The Garden State, or New Jersey, has plenty of great towns along with a stellar coastline.
Despite that New Jersey is often overlooked when compared to its powerful neighbor: New York, the small state is home to a good chunk of the Philly and NYC metro areas. New Jersey is mostly populated throughout, and has a lengthy coastline. One of the great parts of this state is that you don’t have to fill up your own gas, that’s somebody else’s job. What, you ask? Yes, that’s right.
Coastline
New Jersey is mostly urban and does have some nice towns, including: Atlantic City, New Brunswick, and Princeton. The nicest part of the state, however, is the coastline. It’s a getaway from all the noisy urban sprawl and provides a chance to just relax along the Atlantic.
Atlantic City once rivaled Las Vegas (to a very small extent,) but has recently decreased in popularity. Still, it remains a massive attraction alongside the beach towns of Cape May and Ocean City. Boardwalks, beaches, and lighthouses are scattered along the Jersey shore, meaning that there are perfect waterside sights.
Liberty State Park
Believe it or not, the best views of NYC came from Jersey, speaking from personal experience. I walked alongside the body of water separating Jersey and Manhattan in the massive Liberty State Park, and it afforded views of Ellis Island and the ENTIRE NYC skyline with skyscrapers stretching into the distance both ways. A clean-cut lawn space also was there to have a picnic and enjoy the stunning views of NYC. I walked as close as I possibly could to NYC without stepping into the water and simply admired one of the most iconic cities in the world.
