If you consider the sun to be an integral part of a beach day then you're just living in some fantasy world my fair readers. Why there's so much to do at the shore. There's no reason to think that torrential rains and cold winds will put a damper (get it) on the fun times to be experienced. But, the fun on rainy days at the shore usually involves drinking games and for me the games are very short-lived. I am not able to drink that much. Janet tells me that all the time when she checks up on me under the table. Well, in spite of the dreary skies, our intended vacation last weekend was the Jersey shore. You may remember the rain, my basement is still damp and the dehumidifier is running nonstop!
Anyway, our intended final destination on Saturday was Gunnison's Beach at Sandy Hook. It is a clothing optional beach and she and I have gone there a few times over the years. It's a good place to work off the tanlines. Because it is federal property the New Jersey municipal laws pertaining to nudity do not apply. The daily fee is $10, $50 for a season pass. It is free before 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Weekend visitors to Gunnison's swell over several thousand. Sometimes there's off-color behavior and we definitely avoid the southern end with the gay's (not that there's anything wrong with that.......), but generally it is a pleasant time. Did I mention there's a bar on the beach?
We have also gone to Island Beach State Park, which is a barrier island south of Seaside Park.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html
It is pristine and beautiful. The water teems with fish. I've seen schools of bluefish chasing fry through the surf, walked around foot long sand sharks in knee deep water and happily collected colorful infant clams and skittering sand crabs with my kids. The surf at Gunnison's is not clean at all by compartion and if not for the cache of nude bathing I doubt I'd travel there.
Saturday was overcast at home in Lambertville, but we decided to give the day a chance and headed out around 9 a.m. Because the weather was suspect, we traveled first to Brick to a canoe/kayak shop. I needed to purchase a carrying yolk and aft thwart for my Old Town Discovery 158 canoe. Talk about home vacations! I've got the Delaware River in my back yard and have gone on several overnight trips with my boy over the years. During the years we lived "downtown" I used to "canal" with the kids. We'd put the canoe on a skateboard and roll it across the street to the canal. Sometimes we'd paddle through town to a coffee shop that sold ice cream.
I moved up the hill onto Music Mountain 10 years ago and haven't used the 158 since the divorce. The yolk and thwart rotted out from not being stored properly.
In Brick the sky was sunny, but as we traveled the 30 miles north towards Sandy Hook the clouds gathered ominously. The temperature dropped and just after Long Branch we decided it was not worth paying the $10 to sit on a rainy, cold, windy beach. This is after all a vacation on the cheap.... Thinking we could wile the day away until after 4 p.m. when they stopped charging at Sandy Hook, we decided to have a drink. I turned the car and took Janet to Columns By The Sea in Avon. We sat on the wind swept porch and shuddered through a bottle of Long Trail IPA each...just $3.50 per, and gnawed at some suspect wings which were not worth the money....$8.00 for 8 wings. While there we noticed an advertisment for the New Jersey Seafood Festival in Belmar which was being held that day! Belmar is just across the Shark River Inlet from Avon. Janet wanted to drive, but I knew the area better and insisted we walk. She's a Shoobee after all and doesn't know Benny territory. Belmar was packed and the traffic crawled. We would have been hard pressed to find another parking spot.
Let me tell you briefly about festivals. They are fun, cheap events and usually free or at a minimal cost. Last summer in Lake Charles, Louisiana we went to the Cajun/French Music Festival and it was a wonderful. Other favorites are the Crawfish Festival, the Shad Festival and the NJ Wine Growers Association. We tend to avoid events like crafts festival that charge admission, because there's no sense in spending money for something that is just a passing interest... CHEAP... remember that word!
Thankfully we did not have to pay for the NJ Seafood Festival. It was crowded and though an array of food was available to us, the long lines and shoving elbows of the crowd were not alluring enough. It wasn't fun. At one point as I briefly lingered at the assembly line of workers preparing lobster a man shoved his way past me to take a picture. We oozed our way past all the booths, but bought nothing. We strolled along the crowded Belmar boardwalk, stopping to clamor onto the jetty at the Shark River inlet. It was cold out there and windy. We decided not to go back north to Sandy Hook. Instead we ate the cold "Chicken Dunaj" I had prepared for our trip to the beach while seated in the parked car in Avon. Don't laugh. It was better than sitting on the windy boardwalk.
Can't tell you what comprises the recipe for Chicken Dunaj... unless you want to die afterwards ... or give me $20.
Before we headed back across New Jersey we stopped at Kelly's Tavern in Neptune City. http://kellystavernusa.com/index.asp I have been going to this joint since I was a teenager when the drinking age was 18 in Jersey! It's a great place with a modest array of beers, though usually I'll drink Bud Longnecks here. Buds always taste better at the Jersey shore. The food is exceptional bar food. My favorite is the Ham Galway with a side order of fried mushrooms. But, we had those wings and the Chicky D, so we each ordered a 16 oz. Margarita for $5.00 per. It was mixed right at the bar in front of us. We chatted over the strong concoction and again tried to make the connection between the map of Ireland on the ceiling and the Japanese sushi preparer (They aren't "chefs" are they?), in his ornamental outfit at his little booth near the package goods display.
Leaving the Jersey shore we headed west on Route 195, but then took a detour through Freehold. Janet is a big fan of Bruce. She always insists on driving through Rumson on our way to Sandy Hook, where Springsteen lives now. I think she's hoping she'll see the Boss taking out his garbage or something. Famously though Bruce is from Freehold and we thought to stop there and have yet another beer. After parking the car we walked through the rain and settled on some place called the Court Jester. http://www.jestersweb.net/ There were several beers on tap to our liking including a Rare Vos from Ommegang in Coopertown, NY. All pints are $5.14...
No sun, but a good day nonetheless.
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