Monmouth Beach

October 4 – October 6, 2010

On our way across the water to New Jersey, the chop and the swells really started to rise. We were rocking and rolling! Look at the spray all around Gary, working hard to secure the loose lines.

Here we are, docked at Bahr’s Marina in the Atlantic Highlands. When we came into the bay, it was too foggy and wet to see too far ahead, so it was difficult to see Sandy Hook to our port side.

We spent the rest of the day with old Krasnosky family friends, Mariella and her daughter Juliana. By the smiles and adamant conversation, I could tell that they were glad to just sit down and visit with one another.

The next day we stayed in the Highlands and visited many places that the Krasnoskys loved to go when they used to live in the area.

First was the Twin Lights lighthouse in the Highlands. This beautiful lighthouse has two light towers, to ensure that at lease one was ready to guide ships in the night. On the lighthouse hill you could see clear across the water, all the way to New York City.

We ate breakfast at Steve’s. They have delicious pork roll and muffins. Kris, Carol, and Gary used to come here all the time. Kris used to sit on the counter and watch Steve at work in the kitchen. Unfortunately it was Steve’s day off, so we could not say hello.

Next we visited Delicious Orchards, and oh, it is delicious. We left with pie, dried fruit, fresh produce, and the best apple cider I have ever tasted. Once we’d left I wanted to turn around and go back again.

Then it was off to the boardwalk! Because it was off season, there wasn’t too much open, but the beach and the ocean were beautiful. Kris and I found an Aquarium on our walk down the beach and decided to visit. It was a small Aquarium, but a very nice one, with fish, sharks, horseshoe crabs, sea horses, penguins, and seals! We arrived just in time to watch the trainers feed the seals.

Next we set out for some amazing Italian ice from the Light House (there sure are a lot of lighthouses on our trip!). Cherry, lemon, strawberry, chocolate….they were all so good. Kris thought so too, as he ate all of his and finished off everyone else’s!

Our palates pleased by our Italian Ice treat, we headed for Sandy Hook. We explored old military bunker ruins, drove past the military houses, walked around the park, and visited the park light house. The light house used to be on the furthest point on the sandy outreach, but now it’s halfway back from the point at Sandy Hook. We couldn’t go to the furthest point now, as it is occupied by the US Coast Guard.

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Spinny played dress up in the car with Kris and me as we made our way back to Mariella’s for a delicious lobster and shrimp dinner. Dressing up like Emily sure is tiring huh Spin?

We had a wonderful time at our all too short visit to Sandy Hook, Monmouth Beach, and surrounding places.