Drive 119.2 miles • 2 hours, 47 minutes

New Jersey may be home to 19 Fortune 500 Companies, but there is only one Atlantic Ocean, and it’s the number one reason that tourists by the thousands visit the Garden State each year. The second reason is that New Jersey gives its visitors so many options—from roller coaster rides to journeys back in time through historic sites dotted around the state.

1. Jackson Township

Starting Point • Entertainment, History, Nature

Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari in New Jersey’s Jackson Township offers a variety of entertainment options, including rides—family rides, kid rides and white-knuckle, gravity-defying thrill rides. Once your feet touch the ground again, plan a visit to nearby Freehold to the Metz Bicycle Museum, housing one of the world’s best collections of antique bicycles dating back as far as the 1850s. Amazing aquatic life is on display at Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach, 24 miles outside of Jackson Township.

2. Egg Harbor City

60.3 miles, 1 hour, 21 minutes • Food, History, Nature

A mere 18 miles away from Atlantic City, Egg Harbor City is rich in local history. During the 1800s, it became a beacon of opportunity for immigrant Germans, who infused their own version of European Old World style into the community. Today, Egg Harbor is home to some historic attractions and entertainment options, including local vintners, such as the Renault Winery, founded in 1864. Among its amenities is an 18-hole championship golf course with views of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve.

3. Ocean City

23.9 miles, 37 minutes • Entertainment, Food, Quirky, Shopping

Beaches, bays, boating and, of course, the boardwalk all mean you’ve arrived in Ocean City, with its eight miles of sandy beachfront. The Boardwalk brings families right to the Atlantic Ocean’s front door, and the legendary promenade is lined with restaurants, souvenir shops and more. Try a delicious bite of salt water taffy. On the quiet side are the bays of Ocean City. Families can go on fishing excursions or ride the Wild Waves Coaster at Playland’s Castaway Cove. Gillian’s Wonderland Pier serves up a timeless New Jersey experience.

4. Cape May

35.1 miles, 49 minutes • History, Nature

Travel back in time, Jersey-style. Trolleys take visitors on tours through Cape May’s historic districts in the east and west ends, where showcases of Victorian residential and business architecture proudly stand. While legends of pirate treasure chests buried in Cape May beaches still circulate, so do the true-life stories of Cape May’s role in nearly every American military conflict dating back to the War of 1812. Walk the WWI-era S.S. Atlantus at Sunset Beach. A total of 199 steps takes visitors to the top of Cape May Lighthouse, built in 1859.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

Big Timber Lake RV Camping Resort – Cape May Court House, NJ (800) 206-3232

Cape May KOA – Cape May, NJ – (609) 884-3567

Seashore Campsites & RV Resort – Cape May, NJ – (888) 478-8799