Pine Barrens, the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. Designated the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve in 1978, it was the first national reserve to be created in the USA, and was recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve in 1983.
Shore RegionHome to rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, the Shore Region boasts white sandy beaches, rolling farmland, quaint seaside resort towns and historic sites. Dotting the shore are exciting towns like Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant, which are home to boardwalk amusement rides and games, while quieter towns like Spring Lake and Ocean Grove offer charming bed & breakfast inns. Exciting amusement rides and the world’s largest safari park are located at Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari in Jackson, along with the Hurricane Harbor waterpark. Allaire State Park in Farmingdale is a restored 18th-century bog-iron mining village offering period shops, bakeries and churches, as well as the Pinecreek Railroad train, craft and antique shows and square-dancing at weekends. On Long Beach Island, the Barnegat Lighthouse and Museum has maritime exhibits and gardens. More local heritage is on show at Tuckerton Seaport, a working maritime village.
ExcursionsCruises can be taken aboard the
River Belle or
River Queen, large stern-wheelers that ply the waters off Point Pleasant Beach, where deep-sea fishing boats are also available. Party cruises can be taken aboard the
Sandy Hook Lady, an authentic paddle-wheel steamer which runs from the Atlantic Highlands harbor and offers a scenic ride along the historic Shrewsbury River.
Skylands RegionSome of the most beautiful and unspoiled land in the northeastern USA is found in the Skylands Region of northwestern New Jersey. During the winter, resorts such as Mountain Creek offer skiing and snowboarding for all skill levels; while in summer, camping, hiking and watersports can be enjoyed at numerous State and National Parks, such as the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Revolutionary War historic sites, wineries, museums, antique stores and bed & breakfast inns are scattered throughout the region.
The Clinton Historical Museum and Spruce Run Reservoir in Clinton are accompanied by quaint shops and charming restaurants. Waterloo Village, in Stanhope, is a restored 18th-century village of colonial craft shops and homes, and hosts a summer series of jazz and bluegrass festivals. Morristown National Historic Park was the site of George Washington’s winter encampments and the Ford Mansion, now a museum. Battle re-enactments take place throughout the year. The 30 acre Land of Make Believe, in Hope, fulfils childhood fantasies, as do the life-size animated characters in the Fairy Tale Forest, in Oak Ridge.
Hiking, canoeing, fishing and river rafting on the Delaware River can be organized during the summer, and ice-skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, skiing and ice fishing are available during the winter. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, in Morris Township, offers 125 acres of self-guided trails, including a Braille Trail. Liberty Village Premium Outlets in Flemington is a high-quality shopping complex with Early American-style architecture and landscaping. Also in Flemington is the Black River and Western Railroad, where visitors can take a one-hour ride on a steam- or diesel-powered train.
Southern Shore RegionLocated along the southeastern tip of New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean is a region for those who enjoy seaside culture and heritage, boardwalk amusements, fishing and birdwatching. The Wildwoods and Ocean City boardwalks buzz with excitement, in contrast to the quieter retreats of Stone Harbor and Avalon. Cape May, a National Historic Landmark, is a popular Victorian seaside town with many bed & breakfast inns, trolley tours and the superb Cape May County Zoo. Wheaton Village, in Millville, is the world’s largest museum of American glass, with a 7000-item collection ranging from paperweights to Tiffany masterpieces. Cold Spring Village is a recreation of an old farm village, with period shops and restaurants. Visitors can stroll through 25 different gardens at Leaming’s Run Gardens and Colonial Farm in Swainton.
Next Page »
