Labor Day weekend is traditionally the last hurrah for beachgoers at the Jersey Shore. This year all eyes are on a potentially unwanted visitor. A tropical storm is threatening to park itself offshore and bring high winds, erosion and flooding to communities that in some cases have not yet fully recovered from Hurricane Sandy four years ago. This holiday weekend my thoughts are with the homeowners and businessowners on the coast. Fingers crossed you all get through unscathed.
I spent a good part of my summer at the Jersey Shore and loved every minute of it. Here are some of the reasons why.
Exit 102 — Asbury Park
Exit 63 — Long Beach Island
Exit 25 — Ocean City
Exit 13 — Avalon
Exit 10 — Stone Harbor
Exit 4 — Wildwood
Exit numbers are the exits on the Garden State Parkway that you would use to access each of these shore towns. The exit numbers run south to north starting at Exit 0 for Cape May. The numbers correspond to the mileposts on the parkway.
off the leash 
Thx for the post about the Jersey Shoreline, Ken, and for the great pics. I’ve not yet been to this part of the US. Here’s hoping the weather will subside in a favourable way, and everyone there will be safe and sound.
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Ah, my childhood and early adult years! But you left off Cape May and Cape May Point, Ken. They were the post college years. 🙂
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I ran out the f summer weekends to make it to Cape May this year. It’s also a favorite of mine.
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Wow, great pictures. Unfortunately, this year we didn’t visit the Jersey shore. These pictures helped me not miss our time at the shore as much. Thanks for sharing.
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Lovely post, Ken. Your photos bring back wonderful childhood memories of the feel of sand under bare feet, the sound of surf and sea gulls, and the taste of salty water. I hope the Jersey shore was spared this time.
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I’ve only been to the Jersey Shore once for a day so didn’t see much, but your photographs are wonderful and have brought back memories of that trip. The one thing I always like about the coastal mainland is the smell of the salt air – something residents of the Islands are rarely treated to.
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Thank you for sharing your adventures Ken. It looks as though you had some fun. I enjoy looking at your photographs which never fail to capture the moment.
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I’m so glad Jersey hasn’t been hit this time around as hard as they thought it might. I’ve been to Wildwood, Avalon and Ocean City. In fact, I went on a school trip to Avalon in fifth grade, came down with chicken pox the day I came home and somehow on that trip (before I knew I was sick) gave chicken pox to my entire class. Ah, fond memories! Thanks for all the great pics to bring me back.
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I’ve not been to the Jersey shore. It looks lovely.
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This brings back memories of my days in the Coast Guard when I was at Cape May. I hope that these storms do not get to be the normal, if it does, New Jersey and many other coastal places will change, just to survive.
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William — the Jersey Shore was pretty devastated by Hurricane Sandy. I know they rebuilt the boardwalk, and from the look of your photos, things seem to be back to normal. I’m glad to know that. Glad you had a great summer at the beach.
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Ken, great photos – can understand why you like to go there. Haven’t heard that the storm did any damage so hope that’s the case. I think Sandy was more than enough for you all to deal with.
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Fortunately the storm proved to be something of a false alarm. That happens a lot with hurricanes and tropical storms. Guess they’re just not that predictable.
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(1) Your photos nicely show that a beach is a recreational space at which you can be as active or as passive as you like.
(2) Someone should make a jigsaw puzzle out of that first Long Beach Island photo.
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Oh Ken…you have captured so well one of my favorite places on the planet. Grew up in Jersey and ‘going to the shore’ was always the best part of summer…and spring, and fall, and winter too.
No matter where I live, when Labor Day comes I think of it being the last big weekend for the ‘walkin the boards’ in Ocean City.
Just an excellent post. Thank you. 🐞
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