36 APRIL 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
Island Beach State Park
BY JULIA MORTIMER
My Visit to…
In the winter months, it is a continuous battle trying to stay
-
bite. I’ve found that staying at home the majority of days,
with a repetitive routine, has been quite mundane. I woke up
to a surprisingly warm day as winter turned to spring, so I decided
to take advantage of it and drive to Island Beach State
Park! I had never been to the spot before, but the beautiful
scenic photos I had seen have certainly sparked my interest.
The state park is described as a narrow barrier island
-
ic Barnegat Bay.
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nants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along
much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped
barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast,” according
to the Department of Environmental Protection.
I hit the road around 9 am, stopping at Coffee Corral in
the Garden State Parkway. I headed southbound toward the
Route 37 East, the beachy ambiance began to express itself.
along with seafood restaurants and local pizza joints.
When I entered Seaside Heights, I instantly felt as
though I was on a beach vacation. I admired the beautiful
homes painted in light shades of blue, decorated with
coastal trinkets while I sailed down Central Avenue with the
windows down. I love to glance down each side street because
you can just see Barnegat Bay at the end peaking over the
end of the pavement.
It is such a breathtaking park, just driving straight down with the smell
taken advantage of amid the endless 30-degree days we had this winter.
I parked in one of the many
beach access lots, strolling
along the wooden walkway
toward the ocean. I was pleasantly
surprised at how vast the
beach area was. It was immaculately clean and looked completely untouched.
The water was a crisp blue, as the waves rolled onto the shore.
It felt as though I had just wondered upon this beach before civilization
discovered it. I laid a blanket down, sat down and opened up my current
read, “Where the Crawdads Sing.”
After reading while getting continuously distracted by the beauty
of the beach, I decided to head home. As I drove down the parkway,
pretending it was a summer day, I naturally began craving a burrito – as
one does. Wracking my brain for some great local restaurants, I remem-
called Dos Banditos.
I pulled over and placed my order online, a quick and easy process.
Daydreaming about my burrito as I drove down the parkway toward Fair
chicken burrito with guacamole. Since the sun was still shining, I decided
to pull my car up to a boat ramp near the Navesink River and eat my takeout
while admiring the scenery.
I found it so important to take advantage of the sporadic warm day
that graced us as winter weather still lingered. Something seemingly trivial,
such as visiting a new beach and trying a new restaurant, was just
what I needed to spruce up my mundane winter routine.
/TheJournalNJ.com