My Weekend “Escape” to the Jersey Shore

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Just got back from my weekend in New Jersey, and we had a great time!  The weather was not the best, and we had some stressful calls from home about a minor health emergency with my daughter (which turned out fine), but all in all it was a very nice trip.

 New Jersey 5-090009

We stayed at a great little inn in Spring Lake (the Chateau Inn and Suites), which is at the northern end of the shore, and it proved to be the perfect home base for us. The town itself is beautiful…with big wide avenues for strolling and bike riding, a long stretch of boardwalk along the beach, and some cute little shops and restaurants.

From there, we spent hours driving south along the coast exploring Point Pleasant Beach, Long Beach Island, and all the way down to Cape May. We walked along the boardwalk, bought souvenirs, took photos of the beautiful old Victorians in Cape May, and found the beach house on LBI that my family had rented a few years ago. Unfortunately, it was too foggy to go visit “Old Barney” (the Barnegat Lighthouse).

Here are a few things we learned this weekend:

  • Never use the Cross Bronx Expressway at 5pm on a Friday afternoon (I should have known this already, since I grew up in NY!)
  • Always have LOTS of change on hand for tolls when you’re driving in NJ
  • Remember to leave a health insurance card with your kids when they stay with their grandparents (or with any babysitter, for that matter)
  • A weekend without kids is great for your marriage…and does make you miss the little ones just enough
  • Even a short getaway can feel like a real vacation if you make an effort to put the everyday world behind you and explore a new place

This trip also reminded us that traveling in the off-season (or the “shoulder season”, which is what this really was) continues to be a great way to save money and avoid crowds!

Road Trip

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My husband and I are heading off on a road trip tomorrow, and I can’t wait!

Jersey shore beach

We’re dropping the kids at my mom’s house (yay!) and spending the weekend at the Jersey Shore. Yes, it’s still the off-season there. And, no, we aren’t planning on any beach time.  But we got a great rate at a cozy inn and we’re counting on some serious relaxation.

With no kids to worry about, we’ll be able to sleep late and then spend the whole day exploring. I’ve been to LBI, and we’ve both been to Atlantic City, so we’ll probably skip both of those and just poke around the various seaside towns as we head south towards Cape May. I see some fried seafood and cold beer in my future 🙂

Stay tuned for my trip report on Monday…

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