For many, a jaunt to the Jersey Shore consists of a few days at the beach, a few nights in the casinos or at the Boardwalk, a box of saltwater taffy and a souvenir T-shirt.

Those experiences are not to be missed—in fact, they should top your to-do list. But this year, once you’ve absorbed the requisite rays and shaken the sand out of your shoes, look around. You may discover unexpected summer fun far beyond the beach.

1. STARRY, STARRY NIGHT. Light pollution has made it impossible for most of us to see the planets and constellations as our agrarian ancestors saw them. For spectacular views of the Milky Way, join the South Jersey Astronomy Club’s free public sky watch Friday, August 29 at Belleplain State Forest. Bring folding chairs, extra clothing and a flashlight with a red filter (cellophane will work nicely) to find your way without illuminating the landscape. The experts will gladly share their telescopes and explain what’s up there. 7:30 p.m. For information: www.sjac.us. (For do-it-yourself stargazing, the Perseid meteor shower is Tuesday, August 12. Drive to any country road far from man-made lights, spread a blanket and watch a dazzling display of natural pyrotechnics.)

2. INTO THE WOODS. Parents, drag your kids away from the computer and experience the primal thrill of rugged outdoor life. Several nearby state forests offer plentiful hiking, boating and fishing, along with camping in cabins, lean-tos, shelters and “yurts.” They also offer the incomparable opportunity to see the grandeur of nature close to home. Bass River State Forest, home of Lake Absegami, also includes the Pygmy Forest: 4,000 acres of unique stunted forest with a canopy height of only four feet. Belleplain State Forest includes 26-acre Lake Nummy and miles of marked trails. Wharton State Forest offers tent and trailer sites as well as sites accessible only by foot, by canoe or on horseback. Camping at most state parks, which usually includes fire rings for cooking, is remarkably affordable—as little as $20 a night. For information: www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests.

3. SOMETHING FISHY. No, it’s not Camden’s huge Adventure Aquarium with its hippos, penguins and 4-D theater. But the Ocean Life Center at Gardner’s Basin is convenient, affordable and, in its pocket-sized way, just as much fun. See more than 100 varieties of marine life in a low-key environment—perfect for the little ones. The live feeding show at 11 a.m. each Saturday is a real crowd-pleaser. A diver jumps into the big first-floor tank to feed the sharks and giant stingrays; the diver is equipped with a headset so he or she can talk to kids and answer their questions. The newest attraction is the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit with two hands-on freshwater touch pools and rays native to the Amazon River. Also at Gardner’s Basin: a crafter’s village, boat rides from the marina, and one of Atlantic City’s original diving bells. Parasailing and party cruises are available from Atlantic City Cruises. For information: www.acaquarium.com.

4. CURTAIN’S UP. There’s nothing like live entertainment and there’s always something onstage in and around Atlantic City. They’ll be making some noise at Dante Hall this month when percussionist Michael Hoebler brings Rhythm Kitchen to the historic theater, June 20-21. This dynamic event allows the audience to play along with the Atlantic City Percussion Group. That’s just the start of an exciting summer season. For information: www.dantehall.org. The Performing Arts Center at the Richard Stockton College has an impressive summer lineup, with pianist Jim Brickman July 7; Riders in the Sky, a “comedy and Western” ensemble July 14; and much more. For information: www.stockton.edu/pac. Cape May Stage is one of the best Equity theaters in the country. This season starts out strong with Fully Committed (through June 28), one of the comic one-man shows for which Cape May Stage is justly renowned; Private Lives, Noel Coward’s hilarious comedy of manners and morals (July 2-August 16); and the provocative Doubt (starting August 20). Productions at Cape May Stage are consistently excellent, and the bucolic backdrop—this gorgeous leafy shore town—makes the trip especially memorable. For information: www.capemaystage.com.

5. TRICKS ARE FOR KIDS… And grownups too! Thrill to the antics of illusionists Mark Kalin and Jinger Leigh when they bring their Real Magic Show to the Shell at Trump Marina, June 25 through August 17, with shows at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Kalin and Jinger (of NBC’s World’s Greatest Magicians) are no strangers to Atlantic City. In 1997, they produced Before Your Very Eyes, a spectacular show at Trump Marina, and later earned headlines with their biggest stunt: the vanishing of an American Airlines jumbo jet during the Illusionarium show in Reno. The latest production includes levitation, transformation and Houdini-like escapes. For information: www.trumpmarina.com.

6. BERRY DELICIOUS. Are you sweet on strawberries? Bananas about blueberries? On Saturday, June 7 the town of West Cape May converges on Wilbraham Park for the annual Strawberry Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come out for fun, food, music and crafts at one of the most charming small-town festivals around. For information: www.westcapemaytoday.com. Red, White & Blueberries is the clever name of the Hammonton Blueberry Festival, now in its 22nd year, which celebrates the community’s distinction as Blueberry Capital of the World. On Sunday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hammonton Middle School, this old-fashioned festival features a classic car show, music, arts and crafts galore, and of course, a blueberry pie-eating contest. For more information: www.hammontonnj.us.

7. FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR. There’s something so great about spending a few hours in the country picking your own fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches and berries. The Garden State has lots of pick-your-own farms; here are a few within an easy drive of Atlantic City: B&B Farms in Egg Harbor City; Butterhof’s Shady Brook Farm in Egg Harbor; Fraleigh Farms in Mays Landing; Lindsay’s Pick Your Own Blueberries in Hammonton; Surf and Turf Farm in Pomona; and the Allen Family Farm in Belleplain. Some of these farms offer free leaflets on drying or canning, plus corn mazes, hay rides and picnic areas. For information, visit www.pickyourown.org/NJ. To learn how South Jersey’s famous blueberry crop is harvested, take a Blueberry Farm Tour out of the Blueberry Factory, 218 Bellevue Avenue in Hammonton. You’ll visit a real working farm, see how blueberries are cultivated, picked, cleaned and packed for market, and get a pint of fresh blueberries for the next morning’s cereal. For information: www.blueberryfactory.com

8. TALK TO THE ANIMALS. They may not talk back, but at the 80-acre Cape May County Park and Zoo, you and your family can enjoy the excitement of seeing lions, tigers and bears up close. Admission is free at this small but respected zoo, which is 30 years old this year and has been accredited since 1989. As you rove its winding wooded paths, you’ll find beautifully maintained exhibits and more than 550 animals including camels, bison, monkeys, reptiles, exotic birds, and—arguably the most magnificent—Rocky, the beautiful Bengal tiger. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. during the summer. For information: www.capemaycountyzoo.org.

9. HALLELUJAH TRAIL. Visit the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting for a fascinating glimpse back at the late 1700s, when early Methodist tent communities sprang up all over South Jersey. The original lodgings here were indeed tents where the faithful gathered to hear itinerant preachers. One-room shacks were built to serve as kitchens, and gradually striped awnings, garden fences, lanterns and birdcages were added. Today a warren of tiny wooden homes is clustered around the square, which also includes a meeting hall where the congregation gathers to worship. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association calls it “God’s square mile at the Jersey Shore,” but you don’t have to be a member to attend the ice cream socials, quilt bees, concerts and other entertainments. For information, visit www.ogcma.org.

10. PLEASE WALK ON THE GRASS. That’s the message at Leaming's Run Gardens, the largest annual garden in the United States in nearby Swainton. Leaming’s Run is actually 22 themed gardens: a colonial garden, an English garden, a “Down Jersey” garden, a hibiscus garden and a Sweetheart Garden (with blooms of pink and purple). This lovely natural enclave also has goats, chickens, hummingbirds and a colonial farmstead museum like one built in 1706 for the original landowners. Special events include a 30th birthday celebration, Saturday, July 12 (with special $2 admission), and the Colonial Hearth and Home Festival Sunday, August 31, with open-hearth cooking demonstrations and a harpist to provide the lilting music. For information, visit www.leamingsrun.com. ALL ABOARD. It takes a train nut to do what Tony Macrie did in the early 1990s, when he almost single-handedly brought passenger rail service back to South Jersey. Though it is for recreational purposes only—the Cape May Seashore Lines run from Cape May Court House to Cape May City, and from Richland to Tuckahoe—here’s a rare chance to experience train travel as it was in the mid-20th century, when these iron horses were built. The historic Budd diesel cars chug along railroad tracks once used by the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in the 1930s; if you take the Tuckahoe line, stop at the South Jersey Railroad Museum. Charters and seasonal excursions also are available. For information: www.capemayseashorelines.org.

12. EASY RIDERS. Here’s a super-cool way to get around—on a Segway, the personalized, motorized two-wheel vehicle that gets the equivalent of 450 miles to the gallon! In Wildwood, tours by Segway Solutions take you through historic Anglesea, by Hereford’s Inlet Lighthouse, and near the Boardwalk and beaches. In Long Beach Island, LBInet Segway Rentals offer guided tours of the bay area. Riders must be 16, weigh at least 100 pounds and wear a helmet. At about $40 per person for a 90-minute tour, these tours are not cheap, but they’re memorable, exciting, and especially fun for teenagers. For more information, visit www.segwayguidedtours.com.

13. A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. The serene Mullica River, which meanders from Camden County to Great Bay just north of Atlantic City, is the presumed hangout of the Jersey Devil, so brush up on your Pinelands lore before you take the kids canoeing or kayaking. For anglers, the shallow waterway banked by miles of scrub pine and sugar sand is also jumping with striped bass. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance offers natural history and wilderness skills programs and “Jersey Devil hunts” led by naturalist Russ Juelg. According to mythology, the devil was actually the 13th child of Mother Leeds. He was cursed by his mother before birth and emerged a winged, cloven-hoofed demon. Scary! The next hunt is Friday, June 27. Admission is $15. For information: www.pinelandsalliance.org.

14. SUNSET CINEMA. Do you hate overpriced multiplexes (the kind where you overhear the action pic while you’re watching the chick flick)? Do you hate spending a day’s pay for a box of popcorn or Goobers? There are better ways to enjoy a night at the movies. First, pack a picnic supper and head to Wildwood, where first-run movies are screened right on the beach. No reservations are needed; buy your tickets at the kiosk near the Wildwood Convention Center. Then enjoy the film from the comfort of your beach chair. For information: www.sunsetcinemainc.com. Your second choice is just as much fun. Delsea Drive-In in Vineland is the only operating drive-in movie theater in New Jersey; its Cinema Under the Stars series runs on weekends all summer long. For information: www.driveinmovie.com. Sea Isle City also offers occasional movies under the stars. For information: www.seaisletourism.org.

15. RIDE ’EM, COWBOY! Cowtown Rodeo is the longest-running regular Saturday night rodeo in the country. As its website notes, Cowtown is not a circus, carnival or traveling Wild West show, but one stop on a professional circuit, and one of only two weekly rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (the other is in Mesquite, Texas). Cowtown offers calf roping, bareback riding, steer wrestling, brahma bull riding and barrel racing—this is grass-roots Americana as we seldom experience it today. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children. For information: www.cowtownrodeo.com.

16. GLASS HOUSES. Summertime is always lively at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center near Millville. Make a day of it and visit both Wheaton, where you can watch the fiery process of glassblowing, and downtown Millville, known in its industrial heyday as Glasstown, now a center of the fine arts. At Wheaton, kids can make their own paperweights or glass beads, see the largest Coke bottle in the world, and attend special events like Fantasy Faire (June 7-8) and Marble Weekend (June 21-22). For information: www.wheatonvillage.org. The best time to visit Millville may be on 3rd Fridays when the galleries are open late, artists are available to talk about their work, and the bars and restaurants feature live entertainment. For information: www.3rdFriday.org.

17. ‘A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND.’ Imagine finding diamonds by the dozens on the beach. So-called “Cape May diamonds”—in fact, quartz crystals—are yours for the taking at Sunset Beach at Cape May Point. (A gift shop offers plenty of polished crystals in pendants and earrings, or you can polish your own in a special tumbler). Sunset Beach is also the site of the sunken ship Atlantus, which went aground in 1955; its concrete body is still visible, jutting out of the water at the tip of the Cape May peninsula. A special treat: Every night at sundown, there’s a flag-lowering ceremony to the tune of “Taps.” All the flags, which have flown every summer for more than 40 years, are donated by veterans’ families. For information: www.sunsetbeachnj.com.

18. DOO-WOP REDUX. Wildwood is renowned worldwide for its campy mid-20th century architecture. USA Today called its Jetson-style motels and diners “beach blanket bingo territory” and “screamingly retro”; US News & World Report says it’s “a paradise of plastic flamingoes.” Thankfully, a massive effort was undertaken to save these classic structures, and even the new Wawa and Acme have adopted a Doo-Wop style. Starting June 17, the Doo-Wop Preservation League offers regular tours, $10 for adults, $5 for kids. For information: www.dowopusa.org or call 609-523-1958.

19. SEAFARING FUN. It’s not just the easiest way to travel between New Jersey and Delaware. A ride on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry is 90 minutes of sheer relaxation, with panoramic views of Delaware Bay and lots of pleasant company (a variety of sea birds and occasionally, dolphins). Take your car or travel on foot; either way, it’s almost always smooth sailing, with comfortable indoor lounges and snack facilities—even a bar. Dogs are welcome on exterior decks. You’ll see a number of lighthouses along the way. For information: www.capemaylewesferry.com.

20. BIRDLAND. Because South Jersey is in the migratory path for hundreds of types of birds, including many rare and endangered species, birding is a popular activity hereabouts, and a destination for birdwatchers from around the world. To see bald eagles, herons, red-tailed hawks and shore birds in profusion, visit Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Brigantine, the Cape May Bird Observatory (home of the annual Hawk Watch) in Cape May, Corson’s Inlet near Ocean City, the Stone Harbor Causeway, Seawatch at Avalon… The list is almost endless. For information: www.camacdonald.com/birding/us.

21. CRABALICIOUS. Why pay for a pricey crab dinner when you can catch it yourself for free? The crabbiest people around head for Sea Isle City (especially Ludlam’s Landing) where the blue claws are plentiful and the fishing is fantastic too. If you’re serious about it, take a fishing charter boat for a half-day or full-day excursion. But you can also crab off the bridges, bulkheads and piers for the price of a crab trap and a little bait (usually, raw chicken parts, weighted on a fishing line).

22. BAT DAYS. On June 14-15, the largest free festival in the tri-state area is held along the scenic Maurice River, near towns whose maritime history is reflected in their oddly picturesque names—among them, Shellpile and Bivalve. Starting with a parade through the historic oyster town of Port Norris, Delaware Bay Days attracts up to 10,000 visitors to celebrate the region’s culture and natural resources. Activities include bivalve blue crab races, horseshoe crab mask making, river tours and guided wetlands walks. You can also board New Jersey's official tall ship, the historic schooner A.J. Meerwald. For information: www.ajmeerwald.org.

23. A BIT OF THE BUBBLY. No, it’s not Napa or the Champagne Valley, but New Jersey enjoys a surprisingly good reputation for its wines, grown at more than 30 vineyards around the state. On July 12 and 13, the Garden State Wine Growers Association presents its annual Walk in the Vineyard Wine Trail Weekend, which allows you to customize a traveling tour of participating New Jersey wineries. Locally, they include the Cape May Winery, Panther Branch Vineyard in Vineland and Renault Winery in the Egg Harbor-Galloway area. Don’t forget to designate a driver. For information: www.newjerseywines.com.

24. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG… Wherever you travel, a trolley tour is one of the most comfortable, congenial ways to see the sights. The Great American Trolley Company offers trolley tours of Atlantic City that include Absecon Lighthouse, the AC Aquarium, Historic Smithville, etc. For information: www.gatrolley.com. The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts in Cape May offers trolley tours of the resort’s historic district, seaside mansions, the Cape May Lighthouse, and themed tours focused on Victorian spiritualism, ghosts and more. For information: www.capemaymac.org.

25. THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE. Your summer fun list wouldn’t be complete without the aforementioned lighthouses, which in eras past guided mariners in from the sea and now exemplify all that’s beloved about the Jersey Shore. In our own backyard is the Absecon Lighthouse, the state’s tallest with 228 steps to the summit. Going up can be a little claustrophobic—the tower is narrow, and the spiral staircase can invoke a touch of vertigo. But once at the top, the view is exhilarating. Also open to the public: Cape May Lighthouse and Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood. Visit their respective websites or www.state.nj.us.

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