17 Amazing Summer Day Trips That Are Really Close to New Jersey

Summertime is here and you are ready to do just about anything to getaway.

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But then reality sets in and you realize that you are stuck somewhere between spending thousands of dollars to go to a theme park in Florida or spending a long weekend in your own backyard sipping whatever you happen to already have in your fridge.

Luckily, this is New Jersey and your options are practically limitless.

Sure, there are lots of things to do right around here -- amazing beaches, terrific boardwalks, world-class entertainment in Atlantic City's casinos, but what if you just gotta get away even for a little while?

The good news is the Garden State is perfectly situated so you are already close to some really amazing things and you don't have to take out a second mortgage to have fun.

Whether it's fun for the kids (or adults) in the Poconos, going face-to-face with killer sharks, or speeding down the tracks of a huge rollercoaster, it's easy to feel like you're on vacation around here without having to change time zones.

We've assembled a list of well over a dozen places that you can visit this summer by car.

Many are a couple of hours away (a few are a little more), so you can get there and back on one tank of gas.