Coasting through New Jersey: discover the sounds, sights, and spray of America's original seashore - Tour Of The Month

Travel America, May-June, 2003 by M.T. Schwartzman

THE JERSEY SHORE CLAIMS A NUMBER OF FIRSTS. THE WORLD'S FIRST BOARDwalk was built here in Atlantic City in 1870. The first saltwater taffy was produced along the Shore not long after that. The first seaside resorts in the United States opened in Cape May and Long Branch in the early 1800s, and the first passenger airline service was inaugurated in Atlantic City back in 1919.

From the northern tip of the Shore at Sandy Hook to the southernmost point at Cape May, New Jersey's nautical heritage reveals itself in lighthouses, historic naval emplacements, and former pirate hideouts. Along the way you'll also find the amusement piers, surf-kissed beaches, and Victorian gingerbread homes that made the Shore famous.

At Sandy Hook's Gateway National Recreation Area, Fort Hancock's concrete bunkers once housed gun batteries meant to protect New York Harbor. It's easy to see why: Just 19 miles across the water, the city's famous skyline is easily visible on a clear day. (The best vantage point is from the North Beach, Parking Lot I.) Sandy Hook is also where you'll encounter your first lighthouse--with many more to come.

No one can resist an old-fashioned boardwalk, and the Jersey Shore is dotted with them. In Atlantic City, the world's first is still the Shore's most famous. Built in 1870. it stretches six miles along the waterfront, although the original amusement piers are almost all gone. The Garden Pier is now the home of the Atlantic City Historical Museum, while the Million Dollar Pier is expected to reopen in spring 2004 as a Monopoly-themed entertainment and retail complex called Park Place on the Boardwalk, with 60 shops and restaurants. Only the Steel Pier remains as an arcade. For a touch of nostalgia, you can still buy saltwater taffy or take a ride in a hand-pushed "rolling chair" an Atlantic City institution since the early 1900s.

With its pulsating casinos, nightlife, and wealth of hotels, Atlantic City can be a one-stop vacation destination or a base for exploring farther down the Shore. Accommodations span the range, from oceanfront palaces to more modest motels. Big-name gaming resorts include the Tropicana, Caesars, Trump's Castle, and the Taj Mahal. My personal favorite is Bally's. This flashy resort is built around the old Dennis Hotel, which dates back to 1860. Guest rooms in the historic wing are Art Deco in style. If you're traveling on a more modest budget, look into the Quality Inn Boardwalk, one of Atlantic City's best values. There's no casino on-site, but the big boardwalk gaming houses are within walking distance. Rooms are early American in decor with Colonial-reproduction furnishings.

Just as much fun as Atlantic City are some of the Shore's smaller seaside resorts. Jenkinson's arcade on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach is one of the Shore's best. Its attractions include one of the Jersey Shore's only aquariums; small but realistic tanks hold many denizens of the deep, including undersea creatures that inhabit the waters off the Jersey coast. There's even a petting tank. It's great for children or anyone with a natural curiosity.

You'll know you're approaching Seaside when you can see the old-fashioned ferris wheel slowly turning in the distance. The wheel anchors one of two oceanfront amusement piers and a giant waterslide park. Wildwood and its neighbor, North Wildwood, are meccas of amusement where the boardwalk and rides spill over from one town into the next. In Wildwood alone, you'll find more than 100 rides along a mile and a half of oceanfront--and the widest beaches on the Jersey Shore.

Kids young and old looking for high-tech entertainment will find the latest rides at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, which bills itself as "America's largest theme park and drive-through safari." Another shore favorite that knows no age limit is Lucy the Elephant in Margate. This six-story edifice was built in 1881 to promote a local real-estate agency. It has since become one of the most enduring landmarks of the Jersey Shore.

Looking for a picture-perfect lighthouse? Head south on U.S. 9 and follow the bridge (Route 72) over Barnegat Sound to Long Beach Island. At the island's very northern tip, Barnegat Lighthouse is a red-and-white beacon on the beach. It's one of the most photographed lighthouses in the state.

The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism has linked this and other significant sites in several "Perfect Tours," found under the Explore New Jersey section of the state's web site. By following the itineraries, you'll travel from one site to another according to a common theme. For example, the Barnegat Lighthouse is part of the "See the Light" route. Other themes include general attractions and autumn vacations along the Shore.

The coastal roads of the Jersey Shore make for a scenic and pleasant way to explore. U.S. 9 parallels the Garden State Parkway, leading to all the key sites along the Shore. Routes 35 and 71 run within sight of the beach from Belmar to Island Beach State Park. Pull off at any intersection, and head for the ocean--it's rarely more than a block away. Ocean Drive is the highlight of any car or RV tour of the Jersey Shore. This causeway of two-lane highway and bridges links the barrier islands of the southern shore and leads to our final destination.