Growing up, my Gran lived near the Jersey shore, not far from Ocean City. As a small child I’d spend a few weeks with her in the summers, and we’d often spend the day walking the boardwalk or building sandcastles that would eventually be slowly washed away by the incoming tide.
I’ve never been much of a beach bum, but I make the one hour pilgrimage every year to spend the day on the boards, soaking up the smells of my childhood: sand, the sea, sunscreen, and the occasional funnel cake. I feel the warmth of the sun and the cooling breezes, and hear the surf and the seagulls and the funny things that people talk about on the beach. (“He had super weird hair but, I mean, he was pretty cute.”)
The Hubs and I arrived just after 10 am, and immediately hit the beach. We took turns walking along the water’s edge, and laying beneath our colorful beach umbrella. Around noon we packed our things and walked the boards, browsing the restaurants to find a place for lunch. (After some selfies, of course!)
We wound up eating at Cafe Beach Club, and it was really great! The Hubs had a burger and I indulged in a crab cake sandwich with lettuce, tomato and BACON on a CROISSANT! It was fabulous (and the service was great, too)! We even stopped and grabbed some Jersey shore staples: salt water taffy and almond and coconut macaroons.
We walked the boards some more and snagged some Polish Water Ice before heading back home. It was gorgeous weather and a wonderful day. Can’t wait til next year!
Are you a beach bum? Let me know in the comments!
A Measured Life 
YES! YES! YES! I remember riding the waves until the guards were shutting down. And the Jersey Shore
is authentic. Many of the southern beaches have concrete “board” walks. Sorry, just not the same. All the
old, authentic, ethnic food is at the Jersey Shore too. How wonderful that you have this memory of the Shore
and your grandmother.
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I’m curious about all the ethnic good at the shore, because I’ve never seen any down there. It’s all pizza and brunch joints lol.
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I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a beach bum but since I was born, raised (and still live) in New Jersey, I have a real fondness for the Jersey shore. I grew up going to the beach every summer for holiday weekends or week long stays so there’s so much nostalgia there for me! My faves are Wildwood & LBI. Very different from each other but I love them both so much! My husband is not a shore guy at all so I miss going as often as I used to. Love this post & the pictures you took. Hopefully I’ll get back there again soon!
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thanks so much for your comment! I think one of the things I love most about the Jersey Shore is how different each town is. Wildwood is a younger crowd, Ocean City is super family oriented and Cape May seems to cater to a slightly more mature crowd and is quiet.
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