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Published: August 10th 2007
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As is my usual luck, today began as expected - with the worst morning thunderstorm “ever” according to channel 7 news. Always the perfect way to start out a trip to the beach!
But I can't complain because, really, everything is better at the beach - even if it rains the whole time. Luckily it didn’t, and we left grey clouds behind as the sun and the three H’s picked up - heat, humidity, and haze.
We arrived around noon at one of my two favorite places on earth -
Long Beach Island, NJ. Stopping at
Bay Village and Schooner's Wharf was first on the agenda, since we couldn’t yet check in. They are also a definite must-see whether you're a regular LBI-goer or a first-time visitor. Bay Village and Schooner's Wharf are two of the main little shopping centers in Beach Haven, filled with the best kitschy beach shops around, and conveniently, right across the street from each other. Schooner's Wharf, as expected, boasts a large replica of an old pirate ship (at least in my eyes) which serves as one of the stores in the complex. However, we checked out Buddy’s Pet Stop first, and I picked up some fancy
bandanas for the dogs. Then, it was off to check out some beachy jewelry before we finally settled on a place for lunch. Located on the bay side of Schooner's Wharf, the Gazebo Restaurant gave us the perfect view of the water while we dined. I hadn't been to this restaurant in years, and all I could remember was that they have waffle fries (which never made an appearance during our lunch). We headed in to order lunch at a counter and it turned out that they had my perfect sandwich there! When I was in Brussels in January, I had lunch at our firm - a delicious turkey & brie sandwich, with honey mustard. I thought I would never find the sandwich again, but today there it was! We sat outside on the deck to eat and practically melted while having lunch thanks to the heat and humidity - it made it hard to enjoy my delicious sandwich because it was so humid!
After lunch, we wandered along to the main part of Bay Village and did a little more shopping, checking out a local craft store with a beautiful set of beach-related paintings and drawings, including some
Bay Village
On the bottom floor is the famous Country Kettle Fudge! of local highlights. We also made sure to hit B&B, a staple from my childhood. It's an LBI department store, packed to the gills with clothes for juniors, men and women, LBI apparel, and other knicknacks and gifts. I found a great tee shirt that says "Jersey girls don't pump gas" and a perfect beach cover-up.
We crossed our fingers that our motel room would be ready early and headed to
Holgate, our final destination. Perhaps I should explain why I consider LBI to be one of my two favorite places - when I was about three, my parents bought a house in Holgate, right on the beach. Every summer afterwards until I was about sixteen or seventeen, we spent at least three weeks at the beach. Now, I must admit, that, as a kid, I was not really outdoorsy. I would much rather sit in my room and read a book than spend time outside. And I was still this way at the beach, but I did spend more time outside than when I was at home. It was easy to fall in love with the beach - listening to the waves crash on the sand is so
soothing, the smell of salty air as soon as you cross the bridge to the island, the peaceful quiet of an early morning sunrise and the hazy, hot sunsets, constantly returning to our favorite places and spending hours playing in the sand under the house. I really grew up there. The last time I was at the beach was when my parents rented a house in 2003 for a week, but I could only take a day or two from my job to be down there. I've really missed it - there is something inexplicable that relaxes me as soon as I walk over the crest of the dunes and see the water.
Everything is better there.
Because I was the LBI native, I was able to point out all the highlights to Jess as we drove down the boulevard, including our former house, now sporting some white siding instead of its grey weathered exterior. We arrived at
Hurley's, our home for the night and luckily, we were able to check right in. The charm of the beach began right away as we let ourselves into the room and its dampness hit us. Immediately, I was bitten by a
giant green fly (my beach nemesis) - but I had my revenge as I slapped him into the door jamb with my flip flop.
Practically pink already just from the humidity, we turned on the air conditioning immediately - unfortunately, we would later learn that it never really worked and we wouldn't find good air conditioning until later that evening. Nothing like the beach in August!
Since our time was limited, we decided it was imperative that we hit the beach immediately. We grabbed our beach gear and walked over, and as I said before, a calm came over me as soon as I crested the dunes. Of course, this was quickly replaced as we set up our chairs and sat down, only to realize that with a bay breeze, we were being attacked by all manner of bugs. It turned out too that it wasn't Jess' imagination that she was being seriously attacked - we realized the next day that she had over fifty bug bites! Our advice: bring a fly swatter and some bug spray.
But when in doubt, use a flip flop. I think I killed probably ten of the little buggers in the
two hours we were there. Nothing would deter us from enjoying some sun and the waves though!
Finally, it was time to say goodbye to the sand, at least temporarily. We had plans to eat at my favorite place on the island, and then we were off to the theater!
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