Things to do / Travel Guide
While there are many obvious outdoor recreational activities inspired by sun and sand, here are a couple of other ideas to help you enjoy the Jersey Shore coastline to the fullest.
Beachcombing along the Jersey Shore
Stroll the Jersey Shore's beaches for a few hours and you'll certainly see this sight: people of all ages and persuasions hunched over beach sands, eyes cast down. Intent. They rake their fingers through the grains, sorting and sifting, with an unlikely mixture of expectation and patience. Perhaps they have lost their beloved wedding ring or a paltry dime, you will muse. Hoping they find what they're looking for, you will wish them well … until the buzz and beep of their metal detectors becomes apparent. When you can bear it no more, you will ask - what on earth are those people doing?
The answer is simple: beachcombing. In the Jersey Shore, treasure hunters of all ages sweep metal detectors over beach sands looking for jewelry, coins, silver, and other tiny forgotten finds. While they more often find mangled nails, bottle caps, and rusty tin cans, these hearty hopefuls are not discouraged. Treasure hunting remains a favorite Jersey Shore pastime and, at the thought of hidden riches, you may just want to join in yourself! After a storm or high tide, walk along the more popular areas of the beach with or without a metal detector. When you hear your whirring machine's merry beep or when you see something shiny glinting in the sun, stop, sift, and search. If you're lucky, you won't need an Atlantic City winning streak to strike it rich. If you visit the town of Highlands, you will likely see a beachcomber pacing the beach with a metal detector. Some say that the infamous pirate Captain Kidd hid some of his loot on the bay side of Sandy Hook. The legend gained legitimacy when, in 1948, someone found gold coins near Cedar Street. While over the past decades more gold coins have surfaced, Captain Kidd's treasure (if it is, in fact, there) still awaits discovery.
In Cape May, join the ranks as they comb the beach for Cape May Diamonds. Sunset Beach, among others, is also famous for these sparkling quartz prisms that spill onto the sand from the Delaware River. Tourist shops sell the crystal clear gems, but it is far more special to happen upon the tiny treasures yourself.
Beach Hopping along the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore's beaches are about as diverse as the communities that sit at the edge of their sands. But if they have one thing in common it is this: Jersey Shore beaches from north to south, top to bottom, are extremely popular. Arrive at your chosen beach early to stake out the best scrap of shore, or do some beach hopping - each Jersey Shore beach scene has a different atmosphere, a different kind of a sand, a different character. The further down the coast you travel the beaches become wider and whiter, and the luxuriant; soft sands make you wonder - can this coastal paradise really be Jersey Shore?
Sandy Hook's seven-mile stretch of ocean and bay beaches is always popular with New Yorkers and New Englanders. Keansburg's beaches have recently experienced a rebirth; they are well-maintained and feature watersports equipment rentals right on the sand. Belmar has a beautiful white-sand beach that attracts both young and old, singles and families. Spring Lake's two miles of rolling, sand-dune beaches (North Beach, North End Pavillion Beach, Pier, and South End Pavilion Beach) are quiet and family oriented without much of a commercial scene. Manasquan offers a broad, clean shoreline and crystal-clear surf. The pristine, white shoreline of Jenkinson Beach in Point Pleasant Beach is beautiful and well-known for its family-friendly atmosphere (with amusements and rides near the coast).
The beaches of Island Beach State Park are among the most beautiful in all of the Barnegat Peninsula - their wide, luxuriant sands attract just about every kind of sun, sand, and water fun-seeker. You can have a picnic or barbecue on Island Beach State Park beaches - one of the few places along the Jersey Shore where this is allowed. Atlantic City's beaches are always packed, with their proximity to outstanding nightlife and entertainment being their biggest draw, although the beaches themselves are far from shabby. The Wildwoods (North Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest) beaches are often rated tops along the Jersey Shore coast. With white, sparkling, and soft extra-fine sands, you will feel as if you have landed on a Caribbean island.
Chair Rolling the Atlantic City Boardwalk
If you would like an alternative to a leisurely Atlantic City stroll, try touring the Boardwalk via rolling chair. Since 1884, these friendly guide-pushed, awning-covered carts have been permanent Boardwalk fixtures. You can hail a rolling cart outside of one of the casinos and enjoy the cushy rolling chair seats - without wearing out your feet. Rolling chairs generally seat up to three adults and cost around $15 per half hour.
Crabbing in the Jersey Shore
Beach sun and sand got you feeling a little crabby? Go with that feeling and take advantage of one of the Jersey Shore's favorite pastimes: crabbing. The Jersey Shore is famous for blue crabs; you'll find them in creeks, rivers, and saltwater bays. Crabbers usually tie 20-foot lines to the ends of five long sticks. On the other end of each of the lines they tie a large hook loaded with fresh fish, sink the bait, and wait for something to “bite,” checking the lines every few minutes. If and when you've caught something, scoop it up with a long-handled net, store it in a cooler with ice, and take it home for dinner! Jersey Shore's best crabbing areas are located around Little Egg Harbor, Barnegat Bay, and the Maurice River estuary. Local fishing and bait and tackle shops throughout Jersey Shore will usually be able to set you up with the basic crabbing equipment.
Film Following in the Jersey Shore
“I don't need anything but you…” little orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks crooned during their duet on the steps of Warbucks' mansion, actually Wilson Hall, at West Long Branch's Monmouth University campus. You can spend a couple hours wandering around the campus and Wilson Hall to see the ways in which the place was transformed for the movie. To walk in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest directors head to Ocean Grove and Spring Lake; Woody Allen's “Stardust Memories” was shot in these two north Jersey Shore towns. The gazebo outside of Ocean Grove's Great Auditorium (just near the Beersheba Well) was used as a backdrop in one of the scenes. Also in Spring Lake, “Ragtime, which starred James Cagney, was filmed in the town's sprawling, stately Essex-Sussex Hotel.
Lighthouse Hopping along the Jersey Shore
For tourists who enjoy the simple symmetry and elegance of lighthouse architecture, for those who love breathtaking views and beautiful vantage points, and for photographers who catalog lighthouse constructions for their collections, a host of Jersey Shore lighthouses await your perusal. Challenge yourselves to visit the Jersey Shore lighthouses either in a single day, or at your leisure throughout your stay. Some of the more popular lighthouses open to the public are (from north to south): Sandy Hook Light in Fort Hancock, Navesink Twin Lights in Highlands, Barnegat Lighthouse near the northern tip of Long Beach Island, Tucker's Island Lighthouse in Tuckerton, Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood, and Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May.
Monopoly Meandering
The world-famous, beloved Monopoly board game was originally based on the streets and sites of Atlantic City. All of the board game properties with the exception of Marvin Gardens (Marven Gardens, spelled with an “e” is located in Margate) can still be found in Atlantic City today. If you've ever played the game and wondered what the Monopoly board game properties looked like, you can grab a city map at the Atlantic City Visitor Welcome Center located on the Atlantic City Expressway or at the Boardwalk Information Center on Mississippi Avenue, and seek out the sites on your own.
Fun Attractions in Atlantic City, Wildwood, Cape May, New Jersey Shore
Cool-Things-to-Do
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