~New Jersey: Day 2~

If there is one place I could spend days on end, I think it would have to be the beach. And being born an East-Coaster, I do refer to the ocean as the beach, while my husband, being born a West-Coaster, calls it the coast. “The Coast” is an Oregon thing because it’s cold, windy, rocky, and you can’t really swim in it, unless you want to freeze to death. Well, along the Jersey Shore, it meets with my definition of the beach. Warm glittering sand. Refreshing cool water. Boardwalks filled with rides, games, and weird guys on microphones. Ridiculously giant houses along the streets. Buckets, shovels, and umbrellas scatterd amongst all the towels. Adults and kids alike playing in the waves. Seagulls flying over head. The smell of the salty air. This, my friend, is the beach.

Our second day in New Jersey we were able to spend at Spring Lake Beach. All day. Sun. Sand. Family. We built sand castles, buried bodies in the sand, splashed in the ocean, tossed baseballs, bodysurfed in the waves. We simply enjoyed ourselves all day long. To top it off, we headed to one of the infamous Jersey Shore Boardwalks for some food and fun. These places are packed with roller coaster rides, calorie-loaded treats, deep fried meats, vibrant colors, and lots of noise. We grabbed a quick bite to eat (NY pizza, of course!) and then headed to the ticket booth. We loved it, especially little Jack! He took in all the sites and sounds, always on the lookout for which ride he would go on next. The adults had fun admiring him. I believe his favorite was the train ride he took with Uncle Jim. He was in absolute heaven the entire time. Before we jumped in the cars to call it a night, we indulged ourselves in the most delicious dessert ever – homemade waffle cones. Now, I’m not talking your typical waffle cone. We’re talking a freshly made plump Belgium waffle, which is then topped with heaping scoops of ice cream, candy of your choice, and whipped cream. Fab.U.Lous. None of us needed it after all the other food we consumed on the trip, but we each certainly enjoyed every single spoonful of it.

Thanks to our New Jersey family for taking us to the beach….we’re all already to head back! My wonderful mother-in-law loves taking pictures. After some convincing, we allowed her to take all of these photos of us. It was uncomfortable for me, but a little fun at the same time!