First Beach Weekend of 2013

 I apologize for the choppy title... but I've got quite a few days worth of pictures here to share. We've had 90 degree weather since Thursday (I'm writing this on Sunday) and you KNOW I've made the trip out there with the boys quite a few times!

On Thursday afternoon, we met T at school with a change of clothes, and hopped in the car and drove out to Belmar! They have three new play structures (although, oddly, two are exactly the same but at different locations). Above, Trenton actually hit the camera/phone with his foot during this shot.

 That's Oliver and a few of his friends. The new play structures are lower to the ground than the old ones and are less elaborate than the old ones. But they are aesthetically pleasing and NEW!

 The boys got a real kick out of watching a kite surfer. I've never seen one before... the guy got so high off the water!

 Belmar's new boardwalk is different than the old one. Still offers some slanted boards, and some straight paths... but it seems to be made out of a totally different material. And it is such a dark color-- it gets HOT!

 A very cool Jet Ski. (Oliver had originally called it a "water motorcycle")
*****
On the following day, I decided to take Oliver out to our favorite beaches and explore the new playgrounds (or check on the old ones). We began in Ocean Grove.
Below is a picture of the Sea Spray Inn. Jim and I are celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary in July and we've booked two nights at this B&B. Looking forward to it...

So! Ocean Grove! Alive and well, I must say. They did have quite a few dunes that helped to preserve some of their boardwalk, although much of it was lost, as was the popular fishing pier. The playground in OG is far from the boardwalk, near Fletcher Lake. The two main play places were replaced with new, but a few of the older structures still remained.

Ollie loved it, but hates wood chips in his flip flops. Can't blame him.

We walked from the Grove over to Asbury Park. Above, Oliver stands in front of Casino Pier. It appears to me that one side looks different than the other (the far side has more 'structure' than the near side), and I don't remember it being that way. Although Asbury was quick to repair their boardwalk, there is still evidence of storm-related damage.

This plaza sits on the border of OG and Asbury. When you stared at it from the front, you could see clear through to the other side-- the ocean. Incredible. However, most of the shops and the restaurant pictured above have been vacant for at least a year.

This is Asbury's spray ground. It did not look like it was ruined, but it did not look like it was ready to open. A sign on the door wasn't really helpful. We shall see if it opens sometime this summer. For $15, our family can go after 4 and stay till 7.. which the boys would LOVE.

Beach was pretty deserted, but we were able to sneak on before 9. It is in really great shape. Clean. Big cliff at the edge, though, that takes you down to a short shore before the ocean.

Next stop was Bradley Beach. Bradley had a unique brick promenade, rather than a boardwalk and lots of natural dunes. The dunes clearly saved this town-- most of the ocean-front homes and businesses looked pretty unscathed. It looks completely different, however, now that the dunes are gone. Usually, you can't see the shoreline from the boardwalk.

The playground had lots of debris in it, I'm sure, and all the mulch probably washed away... but the play structures held their ground! A few new things here and there... What was so striking was the fact that the stuff looked older and worn, rather than brand new. Hm.

And off to Belmar again! They clearly have the best playplaces. But with the rowdiest crowd, we probably won't be getting a season pass here. Our beloved Avon is still greatly under construction. But they do have bathrooms, and ample parking, and lots of families... so we will probably end up there most of the time this summer again ;)

After returning to Howell for lunch and a nap, we picked up Trenton and headed out to Point Pleasant. Oliver's new obsession is digging himself into sand holes. Below you can see Martell's Tiki Bar in the background. Someone must have saved the neon trees, because they're baaaack!

Oliver was thrilled to see that the train was operating again! I think the tracks must have gotten pretty messed up because of Sandy... the last time we were here a few weeks ago, the train was the only ride that wasn't up and running.

ZOMG guess who is tall enough to do the bumper cars?
It seems like yesterday he was going on the fishy ride for the first time...

He absolutely LOVED the bumper cars.

That night, I found him in bed, twirling his hair, and holding a smiling Baby Mike close. Still my little-big boy.

***
Sunday morning, bright and early, we headed out to Bradley Beach. I packed the bikes and both boys rode a few blocks from where we had parked to the playground.

We did go on the beach afterwards but it was so darn windy. Even though it was probably in the 80s inland, it was about 65 on the beach near the water. At 11:30, we packed up and headed out for a picnic... and then on to Green Meadows farm, in Hazlet.

Excellent beach weekend, though, and definitely looking forward to more!