New Jersey: Day or overnight trips
 

In late September 2004 my wife and I are staying at the Marriott in Absecon/ Galloway Township in New Jersey. Any suggestions for day trips/overnight trip. It is our first time to the east coast and are going to try to see as much as we can in the week we are there. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.

Out of curiosity, is there any reason you are basing yourself out of the Atlantic City area?

Good trips, Baltimore, NYC, Philly, Boston.

NYC.2 hours by car,Phila 1 hour.I assume you are staying at the Seaview C.C. to golf.If not for the golfing I can't see why you would want to stay there.

Atlantic City NJ, Cape May NJ, Philadelphia, Baltimore, NYC. Previous posters are right, this is an odd place to base yourself for east coast exploration. A better approach would probably be to develop an itinerary of places of interest and then spend different nights in different places to see the most possible on the east coast. Is there time to reconsider your lodging options?

Unfortunately we can't change it. We are using a time share and there were only a couple of places left on the week we had planned a vacation. So at this point we have to make do with what we have. I am a golfer unfortunately my wife isn't. Thanks for the replies any addition info would be appreciated.

There is a lot to see and do in southern New Jersey. Cape May is a great suggestion, it is a very charming place with shops, restaurants and B&Bs as well as good beaches. The NJ beaches are at the best in September, IMO, not crowded, no beach fees and the water is warm. Some other suggestions are:

1. There are lovely beaches nearby, especially the Avalon/Stone Harbour areas. A bit further north there is a very pretty beach at Island Beach State park. Take a day trip, bring a picnic lunch. Take a look at http://www.state.nj.us/travel/virtua...ch/index.shtml. For the whole Jersey Shore experience, go to Wildwood and go on the rides on the boardwalk, eat cotton candy, etc.

2. If you like outdoor activities, consider a day of fishing, canoeing or walking in the Pinelands/Bass River a bit north of you. Take a look at http://www.state.nj.us/pinelands/recguide.htm.

3. Philadelphia is an easy overnight trip, and could also be done in a day. The drive would take just under 2 hours.

4. The Brandywine area on the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware is about the same distance as Philadelphia and is a lovely area of the country. There are Longwood Gardens if you like gardens, and the Winterthur Museum if you are interested in colonial American and other antiques. The area around the river is charming as well. Take a look at http://www.longwoodgardens.org and http://www.winterthur.org.

5. See Atlantic City (as much as you can stand of the casinos, a few hours does it for me). Take a walk on the boardwalk and see the over-the-top hotels, have a meal or spa treatment. Will you be there for the Miss American pageant? That could be interesting.

6. NYC is doable, but a long drive even for overnight. I would save that for another trip.

For other ideas, take a look at the website for NJ Tourism at http://www.state.nj.us/travel/

You could take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry to Delaware - On the way to Rehobeth Beach they have a lot of outlet malls that I'm sure your wife would enjoy. ((b))

Lots of good info above, although I would point out that the high temps (air) in late September at the Jersey beaches is usually in the low 70's, with any kind of breeze it will feel like the high 60's. If that is beach weather to you, you'll love it.......

gr8trprpse, I don't understand why you have to settle on a place you don't want to go or know nothing about. Don't you buy a timeshare in a location that is desireable & then trade off for something even better?

I guess I don't understand the "timeshare" concept.

Thank you for all of the replies. Regarding the question about timeshares. Unfortunatly, if you don't book far enough in advance the locations are limited. If you book far enough in advance you can take your pick of locations.

Philly is a one hour drive, as long as you avoid rush hour, and is an easy day trip. NYC is a more difficult day trip - it is more like 3 hours generally, but certainly doable as an overnight. You might want to put in some interests - big city, small town, beach town, etc., because there are many options from AC.