Things to Do in New Jersey

The staff of Pocono Segway Tours leads groups of up to 10 sightseers on segway-propelled escapades through the scenic Pocono Mountains. A battery-powered personal transporter, the segway allows recreationalists of all shapes and sizes to navigate the gyroscopic machine along wooded paths and roadways while taking in the area's picturesque vistas during guided, multimile excursions. With two locations, the company gives tours in mountainous Split Rock; in Shawnee Inn, which presents views of the Delaware Water Gap.

Named Bucks County’s Best Bed & Breakfast in 2011 by readers of the Courier Times, the Salem Creekside Inn B & B occupies a more than 300-year-old stone house on the edge of Neshaminy Creek. Innkeepers Anita Carter and Bill Rushton take justifiable pride in their charming hideaway, whose five cozy bedrooms overlook pastoral grounds where visitors walk, fish, or re-enact Washington's crossing of the Delaware aboard their soggy suitcases. Every morning, the owners serve a country-style breakfast in the dining room or—during warmer weather—the enclosed sunroom or outside in a seasonal gazebo. Beyond historic Bensalem, Philadelphia's city streets are an easy 18-mile drive away—almost close enough to glimpse through the binoculars the inn lends out to guests eager to spot lazy birds setting back worms’ alarm clocks in the verdant gardens.

The organizers of Garden State BrewFest invite beer lovers to sample the ales and lagers of tri-state-area brewers in the name of charity. After collecting donations of canned food for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, gate attendants usher visitors in to taste two-ounce samples, each freshly poured by representatives from breweries such as Philadelphia’s Yards Brewing Company and Cape May County’s Tuckahoe Brewing Company. An array of entertainment engages guests throughout the four-hour fete, including live bands, a beer-pong tournament, and a keg-icing contest. Their Homebrew Competition lets DIY brewers enter their best fall-season beers, and the grand-prize winner gets to work alongside master brewer Brendan O’Neil of New Jersey Beer Co. Brewery for a day. Garden State BrewFest’s team donates a portion of the proceeds to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

The team of ASE-certified technicians at Millevoi's Tire & Service Center keeps horseless chariots stopping and going smoothly with a bevy of auto-care services. Cars delivered into the hands of the AAA-approved auto-repair center can swap out their soiled motor oil for up to 5 quarts of standard engine juice freshly squeezed from mechanical grapefruits. During the same visit, the staff can also rotate tires, lubricate the chassis, install new oil filters, and run through a 30-point safety inspection. An air-conditioning system check ensures the car's air vents are exhaling heartily, and a new pair of wiper blades helps to maintain windshield transparency while cars drive through rain or crash slip 'n' slide tournaments. Scheduled maintenance packages and computerized wheel alignments impart peace of mind, which the auto shop augments with a 36-month/36,000-mile warranty on parts and labor. The facility's waiting lounge features coffee, TV, and newspapers to entertain owners as they wait for their vehicles to roll out of the shop all patched up and ready to drive into the immediate future.

It's a child's paradise in the Garden State Discovery Museum, where pint-size patrons can climb up rock walls, cavort with wildlife, and imagine themselves as vets, doctors, and news anchors in hands-on exhibits. Red-eared turtles lounge in the wildlife area, inviting kids to gaze upon their slimy shells, and science displays teach guests about gravity, lava, and light.

Inflated structures, slides, and games fill the climate-controlled environs of the numerous BounceU locations that speckle the nation. At each site, staff members closely monitor all activities as little ones traverse obstacle courses or pull on oversized inflatable boxing gloves. The crew also invites parents to join in on the fun, letting them bounce alongside their kids or make sweeping edicts from atop a bouncy-castle throne. In addition to open sessions, the indoor-play haven sets the stage for the Preschool Playdate program, where instructors lead games and activities. Special events include family-bounce night, which lets parents join in the bouncing or relax in the party room and do grownup things, such as eat marshmallows with a knife and fork.