The Jersey Shore. If you’re a kid from New Jersey, chances are you spent some of your childhood summers visiting one of the beach towns that dot our state’s coastline. For most of my life, “going to the shore” meant a trip to Cape May. However, over the past several years I have explored more of the coastal towns of New Jersey: Asbury Park, Deal, Barnegat, Stone Harbor, Ocean City, and many others.
My wife and I recently enjoyed a weeklong vacation in Sea Isle City. We luxuriated in a beachfront rental house, where we enjoyed beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. We also ate amazing food, saw some cool wildlife, learned about the history of this coastal town, and otherwise recharged our batteries.
So come along, then, as we share some of the highlights of our Sea Isle adventure!
Let’s begin:
A Sea Isle City Week
Located along the Atlantic Ocean, Sea Isle City is an 80 minute drive from Philadelphia, and about 2.5 hours from New York City.Our chosen steed for this weeklong adventure was Grace, our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Acura is a fun car, but sometimes we just need the ability to haul a lot of stuff, and Grace can do that with ease. After a two hour drive on a beautiful Saturday morning we arrived at the shore in time for lunch.Our lunch destination was the Deauville Inn, a seafood restaurant set on the waterfront in Strathmere.Not a bad view for lunch! The Deauville sits on the shores of Strathmere Bay. With blue skies and temperatures in the 70s, it was a gorgeous setting for a meal.We’re on vacation – cheers!We started with an order of calamari, served with spicy mayonnaise. It was absolutely delicious!While my wife enjoyed a crab salad platter, I devoured this crab cake sandwich. Fueled up, we were ready to unpack and begin our week of relaxation!After unpacking and eating a light dinner, we took a walk down to the bay side of Sea Isle to catch this gorgeous sunset.Rather than recounting our week in Sea Isle day-by-day, I thought it might be interesting to share our adventures. What follows is some of our favorite highlights.
The Endicott-Reardon Museum
While venturing off island to run to a local grocery store, we saw a sign for the “Endicott Reardon Museum” in the town of Seaville. Intrigued, we unloaded our groceries at the house, ate a quick lunch, and headed back to the museum.The museum is dedicated to the history of the Endicott and Reardon families, who made this part of New Jersey their home in the early 20th century. The two families were connected by marriage. They were not particularly famous or notable, except for one important fact: they saved everything they owned, offering us a view of life at the shore a century ago. For instance, this wooden trunk was used by the family in the late 19th century when they immigrated from Europe to America.The Endicott-Reardon families saved seemingly everything! I personally appreciated the table set for Sunday dinner, a weekly family tradition. Harriet Reardon Bailey established the museum in 2016 to showcase her family’s vast collection.I also loved the family’s old Silvertone Phonograph. Prior to owning a TV, records were one of their primary forms of entertainment.Harriet taught in a one-room schoolhouse nearby, and the museum displays some of the artifacts of her teaching career.The Reardon-Endicott families were heavily involved in their churches. One of the few items not owned by the family is this organ, donated to the museum by a local Methodist church.Members of the family were avid fans of the railroad industry – check out on the old signal lantern on the top of the display case!The families’ participation in the US military was also on display.Perhaps my favorite item in the museum? This 100-year old child’s pedal car. So cool!The Endicott-Reardon Museum is a fascinating glimpse into life in southern New Jersey a century ago. The museum is open from June 3rd until September 25 every Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. If you are in the area, stop by – you won’t be disappointed!After learning so much about the history of Sea Isle City at the museum, we tried to see what remains of the early days of the town. The reality for a beachfront town that often bears the brunt of tropical storms and hurricanes is that very few historic buildings are still standing. This gazebo sits on the site of the former Excursion House, a three-story building that was originally constructed in 1876 for the Philadelphia Bicentennial Celebration. It was relocated to Sea Isle in 1882 and served for 80 years as the town’s community center. It was destroyed in a nor’easter in 1962. Excursion Park is named in the building’s honor (via Sea Isle News).However, some elements of Sea Isle’s history remain. James’ Fudge and Salt Water Taffy is housed in the Braca Theater Building. Constructed in 1904, this was once the town’s movie theater (via Sea Isle News).Thanks to a tip from our guide at the museum, we did manage to find the oldest house in Sea Isle City! This two-story home was built in 1882, the same year that Sea Isle was founded. You can learn more about this historic house in this fascinating article in the Sea Isle News.
The Wildlife
Throughout our week at the shore, we saw some really cool wildlife – much of it from the back deck of our rental house!Numerous osprey make their home in nests on the bay side of Sea Isle, and then fly out to the Atlantic Ocean in the morning and late afternoon to hunt for their next meal. We had a prime viewing spot for their aerial adventures.It was pretty amazing to see the osprey soaring in the air, and then diving into the ocean, emerging moments later with a fish in their talons!It was slightly less awesome to watch an osprey land on a telephone pole and start eating while the fish was still alive. Yuck!A cardinal landed nearby and started serenading us. After a few moments it flew away. We were disappointed, but then immediately heard its song far louder……it had landed on the roof right above us and was singing quite contentedly. It stayed there for several minutes before finally flying off.We also took an early morning drive to The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, one of our favorite spots down the shore to see wildlife.It’s nesting season for osprey, and we saw several who were standing guard over their newly hatched chicks. The Wetlands Institute website offers an Osprey Camera, which provides a live view into one of the nests – check it out!Another osprey was returning to its nest after a successful hunt for breakfast.Hey, we can all be a little crabby in the morning, right?Perhaps my favorite shot from the morning – this egret soared past me as we were heading back to the car. It was a fun (if buggy) morning at the Wetlands Institute – make sure you pack the sunscreen and bug spray if you go!
The Food
Of course, what write-up of Sea Isle City is complete without a mention of food? We made several trips to Mike’s Seafood, a veritable institution at the shore. Mike’s has been in operation for over a century, run continuously by the Monachetti Family.Given the amazing ocean view from our home’s deck, we frequently got takeout from Mike’s. Our favorite meal? The Patio Paul: a half steamed Maine lobster, cracked and cleaned snow crab legs, a dozen steamed shrimp, and an ear of corn. How was it? A-MAZ-ING!!!We hit another favorite spot for breakfast one day – Lemma’s Beach Grill in Wildwood. Lemma’s offers a number of gluten-free options, and serves fresh, tasty and affordable food.The view at Lemma’s can’t be beat! However, this was the least satisfying meal we have had at Lemma’s. They did not have non-dairy milk for their coffee, they were out of several items, and the service was… ok. We’ve enjoyed our previous visits, so we’ll definitely come back, but it was less satisfying than expected.Of course, when you have a view like this, why go out? We dined in plenty, including one of my favorite meals – my wife’s homemade gluten-free waffles.We enjoyed a fun (and tasty) lunch takeout from Quincy’s Original Lobster Rolls, a chain based at the Jersey shore. I ordered the classic lobster roll on a steamed bun, while my wife enjoyed a lobster roll on a bed of lettuce. So good!I scream! You scream! We all scream for… Marita’s Ice Cream. Voted “Best of the Shore” by Philadelphia Magazine and South Jersey Magazine, Marita’s first opened in 1987.My cup of vanilla soft serve with jimmies (“sprinkles” to the non-Philadelphian readers in my audience) hit the spot!On the corner of Pleasure Avenue and 59th Street, right at the entrance to the beach, sits one of my favorite eating spots in all of Sea Isle City: Bubba’s Dogs. This food cart has been in operation for over two decades, serving what I believe to be the best hot dogs in the state.I basically eat hot dogs once a year: when I come down to Sea Isle. The freshly squeezed lemonade (right) is also a favorite from Bubba’s. Among the customers who frequent Bubba’s? Legendary Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce and his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis.On our last night in Sea Isle, we returned to Mike’s Seafood, this time to eat at Mike’s Dock, the outdoor restaurant behind the seafood market.We started our meal with an order of clams, steamed in a sauce of butter, garlic, and white wine.For dinner, my wife enjoyed an order of steamed shrimp and flounder, while I positively devoured an order of fried crab cakes. I typically prefer my crab cakes broiled (I’ve found that fried crab cakes often are caked in breading, making me feel like I’m eating a baguette), but these were simply perfect – the breading was light, they were not greasy, and they contained generous amounts of crab meat. Dock Mike’s does not serve alcohol, but it is BYOB, so feel free to bring a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with your dinner. How was our meal? Fantastic!
Odds and Ends
Despite being on vacation, we awoke early enough each day to catch some spectacular sunrises. Even the sunrise on a cloudy morning was still magical!As we were eating dinner one night on the deck, we saw the moon come into full view, striking against the blue sky.A water tower proudly carries the town’s logo: “Smile, you’re in Sea Isle!”On our last night in Sea Isle, a brief rainstorm swept through… and once it finished, Mother Nature treated us to a lovely view.Saturday morning, we packed up the Jeep, encountered mercifully little traffic, and two hours later pulled into our driveway. Grace did a great job hauling us and all of our luggage to the shore and back. 110,000 miles is fast approaching – onward!
We had an amazing week in Sea Isle City! Like so much of New Jersey, no matter how many times I visit Sea Isle, I find there is always something new to discover, learn, and experience. From visiting a cool museum, to seeing some amazing wildlife up close, to eating terrific food, it was a spectacular vacation.
Thanks, as always, for coming along on this journey down the open road ahead.
What a nice relaxing week! You really lucked out with that view. The pictures were incredible! The food looked delicious too. Glad you had a nice week!
The Open Road Ahead 
What a nice relaxing week! You really lucked out with that view. The pictures were incredible! The food looked delicious too. Glad you had a nice week!
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Glad you enjoyed the post – it was a wonderful week! Thanks for reading!!
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