The Jersey Shore

The location, not the TV show.

I went out to Sea Bright, NJ this weekend to have dinner with some friends from work, and wow, was it worth the trek. What a beautifully quaint town with the Atlantic Ocean on the east side and the Shrewsbury River on the west. There were plenty of local shops and restaurants, tons of docked boats, and beach clubs all along the seaside. My friend even pointed out one of the clubs as being the one to which Bruce Springsteen belongs as we walked along the dunes.

Saturday weather was a bit temperamental which meant sharply dropping temps and severe wind advisories as the sun went down, so I didn't get to explore outside as much as I wanted. But my gracious hosts drove me through their cute little town, pointing out good shops, restaurants, and bars along the way. I wish I'd taken some photos, because the sunset was just gorgeous over the river on the west side. I can't wait to go back in the summer!

While getting back to Sea Bright is simply an easy ferry ride to Sandy Hook from Wall St., I have to say that I should rent a car and leave Manhattan on the weekends from time to time. While the crazy amount of money I spent on gas + tolls was not so exciting, I did really enjoy getting a better feel for the geography in my area. There was an inexplicable thrill associated with driving over the Triboro Bridge (recently renamed RFK, although no one seems to call it that yet) and the GW Bridge and through the Holland Tunnel on the way home. (Tool niche, Kathleen!) I even found myself in the west village by accident instead of the FDR. It was incredibly scary driving home through the surface streets of Manhattan, and I have certainly gained some respect for taxi drivers now.

**Fabulous photos (except for the obvious Google map) by Sam Meyer, my favorite New York photographer.**