19 Awesome Experiences You Can Only Have In New Jersey

Flickr/surfergirl30Each year, the first full week of July is National Be Nice to New Jersey Week (this year July 7-13), which is only fair because for years New Jersey has been treated like the punching bag of America.

As Lauren Barnett, publisher of Lone Star Publications of Humor and the holiday's creator, once told The New York Times, "there are more mean-spirited jokes about New Jersey than any other state, even counting Texas."

And let's face it, there are plenty of jokes we can make about New Jersey, no thanks in part to the cast of "Jersey Shore." But most people don't realize that, from the museums to the food to the slightly bizarre, Jersey actually has a lot to offer. So this week, be nice to New Jersey, and check out these 19 cool things to do and see that you can't find anywhere else.

Thanks to Reddit users SpinkickFolly, anotherale, and DirtyBirdNJ for some of these suggestions.