Almost Paradise 2014

I had just gotten back from visiting my parents for a week down in Florida and was still in warm weather mode when it hit me to take a ride down to the Long Branch beach and see what was cooking out there. 

It had been almost eleven days since I cruised the beach area by my house. So on Easter Sunday, I hopped in my car, still in shorts, a polo shirt, and sandals, and headed down to Pier Village. Even though it was a bit windy when I got there, I was still able to enjoy one of the venues in town where a lot of summertime action will be in just a few short weeks. Free concerts on Thursday night, the sales, the specials. . . 

Now usually on a day like that Sunday, people would be itching to get out and do some exploring, considering the brutal winter we all had around here. But to my surprise, there weren’t that many locals out and about. Mostly everyone there were out-of-towners. I could tell. A lot of license plates on the cars parked in Pier Village were from out-of-state, mostly New York. 

As I began my stroll on the boardwalk, I couldn’t help but hear the many different languages from the people who strolled the boardwalk just like me. This is one of the great things that I love about living at the shore. It knows no ethnic or cultural boundaries, especially in shore towns like Long Branch and Asbury Park. All people love the shore, and the shore welcomes them all with open arms.

First, I walked over to the Ocean Place Resort & Spa to check out the construction going on at the Tiki Bar. Plans to expand the bar and add an outdoor pool are in the works and will probably be finished in time for the 2015 summer season. 

I walked past McLoone’s Pier House to see how things were going there. The restaurant had a waiting list, and all the chairs at the side bars were occupied. It was just too bad that it was windy out. If it wasn’t, I’m sure the outdoor seating would have been filled. 

Then I sauntered over to the large gazebo between Pier House and Avenue and looked out over the ocean. It was so relaxing. The morning before we left Florida to head back to New Jersey, we were supposed to hit Dania Beach for a few hours of sand and surf. Unfortunately, it had rained the night before, so a trip to the south Florida shore that day was out. 

I took a deep breath and tasted a bit of the sea air. It was like Heaven. For someone like me who’s lived here his entire life, it has always been like Heaven. The Jersey Shore is the one place I can count on when things seem out of kilter, or whenever I need a mental boost. The ocean seems to do that to me. You could say it’s like church for me. There were even some people down on the beach with their pants rolled up, getting their feet wet when the waves rolled up on the sand. 

After several minutes under the gazebo, I proceeded to walk past Avenue, an amazing restaurant that was doing a huge lunch business that Easter Sunday afternoon. I continued on, walking across the parking lot and past Michael Angelo’s, Sawa, and soon found myself at the base of Festival Plaza, right across from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. 

I just stood there and took my surroundings all in. It’s going to be a great summer here at the Jersey Shore, folks. After the winter that we had around here, we deserve it. 

(The entire Jersey Shore Retro Blogography can be found at http://longbranch.patch.com/blogs/kevin-cieris-blog .You can also follow Kevin Cieri's blog on his Facebook page, "Jersey Shore Retro" as well as on Twitter @jsretro).