We live in Bucks County, PA, and according to google maps it takes 1 hour and 33 minutes to drive to the Jersey Shore.
And, sure enough, 1 hour and 33 minutes later we pulled into Spring Lake, NJ. We were a little early, so we had brunch and then some of us did a little shopping.
Spring Lake is a pretty upscale town. A modest house a couple of blocks from the beach costs over $1 million, according to the many real-estate offices lining the main shopping street.
But any yahoo from Pennsylvania can park for free (if it's not Labor Day and it's not too crowded) and walk onto the beach for ten bucks. (There's no senior discount. I asked.)
The woman taking tickets warned us that the onshore breeze was blowing sand flies in from the wetlands. We'd be better off down near the water, she advised, and also apply plenty of bug spray. For the most part, it worked. The water was perfect. Warm enough for me (at about 74 degrees) and calm enough for B, who doesn't like the big waves.
I tried to read my book, but was distracted by all the people watching, from beach bunnies . . .
To the paddleboarders . . .
to the guy on the boat out in the water . . .
to the kids playing football . . .
to more beach bunnies . . .
to an intrepid couple way up there parasailing.
I'm supposed to write an article for my U. S. News On Retirement column highlighting some surprising things about retirement. Okay, we can't kid ourselves too much -- there can be some negative surprises. But today I'm thinking the most surprising thing about retirement is that it's even better than I thought!
14 comments:
Yes, I think it would be hard to concentrate with beach bunnies everywhere, along with the sand flies! I am enjoying retirement immensely, but then again, I expected I would. I still wonder how I managed to squeeze in a full-time job! :-)
It's great fun at the beach, but in a few years it won't be fun living by the beach because of anomalous climate change. So, it's not advised to buy a house near a body of water, regardless of the price. The same applies to proximity to forests. Floodings and fires will probably be on the daily menu in many places over the world.
I agree with you - retirement is great!
We live about a mile from the beach but usually don't go near it during the summer. The local's "summer" begins in September (yippee!) when the kids go back to school, summer vacations are over, and the weather remains lovely. Retirement allows us to shift our schedules away from the crowds and we love it!
Oh my. Looks like the perfect place to spend the day.
Best time of our lives.
Great action shots! Wonder if the the net hovering from the speeding boat is well secured—looks as if it's ready to take off! Lots to see in these pics!
Hi Tom! Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I love hearing about new places and I completely agree that the freedom that retirement brings offers MANY benefits. Being about to go off-season and to actually have the time to enjoy beautiful surroundings only an hour and a half away when you want is great. And people watching is one of the cheapest entertainments there is, right? Glad to hear you are having a good summer. ~Kathy
I'm headed to Santa Cruz Tuesday, just for an overnight stay to visit one of my favorite "young" people from work -- her 40th birthday. It's a 3.5 hour drive, and I should miss the holiday traffic. Nothing like the beach!
Beach bunnies? How many times did the wife smack you for being too obvious?
Tom, I was interested in "surprising things about retirement". HMMM...I think I might write about that too. Have a great day.
Oh, and I was surprised that you had to pay $10 (no senior discount) to get on the beach. All of the beaches in Oregon belong to the public, no fees at all. I didn't appreciate that as much as I should have.
b+
Looks like you're living the life of leisure. How fun. I live about 40 minutes from the beach (on a good day) but haven't been there all summer. I need to go, though. I love it.
I have not been to the beach since 2012, when I snorkeled at Hanauma Bay. David still swims at the pool at the gym every night.
Great photos from your beach day. Looks like it was perfect weather for it. We also like going when it's not too crowded, just a pain sometimes when you are trying to relax. Thanks for the share. Have a wonderful day.
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