Beaches and Boardwalks

I had never been on a beach further north than Virginia Beach, so we decided to spend a few days at the Jersey shore.

I was on a mission to experience the boardwalk, eat fresh seafood, ride roller coasters, and spend time on the beach.

We stayed at the Island Breeze Motel which was one of the many 1950's style motels in the area. The location couldn't be beat as it was just a block from the boardwalk and the owner and staff were very helpful and friendly. But the motel left a lot to be desired as it was very bare-bones and in dire need of remodeling. It had all the basic amenities like A/C, cable, and a kitchenette so we had what we needed to get through the next few days but I was glad when it was time to pack up and come home.

Day 1

There is a daily morning yoga class on the beach in front of the convention center, so I walked down for that on our first morning while Eric slept in.

Afterward, we met for breakfast at a diner on the boardwalk called Hot Spot #4. I had a croissant stuffed with eggs, cheese, and ham. That croissant was so fluffy and almost as big as my plate!

We spent our first day riding the notorious trolley and eating and window shopping up and down the boardwalk.

That night, we decided to hit Morey's Piers to check out the roller coasters and other rides. We had high expectations for the night and bought two unlimited wristbands for a total of $110. We were going to re-live our youth and ride rides all night!

Unfortunately, forty-something bodies don't seem to react like twenty-something bodies when they're being thrown around and twisted and turned at high speeds. After about the third roller coaster we were both feeling a little green.

Unwilling to admit defeat, we decided to walk it off and try the haunted ghost ship.

What a mistake.

I emerged from the ship a wide-eyed, stressed out, sweaty mess...clutching the hand of a strange woman who had lost her kids inside. I guess she thought she was holding the hand of one of her children the whole time. I couldn't even worry about Eric. He was on his own.

Feeling beat down and old, we gave up on the rides and decided to call it a night, returning to the motel to lick our wounds and watch cable tv.

Day 2

After last night, we took it easy today. We lounged around at the motel pool and sat on our porch reading, relaxing, and enjoying the 85 degree weather.

That night, we had dinner at the Beach Creek Oyster Bar & Grill which had great sunset views of the harbor. There was also a nice patio area with a lively band that made for a fun and relaxing atmosphere.

We started off with oysters.

Then, I had clam chowder with the grilled Chilean sea bass, sautéed greens, and lobster risotto.

Eric had the Seafood a la Vodka - sea scallops, shrimp, and jumbo lump crab meat in a vodka cream sauce over penne pasta.

The food was great but the portions were HUGE. Stuffed to the gills, we got the Vanilla Bean Creme Brûlée Cheesecake to go and enjoyed it back at our room.

Day 3

We drove to Cape May for a change of scenery. Check out my separate blog entry for this little day trip.

Day 4

Today, we decided to shake things up.

For breakfast, we walked past Hot Spot #4 and stopped in at Hot Spot #5. I settled on an omelette and ice coffee with part of Eric's bagel.

Later, we ventured off the boardwalk to get in some beach time. There were lots of crowded areas, but after walking a bit, we found a spot that wasn't too bad.

That night, we followed the recommendation of the motel owner and had dinner at Schellenger's.

We started off with Oysters Rockefeller

And, of course, I had to have more clam chowder.

I chose the Broiled Trio consisting of a petite lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, and crab imperial.

Eric had the Land & Sea which was a New York strip and a Maryland crab cake.

We absolutely LOVED Schellenger's.

The decor was whimsical, the food was great, the atmosphere was casual, and the menu was expansive. We wished we had another night so we could come back.

Later that night, we caught the free fireworks show from the boardwalk. It happens every Friday night in the summer and was the perfect ending to our Jersey Shore vacation.