Here's a quiz: On the Garden State Parkway, what do the following exits have in common: exit 117, 100B, 98, 89, 82? If you've lived in NJ for any length of time (or your whole life as I have), you know that these exits are all popular shore points. (See answers below.) Exit 89 leads to many beachside towns, including my most recent destination, Lavallette. My next door neighbor invited me to spend the day at her summer rental. With temperatures in the 90's and the promise of lots of girltalk, I gladly accepted.
Lavallette is mainly a beach town, with a small year round population of under 3,000 according to the 2000 census. There are small bungalow type homes that extend to the ocean and bay side from Rt. 35 when you first enter the town. Heading toward Ortley beach as well as along the oceanfront, homes are larger and sometimes quite stately. The town was named for US Navy Admiral Elie LaVallette who fought in the battle of Lake Champlain, and later was a commander of the USS Constitution. (http://www.lavallette.org/information.htm)
The rental at which I stayed was "beach-block" on Wentworth Avenue. Quickly after I arrived, we packed a cooler and headed up the street to the beach, where we found soft sand and warm ocean water. I quickly left all cares behind and relaxed into the rhythm of the waves. When we later returned to the house, I took time to look around. The house was bright and airy- three bedrooms and adequate indoor space for a group of people. The backyard was spacious and private with trees and a fence. Then there was that seductive outdoor shower. If you've never showered under the sky and trees, put it on your "bucket list" immediately. It's a true small pleasure. After dinner of crabcakes and salad (thank you, Liz), we took a walk. The nearby restaurants and ice cream stands were busy. We detoured to walk back home along the ocean, and were fine until winds and flying sand caused us to hurry home.
The next morning was sunny and I went for a run on the boardwalk with the dunes and ocean to my left and beautiful homes to my right. By 9 a.m. we were at the beach and shortly after that jumping waves! Then lunch and another outdoor shower. Before I got back on the Garden State Parkway to return home, I stopped at a farm stand around the corner and the Crab Shack on Mantoloking Road so I could bring home a bit of New Jersey summer. The two days I was there was a wonderful respite, and I'm making plans to return.
(Answers to quiz in order of exits: Sandy Hook National Recreation Area; Ocean Grove; Belmar/Spring Lake; Lavallette; Island Beach State Park)
The rental at which I stayed was "beach-block" on Wentworth Avenue. Quickly after I arrived, we packed a cooler and headed up the street to the beach, where we found soft sand and warm ocean water. I quickly left all cares behind and relaxed into the rhythm of the waves. When we later returned to the house, I took time to look around. The house was bright and airy- three bedrooms and adequate indoor space for a group of people. The backyard was spacious and private with trees and a fence. Then there was that seductive outdoor shower. If you've never showered under the sky and trees, put it on your "bucket list" immediately. It's a true small pleasure. After dinner of crabcakes and salad (thank you, Liz), we took a walk. The nearby restaurants and ice cream stands were busy. We detoured to walk back home along the ocean, and were fine until winds and flying sand caused us to hurry home.
The next morning was sunny and I went for a run on the boardwalk with the dunes and ocean to my left and beautiful homes to my right. By 9 a.m. we were at the beach and shortly after that jumping waves! Then lunch and another outdoor shower. Before I got back on the Garden State Parkway to return home, I stopped at a farm stand around the corner and the Crab Shack on Mantoloking Road so I could bring home a bit of New Jersey summer. The two days I was there was a wonderful respite, and I'm making plans to return.
(Answers to quiz in order of exits: Sandy Hook National Recreation Area; Ocean Grove; Belmar/Spring Lake; Lavallette; Island Beach State Park)
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