Here are 10 true and good TIPS from a Jersey guy:
1. Eat an Italian hot dog at Jimmy Buff's in West Orange-they were invented in New Jersey and are fantastic!
2. While in West Orange, visit Thomas Edison's home and lab museum it's incredible to see all he did
http://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm
3. Visit the Pinelands-the second largest preserved area in the lower 48
Where is the Pinelands National Reserve and how big is it?
The Pinelands National Reserve, created by the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, includes approximately 1.1 million acres encompassing portions of seven counties and all or part of 56 municipalities in the southern half of New Jersey.
Who owns the Pinelands National Reserve?
Approximately 50 percent of the Pinelands National Reserve is owned publicly. This includes Municipal, County, State, and Federal holdings and facilities. The other 50 percent is privately owned and includes home owners, farmers, business, corporations, and nonprofit organizations.
What hidden natural resource is covered by the Pinelands?
Pinelands lie above the 17.7-trillion-gallon Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which contain enough water to cover all of New Jersey 10 feet deep - and equal to nearly half the water consumed each year in the U.S.
4.
Go to Colt's Neck and drink some Applejack at Lairds! Founded in 1780 they are the first in the US to produce apple brandy and even served George Washington
5. Make sure to eat a Taylor Ham and cheese sandwich on hard roll or English Muffin for breakfast. It's as NJ as it comes and you will love it. Don't settle for just pork roll-it must be Taylor Ham!
6. Drive East through Rumson on River Road, cross North over the Oceanic Bridge and return West on Navesink Road.
You have a good chance of running into Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi, who both live on opposite sides of the Navesink River.
Stop and eat at the Salt Creek Grille
http://www.saltcreekgrille.com/home/index.asp
7. Visit downtown Princeton, it's a beautiful town and the train drops you right off there from either north Jersey or new York
8. Visit downtown Red Bank-another town with great restaurants, awesome boutiques, and a cool vibe with train service right into town. Ton's of young Wall Street'ers drink here and the hot chicks follow!
9. Stop at Rutgers University and see where so many recent NFL players came from.
10. Drive along the ocean from Pt Pleasant, through Mantoloking, Bay Head, Ortley, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park with a stop at Island Beach State park at the end. Beautiful scenery but you will also witness the lasting devastation from Hurricane Sandy.
Stay away from Atlantic City, Newark, South Orange, Paterson, Camden, and Irvington. All crime ridden ghettos that will get you killed.
