I never really went to the Jersey shore as a kid (we went to Ocean City, Maryland), so it tool a few years to get more used to where things were, what there was to do, things we should be aware of, etc... We are past that learning curve now (mostly), and we have settled into a routine.
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| The pool at the Windrift (3 girls under the umbrella) |
Usually we go with Amp's sister and her family, but a medical thing prevented them from going this year. So that was different. We all missed them, and it seemed odd to be there without them, but it was relaxing in the sense that we only had to worry about our own schedule. Planning for 4 is easier than planning for 8.
Monday involved dropping Ryder at the dog sitter and then driving down. We couldn't get into the hotel early, so we drove the 20 minutes or so to Cape May to meet up with a friend of Grace's (another Grace) and spend a few hours shopping and wandering Cape May's quaint (if touristy) downtown. We then headed to the Windrift, checked in, and spent some time at the beach. We had dinner at the bar/restaurant in the hotel, and then finished out the day with a brief trip to the boardwalk in Wildwood. Grace is getting bolder with the rides she wants to do.
Tuesday was a lot of alternating pool and beach time, with the mandatory brunch at Uncle Bill's Pancake House in Stone Harbor (overpriced and overrated), but still worth doing. I guess. We had dinner at Water Lily, a Japanese place in Stone Harbor that was pretty good. We then went to the upper end of Avalon and played the traditional round of pirate mini golf, followed by ridiculously large single scoops of ice cream at the Buccaneer.
Wednesday was more pool and beach, and a dinner return to Water Lily, at the request of the kids. Which was fine with us. We then drove up to the boardwalk in Ocean City to meet another school friend of Grace's and spend some time in an amusement park there (Castaway Cove). This was my first time to that boardwalk, and while they all seem pretty much the same, Ocean City seemed a little nicer than Wildwood. Not that it matters. Rides. Ice cream. Whatever.
Thursday was more beach and pool, with breakfast at the hotel, lunch/snacks by the pool and dinner at Tortilla Flats in Avalon. Then we headed back to Wildwood for one last night on the boardwalk, killing time, eating polish water ice and riding some rides.
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| Rip Tide - Morey's Piers - Wildwood |
Friday was little more than sleeping in a bit, getting packed and ready to leave, and heading home. We had lunch at Stone Harbor Pizza and briefly strolled the shops on the main drag one last time, then got on the road. We made good time, with a brief stop at the Hobby Lobby in Vineland off route 55, and were at the dog sitter's to pick up Ryder by 3. We were all happy to see the dog. I think he enjoys being part of a pack at the dog sitter's, and gets some refresher training while there, but he also seems very happy to come home again.
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| Fetching Ryder from the Sitter |
We had good weather, with mid-80s temperatures and fairly high humidity. Lower humidity would have been nice, but we only had a quick passing shower or two, mostly overnight. With as much rain as we have had this summer, we could have had a total washout. So we got lucky in that regard.
I think the kids are already looking forward to next year.
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