New Jersey Shore Beaches from Sandy Hook to Cape May
Now that the cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” is officially out of the country shooting in Italy, it’s finally safe to go back in the water. But with so many choices, it’s hard to decide: an umbrella-packed beach with a full-on amusement park, aquarium and arcade? A beach steeped in history, with lighthouses and museums to visit when the sun goes down? Or a “dry” beach, with no alcohol allowed but the best body-surfing a kid could ask for? Luckily, with so many options dotting the coastline, you can sample beach after beach all summer long and STILL have more to visit when Labor Day rolls around! Better do it now... “Jersey Shore, the Movie” may be hitting the shores soon...
SANDYHOOK and ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
Ahhhhhh..... seven miles of spectacular ocean and bay beaches stretching before you. Take your pick: surf casting, swimming, or sitting back and relaxing on the sand. Since Sandy Hook is actually a National Park, there’s no beach town or commercial community–so pack a picnic lunch and be prepared for an old-fashioned day in the sun (the Inlet side/western shore is sans lifeguards, rest rooms, food or beverages), or drive down to Sandy Hook, then spend the night in Highlands, a quiet town with loads of great restaurants and outdoor activities, as well as hotels and cottages with gorgeous views of Sandy Hook. Kids’ll get a kick out of touring the Highlands’ Twin Lighthouses and maritime museum as well. NYC dwellers can join the fun with just a forty-minute ferry ride from Manhattan’s Pier 11 on the Seastreak (TIP: Be sure to buy tickets at the booth, and arrive early–in summer, the boat can hit capacity with a crowd still waiting!)
POINT PLEASANT and JENKINSON'S
Further down the shore you’ll find Point Pleasant, a favorite of kids all over New Jersey. Parents enjoy the nice, clean beach, but the kids will dig Jenkinson's Beach Pavilion. There's the Jenkinson's Aquarium–a great spot for a break from the sun–you can grab a list of feeding times for sharks, alligators etc. prior to your visit. The boardwalk has rides, games and great places to eat burgers, seafood and more. Every Tuesday is wristband day and you can ride all you want for $15. Your older kids will enjoy this locale, too, since later in the evening it becomes a happenin' tween/teen hangout! If you tire of beach and boardwalk, downtown Point Pleasant boasts great boutiques and antique shops. Wandering encouraged.
Seventy-five miles south of NYC lies the Southampton of the Shore: Long Beach Island (LBI). There is no public transportation to LBI; visitors drive the causeway over Barnegat Bay to reach it. Northern coasts (specifically Beach Haven and Barnegat Light) offer celebrity-studded stretches of lightly populated beachfront. Only one town on the island has an amusement area, and there is no boardwalk, but your kids will find plenty to keep them amused: the Victorian-themed Fantasy Island Amusement Park in Beachhaven, the historic 165-ft tall Barnegat Lighthouse and the Surflight Theater - which offers awesome kid shows changing out every week or so with character appearances afterward for pictures and autographs. Additionally, there are hundreds of boutiques and fine restaurants. And if your kids refuse to leave the water, you can inform them the movie Jaws was based on a series of Jersey Shore shark attacks in 1916 which began on LBI. (Cue sound effects: Don-don. Don-don. Don-don don-don don-don don-don).
Want bright lights, big city AND beach? Hit Atlantic City! With casino gaming, spas, concerts, great restaurants, ocean, a seven-mile Boardwalk, golf, water sports and shopping–this is truly a Shore spot with something for everyone in the family. Our family hit a haunted house, rock-climbed, went bungee-jumping and spent hours racking up tickets in the arcade, in addition to the great time we had just hanging out on the beach. Casino lodging prices have dropped dramatically in recent years, and often include full breakfast buffets, so give your favorite online travel agency a shot before booking a hotel/motel. Your NYC buddies can join you at the beach without the long car jaunt by jumping ACES (Atlantic City Express Service), the direct express train service between New York City's Penn Station and Atlantic City's Rail Terminal. It takes a little more than two hours with one quick stop in Newark, NJ–just enough time to polish up on those blackjack skills.
Nine miles south of Atlantic City lies Ocean City, touted as the most kid-friendly beach town due to the fact that the town is “dry”–yep, no alcohol. While this does mean you’ll have to cross a bridge for a brewski, it also means you’ll feel a lot safer letting your kids bike and play along the boardwalk. Check out Gillian's Wonderland Pier for amusement park rides, mini-golf and waterpark rides (in case you’re over the salt water kick.) Or wind down your busy beach day with the Ocean City Pops at the majestic Ocean City Music Pier. Save the Pinot Grigio for the long ride home!
Furthest from NYC, but hands-down the favorite Shore spot of all my friends, is Cape May. Many families make Cape May a tradition, going to Cape May Point summer after summer due to the affordable rentals, the quiet beaches, calm waves, beautiful rocks, outdoor malls, bike rentals and even a lighthouse with whale watching. Cape May West offers the state’s biggest annual Strawberry Festival June 4th, replete with the crowning of the Strawberry King and Queen (hint: show up hungry.) Nearby Wildwood makes for a wonderful day trip for the boardwalk experience (intrinsic to the Shore), but stick around ‘til nightfall for Wildwood’s Sunset Cinema which lets you settle into the sand on weekend evenings and take in a family movie right on the beach. (Adults/$8., Kids/$5., Under 4/FREE.)
You want Jersey? We gotch’ yer Jersey right here! Belmar ranks high in terms of “Jersey-ness”, due to being home to Bruce Springsteen’s famous “E” Street; MTV’s “Jersey Shore” episode 9, season 1; and Tony Soprano’s boat, “Stugots”. But don’t hold that against it! Belmar’s one-mile long beach is also home to the East Coast’s best surfing, and an Annual New Jersey Sandcastle Contest that’s a blast for beachgoers of all ages. Nighttime brings out a college-aged crowd looking to party Snookie-style, so if you’re seeking a quiet family vacation, pack up and head to the hotel before happy hour starts!
WORDS TO THE WISE
- If you’re being referred to as a “shoobie” or a “benny” by a Shore local, it’s not a compliment. It means, quiet down the out-of-town act.
- Expect Hamptons-like driving delays. Exhibit the same timing sense you’d use for that drive–do not drive out on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, or drive in on a late Sunday afternoon, without expecting heavy, heavy traffic.
–Many Bed & Breakfasts have a strict no-child policy. Be sure to ask before booking.
--Never book lodging without photos. Having visuals of potential hotels/motels has saved our family from disastrous stays, while booking on verbal descriptions alone has left us in moldy, small, unclean quarters.
--Leave Fido at home. Although some beaches allow dogs on leashes, areas vary greatly, and most hotels/cottages/motels do not.
More information on the Shore in general, and other, smaller stops in between the above-mentioned locales, visit http://visitnj.org/find-places, available at NewJerseyShore.com
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