Let’s be honest: family vacations can get boring. Being in a car forever is not how most kids want to spend their summer vacation. But luckily for you, there are many locations under 2 ½ hours away! New Jersey has so many options to choose from! If you like cities or the beach, there’s a place nearby to go to. With summer right around the corner, here are some ideas for nearby places to visit!
NYC
First off, New York City is a very popular destination for people living in New Jersey due to its wide variety of fun places to visit! In NYC, there are many destinations that are free or paid depending on your budget.
The Museum of Ice Cream is a very fun and unique destination to visit. It is the perfect stop on a hot summer day, due to its unlimited supply of ice cream, many different playscapes to have fun in, which could be entertaining for the whole family! This often-unknown destination is perfect for a fun time after some time in the car! Because the MOIC is in NYC, by car, it is about an hour away! This makes it perfect for a nearby road trip destination.
Secondly, the Strand Bookstore is a great location to go to in NYC. The wide variety of books to purchase makes it the perfect place to stop for a family road trip. They have books for people of all ages. If you like reading, then this is the place for you. This is the perfect stop for many reasons. After a while in the car, you might want to just have a nice place to sit and read because there are thousands of books to choose from. If you can’t purchase a book, it is still open to the public, which means that you could walk in just to read and browse the shelves! This huge bookstore spreads with almost 18 miles of books, meaning that anyone can find a great fit for them.
Central Park is another great destination in NYC. Although this destination is weather permitting, depending on the day, this 843-acre park can be the perfect way to spend a day in New York. Going to the park lets you spend time outside while giving you a nice view of the cityscapes of New York. The architecture, peoplewatching, and just the landscape of Central Park is a memory that you can hold with you forever. Because Central Park is open to the public, it makes it a great place to spend time with family and spend time outside. New York is so expensive, which makes this place perfect for people that are on a budget, as you can pack your own food and supplies for the day. Central Park in New York City is a great destination to add to your 2024 road trip.
Overall, NYC has so many destinations to choose from!
LBI
Next, Long Beach Island is another popular road trip location. There are many different locations to choose from in LBI.
First off, LBI is home to Fantasy Island, a family-friendly amusement park. This theme park does not have the most thrill-seeking rides, but it is a great stop for any family road trip. Fantasy island has eighteen fun rides that will give your road trip some fun! It has a 12,000 square foot arcade for anyone who doesn’t like rides. Fantasy Island is a great, nearby amusement park, perfect for a family road trip.
Another fun place to go in LBI is the beach! You can go to any beach in LBI and it will be a blast. Whether you’re in season or off season, LBI is a great place to go for a swim, or just to spend some time at the beach. The beach is a great stop for a road trip because spending a full day at the beach is such a great way to spend your summer vacation! Especially at LBI, there are so many delicious food stops that you can make throughout the day before heading back to stay on the road. At some beaches in LBI, there are nearby mini golf courses, food places, and much more.
In conclusion, there are many different nearby road trip stops that will make your summer vacation more vacation and less driving! Are you going to go to any of these places this summer?
Works Cited
Strand Book Store, https://www.strandbooks.com/. Accessed 7 May 2024.
Welcome To LBI – Long Beach Island, NJ, https://welcometolbi.com/. Accessed 7 May 2024.
Fantasy Island Amusement Park: Home, https://fantasyislandlbi.com/. Accessed 7 May 2024.
“Things to Do.” Central Park Conservancy, https://www.centralparknyc.org/activities. Accessed 7 May 2024.
“Visit New York City.” MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM, https://www.museumoficecream.com/new-york-city/. Accessed 7 May 2024.
