| The Jersey shore is a popular place in the summer. It | | | | of these communities consist of rows of small |
| offers visitors a place to cool off, swim and just kick | | | | bungalows that are accessed by narrow sand lanes. |
| back and relax. One stretch of vacation nirvana is | | | | Along the bay though are many larger and fancier |
| found along the barrier island known as the Barnegat | | | | homes, many of which contain Barnegat Bay access |
| Peninsula. On the east side of the island is the nice | | | | and docks right outside the back door of each |
| sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean while the west | | | | property. |
| is bordered by Barnegat Bay. This sameness is just | | | | Moving along, one next finds Lavallette and Ortley |
| about the only thing that stays the same though as | | | | Beach. While these towns are distinctive enough, as a |
| you travel from one end of the peninsula to the | | | | whole they are much more similar to one another in |
| other. Each of the numerous boroughs found along | | | | comparison to the other towns just mentioned. Here |
| the way has its own distinctive personality. Let's take | | | | their once were mostly smaller beach bungalows, but |
| a look at some of these communities and check out | | | | over the years most of these have been replaced |
| what they offer. | | | | by larger homes. There are also a few hotels and |
| The northernmost communities are just south of the | | | | motels, condos and plenty of rental homes. There |
| Manasquan River and include two towns, Point | | | | are also some commercial areas along route 35 and |
| Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach. The latter is typical | | | | more amenities. |
| Jersey shore but with a family feel and its own | | | | Seaside Heights is the next stop and this is the |
| commercial boardwalk. Here you can also find a small | | | | busiest and wildest borough of them all. It has a large |
| commercial fishery, complete with a seafood co-op | | | | commercial boardwalk with two amusement piers and |
| and a number of nice little restaurants. There are also | | | | lots of arcades, games, places to eat and bars. A |
| hotels, motels and like all the rest of the places on | | | | summer weekend in Seaside is like spring break in |
| the peninsula, a lifeguard protected beach. To get on | | | | Florida. Lots of teenagers. Wild parties. And a packed |
| the beach, and support the lifeguards, you will need | | | | beach during the day. |
| to buy beach badges. There are daily, weekly and | | | | Next is Seaside Park. This is somewhere between |
| seasonal rates. Point Pleasant is just west of Point | | | | Mantoloking and Lavallette/Ortley Beach in its feel. |
| Pleasant Beach and is more of a settled community | | | | Some nice old and large homes, quieter and more |
| than a summer vacation destination. There is an old | | | | family oriented than the more commercialized Seaside |
| downtown area (with a lot of antique stores) and | | | | Heights and some small commercial areas with stores, |
| some other very business districts. | | | | shops and places to eat. |
| Moving south, the next community is Mantoloking. | | | | Finally the last ten miles of the Barnegat Peninsula is a |
| Here there is a connection to the mainland, via a | | | | different kind of wild. Island Beach State Park is |
| bridge that crosses the bay. Mantoloking is old time | | | | undeveloped barrier island. Very unusual for NJ and a |
| fancy. Many of the homes, especially along the | | | | sharp contrast to the rest of the paved over |
| beach, are very large and quite expensive. Tourism | | | | peninsula. You can even find wild foxes living among |
| per say is not as important here, as there is little | | | | the dunes and maritime forest in the park. |
| commercial activity in town, no boardwalk and few | | | | As you can see, this roughly 20 miles of coastal |
| accommodations available to folks that do not own | | | | barrier island offers quite a variety of places to visit. |
| property here. | | | | In some ways it is all the same while you are lounging |
| Further south will bring you to Normandy Beach, | | | | on the beach, but what you want do (or can) do off |
| Chadwich Beach and Dover Beaches South. The look | | | | the beach during your summer vacation on the |
| and feel of the homes here are in sharp contrast to | | | | Barnegat Peninsula can have a lot to do with where |
| what is found just north in Mantoloking. Some areas | | | | you stay. |