Story: Why We Go Down the Shore

New Jersey’s got a bad rap. After all, if all you know of the great garden state involves views from Newark Airport or the New Jersey Turnpike, that “armpit of America” joke might fit.

But that’s a narrow view hemmed in by airline and car traffic, and usually from a one-window angle that prevents most people from seeing that New Jersey is a beautiful state. Don’t believe me? Then ask the millions of people who visit the Jersey Shore every year. Within 120 miles, you’ll find everything from roller coasters to birding lookouts to whale watching tours to Doo Wop architecture to casinos.

You’ll find so much down the shore because of who decided to make it a summer escape. Back before air conditioning became a must, the only place you could cool down was by the water, and the Jersey Shore’s ocean breezes provided extra relief from scorching summer days – especially if you lived in a hot, crowded city. New Yorkers chose Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Ocean Grove, while Philadelphians flocked to Atlantic City, Avalon, Stone Harbor and the Wildwoods. Cape May became the hot weather escape for the wealthiest Philadelphians, who built gorgeous, expansive Victorian homes that now serve as B&Bs while the Doo Wop hotels that sprung up after World War II one town over offer family friendly stays in motels, which were, in the 1950s, revolutionary design.

The cooler temperatures still attract people in the summer, but the shore’s year round appeal has grown, too, especially in Atlantic City, which has experienced a resurgence as its first casino – Resorts – celebrates its 30th year anniversary. The Borgata kicked off a development and renovation craze where sequins went the way of acid wash jeans and were replaced by slick, cool sophistication. Yes, you can still do an all you can eat buffet, but you can also get a steak a la Wolfgang Puck, modern Asian cosine at Buddakan and Cuban food (with a floor show) at Alma de Cuba. New nightclubs – mur.mur, Providence, The Mixx – keep the party going throughout the night, breaking hour of operation laws to bring people down the shore after the Philadelphia bars close. This isn’t your grandmom’s Atlantic City anymore.

But it’s not all flash and glam. The geography of the Jersey Shore makes it a hotbed for nature lovers. Sandy Hook State National Park – which is closed to development – offers wind surfing coves on one side of its island and beaches on the other, plus a “History House” that was built in the late 1800s and has been re-stored to show how life was on Sandy Hook, which served as an Army base, during World War II.

Further south, the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge is home to both salt and fresh water habits, a divide brought about by an old Army Corp. of Engineer projects that makes the jump from one type of water to another – and their respective ecosystems – a dirt road wide (and, yes you can drive it). Keep going south down the Cape May, and you have one of the most popular birding sites in the world because to its location along the Atlantic Flyway. When birds stop in Cape May for a rest on the way to or from Canada, swarms of birders follow. In fact, it’s such a popular birding spot that the World Series of Birding, wherein teams have 24 hours to identify as many birds as possible, ends there.

This all makes the Jersey Shore attractive to new visitors, but it’s still a popular destination spot for local travelers because the Jersey Shore means tradition, which is why families have been coming back to the same beaches not just through years, but through generations. My mother’s family first stayed at Avalon Campground 40 years ago, and I’m still a regular visitor. While restaurants and stores may come and go, the Jersey Shore experience of ice cream on the boardwalk, rides after dinner and long days on the surf and sand create a memory that ages well with time, especially when you have kids to bring down the shore to experience the same thing that fascinated you as a kid.

Jen A. Miller is author of The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May. Read more at downtheshorewithjen.com.