Possible road trip to Jersey

Depending on someone's health, I may be making a trip to Jersey in May. And if I'm driving up there from Tennessee, I want to make sure I get a great trip out of it. So, any suggestions? I'm especially interested in '50s type stuff and weird shit, but anything interesting is welcome.

Where in NJ? Small state, but almost three different states depending on where you're staying.
http://www.weirdnj.com/ has some interesting spots that are all based in urban legends.

MDF's link is a great one for the odd stuff NJ has to offer.

In addition to that...you should definitely experience NJ Diner Culture. Some of the best known NJ Diners are The Tick Tock Diner in Clifton, NJ and Mustache Bill's in Barnegat Light, NJ. Some of the signature NJ Diner dishes are a pork roll & cheese sandwich on a hard roll....and "disco fries". Despite NJ having a large coastline...and many diners near the water....do NOT order seafood in a diner.

NJdiners.com is a good reference by location.

For a great piece of Roadside Americana in NJ....look at White Manna burgers in Hackensack, NJ.

If you like people watching for the pure unadulterated train-wreck factor....you NEED to visit a NJ beach town with a boardwalk. Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights & Wildwood are probably the three most well-known beachtowns....Seaside heights being THE stereotypical "Jersey" town.....it's where that horrible Mtv show "Jersey Shore" took place. Keep in mind...I'd be sending you here for the "Holy crap...look at THOSE guys" factor. If you want beautiful, scenic NJ beach towns....try Cape May, Deal, Stone Harbor & Ocean City.

ugh. i could KILL for some disco fries and a pork roll sammich!

Wildwood also has a large, well preserved collection of high-'50s motel architecture. Google it.

Island Beach State Park is just south of Seaside and has miles of undeveloped natural beaches and dunes. No boardwalk, no honky tonk, nice nature trails and almost no buildings at all but two big bathing beaches and trails from bay to ocean through one of the longest stretches of undeveloped beach in NJ AFAIK.

Unless you plan on going to and staying at the casinos, stay the fuck out of Atlantic City. Cash may call the area home, but unless you know where you're going and where outsiders belong, A.C. is shithole.

While I can't argue that AC is generally a shithole...it doesn't mean there's not stuff to do....Casinos or not...and you don't have to be a local to find it...just a little travel savvy. There are LOTS of good restaurants in Atlantic City. Just check Yelp! for any number of suggestions.

Atlantic City also has an Aquariaum....and retail outlet stores.

There's also Lucy the Elephant ...a certified National Historic Landmark...in nearby Margate.

A little further down....you've got Ocean City, NJ...which is a really nice Beach Town.

So....I wouldn't write Atlantic City completely off.