Fun in the Sun

By Brianne Harrison

It’s about this time of year that our winter-weary minds start to conjure up images of warm, sandy beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them. Many of us, unable to help ourselves, head to Expedia to start researching flights south and eagerly begin planning a tropical vacation in the months to come.

New Jersey animal lovers have a unique opportunity to kill two birds with one stone—plan a fabulous Caribbean vacation while also helping animals in need, thanks to the Jersey Shore Animal Center’s annual benefit cruise.

For seven nights from November 6-13, Norwegian’s brand new ship Epic will hop from Miami to St. Marten, St. Thomas, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Passengers can relax, enjoy the good food and shipboard fun, soak up some sun, and know the whole time they’re helping to support JSAC’s homeless animals. What could be better?

Prices are $762-$1072 per person, double occupancy. Airfare and transfers in Miami are not included. A $25 deposit per person is required to reserve an inside or balcony cabin, and a $300 deposit per person is required to reserve outside cabins. Deposits are due March 15, so start making your plans! Final payments are due July 31. For more information and booking, call Barbara at 732.262.8636 or Jaime at 732.920.1600 ext. 208.

The Charms of Asbury Park

By Jessica Vogel

If you're looking for a classic New Jersey shore town rich with history and culture, you might want to try Asbury Park. The town, once considered the entertainment epicenter of the state, suffered recently from an economic turndown. Thankfully, it is now being revitalized by a community that is not willing to compromise what Asbury is known for: its deep-rooted musical scene, artistic background, and trendy nature. I recently spent a weekend exploring the area and all it has to offer.

The town provides hours of entertainment in a few square miles. The downtown area has an extensive variety of shops, from the fun housewares of Shelter Home to the custom glassware at Candy’s Cottage. Vintage clothing shops, unique furniture stores, pet boutiques, and antiques stores also line the streets.

The appreciation and creation of art are an enormous part of the town’s atmosphere. Art galleries and outdoor sculptures dot the streets and classes in glass fusing, glass blowing, and pottery are offered at local shops.

Gourmet dining at an affordable price is another great aspect of Asbury Park. I had a meal at Old Man Rafferty’s, but there are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops where you can grab a meal or listen to an open mic night.

Although music is a major presence throughout Asbury Park, the real musical scene thrives closer to the boardwalk, at historical venues such as The Stone Pony and The Wonder Bar, and newer places such as Tim McCloone’s. On any night, you can be sure to walk along the shoreline and hear anything from hard-pounding rock to classic jazz.

After all the time I spent in Asbury Park, I still don’t think it was enough. I could have spent a few more hours scouring the antique shops for the perfect find and I certainly could have listened to another song by a local band. Any guest of the town can find something interesting, whether it’s shopping, art, dining, or the musical scene. Asbury Park is definitely worth the trip.

Auto Fixation

By Brianne Harrison

Let me just say right up front that I know next to nothing about cars. I’m proud of myself if I manage to open the hood and check the oil without screwing something up. Any time a warning light goes on, I take it to the garage. No way am I messing around with any of that.

Having said that, I do enjoy a good car show. And I’m willing to bet a lot of other automobile-impaired people do too. Just because we don’t really know what’s going on under the hood doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the beauty of a lovingly preserved or restored car from the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s and beyond. Let’s face it—they just don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Before they were designed by computers and all started looking almost exactly alike (can you tell the difference between a four-door BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus when they aren’t close enough to see the logo? I can’t.) cars were works of art—beautifully shaped and luxuriously detailed.

This weekend, there are two chances to celebrate beautiful old cars. The first is the East Coast Boardwalk Classic Car Show, which runs from the 24 through the 27. Spend a fine day at the beach with some lovely old autos and specially planned entertainment. On Thursday, from 6:30 to 9:30, is the first annual Classic Car Street Festival, featuring the Funseekers Band, food, and trophies for the Best Original, Best Hot Rod, and Best of Show. The band Exceptions will be playing Motown and music from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s Friday night from 7 to 9:30. Saturday culminates with an awards ceremony, with prizes ranging from the usual (Best of Show) to the entertaining (Most Likely to get Pulled Over). For more information, visit thundermoto.com.

If you’re a fan of older cars, you should check out the 2009 Monmouth County Concours d’Elegance at Hop Brook Farm on the 26 (raindate Sunday, September 27). The Concours will feature pristine classic cars from 1900 to 1969. The event benefits the Embrace Kids Foundation, which helps families with children suffering from cancer, sickle cell disease, and other blood disorders. For more information, visit monmouthcountyconcours.com.

Bottoms Up in Belmar

By Maureen C. Petrosky

True, our beach days may be numbered, but you wouldn’t know it last weekend. Droves of people flocked to Jersey’ beaches for just one more shot at the shore. Belmar was no exception, but its events on Sunday and Monday were indeed exceptional. The 7^th Street Beach on Sunday mirrored Maui as dozens of surfers, beach patrol, and an endless sea of spectators arrived for the beach’s annual Surf Camp and Beach Bash for Autistic Children. Sponsored by the Autism Family Services of New Jersey, the beach drew in over 5,000 people who enjoyed music, dancing, informational booths, and, of course, surfing, not to mention ideal weather!

Surfer’s Healing, a non-profit organization that aims to enrich the lives of autistic children and their families by exposing them to the joy of surfing, handled the surfing aspect. It was breathtaking to witness children forget their fears and truly transform as they caught their first wave. A once-small event that catered to 50 or 60 children, this year saw almost 200 kids in the ocean. The day went off without a hitch and it wouldn’t have happened without the endless volunteers in the water and those who dotted the beach, handling crowd control, trophies, and logistics. After a full day in the sun and salt air the volunteers, the brave moms and dads, and especially the kids who braved the waves deserved a standing ovation, but they’ll have to settle for a toast. Which brings us to our weekly wine pick:

Longboard Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, $19 This Sauvignon Blanc is soothing after a day in the sun. It’s got soft acidity so your mouth is watering but you won’t be puckered up like a fish. Speaking of, this luscious white works with all things from the ocean--think briny oysters and lots of sushi here.

Misadventures Down The Shore

By Molly McGrath

Since I was six I have spent one week each summer in Wildwood. This year’s vacation began like any other—wake up at the crack of dawn, load the car, pile in, and head for the Garden State Parkway. Here, my misadventures began.

Misadventure #1: The philosophy of “wake up early to beat the traffic” has become a farce. By 8 a.m. the traffic was backed up just to get on the parkway and our E.T.A. of 10 a.m. was quickly pushed back to 11:30. A minor setback in the grand scheme of things, but a pain in the butt nonetheless.

Misadventure #2: Attempting to walk on the Wildwood Boardwalk between 9 a.m. and noon. One morning my mom and I decided to go for a walk. Minutes after arriving a loud “BANG!” rang out. A gun shot? A car backfiring? Oh, no. No, no. A rental-bike-tire-blowout. I kid you not. One second this man is having a great time riding his adult-size trike down the boards and then suddenly he’s swerving uncontrollably and trying to regain his balance. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. And if it doesn’t happen to you, you could still be the poor pedestrian who gets his foot run over. No one is exempt from rental bike misadventures between 9 a.m. and noon.

Misadventure #3: Attack of the killer salps. Ok, so they weren’t “killer” exactly, but they sure were gross. Cape May County was inundated with what seemed to be baby jellyfish—salps. The problem got worse and worse each day until they were piled as thick as slush in the winter and you could leave footprints in them. One man on the beach even suffered from salp-infested chest hair (uh, ew). And how about the thousands of mussels that washed up in Ocean City last week… sorry I missed out on that one.

These misadventures happen to us all—seagulls attacking us for our food (my own grandmother once took a wing to the back of the head and lost her sandwich in the fight), small children driving into us on their bikes, drivers from *insert-least-favorite-state-here* slowing us down… and yet we keep coming back. The traffic gets worse, the crowds get bigger, the salps attack… And yet every summer there we all are.

The Jersey Shore is an undeniably magical place. Why? Because it’s where we’ve all grown up. It’s possible to overlook the misadventures because of the things that always stay the same: the way your heart beats a little faster when you see the ocean for the first time in a year, the smell of salt and the sound of the waves crashing when you first set foot on the sand, the way the lights on the ferris wheel and the sounds of kids laughing instantly make you smile and remember that… down the shore everything’s all right.