By Bob & Tanya Waite
Tanya is not familiar with the Northern Jersey Shore or Monmouth County’s beaches. Born and raised in Philadelphia, the shore always meant Atlantic City and south. I, however, have many childhood memories of visiting my grandmother who owned a boarding house and restaurant on Cookman Ave in Asbury Park. I especially remember walking with my brother Bill alongside Lake Wesley through the Asbury Park Casino and Carousel House and onto the boardwalk. And now we are driving through Asbury Park—an upscale revitalized Asbury Park.
In no time we are driving through Deal and marvel at the large beautifully ornate summer homes that line the beach. Deal is getting a manicure as landscapers are dutifully cutting grass and trimming hedges on the grounds of the mansions that rival getaway homes in Palm Beach, Florida.
Still driving north along the Jersey coastline, we soon see the welcome sign for Long Branch and look for the Wave Resort. Tanya spots the hotel in the midst of Pier Village, touching the boardwalk and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This hotel, which opened last May exudes seaside chic and it is actually shaped like a wave.
We are too early to check in. It is an unusually nice day for early March, so we decide to take a ride to Sandy Hook. On our way to Sandy Hook, we see Monmouth Beach and ride through the town of Sea Bright. We stop at a Dunkin Donuts here and have some coffee and donuts, right next to the bridge that leads to Atlantic Highlands.
Sandy Hook is in the Monmouth County Borough of Highlands. It is a 2,044-acre barrier peninsula that is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. Driving into Sandy Hook, we soon park by one of the beaches and get out of the car. As we walk onto the beach, Tanya says, “Look at the sand!” Clean and shiny and granular, it is impressive. The ocean is bright and blue, reflecting a sky that hasn’t a cloud in it. “Now this is one beautiful beach!” she exclaims.
There are people on the beach, laying on blankets and sitting in beach chairs.
Some are even wading in the cold water. “Let’s jump in,” I say. Tanya doesn’t answer but her eyes tell me what she’s thinking. I look for shells while she is busy photographing the beach, people walking their dogs and me. The dogs are having a ball. One is running towards the water as it recedes and running back to safety as it again rushes to the shore. A nice woman with a sun hat offers to take a photo of us against the backdrop of the Ocean. The New York skyline is visible and I capture it on my iPhone. Where we are standing, nature and urban architecture kiss.
Sandy Hook has sand dunes, salt and freshwater marshes, a bird sanctuary, trails for walking and biking, and near the tip of the peninsula is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. There is also Fort Hancock and the Sandy Hook Proving Grounds.
We leave Sandy Hook and cross the bridge to drive through the picturesque town of Atlantic Highlands. The town is a seashore haven, with clapboard boutiques, galleries, cafes and an upscale salt air weathered look. We find a park with trails and a beautiful view of Sandy Hook across the Raritan Bay where we also see some of the New York skyline.
We return to the Wave Resort. As Tanya enters the lobby she is ready to scream. I see her holding back the outburst she would make if there were no one there. I expected her to shout, “Halleluiah! The lobby has track lighting illuminating abstract paintings that are big bold and bright. Interesting shaded lanterns hang from the ceiling and there are sitting areas full of large photographic books. Comfortable sofas, round, square and odd shaped tables with mixed and matched chairs make the décor inviting and aesthetically pleasing. Large potted plants are seen everywhere and there is a pool table for guest use.
We check in to our 5th floor room. Tanya walks in and this time she does scream. An iPhone comes quickly out of her pocketbook as quickly as Bat Masterson would draw his gun. She photographs everything in the room.
While Tanya is taking photos, I walk outside on the balcony that surrounds the room. On the large wraparound balcony are several sitting area. I sit facing the ocean and look down at the people parading by on the boardwalk directly below.
The room is large. It is a combination of bedroom and living room that has a sitting area with a sofa and comfortable chair. The floor is uncovered planks that are gray and give the room a minimalistic beach cabin look as do the dark cabinets and closet. There is a spectacular view that can be seen through the wraparound windows, when the curtains are drawn. Since this room is on a corner we can look north over the boardwalk Pier Village shops and the ocean or look east, directly facing the ocean.
People are walking on the boardwalk and some are actually braving the early March ocean by dashing in and out of the water. I saw one young man go in up to his waist. Others more restrained are just walking, laying on blankets and sitting on beach chairs.
Tanya and I sit an hour on our balcony, watching people walk by and talking. Although our reservations are for tomorrow, we decide go out and have a light dinner at the Wave’s premier restaurant, 100 Ocean.
We order burgers and fries. Odd choice, considering the upscale menu and appearance, but we just want to eat, relax and binge watch a series we have been following on Netflix.
After this delightful repast, we go to our room. Using my iPhone and the smart tv, we are able to see our series and watch several episodes. We fall asleep and I wake up later to turn off the tv.
Waking up early in the morning, we decide to take a ride visiting some of Monmouth County’s beach towns. We decide to make it an all-day drive. We head south along the shore, to Asbury Park. It is an overcast day, raining off and on. Once in Asbury, we drive through the downtown area and see a plethora of upscale restaurants, art galleries, antiques stores, boutiques and small cafes. We are reminded of our own Bucks County, with of course, a Jersey shore twist.
Ocean grove is known as “the jewel of the Jersey Shore.” It is only one square mile in area, yet it has the largest assemblage of Victorian architecture in the country. It began as a Methodist camp meeting town and is still owned by the camp meeting association and leased to individual homeowners and businesses. Ocean Grove remains the longest-active camp meeting site in the United States. And in addition to a long standing Christian tradition, it is one of the Jersey Shore’s finest year-round seashore destinations. Attractions include an old-fashioned boardwalk, hotels, eateries and a very well-kept beach. Tanya, a fan of Victorian architecture, keeps saying, “Look! That’s gorgeous!” And, “Wow!”
We drive to Spring Lake, a resort that became a getaway for New York and Philadelphia high society during the gilded age of the late 19th and early 20th century. As we see, it still maintains its elegance. The boardwalk in Spring Lake is totally noncommercial, and in fact, it is the longest of its kind at the New Jersey Shore. As we drive around, past bed & breakfasts, stately inns and homes that still speak to the elegance of another age, we are impressed.
As we leave Spring Lake it is beginning to rain. We drive back to Long Branch and stop at a small deli to get hoagies, considering which way we ought to go now. We decide to go back to the Wave.
Tanya wants to sit in the lobby and “chill.” I agree, so we come in out of the chilly rain and sit at round table on a very comfortable brown leather couch. While I look at the art books laid out for guests on the table, Tanya is checking her Facebook to see how many likes she has on the photos she took of our room.
After about an hour of ‘chillin’ we return to the room and view the boardwalk from the wraparound windows. Unlike yesterday there is no one there. The cold snap and rain drove away the salt and sun seekers.
After a couple of hours it is time for us to check in to 100 Ocean for dinner. Even though dress is casual, we spruce up a bit and come down for a romantic dinner date.
Walking in, we are immediately impressed by the lounge style bar, a central banquette area between exposed concrete columns and tables lining the windows. There is a deep sea green back wall and finishes throughout the space include walnut, blackened steel, Blue Danube marble, and brass. The floors are exposed concrete and the furniture is a mix of teak banquettes along with classic rattan chairs and tables of two different tones. Although the menu is fine dining, the interior allows for a classy down-the-shore ambience.
It is off season and the restaurant is full but not crowded. In no time our server, Omayma Bougdour is standing at our table. She brings us menus and asks us what we would like to drink. Tanya orders her favorite, Bahama Mama, and I order a glass of an Oregon Pinot Noir.
Omayma comes to our table with the Acqua Panna mineral water and takes our order. For our appetizers we order Colossal Shrimp Cocktail with horseradish and Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice with scallion and sesame. The Colossal Shrimp are delicious and larger than we can imagine, while the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice is delectably crunchy and quite tasty.
Tanya chooses the Shrimp Brochette as her entrée and I choose the Basil Short Rib. While these are being prepared, Chef Eric Daly brings us several creations to try. One is a kind of pizza that had several cheeses and broccoli. It is too good, as are the tender mussels with garlic sauce the chef brings and the garlic bread, that by the way, outdoes most I’ve ever tried, and I grew up in an Italian neighborhood.
By the time the main course comes, we are full. We only taste the pizza and instead make a large dent in our entrées. My short rib is so tender it falls apart on the fork. Tanya is in an altered state and can barely speak as she eat her shrimp.
Now we doubt we can get up from our chairs but there is dessert that Chef Daly wants us to try. Tanya has the Bourbon Pecan Tart and I eat the Pumpkin Cheesecake. Mine is so creamy and flavorful that, even though I am full to the bursting point, I eat it all. Tanya follows suit, smiling mischievously, like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.
We have a bag packed with food for later this evening. We leave too full to go back to the room and take a walk on the misty Long Branch boardwalk. Although the night is dark and cloudy, we enjoy the walk, the sound of the ocean and the cool air.
We wake up early for our ride back home. There is still so much we want to see at the Monmouth County shores. As we drive home in the rain, Tanya says, “I want to go back.” I say, “Me too babe.”