Afternoon at the Jersey Shore

As we were pulling out of the driveway on our way into NYC, my husband turned to G and said, “Hey, would you rather go to Sandy Hook today?” G enthusiastically threw his hands in the air, yelling,”Beach! YAY!” Of course, during this exchange I’m too thrown to do anything except gape at my husband. The car was packed. Outfits, and changes of clothes, were selected. Snacks were carefully chosen. All for the city. THE CITY. Not the beach! That is an entirely different proposition with a baby and a preschooler. I convinced my husband, that yes, we really did need to go back home and get some minimal beach supplies. So we pulled back in, and I ran back into the house to grab some essentials – bathing suits, hats, towels, more water, swim diapers. My husband went for the sand toys and stroller. He also thought, just in case, he would bring G’s bike and running shoes for us. And then, we hit the road.

And, it actually went really smoothly. If given more than 30 seconds notice, I would have worried, and made lists, and spent a ton of time thinking about what to do for C’s first trip to the beach. But, apparently, just going with it worked, too.

We went to Sandy Hook, a federally owned penninsula in NJ with public beaches. After playing in the sand and the water, buidling castles, and collecting shells, it was time for C’s nap.

We loaded both C and G into the stroller, and walked along the trail. We actually did get some running in. And along the way there are signs pointing out plants and animals local to the area. It was scenic, and the other runners/bikers/walkers had a smile and a wave, and were very patient with our monster sized stroller.

As we were finishing our walk, it started raining, so we ran for the car, and drove along the peninsula, pointing out the Coast Guard facility, and Fort Hancock, the former Army fort. Apparently NJ’s only legal nude beach is also on the peninsula, but we missed that.  The rain let up, and we stopped by Moby’s Lobster Deck for some lobster rolls and chowder. C is still not much of an eater (I know- you couldn’t tell by looking at him), but apparently he loves lobster! And the brand new picture of C and me in the top right was snapped while we were eating. So I guess maybe, maybe, we can add a little spontaneity into our plans without the world coming to an end!