Summer Favorites (LBI)

My favorite season has come to a close. I always say I’m going to try new things, but often wind up going to the same places. It’s a seasonal town, and some options are only open May through October. This year I was extra good about branching out. These were a few of my favorite LBI things:

Lobster rolls from The Local. These aren’t new, but I live for them. Let’s carry on.

Poke nachos and fried oyster deviled eggs from the Old Causeway. Also technically not new since this is my place of choice any time someone asks where I want to go to dinner, but I tried the neighboring restaurant with the same owners, Mud City Crab House, and it did not disappoint.

Engleside sushi, always and forever. This year I also tried Shell sushi, which was almost equally delicious.

Oh my gosh, I’m spoiled. I went to Parker’s Garage three times, three weeks in a row. If you know it, it’s kind of expensive, kind of far (from where I live), but always amazing. Somehow I attended a regular night out, a birthday party, and a family gathering here on back to back weeks. Other delightful restaurant surprises were: DaddyO’s rooftop bar, Delaware Oyster House.

Jeffreeze Ice cream is technically off the island, but it’s a new favorite and not a far drive. We loved seeing musicals at the Surflight Theatre. This year, they were outdoors:

And I guess that’s a wrap on summer! It was a fast one, but a good one.

Long Beach Island Summer Recap

I left you for a little bit, but I’ve been here. The truth is, I’ve been producing a TON of blog content this year. Sadly it’s been much more for work and less for myself (it’s over here if you care to read). I’ve got full moon/autumnal equinox intention, and one is to remember to write for my own self, my yoga teaching, for whatever comes to mind, and whomever is listening out there.

Here’s what I’ve been up to for the past few months:

There’s been lots of beach and surf time. This year (summer #3) of surfing has felt like a crossing point to where I can comfortably paddle out, stand up often, and somewhat hold my own… in 2-3 foot waves. My yoga teaching schedule was ideal—one indoor class, one on the bay, one on the beach, and a weekly private in a lush backyard.

I’ve done family parties and a couple bachelorettes, but overall my favorite spot was in the Bayview Park pavilion:

I had a boyfriend and then didn’t anymore, which was fine by me. I think we all know love when we feel it, and I hope you’ll understand that I’m never settling for less. We did go to Bushkill Falls, though. No regrets about that:

Looking back feels like a lot changed from the beginning of summer to the end, but at the same time it passed in the blink of an eye. I spent most of my time on this beautiful island:

I did many of my favorite things with the wonderful people I’ve met here.

I worked three jobs and the weeks flew past. I MOVED! (Nearby and into my own apartment, more to come on that.) I traveled to Amsterdam, mid-to-late pandemic (more to come on that, as well).

Now, if you’ll excuse me while I soak in the last bits of summer. I plan to be back on here more often!

Fall

Hello! I’m here, more quiet and still than in a usual year. But, as we know, this is not a usual year.

They tell me island life is busier than in most years. I’ve never been here for this long, so I’ll have to take their word for it. The temperature has dropped, but things feel… strangely normal.

I’m lucky now, because the past 9-10 months have been anything but normal. Somehow we’ve been allowed to keep operating and I’ve managed to build a sense of routine that feels steady, but could always be gone in the blink of an eye.

Yoga has moved from the beach and the turf to indoors (thankfully for me, because I can’t handle the cold). Restaurants and gyms are still open, so I can continue life as it was going in the summer. That gives me a nice sense of stability and I’m sorry if you’re wanting to do those things and cannot.

I’m still dreaming of kicking off a Zoom yoga class before the end of the year so that we can all practice together if you’re not here.

I’ve started teaching at another studio here, and there still has been time for restaurant life, sunset views, and a quick trip back home to take in the fall foliage.

And a small-sized Thanksgiving with my sister and her boyfriend. And when I say small, I mean the number of people; the menu was most definitely regular-sized.

We enjoyed making the most of a weird and distanced holiday.

I’ve officially become a New Jersey resident (gasp), which include not one but TWO trips down to the shortest line DMV in Cape May. The first time I was turned away for not having all the right materials, but I turned it into a beach day instead. The second time was more successful, and I visited Lucy on the way back:

This is the longest I’ve stayed in one place for a while. It feels safe and like some sort of a home. I’m waiting to discover next steps, but right now I’m happy to be here. And the sunsets have still been amazing, in case you were wondering.

LBI in Springtime

I’m writing this a few weeks later now that I’m down in Long Beach Island, NJ “permanently” (not sure if I’m ever anywhere permanently at this point!) But in early May I came down to the beach for a little getaway. Being here before summer kicks off is very peaceful and relaxing. It’s not exactly bikini weather, but there was enough sun to go for walks on the beach. I forget how much nature is all around this normally busy island. The scenery is filled with gulls, crabs, dolphins, turtles, and all sorts of sea creatures. I ran into a family of geese down at the end of our dock that were guiding their new goslings by the water.

My sister joined me for the weekend and we did all of our favorite things, in quarantine style. It was different than your usual visit to LBI, sure, but we were able to check off some of the traditional activities. We had coffee and split a strawberry poptart by the fire at The Local. They’re open for full service with masks, distancing, and a limited number of guests.

We walked on the boulevard and onto the beach. There weren’t many people around before Memorial Day, but Mother’s Day brought a few families out.

The restaurant takeout scene was already busy before the summer rush. We called our favorite breakfast spot, The Sandbox, and were told there would be an hour wait. That seemed manageable since my sister doesn’t get to come down here very often. For dinner, we ordered sandwiches from Black Whale on the south end of the island. They had almost a two hour wait, but the server shortened it to an hour when she found out we were only getting crab cakes. Both meals were worth the wait since they provide reassurance that our beloved island eateries are surviving these wild times. I hope they stay busy and can do good business this summer in spite of it all.

On Sunday, my sister had to hit the road to go back to work as an essential employee, so I made us oatmeal bowls at home. The whole weekend was a fun girls’ trip and gave me some nice company for island hermit life.