GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
Things to Do in New Jersey
*For the top yearly events of New Jersey, click here.
Atlantic City
Jersey is known as the "Garden State". I never understood that, because I always envisioned the industrial factory towns like Jersey City and Newark...but after driving through the state to get to Atlantic City, I saw more farm land than North Carolina, where I'm from. That being said, we were making a beeline to the Jersey Shore.
The whole Jersey Shore is known for its amusement parks, piers, and beach fun, but our goal was the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk. Began in 1870, it is the home of old school boardwalk fun, from the Roarin' 20's through the 50's, including Mafia, old Hollywood acts like Dean and Jerry, and old singing acts like Al Jolson. It eventually transformed more into what it is today. To learn about the Boardwalk's history, go to the Atlantic City Historical Museum on Garden Pier..
These days, it's filled with gambling casinos, like Donald Trump's Taj Mahal, restaurants like the House of Blues and Hard Rock Café, boardwalk fun and people enjoying the beach. Strolling along the boardwalk, you'll find the beach on one side and shopping on the other, with everything from high end shops to artwork and salt water taffy. Then, on Steel Pier, you can have the fun of the amusement rides, carnival games, and carnival food!
We really had fun with Crazy Mouse, a roller coaster that has separate cars instead of one train. The reason? Each car SPINS as you're traveling the coaster! My wife did not see this spinning action before we got on. She screamed at the top of her lungs the entire ride. The guys running the ride were laughing and when we were getting off said, "that was unexpected."
I found this recording of a Crazy Mouse ride on Youtube:
Cape May
Maybe you'd prefer a slower paced, more relaxed beach than Atlantic City? Well, Cape May has that. It's a beautiful, peaceful beach where you can go to relax and enjoy the sand, surf, and sunsets. The beauty of Cape May isn't only found in its nature, though, the beach town is also known for its grand Victorian houses.
Egg Harbor Township
New Jersey has a fun, family-owned themepark that's been entertaining kids for over 60 years: Storybook Land. As the name suggests, the theme is stories and fairytales!
Margate
Margate is home to the 6-story elephant shaped novelty architecture better known as Lucy the Elephant. Built in 1881, it is the oldest surviving American roadside tourist attraction and has been listed on the National Park Registry of Historic Landmarks. (1) Lucy can even be toured. Every 30 minutes, a guided tour takes people through Lucy during open hours.
