Day 15
Tuesday, June 15
I woke in the night to the distinctive sound of thunder and rain against the motel room window. It was still drizzling when I got up for sunrise. Standing on the motel's covered porch, I could see the rain in the puddles of the neighboring parking lot.
But, to the west, things looked promising.
It didn’t take very long for the rain to stop. So, it was out to the boardwalk.
Sunrise wasn't some big colorful production number, but no complaints. It was a good excuse for a morning stroll along the boardwalk.
There was even another guy out smoothing down the sand....
Breakfast was on the boardwalk at a place called Olympic Flame. It's a husband and wife run place. I got to chat with the owners a bit since they had just opened. Like so many places, they're having trouble finding staff.
While I did enjoy my day in Wildwood, it was time to head north, up the shore. The Garden State Parkway is the easy way. Since I did have all day, I chose the much more interesting route through the coastal communities.
Besides, there are a bunch of these small bridges to cross, and I always notice something new.
Case in point, this building...
It's the paint job that caught my attention. The Stone Harbor Bird Club convinced the town to set aside thirty-one acres of land and in 1947, it was officially designated a sanctuary. The town would eventually sell ten acres of the land, but, the rest remains to this day. There's a small parking area and a short trail. You can read more about it here.
Just across the bridge, south of Ocean City is where you'll find Corson's Inlet State Park. The park does triple duty as a boat ramp, public beach access and a nature preserve. A park volunteer was giving warnings of roped off areas along the beach. They're a nesting area for endangered Black Skimmers, Least Turns and Piping Plovers.
There's a short trail out to the ocean...
Since I was passing through, I did stop in Ocean City for an hour or so. One thing I saw over and over on this trip, were people carrying their beach chairs on their backs. It certainly is convenient, but I had never seen it before.
There was one last stop to make before headed inland for a bit. I had visited Margate many times, stopping in to see Lucy on every stop. Granted, it's always been off season. But, this is the first time I was ever able to go inside.
In 1881, James Lafferty owned a whole lot of land south of the only established community on this part of the shore, Atlantic City. He came up with a plan to attract potential investors. It worked, sort of. People did come to see his elephant. But, what would become Margate didn't take off until after his death.
Based around Jumbo, the famous circus elephant. Standing at 65 feet. Lucy is twelfth tallest statue in America. Her frame is wood and iron. Her skin is 12,000 square feet of tin sheeting. Sadly, the tin sheeting is in bad shape due to corrosion and age. A plan is in place for a major overhaul to replace large sections of sheeting, once the summer tourist season is over. One of the numerous fundraisers was opening the inside for overnight stays, only though Air B&B. The promotion is over, but for $138, yeah, I would have considered it.
This isn't Lucy's original spot. That was just a hundred yards away. By the 1960's, Lucy was in pretty bad shape due simply to neglect and was scheduled for demolition in 1969. The Save Lucy Committee was established to save the elephant. They were given a thirty day deadline to move Lucy. The money was raised, and on July 20, 1970 she was placed on a trailer and moved to her current home. You can read more about the move, and see a photo of Lucy being rolled down Atlantic Avenue here.
Access inside is strictly limited to ticketed tours. Access is through a door in her hind leg. A tight circular staircase later and you're inside.
Another staircase and you're up on top in her basket, called a howdah, with a nice view.
After leaving Lucy, it was time to head inland for a while. Route 9 took me north to the city of Port Republic. Just off the road is a large marker commemorating the Battle of Chestnut Neck.
Chestnut Neck is a tight curve in the Mullica River. During the Revolutionary War, it was a regular port for privateers, as well as a depot for supplies to Gen. Washington's army. In October, 1778, nine British ships sailed up the river with four hundred troops. While he did burn much of the port to the ground, there was plenty of warning. Local citizens and militia had already left, taking much of the supplies with them.
I was still a little ahead of schedule for the day, and it was too early to check into the motel. So, I found a brewery in Tinton Falls with a very Jersey name, Jughandle Brewing Company. I sipped my beer in the shade and listened to the owners discussing a plan to bring in live music.
My home for the next two nights was the Oceanic Inn. It was nothing special, but clean, comfortable and being mid-week, almost empty. However, it's just a very short walk to the Asbury Park boardwalk and the touristy area. I've been here numerous times, but only in passing. Something keeps drawing me back. So, for this trip, I booked two nights, and went everywhere on foot. In the end, so worth it.
It all began with a simple, late day trip down the boardwalk, checking out the murals along the way.
Bruce Springsteen still plays the Paramount Theater every couple of years. Here is is from January, 2020.
In between the theater and convention center are a few restaurants and touristy shops.
On the far side of the complex is more boardwalk. You'll hear more about it tomorrow, since I had the entire day here. And yes, it does include Elvis.
Walk past the restaurants and you arrive eventually at the site of the old Asbury Park Casino. The first was built here in 1903, but burned down in 1928. Its even bigger, more grand replacement included a skating rink and a carousel. It helped turn Asbury Park from a simple beach town to a prominent resort community.
Time took its toll on Asbury Park and its prominence withered. In 1980, the casino shut its doors for good. A dangerously poor roof and storm damage had also taken their toll. What was once a grand hotel, is simply a covered walkway on the boardwalk.
Walking through, I heard the sound of slow, jazz guitar. On the far side, this guy was playing. I listened for about ten minutes, dropped some money into his jar and told him if he had an album, I'd buy it.
It was about that time. The sun was closing on on the horizon with a nice orange glow. So, I walked around to the old carousel. When the hotel was abandoned, so was the carousel. Ten years later, it was sold and moved to Family Kingdom Park in Myrtle Beach, SC.
However, the pavilion remains.
Bruce Springsteen recorded a concert video inside in 2010. Currently, it's an art exhibit.
That night, I wasn't here for the art. I was here simply for sunset. The bars were way too close together to stick my big camera through. So, these were taken on my phone. One hand operated the phone. The other held it in a death grip. I would have hated to have to call the city offices in the morning to retrieve it.
This alone made my two nights in Asbury Park worth it...
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