Jersey Shore Perfect for Mother-Daughter Meetup

My earliest memories of the Jersey Shore are scant but overwhelmingly positive -- including a day trip to Atlantic City and also one to Asbury Park, and watching the Miss America pageant on our black and white TV back home in Queens. As a four-year-old, nothing proved more enticing than dipping my toes in the foaming surf, and eating junk food like hotdogs, caramel corn and salt water taffy from shops on the boardwalk.

For my first mini-vacation post Covid, I needed to see the Atlantic Ocean upfront and personal, and walk on a boardwalk, rain or shine. My mouth watered when I thought of buckwheat pancakes chock full of blueberries for breakfast at Uncle Bill’s, a mainstay of most Jersey Shore towns.

So in April, I decided to book a four night stay at Harris House in Ocean City -- adjacent to the boardwalk -- for the long weekend before Memorial Day. Reviews spoke of a motel that was clean but basic, bring your own beach towels, and a great value for the money. I paid a modest $630 for four nights.

When I showed my daughter Daphne my reservation, she offered to join me for Friday and Saturday nights, and my son-in-law agreed to stay home in the Philly suburbs with their children, Jack, almost 10, and Lucy, almost 7 -- escorting them to their baseball games and taking them to a Phillies v Red Sox game. 

I certainly had no expectation of beach weather, but as our Ocean City trip neared, I realized I had best put my Tommy Bahama beach chair in the car, and advised Daphne to do the same. Ocean City is an easy drive from Boston.

Friday afternoon was sunny and windy, but perfect for a walk on the boardwalk with Daphne. We made frequent stops at the kitschy shops, including Johnson’s Popcorn and Marty's Sportswear, operated by a lovely couple who can tell you exactly which gifts your grandchildren would enjoy. We split a big piece of chocolate marshmallow fudge from Fralinger’s, too good to pass up, regardless of my desire to lose the pounds I gained during Covid. Looking at the ferris wheel and the roller coaster, both rides that terrify me, I felt a sense of nostalgia and exhilaration, no doubt associated with trips to visit my Coney Island grandma, a woman we saw just once in a while.

Saturday and Sunday turned out to be hot and steamy, just right for us to alternate between running into the not terribly cold ocean, and returning to our beach chairs set under an umbrella I found easier to rent for $11 than schlep from home. We read and we chatted. On Sunday we decided to eat breakfast and lunch on the beach, fetching cold brew and muffins from Ocean City Coffee, and slices of pizza from Manco & Manco, both just steps away on the boardwalk.

I could tell that between moving her family from California to Philadelphia’s Main Line during Covid, getting Jack and Lucy set up at an elementary school that frequently switched back and forth from hybrid to total online learning, and looking at more than 30 homes in a tight real estate market until Etan found just the right one, my daughter needed a break from mommy duties.

Free from the duress of meeting the demands of two very active children, Daphne could speak fondly of their activities. Jack has requested a video themed birthday party, and she has arranged for a video truck to entertain five of his classmates at the home she and Etan just purchased in Merion Station. Lucy is so excited about her friend Sylvie’s birthday, featuring a professional hair braider, that she came close to refusing her date to get a haircut with Sylvie. Happily, Daphne convinced Lucy that her hair was so long that even after a cut, she’d have plenty of hair for braiding.

We enjoyed one seafood meal at Smitty’s Clam Bar in Somer’s Point, and a dinner of really good, Jewish deli at Downbeach Deli and Restaurant in Margate City, highly recommended by Etan. After Daphne drove home, I got a seat at the bar at the Crab Trap, also in Somer’s Point. After a really long wait, my Margarita, sauteed scallops, French fries, and salad were absolutely worth the wait. On my last morning before checking out, I walked to a section of Ocean City evocative of the 1950’s, with a sign heralding a Five and Ten, and another sign saying Pappagallo; I think the store sold clothing, but I could easily envision the dainty loafers with white stitching of my childhood. I got breakfast at Jon & Patty’s, where the cold brew, along with a yogurt, fresh fruit and granola bowl, were delicious.

Etan, and now Daphne, Jack and Lucy have a long and happy history with the Jersey Shore. As a teen, Etan was a frequent guest of a high school classmate whose parents owned a beach house in Margate. Not to mention that his Aunt Vicky and Uncle Joel have long had a beach house in Cape May that they have been very generous in opening to the family. In the summer of 2008, when Daphne and Etan were working to identify a venue for their wedding in mid-November, I was thrilled that they ultimately chose Cape May, NJ. 

As I look back on my recent trip to Ocean City, I realize that while there are trips that could define me as a woman with more sophisticated tastes - including but not limited to a tour of Morocco or Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. During Covid, I even went on Amazon, purchasing guidebooks and maps to both places.

In truth, I’m a beach and boardwalk person, and the Jersey Shore is my happy place.