The Jersey Shore Road Less Traveled

My favorite way to travel the jNew Jersey shore is all along the coast. I do these coast road trips regularly and anytime of year. You can stop in and walk the various boardwalks and beaches along the way. Every town, beach and boardwalk is different. That's the charm of the Jersey Shore. You can drive along and look at the little beach bungalows and then the amazing waterfront homes in areas like Avalon. Of course the 1950's doo-wop hotelslof Wildwood are a site to behold. Following is the driving directions to get you from Cape May up to Atlantic City and Brigantine. You have to stop in Wildwood www.wildwoodsnj.com to experience the tram car on the boardwalk and the massive beaches. I love Sea Isle City and the easy friendly feel of the Boardwalk and the town. Stone Harbor and Avalon is where you go to gawk at the beautiful home and shop in the wonderful stores. You've probably already heard of Ocean City, a wonderful family vacation spot. When you get to Atlantic City, you may be tempted to stop, but just keep going to the end of the ride and experience Brigantine. When you see Martini Bar www.lagunagrill.com on the beach, you'll know you're in heaven.

Drive from Cape May through the Wildwoods along Ocean Drive. In Wildwood North it's called Rt. 147/N Wildwood Blvd. As you're leaving North Wildwood, make sure you take a right to stay on Ocean Drive. If you don't, you'll end up out on Route 9 or in the Pine Barrens somewhere. So, make sure you make the right and go over a couple of bridges and then you'll be in Stone Harbor. Keep going. The road is called 3^rd avenue for a minute but then you come to Avalon and returns to the Ocean Drive name. Go all the way to the end of Avalon, over the bridge and you're in Sea Isle City. The road is now Landis Way. Stay on Landis Way all the way through Sea Isle City until you come to a toll bridge. Go over the toll bridge and the road returns to Ocean Drive, and then Bay Avenue and you are now in Ocean City. Now, you follow the road and go to the right where it briefly is called 55^th Street. Then you go t the left and it's Central Avenue. You'll want to make right onto 29^th or 28^th street, go down a block and make a left to get onto Wesley Ave (it's Ocean Ave briefly).. Take Wesley Ave all the way to the end of Ocean City and go over the Ocean City-Long Port Blvd Bridge and now you are in Egg Harbor. Stay straight on what is now Route 152 over another bridge and you are in Longport. The road becomes Ventnor Avenue and now you are in Margate, then Ventnor and then Atlantic City! Now at this point you're on Atlantic Avenue and you will have to make a left onto North Delaware, stay left onto Absecon Blvd and make the right onto Route 87, over a bridge and stay on route 87 into Brigantine. That's enough for one day. Stay in AC for the fall or spring. Look for my upcomming article which will take you the rest of the way up the coast through Long Beach Island, Seaside, Point Pleasant, Asbury Park (making a come back) and up through the beautiful areas of Monmouth Beach, Deal, Sea Bright to Sandy Hook. Now from there, you could take the ferry to New York...