Our journey in New Jersey began at the north end of Jersey Shore, at the Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook. Mount Mitchill is the highest natural point on the Atlantic Seaboard between south Maine and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. From here there are sweeping views of Sandy Hook Bay and on the horizon stands the Manhattan skyline. Also here is Monmouth County’s 9/11 Memorial honouring those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
From Mount Mitchill we headed along Jersey Shore through the town of Sea Bright. Jersey Shore is the 141 mi/227km stretch of coast facing the Atlantic Ocean. As we drove along the affluent Ocean Avenue through Sea Bright and down to Seaside Heights we gaped at the luxury seaside homes, now left abandoned for the winter with no one to be seen on the streets.
Further south we visited Smithville. In 1787, a single room was opened by James Baremore along a busy stagecoach route. That room is now the Smithville Inn and is part of the Towne of Historic Smithville. With Lake Meone at the centre and cobblestone walkways and foot bridges to meander along, the village is made up of specialty shops, eateries and accommodation.
And then we arrived in Atlantic City. With its pier, boardwalk, bright lights, big hotels and casinos, it was like being in a cross between Blackpool and Las Vegas. But without all the people 😂 We loved coming to Atlantic City in November. While some areas like the pier resembled a ghost town, for the most part everything else was still open and we had the boardwalk to ourselves, the beach to ourselves and the restaurants to ourselves. We would like to come back one day in summer just for a few hours to appreciate Atlantic City in all its glory but actually, deserted Atlantic City suited us just fine.
From Atlantic City we continued South along Jersey Shore and down to Cape May. We’re currently sitting on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry watching the world go past in the sunshine as we head across the bay to Delaware. Thank you New Jersey!
P&S
