New Jersey Trip Report

 7/2-7/3

4 AM wake up call to catch a 6:30 flight proved to be unnecessary as the flight was delayed by 2 hours due to maintenance issues.  That was fine with me.  Rain was in the forecast and it was not expected to clear until mid-late afternoon.  I ended up landing in Philadelphia and getting my rental car around noon.  My route was Hwy 55-47 through the countryside of New Jersey to Wildwood.  I didn’t find the scenery too interesting.  It was almost dead flat, straight, and non-descript.  Yes, it did rain heavily at times but as I approached Wildwood, it was merely cloudy with air temps in the mid 70s and water temps in the low 70s.  I found it tolerable.  Chilly at first but fairly comfortable once you get acclimated.  Wildwood surf was decent on both days.  Enough to be exciting but not nearly enough to cause wipeouts.  With the exception of 1 hour of rain on 7/3, the weather was good for the rest of the trip.  I conquered New Jersey and it was on to New York on the 4^th. 

    

The boardwalk looked to be a lot of fun with an amusement park and a water park.  Lots of restaurants looked pretty good but I mostly stuck with pizza and hot dogs.  I also made sure to stop at a famous candy store called Laura’s Fudge.   Overall impression: I am unlikely to return only because it requires a plane flight or 2 full days of driving from Alabama but I’m glad I did come here once.  I still prefer the Southern beaches in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina but I would find some beautiful beaches further north in New Jersey with water clarity that rivals Florida.  I encourage everyone to broaden their horizons and visit new places.  As for the people that I met, I have mixed reviews.  The hotel clerk put on a fake southern accent when checking me in.  I don’t mind a little good-natured ribbing, but you’ve got to know when to stop.  Some people were rude, but others were really nice.  The bartender at my hotel was one of the nicest servers I’ve had.   

7/4-

Got up for a beautiful Wildwood sunrise then headed north to Sandy Hook, where the beaches had views of the NYC skyline.  Unfortunately, it was too far away to capture on my phone.  I was eventually chased out because my boogie board has fins.  Stupid rule but it did enable me to spend more time at Rockaway.  I crossed the famous bridge from Staten Island, which is the start of the NYC Marathon.  This beach was lots of fun.  Waves broke close to the shore which meant short but intense rides and yes, a couple of wipeouts.  Chalk up New York.  Only New Hampshire and Maine to go on the Atlantic Coast.    From Rockaway in Queens, it was about a 20-minute drive to my hotel in Brooklyn.  This part of the trip was a little disappointing.  Parking was an absolute nightmare and if the hotel did not permit me to park in a spot designated for electric vehicles, I don’t know what I would have done.  The garage was full, and I could not find an open spot on the entire block.  I expected Coney Island to be crowded but did not expect a total zoo scene.  I ended up leaving early but still saw some fireworks from my window. 

7/5-

Left NYC early in the morning, which was a good call.  Getting out of Brooklyn was a little dicey but after that, it was okay.  I ended up stopping on the Central Jersey coast in a town called Surf City on Long Beach Island.  I chose it because I liked the name.  Again, it was a beautiful beach.  Unfortunately, surf conditions were not suitable.  There was a steep drop off as soon as you get in the water and most of the waves were just too high.  I still had fun though.  I would leave late afternoon and drive 2 hours to Philadelphia.  There, I took a walking tour of Old City and Penn Landing.  The next day, I would finally get to see the inside of Independence Hall and the Museum of the American Revolution.  The flight home went off without a hitch.