When Bruce Springsteen, one of New Jersey's best known native sons, sang of escaping a land of factories, refineries and giant Exxon signs, he reinforced the idea that the state was one big industrial wasteland—an idea that seems very true if you whiz through on the northern stretches of the New Jersey Turnpike.

But those travelers who turn off the pike will discover the state's better side—charming Victorian seaside villages, fine sandy beaches, world-class art collections and Revolutionary War sites. And if there were an Olympic medal for shopping, New Jersey would take the gold—its range of outlet stores is astounding, megamalls are everywhere, and you'll stumble upon antiques shops wherever you go.

Most visitors will want to spend their time in small towns such as Morristown, Lambertville, Stanhope and Princeton, as well as along the Jersey Shore, which has some of the most charming beach communities in the Northeast. Atlantic City's casinos and performers vie for your attention around the clock, and its vintage boardwalk offers a tangible link to the past. The industrial corridor in the state's northeastern corner and the urban areas of Newark, Trenton and Camden have less to offer vacationers, but visitors to New York City may be surprised to find that the Newark area offers several interesting sights.

Geography

History

New Jersey's nickname—the Garden State—is said to have been coined at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia by Abraham Browning of Camden, who suggested that the state was akin to an "immense barrel," providing neighboring New York and Pennsylvania with all manner of good things to eat.

Centuries earlier, the Lenni Lenape (or Delaware) people inhabited New Jersey prior to the arrival of Europeans. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano led the first European expedition that sighted New Jersey, though it wasn't until almost a century later that European settlers arrived, the first of whom were Dutch. The Dutch and the British fought for control of the area, but the British eventually took over the territory, and for a time it was divided into Puritan-dominated East Jersey and Quaker-controlled West Jersey.

New Jersey played a major role in the war that made the U.S. an independent nation: From Trenton and Princeton to New Brunswick and Monmouth, Jersey soil was the site of several important battles, and Gen. George Washington based his troops in Morristown through the harsh winters of 1777 and 1779-80 (reputed to be one of the coldest in the state’s history). The third of the original colonies to ratify the Constitution, it was the seat of national government for a brief period in 1783, when the Continental Congress met in Princeton. New Jersey became a state in 1787.

Throughout the 1800s, New Jersey plunged headlong into the industrial revolution. The state was perfectly situated for it: The transportation hub of New York City was next door, the coastline afforded a number of ports, and the burgeoning infrastructure of rail lines and inland waterways gave New Jersey a head start on manufacturing and commerce. Industry has remained important to the state, but as heavy manufacturing has fallen on harder times in the past 30 years, New Jersey has experienced some economic difficulties.

Following World War II, as many U.S. residents moved from the cities to the suburbs, New Jersey again was in the right place: Dozens of bedroom communities came into being, just a short drive from Philadelphia and New York City. Today, high-tech and pharmaceutical companies are helping to diversify New Jersey's economy, as is tourism, the state's second-largest business.

Snapshot

Although comprising only 21 counties, New Jersey is a state with many fascinating facets. Its variety of attractions and activities includes beaches and boardwalks, cozy bed-and-breakfasts, casino gambling, Revolutionary War sites, boating and canoeing, fishing, horse farms and horse racing, hiking, biking, lighthouses, bird-watching and factory-outlet shopping.

First-time visitors will soon discover that this oft-mocked little state has a lot more going for it than they ever imagined. Such appeal, however, has not been without its price, as New Jersey, despite its fiscal problems (including high taxes and insurance rates), continues to attract an influx of new residents and retirees, with the result that much of what was once farmland and woodland has been replaced by suburban sprawl.

Potpourri

If New Jersey seems crowded to you, it's because it has the highest density of people, motor vehicles and highways in the U.S. Perhaps more surprisingly, it also has the highest density of horses in the country. Horse farms abound in Essex, Monmouth, Morris and Hunterdon counties.

New Jersey is a great state for scuba divers who enjoy exploring sunken ships. A large number of wrecks are accessible along the shore.

In addition to Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey has produced several famous musicians, including Jon Bon Jovi (from the Jersey Shore), Frank Sinatra (Hoboken), Dionne Warwick (East Orange) and Whitney Houston (Newark).

Four notable poets hail from the Garden State: Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, William Carlos Williams and Joyce Kilmer—as well as novelists James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans (his birthplace is commemorated at Burlington) and Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, who lived in Asbury Park. Other noted authors include Judy Blume, Norman Mailer, Dorothy Parker and Philip Roth.

A word about New Jersey's beaches: Be aware that in the summer months, most beach communities will charge you a fee for daily use, usually between US$3 and US$6. This entitles you to a beach "tag," which must be displayed while using the beach for recreation during daytime hours. Weekly and seasonal passes are also available. Many hotels and inns supply tags to their guests as part of the overnight rate. Only Atlantic City and Wildwood offer free use of their beaches (as does Seaside Heights on Wednesday and Thursday).

Eleven well-preserved lighthouses are currently open to visitors along the New Jersey coastline (which includes Delaware Bay and the New York harbor area). They include the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation at Sandy Hook; the romantic Twin Lights at Highlands, located on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic; 165-ft/51-m-tall Barnegat Lighthouse—complete with a maritime forest trail—at the northern end of Long Beach Island; and the newly restored Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City.

New Jersey is home to 570 diners, more than any other state in the nation. You'll find more than 20 on U.S. Route 130 between Carney's Point and New Brunswick alone.

Sunset Beach at Cape May yields a unique selection of pebbles known as Cape May diamonds, semiprecious stones of pure quartz that look similar to diamonds when they're polished and cut. You'll find the biggest ones in the winter.