"“We’ve all come to look for America”" New Jersey by toonsarah

New Jersey Travel Guide: 3,840 reviews and 7,387 photos

Atlantic City

New Jersey may be the Garden State, but before I visited I thought of it mainly as a seaside destination (and in particular the brash reputation of resorts such as Atlantic City); as the one time home of stars such as Frank Sinatra (born in Hoboken) and Bruce Springsteen (who put Asbury Park on the map); and as a major road system featuring bumper to bumper cars as conjured up by the lines in one of my favourite songs:

”Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
We’ve all come to look for America”

Cape May Point State Park & Lighthouse

Well we certainly found the cars, and driving in some parts of the state was not a pleasure, but other aspects of our visit certainly were. We spent most of our time in the lovely Victorian resort of Cape May, about which I have a separate page, but also made some trips up the coast to Wildwood and Atlantic City and spent our last couple of days touring the scenic Delaware River Valley. It was here, and in the south west of the state, that we finally discovered that New Jersey is indeed in parts a Garden State.

Pros and Cons

Pros:great beaches and classic seaside vibes, plus some history and pretty countryside thrown in
Cons:no one could call Newark pretty and the roads in the metropolitan areas aren’t much fun

Last visit to New Jersey: Sep 2008
Intro Updated Dec 24, 2011
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Reviews (16)

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Delaware River near Frenchtown - New Jersey

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Oyster Creek Off The Beaten Path (2)

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Transportation (2)
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Comments (19)

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hunterV Dec 3, 2010 at 5:27 AM

Hello, Sarah! Your story is very creative and interesting, as all your travel stories are!... Thanks a lot! ><><><><><
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vichatherly Dec 3, 2010 at 5:17 AM

Cool pages. An interesting place to visit.
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BillNJ Dec 3, 2010 at 4:06 AM

Very interesting observations about New Jersey. You covered a lot of ground in your short stay! I am glad to see that you made it to Cape May ... which is a unique Shore town with a great atmosphere. Cheers!
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Yaqui Oct 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

Lovely page Sarah! I ditto what deecat said! I do enjoy your writing and photography!
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richiecdisc Dec 12, 2009 at 1:41 PM

Great well-rounded trip to NJ, Sarah and love the B&W Jersey Shore shots. Even got to the Gap and Frenchtown, favorites of mine too. Great cask beer at brewpub there but unfortunately we could not meet up on this trip since we were still out west. :(
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deecat Dec 10, 2009 at 6:51 PM

Really enjoyable reading. I love your positive attitude and ability to find something interesting to do despite the weather. Love your insights, descriptions, and fantastic photos.
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KiKitC Oct 30, 2009 at 3:22 AM

Birthday wishes from New Jersey!Love your tips. Smithville has always been a favorite place.
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sue_stone Feb 14, 2009 at 8:35 AM

Anywhere that used to be home to the great Frank Sinatra is ok by me!
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Jenniflower Jan 29, 2009 at 2:14 AM

What a lovely place!!! I love your descriptions Sarah, you have such an easy-to-read writing style - love the pics too!
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Dabs Jan 10, 2009 at 2:45 PM

Looks like you found a few interesting things to do in the much maligned state of new Jersey ;-)