New Jersey Travel Answers

"packed with Joisy people and their boom boxes"? Uh, no. surprised you would give such an answer, G. Really, If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to stir things up around here! If you are not going to go as far as Cape May, I think a nice area would be Point Pleasant, which has a main street "town" atmosphere as well as a family beach. Spring Lake is beautiful, with quaint shops and beach. Yes, the summer is going to be crowded and you will have to buy beach badges. I recently visited the Grounds for Sculpture, an outdoor sculpture museum in Hamilton~~about a half hour drive from the shore area. Worth the trip, if you're in the area. There's so much more, hope other VTers can offer additional info for you! You may also want to check out my New Jersey pages. ~Nicoletta

Those "Joisy people and their boom boxes" are actually New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians. If you like nature, Long Beach Island is a state park with hiking trails. Sandy Hook also has hiking trails and there's a great lighthouse museum nearby, Twin Lights Lighthouse. Manasquan is a nice beach town and from what I was recently told, there's a bike/hike trail from the beach area to the Manasquan Reservoir which is an absolutely beautiful place to walk along shaded trails and there's a great environmental center there. Spring Lake is fine if you want to look at wealthy people's houses and sit on crowded beaches, I don't care for the place. Cape May is gorgeous, beautiful homes and there's a few museums in the area and a nice, little lighthouse. Just gets very, very crowded and expensive.

Thank you, Giampiero, Nicole and Feline! I have narrowed the list down to: Island Beach National Park, Sandy Hook or Long Beach Island. Cape May is a little too far for this trip, but I think I'll find what I'm looking for in those listed above. Cheers!

This from someone who was born and raised on the Jersey Shore: From your first post, I'd say what you want is Cape May. But now that you've said you want either Island Beach, LBI, or Sandy Hook, I think I'd vote for LBI, which would be the best for nature-y stuff. Sandy Hook doesn't have much in the way of trees or hikes, and Island Beach is in a pretty boring area. I don't think any of the places you mention have much in the way of thrilling architecture, unfortunately. But the farther south you go in NJ, the better off you are from that perspective (skipping over Wildwood, at least!) G, I am deeply dismayed to see you dissing my home state in such fashion!!!

ooops I know someone from Wildwood who thinks that's the best place on earth!! Everyone to their own...... LOL :-)

If you want interesting architecture, I would go to either Spring Lake, Ocean Grove or Cape May. All three towns are full of old Victorian houses. Cape May is by far the most crowded and commercial of the three. Spring Lake is our favorite town on the Jersey Shore. It is very quiet and relaxing and is a pleasant town to walk or ride a bike around. Like most New Jersey town, you will have to buy a daily beach pass to go onto the beach.

Hi mikelisaanna, Actually we ended up choosing Spring Lake for our visit this past Monday. (I've been to Cape May and Ocean Grove in the past.) Maybe it was because we were there on a Monday but we did not have to pay to go on the beach. It was a great break from the city, relaxing and CLEAN. Nice to see horses, deer, egrets and a rabbit before arriving on the beach and boardwalk! Cheers, Betty