Tuesday, July 5: After work, Peter and I went to Mom and Dad's house to pick up the bikes. Then we were on our way to Peahala Park, NJ on Long Beach Island. Over the bridge, along the straight, thin roads of New Jersey, around a couple round-abouts, and in just over two hours, we were there. Jon and Kim met us at 104 Sailboat Ave, our cottage, and helped us unpack. A few hot dogs later, we were off to bed.
Wednesday, July 6: Finding a coffeepot in the cottage kitchen, but no filters, I improvised with paper towels and made a pot of just-drinkable coffee. Then we whipped up some pancakes, and chopped some strawberries, and by the time Jon and Kim were up, it was breakfast time! We enjoyed a delicious meal in the little dining room, then packed up and walked down to the beach. From towel, to chair, to ocean, to towel again, we relaxed throughout much of the day on the shores of the Atlantic. In the late afternoon, we went back to the house and took turns in the shower, then Peter and I drove down to ACME for some dinner items and we grilled up burgers for dinner. With a little leftover baked beans and fruit salad, it was a perfect meal. Afterwards, we took a stroll to Skipper Dipper for ice cream, and then Jon and Kim headed home.
Peter and I hopped on our bikes for an evening ride and stopped to watch the sunset on Winifred Street, where his family's cottage still stands although it was sold many years ago.
Thursday, July 7: We began the day with a bike ride up the island to the Haymarket, Peter's favorite toystore in the world. On the way, we stopped in at Bageleddi's for breakfast and enjoyed our muffin and bagel on the bench outside. After browsing the toystore, we rode back home and got ready for the beach. It was a beautiful day. Peter got me in the water a few times, although I'm usually a sand-dweller, and we took a walk down the shoreline. In the afternoon, we took a drive to browse some shops including The Wizard of Odds, Firefly, and Lucille's Candies. We bought some fudge and taffy, and then cozied up back at the cottage (in front of the food network - we don't get cable at home!) with chicken soup from the crock pot. Later, we took a little stroll on the beach.
Friday, July 8: A cloudy morning delayed our beaching, but we sat on the deck and read our books for a little while, then beached a little later. In the afternoon, Mom, Dad and Shanna arrived and we went back to the beach. In the evening, we drove out for dinner, and picked - simply because it looked local and not too crowded - a place called Boulevard Clams. It turned out to be a fish market that also had about ten tables for eat-in diners. It was clearly a local joint, friendly, homey, and casual. I ordered lemonade, which came in a plastic quart container. Huge! Allen, our awesome waiter, also got me some Advil for my very painful sunburn. We all ordered seafood -- even me! Dijon salmon, which I really enjoyed. It was a very enjoyable meal. Three cheers for Allen and Boulevard Clams!
Saturday, July 9: Mom and Dad picked up coffee and donuts for us Saturday morning and we snacked while packing and cleaning. We spent a little time on the beach in the morning, walking in the shallows and sitting on the sand, then we finished up back at the cottage and drove the key down to the Real Estate Office to check out. For the rest of the day, we headed up to the northern end of the island to the lighthouse. We walked on the jetty and climbed the lighthouse. Before heading home we had lunch at Viking Village and browsed the cutesy shops there.
Peahala Park, Long Beach Island and 104 Sailboat Ave, thanks for a lovely little getaway.
Hope to see you again next year!
No comments:
Post a Comment