Jersey Shore Jaunt.

Our trip to Patterson Great Falls. A climb to the top of High Point State Park. Standing beneath Buttermilk Falls and driving through the depths of the Delaware Water Gap. While my wife and I were simply exploring destinations in our state that looked cool, little did we know that we were visiting several of the fourteen “Natural Wonders of New Jersey,” according to the website Only In Your State. Who knew that the forty-seventh smallest state in the union would be big enough to have fourteen natural wonders!

On a cold, blustery December weekend, my wife and I decided to explore another of these natural wonders: Island Beach State Park, the largest undeveloped coastal barrier island in New Jersey. Whereas many of the long, narrow islands that line the Atlantic coast of my state have been transformed into seaside resort towns, Island Beach remains a wilderness, preserved as it would have appeared hundreds of years ago. Along the way, we drove on one of the first transcontinental highways, took in a windy, if gorgeous seaside view, explored a coastal town known for oyster fishing, and ate great food.

Let’s begin:

Our Jersey Shore Weekend

The Drive to Cape May:

Island Beach State Park

Odds and Ends

Before closing I wanted to pass along some reading and viewing material. As my readers can probably guess, I’m fascinated by high mileage car ownership, and I have two cool stories to pass along from the land of subcompact cars. First, I recently came across this story of a 2007 Honda Fit that was traded into a dealership in Colorado with over 730,000 miles on it! Given that the Fit is the smallest car in Honda’s lineup, it’s deeply impressive that someone could put so many miles on such a tiny car.

And while I’m admittedly a Honda/Acura nerd, I do appreciate anytime someone can demonstrate a long-term commitment to their vehicle. A Minnesota couple drove their 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage to 414,000 miles through the husband’s work as a medical courier in the Twin Cities area. They nicknamed their car the Purple Won, inspired by the musical artist Prince, who was known as The Purple One. You can read more about the Huot family and their little-Mitsubishi-that-could in this recent article on Car and Driver.

Finally, while neither high mileage nor Honda/Acura related, I did want to recommend a YouTube channel for your entertainment. A Canadian man, whose screen name is “Foresty Forest,” left his job in the information technology sector to live in his van, exploring the wilds of the Canadian wilderness. Although it appears as a standard Chevrolet minivan from the outside, “Foresty” has completely redesigned the interior to be a personal living space, doing all of the construction and electrical work himself. He also uses the same tires that I have on my Accord and my wife’s Jeep: Nokian WR G4s! I thought I’d share a post that encapsulates his life on the backroads of Canada, his exploration of the mountains, and even cooking a lasagna in his minivan:

Wrapping Up

Our jaunt to the Jersey Shore was a fun weekend, and although the weather made it mildly challenging, we enjoyed our time by the sea. Bayshore Center at Bivalve in Port Norris is typically open on Thursdays and Saturdays during the winter, although do check the website before visiting, as COVID-19 has affected its operating hours. Island Beach State Park is open year round. The park does charge minimal fees, although these go to help offset the maintenance and upkeep of this beautiful location.

Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.

‘Til next time.