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No one likes us/I don't know why/We may not be perfect/but heaven knows we try

Randy Newman wasn't writing about New Jersey in his brilliant song "Political Science,'' but he may well have. New Jersey is the nation's most mocked, maligned and misunderstood state. It's also the most interesting state. Don't laugh. Not best or prettiest or most livable, just most damn interesting.

What other state packs more scenic wonder and cultural/ethnic diversity in such a tiny, tidy package? From swamps to the Shore, refineries to wildlife refuges, we have it all. But you can't see Jersey in just a week or two.

This is a list of 20 spots you need to visit in 2020. It's a mix of old favorites and under-the-radar spots, weekend getaway destinations and quick afternoon jaunts.

I did similar lists in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but this one is all-new.You won't find many of these places/events on tourism websites. Some of them are downright quirky. You didn't expect us to regurgitate the same tired, old places everyone already knows about, did you?

What places are on your 2020 N.J. bucket list?

Roll out a barrel or two at the Deutscher Club beer garden, Clark

The Deutscher Club, established in 1935, is the state's largest German club. About 10 events every year are open to the public, including the Biergarten (June 7, July 12, July 26, Aug. 23). And there are two Oktoberfests open to the public Sept. 7 and Oct. 5.

Step back into the past at Victorian Days, Belvidere

Ladies and gents in Victorian garb (the hats alone are worth the trip), horse-drawn carriages, walking tours of town, an antique and classic car show, vendors, food and a parade Victorian Days is one of the state's 10 most colorful and entertaining fests. It's held in September. Check the website in the coming months for the dates.

Saed Hindash I The Star-Ledger

Visit the Greenwich tea-burning monument and the rest of Cumberland County

The Boston Tea Party was the most famous, but not the only tea-burning ceremony in protest of British rule in the 1770s. There were others in Annapolis, Princeton, Charleston and Greenwich. On Thursday, Dec. 22, 1774, a group of villagers burned a stolen shipment of tea in the town square. In 1908, a monument (photo) was built on Ye Greate Street in Greenwich. The town's annual charity 5k run is called the Tea Burner Race; the logo is a flaming crate. Quaint historic Greenwich is a good jumping-off point for an exploration of Cumberland County, New Jersey's least-known county at least to the rest of the state.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Meander along Washington Crossing State Park

I grew up minutes from the southern end of Washington Crossing State Park, and years (OK, decades) later, it remains one of the state's underappreciated parks. Start at that south end, with its leafy, lovely views along the Delaware, and then head north. You can pull over at several points and cross footbridges to the D&R Canal Towpath. You can even explore an island Bulls Island Recreation Area, just north of Stockton. Two other charming small towns are along the way Lambertville and Frenchtown. In all three towns, you can walk across the bridge into Pennsylvania.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Visit an old-school Jersey diner

New Jersey is the diner capital of the world, with about 600 in every nook and cranny of the state. But there's nothing like an old-school diner, one of those stainless steel-shiny, time-warp wonders from the '40s and '50s. A heaping side order of history and nostalgia comes free with every order. Here's my list of the state's 30 greatest old-school diners, ranked. The photo is from Angelo's Glassboro Diner, Glassboro.

Take a choo-choo ride at the New Jersey Museum of Transportation, Allaire State Park

Did you know there is a New Jersey Museum of Transportation? I sure didn't until last year. It's supported exclusively by train fares, souvenir sales and private contributions, is not funded by the state and is staffed by volunteers. It operates the Pine Creek Railroad, one of the oldest operating narrow gauge rail lines in the country. You can ride the train seven days a week from July 1 to Sept. 2, and on weekends in the fall. The fare for the 15-minute ride is $4 for anyone 3 and older.

Order the roast beef and mozzarella sandwich at Fiore's Deli, Hoboken

If I had to bring one N.J. sandwich to my desert island, it just might be the roast beef and mozzarella sandwich at Fiore's Deli in Hoboken. Fiore's, with its red-stencilled window and brick storefront, looks like some old-school deli movie set tin ceiling, fluorescent lighting and a display case filled with olives, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and other specialties. There's no website or official Facebook page and no printed sandwich menu no surprise there. The roast beef and mozzarella sandwich is available Thursdays and Saturdays only.

Finally visit Batsto Village

Batsto Village, like the Great Falls in Paterson, is one of those N.J. treasures that everyone knows about, but too few visit. The site consists of 33 historic buildings and structures, including the Batsto Mansion, gristmill, sawmill, general store, workers' homes and post office. You can take a free guided tour by smart phone, and guided mansion tours are conducted Wednesday through Sunday. The annual Country Living Fair, held in October, is a good day to visit. Batsto is located on Route 542, one of the state's 20 most scenic roads.

John Munson I The Star-Ledger

Take a white-knuckle ride on the Pulaski Skyway

Don't laugh. First of all, the Skyway (no real Jerseyan calls it the Pulaski Skyway) is the state's greatest, grittiest sight: three and a half miles of pure chaos or charm, depending on how you look at it. It snakes and slithers across a shadowy world of warehouses (including one filled with 5 million bottles of booze), bustling container ship depots, belching smokestacks, truck stops, train tracks, power lines, bars, one jail and one sewage treatment plant. It's N.J.'s greatest cheap thrill ride and must be experienced at least once in every Jerseyan's lifetime.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Spend an afternoon at the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, Chatsworth

New Jersey is one of the nation's leading cranberry-producing states, and no event pays homage to the scarlet harvest quite like the annual Chatsworth Cranberry Festival. Chatsworth, part of Woodland Township, is considered the unofficial capital of the Pine Barrens. Blink once, and you're in and out of it. Admission to the festival held the third full weekend of October is free, and there are food and craft vendors, music and more.

Smithville

Call Smithville the anti-mall, a great side trip from AC, and just a cool place to shop and hang out. It started as a one- room stage coach stop and is now a cute/quaint/folksy town with 60 shops in an attractive park-like setting. The Historic Smithville Inn the original one was built in 1787 is here, plus three other restaurants, and you can even spend the night in town, at the Colonial Inn Bed and Breakfast. My favorite places at Smithville include the Smithville Bakery, Country Folk, and Underground, the latter for all your punk rock merchandise needs.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Go on a boardwalk food tour

Boardwalk food gets no respect, and maybe it shouldn't. Underwhelming and overpriced, boardwalk food caters to takes advantage of? a captive audience.

But there is good, even great, boardwalk food out there, if you know where to look. I've spent the past two summers roaming up and down the boards to find the best boardwalk food, visiting 108 restaurants/stands and sampling almost 200 items for the ultimate N.J. boardwalk eats list. Stop stuffing yourself with that awful pizza, icky lemonade and limp fries. Check out my list and schedule your own boardwalk food tour.

Spend a day in Atlantic Highlands

Atlantic Highlands is one of those Shore towns that gets overlooked in everyone's pell-mell rush to the beach. Bayfront setting, vibrant restaurant and cafe scene, one of the state's best breweries (Carton), ferry to New York City: what more could you want? Atlantic Highlands, not to be confused with next-door-neighbor Highlands, is an architectural treasure house, with Victorian, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival homes. Take a guided walk starting at the Strauss Mansion through the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society. Must-stops: the Flaky Tart dessert/pastry shop and Nicholas Creamery, for terrific small-batch ice cream. For stupendous views: Mount Mitchill, the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Hike to Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls may not have quite the grandeur of the Great Falls in Paterson, but getting there is half the fun. The Buttermilk Falls trail winds 1.4 miles from the trailhead in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to the top of the falls. From there, the trail continues to make a steep climb to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail for spectacular views of the valley below. If there were a list of the state's eight great under-publicized wonders, Buttermilk Falls would be on it.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Order the country's best Cuban sandwich at La Pola, West New York

West New York boasts a United Nations of food choices Cuban, Colombian, Argentinian, Mexican, Italian and more in one compact package. Dulce de Leche Bakery is one of the state's 10 best bakeries. The late Food Network personality Carl Ruiz called the Cuban sandwich at La Pola the best he's had anywhere. It's a perfect combination of bread, ham, pork, cheese and mojo or marinade. You can imagine the reaction in South Florida when my story about Ruiz's claim appeared; the mayor of St. Petersburg and the official Twitter account of Tampa joined the angry protest.

Find hidden treasure or not-so-priceless junk at a flea market

Junk? Yard-sale castoffs? Tell that to the thousands of people who pack Englishtown Auction, Collingwood Auction and Flea Market and the Columbus Farmers Market New Jersey's three major flea markets on a typical weekend. It's bargain hunting on a grand, cluttered scale, both indoors and outdoors. Flea markets, by the way, have nothing to do with fleas. The term has been an American expression dating back to Dutch colonial days, when there was a Vallie Market in Manhattan. Vallie Market was eventually shortened to Vlie Market and pronounced as "flea market." There's some good eating in the markets. The Chicken Coop at Columbus Farmers Market made my list of the state's best fried chicken spots, and Kate & Al's Pizza and Pete's Pizza, also at Columbus, are highly recommended.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Chow down on an Italian hot dog at Dickie Dee's, Newark

Dickie Dee's is a hotdog hole-in-the-wall and essential Jersey food experience. It opened in 1958 between Parker and Ridge streets, opening in its current spot, a short stroll from Calandra's, in 1967. Make sure that cell phone is off when it comes time to order and be prepared for the good-natured gruffness of the guys behind the counter. An Italian hot dog is the only hot dog you can get at Dickie Dee's. No chili dogs. No dogs with mustard and sauerkraut. No grilled dogs. Just deep-fried Italian hot dogs, with a fistful of potatoes and onions.

Rent a canoe or kayak at Cranford Canoe Club

Here are two words to put on your N.J. bucket list: Rahway River. Yep. Rent a canoe or kayak at the Cranford Canoe Club and paddle or row your way down that river. Two-hour canoe or single kayak rentals are $25. "Two hours of peaceful water and pretty sights," one happy customer posted on Facebook. "A great quick escape from stress, in a beautiful setting. It's a treasure.'' Reward yourself with ice cream and hot dogs at the concession stand upon your return.

Spend a day in Mullica Hill

Mullica Hill, just off Exit 2 of the New Jersey Turnpike, is one of those oh-so-cute towns New Jersey seems to have the franchise on. Antiques and specialty shops line the main drag, and there are another 15 or so in the Antique Co-Op. Napes at The Warehouse for pizza, and good, albeit pricey, barbecue at 322 BBQ. An upcoming must-event: The 3rd annual Chocolate Walk, on Feb. 8. And one of my favorite specialty markets in the entire state is minutes away, the Amish Market at Mullica Hill. Stop at Beiler's Bakery for breads, donuts and sticky buns, and Chicken Shack (formerly Yoder's) for juicy, delicious rotisserie chicken.

Visit Cloverdale Farm County Park, Barnegat

You can never get enough cranberries. They're one of the highlights at Cloverdale Farm County Park, 90 acres of Pine Barrens wetlands, uplands and cranberry bogs. There's a self-guided nature trailand a cedar-shingled visitors center. The park is open from dawn to dusk every day. County parks are one of the 50 best reasons to live in New Jersey.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

What's on your travel list?

So what did we leave out? What never-visited places are you determined to hit in 2020? Let us know in the comments section.

Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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The 20 places in New Jersey you need to visit in 2020 - NJ.com