Photo by Danny Drake/Press of Atlantic City
Truly, this past weekend was as brutal down the shore as up the city, heatwise, and with the ocean still cold, well, ideal beach conditions still await us. Actually, I have that info second hand because I had the good fortune to spent the weekend in Huntington Beach, California, where the temps were fine, the ocean water was a crisp but lovely 65 or so, the barbecue pits built in every 25 feet or so, dogs allowed on the promenade, swim anywhere you want, the lifeguards can handle it, nice cool diner at the end of their pier, no worries out there, people. But the sun was like going in the wrong direction, got in my eyes as the day got later, what's up with that? Anyway, back at the Jerzey shore, it was beastly hot all day Monday until around dinner time when that miraculous wind shift took place. Suddenly, you could feel the cool air from the ocean spreading out over our little beach town. Weather doesn't shift subtly in a beach town. You feel every shift in wind direction. The wind coming from the mainland, the dreaded land breeze, will bring hot, buggy air and cold water temps, but when that breeze shifts, it can literally turn your head. Was a beautiful twilight run on the Boardwalk.