The real reality show takes place
here summer after glorious summer—
every New Jerseyan’s favorite
memory happens oceanside
Cape May. Historic Cape May, the country’s
oldest seashore resort, is something to behold,
with ghost tours, whale watching, dolphin cruises
and entree into some of the finest mansions in
the United States. No trip to the landmark city
is complete without a visit to HotDog Tommy’s,
a true Jersey Shore original. Tommy’s motto is
“Relish Today, Ketchup Tomorrow.”
Ocean City. The Music Pier entertains with the
Ocean City Pops and many opportunities for
seaside sounds all summer long.
Atlantic City. The rolling chair debuted in
Philadelphia at the 1876 Centennial International
Exposition. Then, a local hardware store owner
had an idea and the rest is history. Along with the
Wildwood Sightseer Tram, the rolling chair is an
iconic means of Boardwalk transportation.
Seaside Heights. In February, the town of
Seaside Heights celebrated its centennial,
with plans in the works for a larger-scale event this summer. In the
meantime, Coca-Cola unveiled its
commemorative Seaside Heights
soda bottle. For each case
sold, the company donates
$4 toward the rebuilding
e;ort.
Margate. The World’s Greatest Elephant Lucy
in Margate once had two siblings—one in Cape
May and the other in Coney Island, N.Y. She
is the sole survivor and a National Historic
Landmark. Lucy has been welcoming visitors
to Margate since 1881—in fact, she’s eight
years older than the Ei;el Tower in Paris!
Landm
to Ma
year
Clockwise,
above:
Seaside
Heights
and the
iconic Lucy.
Q&A: CHRIS CHRISTIE
The governor on family vacations, Bruce Springsteen (natch), and spreading the word that The Garden State is open for business
What would you like to tell readers?
Is New Jersey open for business?
New Jersey is definitely open
for business, and in most
parts of the Shore you will
only notice small di;erences,
if any, from last summer, depending on which to wn you
go to. But our board walks are
all open. Our amusements are
ready to be enjoyed. We’ve
got restaurants and bars and
all the entertainment we’ve
normally had. Our beaches are
as beautiful as ever, and New
Jersey remains a wonderful
family destination for vacations, day trips or weekends at
the Shore.
Growing up in New Jersey,
what are your memories of
summertime in this state?
My family always spent at
least one week a summer
at the Shore. Initially in Asbury Park, and then when
we got older in places like
Seaside Park, Lavallette
and Wildwood. My entire
childhood is littered with
memories of summers
with my parents and my
brother and sister.
Any favorite childhood haunts?
We always enjoyed going
to the boardwalk in Seaside
Heights and we did that
whenever we rented a home
in either Seaside Park or in
Lavallette. We also enjoyed
going to the boardwalk in
Wildwood when we spent
time vacationing in Wildwood. The boardwalks were
always a favorite place to go
to eat and enjoy the amusements. And there’s no question that the quality of the
beaches in New Jersey rivals
any other place on the East
Coast, and as a kid and an
adult, I’ve been to all of them.
What comes to mind when you
think of the Shore?
Families enjoying vaca-
tions with each other.
Families laying blankets
out on the beach to-
gether, walking on the
boardwalks together, rid-
ing bikes along the bike
paths. All those things
remind me of the Jersey
Shore. It’s a place for
families.
Any hidden treasures or
special moments?
A lot. Special little restaurants
like Lenny’s in Lavallette. We
often go there when we stay at
the governor’s beach house at
Island Beach State Park. As a
teenager and college student
I made many pointless visits
to The Stone Pony in Asbury
Park on the rumor that Bruce
Springsteen would be showing
up that night with the band. I
only got lucky once or twice.
The rest of the time I just
spent most of the money that I
had in my pocket at The Stone
Pony and went home disap-
pointed. —Leigh Flayton
