DISCLAIMER: This post is about the REAL Jersey Shore - the beaches and shore communities. It has nothing to do with "Jersey Shore" television show or any of it's cast of characters. That is an abomination (in my humble opinion) and does not properly reflect life here.
An Introduction
I have called the Shore "home" all my life - I've never lived more than about five (5) miles from the beach and rode my bicycle to many of the places I will write about in this series. I am writing about the Jersey Shore for a number of reasons - the first is, "Why not?" It is probably the only place in New Jersey that people don't need to be told about - we have been a popular summer destination since the 18th century! Well.... definitely the 19th century. The "Shore" has hosted a number of U.S. Presidents over the years - from Franklin Pierce in 1855 thru Donald Trump in 2019 - and been the birthplace for some of Hollywood's biggest stars. There is also a guitarist from Freehold (born in Long Branch) who made it big in Asbury Park - what's his name? 😉 😃 It is also the part of New Jersey that I know the best, having spent my life here. You will find that most of the images in this post were shot during the "off season", Labor Day thru Memorial Day, when the beaches are virtually deserted and the air is it's crispest. I shoot my sunrises primarily between October and February. So, without further ado, let's get started.The Jersey Shore
Let's start with defining where the Jersey Shore is - according to Wikipedia, The Jersey Shore "encompasses about 141 miles... of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south." The article also mentions that most of the shore is located in South Jersey but it also only divides the state into two (2) regions - North and South. I favor the three (3) region idea and include Central Jersey which is where I was born, raised and still live. I am not going to cover ALL of the shore in this series but, rather, some of my favorite locations and a few that were shot just for this project. I decided to break this down into a few different parts due to the size of the area. As-of this writing, I'm not sure how many parts this will be or exactly how I will break it down but I have already decided to start with Sandy Hook, followed by Ocean Grove. If you follow my "general interest" blog - From the Mind of Joe Valencia - you may recognize some of these places, as I have written about them in the past.Host to Presidents
Long Branch has a long, proud history as a resort town hosting presidents, Ulysses S. Grant summered in Long Branch between 1867 and 1885, when it was known as the Long Branch Commission. Long Branch didn't became a city in 1903. Grant had a home on Ocean Avenue that he would spend summers in - even convening Cabinet meetings there. Sadly, the home at 995 Ocean Avenue was bulldozed in 1963.... The "Church of the Presidents" is a former Episcopal church where seven (7) presidents worshipped - Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson. The church was deconsecrated by the church in the early 1950's and had been scheduled for demolition. A group of local preservationists stopped to demolition and the church was turning into a museum. It is being restored and is not open to the public. You can learn more about the church here - https://www.churchofthepresidents.org/.Not Just Amusements
As mentioned above, The Jersey Shore has more than 140 miles of shoreline, many of those miles have boardwalks and on those boardwalks you will often find rides, games, restaurants and other attractions. There are amusements to be found in Keansburg, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights and Wildwood, among others. Asbury Park used to have many rides and four (4) or five (5) miniature golf courses but most of that is gone now. There are a few "kiddie" rides but it is mostly replaced by restaurants. Asbury Park was one of the places we used to ride our bikes to, about 10 miles each way, just to play pinball and miniature golf. The amusements are fun but they make up just a small part of the boardwalk; you can walk for miles smelling the salt air, listening to the crashing waves and watching to boats. This is some of the most beautiful views you will find.Parks - National, State, County and Local
No doubt, the most well-known park along the Jersey Shore is Gateway National Recreation Center, aka Sandy Hook. There are many others along the shore or in neighboring towns, including Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park which is part of the Monmouth County Park System. Yes, "seven presidents" ties in with the church and the seven presidents who vacationed here.Of Course, the Beaches
Yes, of course there are beaches! That is the big draw to the area and why tourism is such a big industry here. Personally, my favorite time of year to go to the beach is from Labor Day to Memorial Day; most times I have the beach to myself. You will find many seascapes in this series, virtually all taken in the "off season" and many taken during sunrise. The is something magical about a sunrise over the ocean, everyone should witness it as least once in their life.Other "Stuff"
There is plenty of other things to do at the shore and many things to see, I will be bringing to you what I can but it will be far from comprehensive. If you have anything you would like to see me cover in the "Shore" section, please let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to do it. I would also love to hear your ideas of other areas of the state you think are beautiful and worthy of recognition - I will try to cover them, too! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the series - I think it will be a lot of fun and, hopefully, it can help change opinions of the great Garden State.All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
Great insight into the shore areas...looking for to checking out the whole series
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elaine! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm working on Sandy Hook now, then I think Ocean Grove.
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