New Jersey Off The Beaten Path Tips by ferdnbean

"On the way to Cape May"

If Atlantic City is the King of the Jersey Shore, and Ocean City the Family Capitol of the Shore, then Cape May is the Queen of the southern New Jersey coast.
Cape May has a lot to offer but is not exactly what I'd call off the beaten path: CapeMay is at the very end of the beaten path to the Jersey Shore. Cape May hosts some of the most beautiful and charming examples of Victorian architecture found in America. It is also the home of the Cape May Point Lighthouse.

Diamonds are a girls best friend

But anyone can be a millionaire at Sunset Beach at Cape May Point. All along the shoreline are quartz stones that have been tumbled by the waves and tides against each other and all the sand in the surf and shore. They are called "Cape May Diamonds", and although they are not precious gems, you can find some that look like clear crystals. Once you put these babies into a rock tumbler, they come out very clear and beautiful. Kids, yound and old can ejoy hours of diamond hunting at Sunset Beach.
There are also three very nice and resonably priced gift/souvenir shops at Sunset Beach.
Sunset Beach also celebrates every Sunset with the playing of the National Anthem as the flag at the point is lowered during a ceremony for the ending of the day.

"It's not the end of the world!"

But you might be able to it from here. An interesting place just south of the lighthouse called Sunset Beach. It is a great place to see a sunset, and also see the remains of a post-World War I liberty ship( they were made utilizing concrete for part of their hulls) USS Atlantus, that ran aground in 1926. The remains of the wreck lie about 200 yards off of the shoreline of Sunset Beach.

Ocean City Family destination of the Jersey Shore

Less than 10 miles south of Margate you will find Ocean City ... a family mecca...a summer resort town founded by Methodists well before the turn of the 20th Century. To this day, it is still dry ( no bars), but it seems to work out fine for family stays at the beach for a week or longer. Ocean City has a nice boardwalk and beaches as well as several amusement ride piers and arcades as well as lots of places to spend your money on food, souvenirs and other boardwalk activities.

The Coastline South of Atlantic City

As you drive south along the coast from Atlantic City there are several nice towns beginning withMargate.
Margate is the home of 'Lucy the Elephant' . Lucy is a Victorian architectural wonder of a tall building shaped like an Indian elephant that you can go into. She had fallen on disrepair to the point that it was felt that she shopuld be razed, but the good news is that residents of Margate and a civic organization organized fund raising and receiving grants to lovingly restore her. She is now a tourable museum with very a interesting collection of local history memorablilia and agreat measure of her old charm.

Southern Coastal New Jersey

The southern part of the Jersey Shore is probably most famous for Atlantic City and it's Boardwalk. Since I am not a gambler, there are many more places along the coast of "Jersey that I much prefer.

Island Beach State park near...

Island Beach State park near Toms River(Central coast) is located just south of Seaside Heights. It is a 14 mile long narrow stretch of barrier island that has the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay to the other side. If you travel all the way to the end of the park you will be overlooking the Barnegat Bay Inlet and be able to get a great view of "Barney"...the Barnegat Lighthouse. Cape May Point is located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey and is home of to Cape May diamonds.Go there and collect some semi-precious jewels, and some peaceful memories of the end of the world (or at least the end of NJ..Cape May lighthouse is there,too.(southern tip of NJ,.
There are two zoos in South Jersey. 1.The Cape May Zoo near Cape May Court House
( a town) just off of Route 9 and the NJParkway. 2.The Cohansey Bridgeton Zoo(southern area near Delaware Bay) just off of Route 49 in western South Jersey.