Well, where do I begin? I miss "goin' downashore" so much and hold dear memories of spending summers in Cape May. I now live in southern California where there is really no equivalent experience.....I worked for years at Trip's Steaks across the beach and lived at the Christian Admiral, which of course doesn't even exist anymore :( My family would rent a house for a month and we pretended we were locals for the entire 4 weeks - practically living at Philadelphia Beach. We ate most of our meals at the house - Jersey corn and tomatoes and flounder (remember Rocky's stand on the way down from Philly? can't remember if it was on Route 9 or not - still there?) .....My grandfather would get banana ice cream at Springer's in Stone Harbor (still there - grab a cone if you get a chance) ....as for an average beach day memory, my mother would sit with her chair and book - in a perfectly strategic position where the waves would crash lightly on her feet/lower legs...just enough to cool off while she burned in the sun (with no sunscreen of course!). Those were the days....my sister and I still love the beach - salt water - sand - smell of Coppertone ..... Happy Memorial Day!

I grew up in England and our "shore" was the "seaside". As a child we went on our annual pilgrimage to the seaside and stayed in a caravan.The water was always cold !! When I came to the sates for college the first summer I waanted to spend it at the Jersey shore... had heard so much about it from my college friends. Wanted to see what warm sea felt like !! We started coming to Ocean City 15 or so years ago and I was lucky enough to buy in before the so called real estate boon(I could not afford it today).

Am lucky enough now that I can enjoy the place 12 months of the year (well only weekends)
An can still say I enjoy the Jersey Shore better than my childhood seaside.

Chris Of Ardmore, Pa

I grew up in England and our "shore" was the "seaside". As a child we went on our annual pilgrimage to the seaside and stayed in a caravan.The water was always cold !! When I came to the sates for college the first summer I waanted to spend it at the Jersey shore... had heard so much about it from my college friends. Wanted to see what warm sea felt like !! We started coming to Ocean City 15 or so years ago and I was lucky enough to buy in before the so called real estate boon(I could not afford it today).

Am lucky enough now that I can enjoy the place 12 months of the year (well only weekends)
An can still say I enjoy the Jersey Shore better than my childhood seaside.

Chris Of Ardmore, Pa

I have been going down the shore all my life. I grew up going with my Aunts to Ocean City staying at the Hotel Luray at 7th & Westley, swimming in the Salt Water pools at the Flanders,and eating at Simms. I have watched the changes to Ocean City but there is also a way it has remained the same for the last 45 years.

Going "downashore" is my "drug" of choice. There is no high quite like the one you get while walking up the Ocean City boardwalk ramp, beachchair in hand, and catching your first seasonal glimpse of the sparkling ocean while you inhale the delicious scent cocktail of popcorn, pizza, and boardwalk tar. In the distance you can faintly hear the clickety-clack of the roller coasters and the ensuing collective "wheeeeee" of its riders. In an instant, you are completely overwhelmed with the anticipation of an entire summer's worth of sandcastles, Kohr Brothers, morning bikerides and family. It just doesn't get any better than that moment.
Happy Memorial Day!

There will be no "downashore" this Memorial Day for us,(I even tried to get a DWNASUR personalized license plate, no go!), we are now transplanted to NC, which has a shore line, and a much under-appreciated one at that! Monday will be a trip to "the beach" and a dip in the 75 degree waters of the Crystal Coast (eat your heart out, no ankle numbing waters here!). We will sit on the sand in front of the stand that sells Philadelphia Water Ice Company and pretend we're on 57th Street in OC.
My best memories - my kids and my sister's on the beach together, digging a huge hole, putting my youngest in, and not letting her out until she was in tears. Yeah, we got it on film, and we still laugh about it. Second best,, hanging from a boogie board on those rare waveless "Lake Atlantic" days, enjoying the kids antics, laughing with my sister, being a kid myself!
My Death Row meal? Pasta Pescatore from Angelo's II, Polish Water Ice, a macaroon from George's, and may I have a bucket of Johnson's original caramel corn in my lap as Old Sparky dims my lights! They'll have to pry the chunk of popcorn out of my cold dead fingers.

Well, here's the Wildwoods weighing in. Gotta' be quick b4 they knock me down and put up a new condo!
I didn't know how much "downa' sure " meant to people, or was going to mean to me. I met a girl that had the "Sand In Her Shoes". We honeymooned at The Swan Motel on the beach in the Crest(no longer there, yea, right, condos). Now we have owned several places in North Wildood since 1975 and currently have a beach front condo.
Fortunately we were able to raise our kids down there; waitressess and one year even sold The PhilaaaaaDELpiiiaaa Daaaaaaaiiiiily Nezzz on the beach!
Getting close to retirement age and me and that girl with the sand in her shoes are going to settle "downa' sure."

I love going down the shore with my kids today because I spent most of my summers as a kid in Wildwood. My grandparents had a place on Hudson Avenue, near the back bay. I just remember the feel of riding over the Rio Grande Ave bridge and seeing the town for the first time of the summer. Spent alot of time in that old backyard and going to the beach and boardwalk.
I took my kids to see the old house and, believe it or not, the original guy who bought it from my grandparents still owns it! It was nice just to talk about it with him. Shame you never realize how great you have it as a carefree kid until it's gone!

Mack and Mancos sucks! Wouldn't you rather have a burger and fries that that disgusting garbage?

I actually grew up "Down'ashore". North Cape May NJ to be exact. My mother moved us into what was once her father's house when I was 2 years old in 1975 and it was perfect. Atlantic Avenue, one block off of the Delaware Bay. Of course we'd spend EVERY single day on the beach in Cape May either in front of the lone arcade by Carney's and Gloria's or on Steger's beach by the rock pile. She'd sit w/ her work friends reading and/or people watching and trading stories while my brother and I begged for more money for the arcade. I have so many found memories of swimming on every beach in Cape May, swimming in every pool at every hotel on the beach front w/ my friend, walking the nature trals at the Point, running in the Cape May Point and Columbus Day races, working at the Lobster House, the rides at the Wildwood Boardwalk, all of the great music of that generation on the car radio while riding around the county in the backseat with my mom and brother (the Wings, Steely Dan, America, etc,), and just being a kid in such a happy place. Now, living in Philadelphia, I try to get back "down'ashore" as often as possible. It's still wonderful but certainly different. The Old Shire is now a t-shirt shop, Pinebrook is now a salt-water taffy shop, the Christian Admiral is now Tom Cruise's mom's beach house, the WWII army bunker in the point is now out to sea, and a lot of what made my childhood town so special to me has simply given way to tourism. It is a tourist town however and I understand so I'm not TOO bitter, but I miss "my" Cape May. At least I have those memories.

Food is an important part of visiting the Jersey shore. Kids and adults will both enjoy Duffy's on Sunset Bay, located on New Jersey Avenue in Wildwood Crest. Prices are family friendly too in this family-run eatery and there are early-bird specials. The sunset is utterly breathtaking, so ask for a window seat on the porch if you make a reservation. You'd swear you heard the sun hiss at it sinks into the bay. Kids of all ages enjoy the site of the cruise boats on their evening trips, or watching the locals walk their dogs. Fish afficianados will rave about the flounder stuffed with crabmeat, a belly filler, but their fillet is equally delicious. Desserts are better than some of the appetizers, so save room for some sweets. Afterwards you can stroll along the bay before heading back to your hotel, or to the boardwalk.

If ice cream is your treat, check out Duffer's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, complete with arcade and adjoining miniature golf couse on Pacific Avenue. (limited parking out front and on side streets) They have a takeout parlor and eat-in room, with the best home-made ice cream, generous portions and great food items too.

Don't think the two are related, but both are a real treat! The kids will also love this miniature golf course.

Hopefully you will love this tips and return for many years on your summer vacations.

The Jersey Shore sucks. Period. Private beaches? Carny like boardwalks? You can have the shore. I will take my pristine Florida beaches any day. Oh, and by the way, Jersey girls aren't trash, trash gets picked up!!!!

Wha' happened??? This blog just went "poof"! Guess the beautiful weather had something to do with it?

This w/e might have been the best EVER!

It’s very important as part of your plan for having a flourishing aquarium tank to pay attention to the type of inhabitants, which one of them is fish.