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Don Pearse © Don Pearse Photographers Inc.All rights reserved.
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By Bob & Tanya Waite
Tanya and I are ready to take a geographical cure. The constant pull of work, kids, grandkids, and even the frantic search for something good on TV have bombarded us to the point where we are shell-shocked by life. Tanya sums it up, “I want to get away from everything!” I concur, “Me too!”
Escape artists that we are, we begin our journey to The Reeds at Shelter Haven by driving to Atlantic City. The Reeds are in Stone Harbor and we are expected at 4 p.m. We stayed over in AC and after getting robbed by one arm bandits and eating huge quantities of boardwalk food, we begin our trip to The Reeds. Our purpose is to take the scenic route, from barrier island to barrier island, crossing all the picturesque bay bridges along the way.
As we drive out of Atlantic City we begin looking for a place to have coffee. That always means Dunkin Donuts. The human race is divided into Dunkin people and Starbucks people and some neutrals who will drink any kind of coffee. Now Tanya is a Dunkin and I am a neutral, so after passing numerous convenience stores, I wonder if I am ever going to get my morning fix. Finally we come to a Dunkin Donuts and the cobwebs clear. We are on our way.
Crossing bridges from island to island we see not only the beauty of the intercoastal waterway and bay, but also the salt reeds and the beauty of the Southern Jersey wetlands. Somewhere close to Sea Isle City we stop and take a walk on a bay beach. Now the sun is out in all its effulgent glory and it seems to make a sharp contrast on all our iPhone photos. Tanya sees a decorative opportunity when she looks at the shiny and multicolored pebbles embedded in the sand. We fill up a small bag and get back on the road.
We take the scenic route all the way to Cape May and then drive around looking at Victorian houses, some that are colorful and majestic and a few that look like a scene from Dark Shadows.
It is mid-afternoon, and we head back to Stone Harbor. We take Route 9 from the mainland and we turn off where the sign says Stone Harbor. We pass some of the New Jersey’s prettiest wetland and bay scenes on the way. I make a note of a sign that says, Wetlands Institute.
We arrive in a different world. It is early spring, and the town is quiet. The clapboard storefronts in muted pastel shades quietly say you are at the South Jersey shore. It is very inviting, and the clean subdued colors facilitate that very peace we are trying to find on our escape. The Reeds of Shelter Haven is a corner building. Not being sure where to park, we pull on the side and a very well-mannered and cheerful valet, Rich McHale, parks our car and takes our bags.
Inside we meet Diane Wade, the affable guest services manager and concierge. She takes us to our room and we take a few minutes before our tour with Director of Sales Krista Ostrander begins. As always Tanya goes right to the bathroom, not for ablutions, but rather to see what it looks like. “Check it out babe,” she says. And it has a glass encased shower, nautical art on the walls and what looks like a porthole window. “Nice,” I reply.
The room itself is a corner room, with five large bay windows that overlook the town keeping in view the little shops, boutiques, eateries and in the distance a large water tower that says Stone Harbor. There is a fireplace, two comfortable chairs with ottomans and shiny wooden plank floor. Plopping on the king-size bed I look out the windows and relax.
I say to Tanya, who is resting luxuriously in an easy chair with her feet firmly planted on the ottoman. “Time for the tour.” Tanya sighing, says, “Just ten more minutes.” Explaining that our tour is not subject to a snooze alarm, she hesitatingly gets her notebook and off we go.
Tanya takes notes and I ask questions as we tour the Indigo, Sienna Suite and the Skye Suite, all of which have more than one room and include a full kitchen and balconies overlooking the bay. In fact Oprah Winfrey once stayed at the Skye Suite as did other celebrities. Tanya exclaims, “It’s like a luxury apartment!” I too am in awe of these suites that are for brides, romantic escapes, and even honeymoons. Some of the suites are connected by doors that can turn them into double suites. The Reeds has 58 guestrooms in total, 37 in the Basin Building and 24 that are in the Spa Building across the street.
The tour continues. We see the space, alongside the bay where the Water Star Grille opens in May. The Water Star Grille is somewhere between fine and casual dining—the Reeds website calls it “upscale, yet casual” and it is romantic and beautiful. Besides being outdoors by the bay where boaters come to dock and eat, the Water Star Grille also has indoor dining. Tantalizing drinks are made at the cocktail lounge. And diners watching the sun set into the bay really enjoy the shared plate experience. Rather than offering individual starters and main courses, the Water Star Grille serves dishes and specialty drinks that are designed for sharing and are brought to the table steadily and continuously throughout the meal. Other dining venues include Buckets Margarita Bar & Cantina, SAX at the Reeds (fine dining), Stone Harbor Pizza Pub, and Wafflewich Waffles & Ice Cream.
Krista brings us to the roof garden, which is upstairs from the patio and Water Star Grille. There we see two hot tubs and a pool. Inside the hotel again we see the ballroom which has room for 200 people and SAX, billed as “every day dining with a relaxed, coastal vibe.” SAX can seat 65 people and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all year. We are excited because tomorrow we are going to eat there.
Krista explains that weddings are very special at The Reeds and now that Salt Spa is open, there are numerous packages that include spa treatments with a stay. Salt Spa is billed as “a comprehensive full-service luxury spa.” Salt Spa, located at The Reeds, offers two levels of pure relaxation— featuring luxurious treatment rooms including a brine light therapy lounge and Turkish bath; a blow-out bar and makeup application studio for weddings or a night out on the town; nail care with a manicure and pedicure salon; waxing services and a fully equipped fitness center.
After our tour we go to our room to get ready for dinner. Tanya always acts like dinner is furthest thing from her mind. “Oh, yes, I almost forgot.” Now how can anyone forget about dinner? Well it turns out that after resting and reviewing our experience, she actually says she is hungry. Can it be that my wife, like me, actually gets hungry? We have reservations at SAX for tomorrow night, so where do we go? Not feeling like driving anymore we decide to walk next door and eat at the Stone Harbor Pizza Pub, which is owned by The Reeds and is on the bay. There we meet Emir Santos, who is tending bar, cooking and hosting at the Pub. He is a delightful host and we talk with him while he makes our Chicken Parm sandwiches, which are delicious and really hit the spot.
We are both tired so we easily fall asleep on the amazingly comfortable king size bed. I wonder, where on earth did they get such comfortable pillows? Tanya barely is able to finish her prayers, conking out immediately after saying, “Amen.” I follow suit.
Waking up earlier than expected, I am ready to meet the day. As Tanya gently wakes, I look out the window and admire the seaside town of Stone Harbor. We make coffee with the in-room Keurig machine. Tanya, knowing I want to get going, tries to fix herself up as fast as she can. I pretend to be patient as she gets ready. She knows I am pretending.
We leave Stone Harbor, heading for the Wetlands Institute. There we see what looks like a big Victorian shore house. Inside, it is kind of a teaching center. In fact a group of homeschoolers are learning about the wetlands wildlife by interacting with hands-on exhibits. The main focus of the institute is New Jersey’s diamondback terrapin. These salt marsh turtles are in danger from traffic, crab traps, and were at one time mercilessly hunted. We learn about some of the birds indigenous to the salt marshes and we walk a couple of trails through this area teaming with life. We see several birds but no turtles, just a shell that was shed.
We stop for lunch at a little café on the mainland and then head back to Stone Harbor. Back in Stone Harbor, it is early afternoon and our dinner reservations at SAX are for 7 p.m. As we are walking around the town we come to the Harbor Square Theatre which is in the same building as the Harbor Burger Bar. What is great is that you can bring the food from the Burger Bar into the theatre. The Theatre is a movie house that is refurbished and even has its own gallery with photos from early twentieth century Stone Harbor. We stay for a movie and then go back to our room.
Time for a nap. We have two hours before dinner and napping seems like an excellent idea. We both take off our shoes and sit in the comfortable chairs with our feet on the ottomans. In no time we are sleeping and just in time we both wake up, ready to go to SAX.
SAX at the Reeds is itself a kind of getaway. We walk in and see what looks like floating bottles at the bar on the other end of the room. Actually the bottles are on glass shelves that are back lit, which makes them look like they are defying gravity. The cube shaped lanterns hanging from the ceiling add a very contemporary touch and enhance the getaway atmosphere. The dark wood tables and chairs are set in contrast to the paneled white walls but match the large fireplace. We are enchanted.
The waiter, Patrick, is very helpful with his suggestions and his easy, South Jersey Shore manner. We begin our meal with Fried Calamari, an appetizer I can very seldom pass up. It is perfect, crispy outside and moist and soft inside. Then I order the New York Strip Steak, which comes with grilled asparagus, tater frittes & SAX steak sauce. All 12 ounces is delicious. Tanya orders the Grilled SAX Salad that includes grilled shrimp, scallops & lobster tail with bacon, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, grilled scallions, hardboiled egg and champagne vinaigrette. She is in seafood heaven. I finish the whole steak and she leaves some for later. Not able to eat dessert, we go back to our rooms and watch some TV.
The morning comes, illuminated from the rising sun. We are sad. We have to leave. We wish we were at the Reeds during the summer. There is beach service. Beach attendants will usher you down to the beach in an electric car along bringing branded beach chairs, towels, tags, and umbrella. They will bring you back too and are at your service all day, to bring lunch or whatever is needed. There are also bay activities, golf and even daily Yoga.
We say goodbye to our friendly hosts and head toward the Garden State Parkway. We will be busy again soon. Our lives will again revolve around kids, grandkids, work, sleep and so on, but we come to it refreshed. Our stint at The Reeds at Shelter Haven provided the geographical cure we needed.
The Reeds at Shelter Haven is located at 9601 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247. For information about planning events or reserving a room, call 609-368-0100 or visit www.reedsatshelterhaven.com.