New Jersey offers more than gambling or gangsters

New Jersey is much more than Atlantic City and the home of the "Sopranos." It's also back roads, farms, antique shops and historic towns, beaches and forests.

And there are plenty of Web sites to show you what you're missing.

The Morristown National Historical Park -- www.nps.gov/morr/ -- preserves Gen. George Washington's headquarters for the winter of 1779-80, and other sites from the Revolutionary War.

For other national parks in and around the state, go to the National Park Guide -- www.nps.gov/parks.html -- click "Find on Map" and locate New Jersey. You'll find the Delaware Water Gate and upstream scenic sections of the Delaware River, plus links to the Appalachian Trail, Ellis Island and Thomas Edison's laboratory.

Explore parks online

The state Division of Parks and Forestry -- www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ -- operates 39 parks, from Cape May on the state's southern tip to High Point near the northern corner. They offer virtual tours and an entire section on Revolutionary War sites.

Learn more about the High Point region by exploring the Skylands Region -- www.state.nj.us/travel/regions--SKY.shtml -- an area of rolling hills, farms and the Delaware River. Click on "Regional Tourism Council" for links, including ones for this year's Warren County Farmers' Fair, July 28-Aug. 2, and the Northwest Jersey Folklife Project.

For other tourism regions, go to the state government's tourism Web site, Visit New Jersey -- www.state.nj.us/travel/ -- and click on "Travel Regions." Try the Delaware River region, with its historic sites, farms and scenery. And don't forget to go back to Visit New Jersey's main page, where you can click through sample itineraries and other information for visitors, make reservations and try out virtual tours of beaches, gardens and more.

Do you have a hard time driving past any place with an "Antiques" sign? New Jersey Antique Dealers -- www.newjerseyantiques.net/ -- has a directory of some of the state's shops.

To some people, New Jersey means Bruce Springsteen. Backstreets -- www.backstreets.com/ -- has the lowdown on the Boss and other Jersey Shore artists.

Or maybe the state brings to mind "The Sopranos." NJ.com -- www.nj.com/sopranos/ -- has a map of where key scenes were shot, photos and more.

Save some time to visit one of the state's lesser-known regions, the Pine Barrens -- www.pineypower.com/ -- a huge tract of forest and streams, with ghost towns and festivals, including the October Pine Barrens Jamboree.

The New Jersey Shore Guide -- www.shore-guide.com/ -- has links to motels, bed & breakfast inns, Atlantic City casinos, and even tide charts for boaters. If this is where you want to spend time, go back to the state's Visit New Jersey site for more details in the Shore and Atlantic City regions.