The front of the Marshall Farm Market at 114 US 46
Sometimes you will pass a farm stand and you see the standard pumpkins, peaches and apples outside. When you pass Marshall’s Farm Stand in Delaware, NJ, you see a whole farm experience with orchards of fruit, corn fields and a property that is decorated for the upcoming Halloween holidays.
The side of the farm stand
The other side of the farm stand stocked high with pumpkins
The festive pumpkin sat on the roof of the building
The whole front of the farm was stocked with all sorts of early Fall produce, honey, jams and jellies and delicious baked goods including pies, cakes and rolls and their specialty, their mini Apple Cider doughnuts.
The fresh Jersey produce
The cream rolls and homemade pies, including apple, berry and Shoo Fly pies
The best is their mini Apple Cider doughnut. One bag of these and you are content for the afternoon. I can barely get out of the parking lot with indulging in one or two of them before my drive down Route 46 to the Delaware Water Gap.
The farm stands addictive Apple Cider doughnuts
These sugary delights are so good!
What I also enjoy is their delicious apple cider. I found out though that they do not make it in house but a farm close by makes it both for their farm and Marshall’s. It is sweet and very refreshing and only comes in gallon containers.
I love walking through the stand, walking past the pumpkin, produce and the crafts display.
The pumpkin display in the parking lot
After I put my purchases in the car, I walked around the farm, looking at all the decorations they had for the upcoming Halloween holidays. The farm has pumpkin picking, corn mazes and a hayride where the $5.00 cost includes along with the hayride a cup of apple cider and a doughnut. I could handle that.
The sign for the weekend hayrides
The witch sign in the parking lot near the Corn Maze
The witch painting at the start of the corn mazes
Ghosts decorating the field
The Corn Maze was still tall and green and I am sure led all around the property. Each part of the front part of the farm was decorated for Halloween festivities which would happen the next weekend.
The cemetery in the back of the farm stand
A horrible ghoul
All the Halloween decorations at the start of the hayride
The Halloween decorations in the back of the building
The Halloween poems on the decorations
The Halloween decorations
What I love about the farm in the farm in the Fall are all the beautiful colors and hues of the surrounding area.
Looking down Route 46 West/East
The sign on the other side of the fields
The decorations in the front part of the parking lot
Poems and riddles were on all the panels
There is a very warm welcome for Halloween
Don’t forget to visit the Delaware Water Gap just down the highway. The colors are amazing in the early Fall.
The sign for the park
The Delaware Water Gap in the Fall
The beautiful hues of the park
Visiting Marshall’s Farm Stand in the Spring:
Marshall’s Farm Stand 114 Route 46 West in the Spring months
Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
Talk about a step back in time. It reminded me of places I used to go to as a kid that have since disappeared with suburban sprawl. I toured around the stands with shelves of fresh jellies and honey, sauces and salsa and arts and crafts. I found a nearly empty shelf of pies and doughnuts and not a sweet roll in site. The girl working the register told me that everything sells out so quickly and they had baked a second batch of everything.
The signs leading to Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
There were three pies left and that was it of the baked good when I got there.
I did grab one of the last bags of cider doughnuts for the trip home and freshly made cider that you rarely see any more. Most of it is processed in big facilities now not at farms. Their doughnuts were outstanding ($4.75 for six). All but two got home with me as I munched on them on the trip through the Delaware Water Gap.
The Apple Cider doughnuts at Marshall’s Farm Market
The Apple Cider doughnuts are amazing here!
In 2021, I bought the same items again but after a big breakfast and then lunch, I only ate two of the doughnuts this time.
Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
The Fresh peaches and plums at Marshall’s Farm Stand.
I had a lively conversation about the upcoming election and trust me, this woman said a mouthful as most people were right before the election. In 2021, people were talking about the recent Governor’s election and Murphy seems in the doghouse with most of these residents. I said my good byes as quickly as possible. Politics is not something to talk about when buying food products.
Marshall’s Farm on a warm sunny afternoon.
At any time of the year, visiting Marshall’s Farm Stand is a treat!
The History of the Farm:
(from the Marshall Farm Market website)
Founded in 1920, by George Amer Marshall, Marshall’s Farm Market sells quality fruit, vegetables, and specialty foods. George W. Marshall ran the farm for many years and now the third generation of Marshall’s continues the tradition. Marianne Marshall Saponaro & her husband Nick Saponaro are on site daily to make sure customers have the finest products available.
A visit to Marshall’s Farm Market is like stepping back in time. Old time values of hard work, friendliness, service, and the finest quality are what you can expect. Many people return each year to purchase produce, gifts, specialty foods, outdoor furniture, meats, cheeses, pumpkins, and more.
Families visit Marshall’s Farm Market each Fall for the hay rides and the Halloween Hollow display. There is nothing better than a cup of apple cider on a cool Autumn day. All of the seasons are special on the farm. Stop in year round to see what new items have been added to the store.
While I was searching for the Cape May Maritime Museum, I made a detour into a parking lot and came across the Garrett Family Preserve
The sign that welcomes you to the park
Visiting the Preserve:
(from the Cape May Visitor website)
The Nature Conservancy protects the 180-acre Garrett Family Preserve situated between Seashore Road and Cape Island Creek, offering a tranquil setting for walking, picnics, painting, biking, and observing nature.
The preserve offers six trails ranging from 0.2-0.5 miles in length, and a two-mile perimeter loop along the forested edge–four miles in total. Explore year-round on foot or by bicycle. Sights vary by season, with bird migration peaking in the spring and fall, and the wildflower field blooming from May through July. Beginning in late August into the fall, Monarch butterflies stop here to feed before their journey south.
Preserve amenities include a mobile bird blind, welcome kiosk, shaded pavilion with picnic tables, benches and picnic tables along the trails, and three adjustable art easels. From November 1st to March 1st, leashed dogs are welcome. Because this is a preserve, the Nature Conservancy does not provide trash receptacles. Be sure to take anything you’ve brought with you.
The size of the preserve
The history of the Garrett Family
History of the Preserve:
(From the Nature Conservatory website)
Originally slated for development, TNC acquired the property in 2000, as the preserve offered an unusual opportunity to manage a significant piece of land for migratory songbirds, whose stopover habitat, especially at the southern tip of the peninsula, has been all but wiped out.
In 2013, the generosity of the Garrett family enabled TNC to further protect Cape Island Creek for future generations by acquiring crucial land, improving and stewarding habitat, performing coastal research and installing enhanced visitor amenities.
After reading some of the history of the preserve, I decided to take a walk down the paths. I ended up walking down several paths that took me through woods and many natural gardens. I could see by how dry everything was how the lack of rain was affecting the preserve.
The pathways leading to different parts of the preserve
Following the pathways through the preserve
My first stop was the picnic area and rest stop
The Insect Hotel
The Insect Hotel
The description of the insect hotel
I thought this was an interesting concept of creating a place for insects to have a breather. It is a place of reproduction and in helping pollinate the preserve.
The fields of plants and wildflowers that make up the preserve
The flowering plants and wildflowers in the fields
Each of the paths took me through different parts of the preserve that were wooded or with meadows or an array of wildflowers that attracted birds, butterflies and bees.
The batches of wildflowers in the meadow
The Salt Marsh part of the Preserve was filled with more wildflowers that had bees and butterflies swarming them.
The Salt Marsh Habitat
The sign for the Salt Marsh Habitat
The the pathways though the meadows
The fields of flowers and plants in the marsh area
Th e next section of the preserve I visited was the Wildflower Meadows
The Wildflower Meadows in the late summer
The Wildflower Meadows paths
As I left this part of the preserve, I took many paths around the park lands. There are all sorts of fields of flowers and woods to shade the way during touring the preserve.
Going on the different trails throughout the preserve
I walked down the paths to the Bird Habitat area
The golden rod flowers attract all sorts of bees and butterflies
Flowering Honey Suckle
Beautiful flowering plants in the woods area
The colorful paths of flowers that lined the Bird Sanctuary
This all led to the end of the trails and a wrap up of how the pollinators work. How the plants, insects and birds play a role in nature.
The last thing I saw at the preserve was this butterfly sculpture by the parking lot
The history of the Garrett family
The park changes its complexity with each season. What I noticed at the end of the summer with no rain is how dry the fields were and the trees were changing colors early because the lack of moisture.
It will be interesting to see the preserve in the Spring and early Summer in the future. It was a nice walk through the preserve.
I visit Douglass Candies on the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ every time I am visiting for the NJ State Firemen’s Convention. The selection of homemade candies is like talking a walk through Mr. Wonka’s factory.
The inside of this delicious fudge shop
When you walk through the front do , you can see the workers making and cutting fudge. You can see how fresh their candy is and how it is packaged right in front of you.
The one product I really like at the store is their candy bars especially their milk chocolate. They are a bit pricy but a once in a while treat is a good thing. You can always taste the richness in freshly made chocolate and their chocolate bars are the best. Their taffy was delicious too when they were sampling it.
The delicious taffy and assorted candies
The decorated Candy Apples
Each counter has a different type of candy and even in early September, the store was being decorated for Halloween. This smiling witch greeted customers at the door.
The store decorated for Halloween
The store on a sunny day on the Boardwalk
This institution on the Boardwalk is a summer tradition for me and for generations of beach goers. The beauty and old fashioned feel of the store harks back to a time when quality and care still meant something and excellent customer service meant a warm welcome and a smile. Douglass Candies has both.
The History of the Company:
(from the company website)
Douglass Candies, Inc. is a fourth generation candy company founded in 1919. We are the oldest family owned business in Wildwood! Since our origin, we have been making the highest quality cream fudge, gourmet chocolates, and REAL salt water taffy giving us our slogan “We Make The Candy We Sell”. You might recognize us by our signature plaid box and trademark scotty dog. The plaid represents our Scottish/Irish heritage while the scotty dog was simply used because our founder, Charles Douglass, adored his scotty dogs. We pride ourselves on customer service, quality control, family, and tradition.
Our founder, Charles Douglass, was an exemplary citizen of the Wildwoods. He was a prominent boardwalk business man, hotel operator, chairman of the Wildwood outing committee, board member of the chamber of commerce, executive committee member of the New Jersey State Hotel Association, and president of the Wildwood Golf Club. Charles founded Douglass Candies in 1919 and opened up his first location at Wildwood Ave and the Boardwalk where we continue to do business nearly 100 years later!
Charles’ candy career began in Philadelphia where he owned a store in Rittenhouse Square. In 1905, Charles and wife Flora moved to Wildwood. They opened the Douglass Hotel in 1913 on Atlantic and Pine Avenues, followed by a small candy concession stand on Cedar Ave in 1917. After some success with the candy store, Charles moved his operation to the boardwalk at Wildwood Ave. The building was constructed by recycling an army barracks from Cape May, NJ. During his reign as President of Douglass Candies from 1919-1941, the business gained major popularity and success. It was doing so well, in 1922 Charles built a pavilion across from his business for customers to get out of the sun/rain and enjoy a nice place to relax. Recipes and techniques created over the course of these years are the basis of our recipes that we still use today.
Charles passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 77. Following his death, Charles’ brother Joseph took over the business. Joseph Douglass also began his business career in Philadelphia. He lived in the famous Lemon Hill Mansion in Fairmont Park where he ran a candy/ice cream shop. After seeing the success of his brother, he moved his family to Wildwood in 1919. Upon arriving, he opened a boarding house and restaurant on Cedar Ave. He later opened the Douglass Cafeteria on Oak and Atlantic Ave. The cafeteria specialized in homemade ice cream. Joseph also owned the Bellevue Hotel and Restaurant in Cape May Court House. Joseph took over Douglass Candies in 1941 and owned it for less than a year before passing in 1942.
Upon Joseph’s death, his beloved wife Minerva took over the business along with their three children; Charles, Harvey, and June. Minerva and June handled administration and the store front while Harvey and Charles took care of the production side of the company. Minerva and her children aided in the continued success to Douglass Candies. They even brought in a famous German chocolatier, Frank Steiner, to help perfect our techniques and recipes. Minerva died in 1969, followed by Charles in 1972. June then bought out Harvey, leaving her the sole owner of Douglass Candies. Harvey passed in 1983. His children, Joe and Charlie, went on to pursue careers in candy on the west coast.
In the late 1970’s, as the President of Douglass Candies, June took over all administration work and oversaw all production. Her only child, Barbara aka “Babs”, handled the storefront and helped Douglass expand during her time with the business. June worked into her late 70’s and passed away in her home in Wildwood Crest is 2003. Barbara ran the entire business herself from 2000-2013, at which time she passed it on to her boys, James and Jason. Barbara passed away in 2014.
James and Jason have continued the family tradition as fourth generation owners and have given the business new life. They are responsible for the addition of new product lines as well as expansion into Stone Harbor. They were incredibly proud to celebrate Douglass’ 100th year in business in 2019 and look forward to continuing the Douglass tradition for years to come!
Also known as the U.S. Coast Guard Station No. 126, this is the only life-saving station (now museum) of its design in NJ (1 of 6 in the country) still in existence. The designer and architect was James Lake Parkinson in a Carpenter Gothic style. This building is one of 42 stations built in New Jersey. It was also the workplace of the brave surfmen who were the beachfront First Responders of the day.
The anchor outside the building
The historical plaque outside the building
The History of the Building and Museum:
(from the State of NJ Historic website)
The U.S. Life Saving Station in Ocean City is significant as an example of a significant type of life saving station and for its association with the activities of the U.S. Life Saving Service. The building was constructed in 1885 in what was referred to as the “1882 type.” There were 25 life-saving stations constructed in this style. In 1905 the building’s footprint was expanded to nearly twice its original size. The expansion was done in a style unique to New Jersey Life Saving Stations.
In 1915 the U.S. Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service were combined to form the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard continued to utilize the building until it was decommissioned during the 1940s and sold. It was used as a private residence until the City purchased it in May 2010.
The first room inside was the formal dining room where guests who visited or who had been rescued had dined. It was a rather formal affair.
I visited the museum on a weekend day to learn of the rescue procedures and the job these men did on a day to day basis. The first thing I learned was how shifting tides can change an island.
This building which now sits about four blocks inland was once at the shoreline a hundred years ago. Talk about change and Mother Nature’s role in this.
The first room I visited was the formal dining room in the newer extension of the building. This would be where the officers and men would entertain guests and visitors to the building. It could be a casual or formal affair.
The first floor formal dining room
The entertainment for the evening was either board games or a music box
Some of the items salvaged from the sea
The Life Guard officer formal outfit was worn for formal affairs
The officers would be dressed formally to receive guests
The next room over was the Rescue room and door where the boats and other equipment would be held when the alarm sounded.
The docent discussed how the doors were opened and the boats needed to be pulled out on a stormy night. Everything you needed had to be close by, in good shape and ready to go.
The rescue boats and pulleys that would be used in the sea
The ropes and pulleys used to assist in the rescue
The lanterns were used as communication between shore watch and the tower
The equipment used to repair the items used for rescue
The rescue boat and the items used for a water rescue
The additional boats used in rescue
Some boats were used for fishing and collecting shell fish
The Sneak Box was used for duck hunting to camouflage yourself
The sneak box
We then toured the second floor sleeping room for the crew. This offered a great view of the sea when the building was at shore line. These men were given good accommodations for the time.
While not very private, it was comfortable and served its purpose for a job where you might not get a good nights sleep.
The sleeping quarters
The main sleeping room was for a crew of six
The loft lead to the tower where the look out for the evening would sleep (it is not open to tours right now).
The loft area from the window
We then headed back downstairs where we toured the station manager’s room and office.
The station manager’s room off from the kitchen
The station manager’s office where all the monthly paperwork was done and business was conducted.
The kitchen
The Station Manager’s office was right next to the kitchen stove so that the room was kept warm during the winter months and on cool nights.
The kitchen stove
All the meals for the crew and visitors were cooked either by the men or their wives might be allowed to visit and assist in duties in the building.
The kitchen
All the storage of the foodstuffs has to be accounted for because getting them was rough with no cars for transportation and no bridges to cross to the mainland.
The gift shop
The museum and grounds
The museum offers a glimpse of the everyday life of these brave men who were on call 24/7 and performed such dangerous work. Ocean City has done a wonderful job preserving this legacy.
The museum has docents on hand for more formal tours and are very detailed on their knowledge of the building and its contents. It is a very interesting look at Ocean City’s past.
The Tuckerton Museum and the Seaport at 120 West Main Street in Tuckerton, NJ
The entrance to the complex from Route 9
The entrance to the Tuckerton Seaport complex on a sunny Saturday morning
The complex was once a bustling fishing and shipping area that has now been preserved as a cultural site with tours, a series of restaurants and a museum.
The Mission of the Museum:
(from the Tuckerton Seaport Museum website)
Our mission at the Tuckerton Seaport is to preserve, present and interpret the rich maritime history, artistry, heritage and environment of the Jersey shore and the unique contributions of its baymen.
The dock area by the coffee shop
The artwork by the parking lot and coffee shop
I walked over to the main building which served as both the gift shop and museum. It was funny that the gift shop took both the first two front rooms of the museum. I had to look behind shirts to see the displays.
The docks and touring boats by the museum
The Seaport Tuckerton Museum at 120 West Main Street
The History of the Complex:
(from the Tuckerton Museum website)
Originally launched as the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum, the Tuckerton Seaport has evolved over the past twenty-two years into a community museum and community center occupying 40 acres located along historic Tuckerton Creek in Tuckerton, New Jersey. Tuckerton Seaport benefits from a prime location at the center of the Jersey shore, easily accessible via Exit 58 on the Garden State Parkway. Tuckerton Seaport works as a coastal cultural center to bring folklife traditions of the past and present to life through programs on land and water.
The museum was just opening up as I arrived and the staff was busy getting everything ready so I just walked around the museum. It is an interesting museum on New Jersey’s nautical past and the growth of the shipping and trading that went on in the turn of the last century. The museum also showed the bustling fishing industry that still exists today.
The Giant Chicken greets you at the door
The Giant Chicken was a road stop symbol of the White Way Farm Market and a tourist attraction
I thought it was rather cute and could see why people stopped
The view from the front porch of the museum was spectacular on this sunny day
The exhibit at the museum ‘Museum in the Making’, which is a through look at Tuckerton, its past and its contributions to the growth of New Jersey
The first room also served as a bustling gift shop with the main attraction this carving of the ‘Jersey Devil’
A display of Duck Decoys
A collection of woodcarvings of fisherman
The popular businesses that once lined Route 9 up and down the shore area
Displaying life down the shore in that era with quilting and sewing
The display of wood carvings and artwork on the first floor
The artworks made of driftwood by local artists
The driftwood art display on the first floor
The rooms both on the first and second floor were displayed by themes of Lenape Indian life at the shore, the Dutch and English traders, growth of shore farming, shipping and trade and fishing industries and the development of tourism in the area with steamships and the railroads.
The first room in the museum is a detailed look at the life of the Lenape and the froth of the fishing industry
The early life at the Jersey shore
The Native American display
The first part of the early development of Tuckerton started as the fishing and hunting grounds of the Native Americans until the settlement of the Dutch
The history of the Lenape
The arrival of the Europeans started the bustling shipping and trade industries that supplied the home country
With the growth of industry and farming many people started businesses to supply the population
Some started popular businesses that lasted over a century
E. Walter Parsons Jr. had a very successful fishing business that was in the family until 1984
With the rich soil in the area, local farmers worked the land providing fruits and vegetables for the growing population
Early farming equipment on display
The second floor galleries depicted the developing life at the shore with creating of modern life saving for the shipping and fishing industries and with coming of railroads, the bustling tourism industry with the change of leisure travel after the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution.
The second floor rail transportation display
The second floor display on shipwrecks off the Jersey coast
The development of modern Life Saving procedures
With storms at sea and affecting life in the area, as it still does today, there was a growth and development of modern Live-saving procedures and rescue methods.
The Life Saving exhibit
The use of the Lyle Gun in rescues
The series of pulleys and wenches are still used today in different forms. They had to create a safe way to rescue people not just from storms but accidents as well.
The Life Saving and Rescue display
Rescue display
The railroad made its way to the Jersey shore bringing tourists from both New York and Philadelphia and bustling North Jersey. This opened the area up to tourism as leisure travel grew at the end of the nineteenth century.
One example of a visiting tourist was the Cinderella Cramer display with long distance travel to the shore.
The first female passenger of the Tuckerton Railroad
Getting the rail ticket
Tourism developing at the Jersey shore
The Cinderella Cramer display representing that eras travels to the shore with Victorian standards and use of steamer trunks
Packing the steamer trunks for the long journey
Artifacts from the shore
Life at the shore still had its perils as it does today with storms affecting development and shifting shore lines
The lighthouse light display
The museum once served as a beacon for shipping and the top level served as a lookout. Today you can walk upstairs and enjoy the views.
Traveling up the tower stairs
On this beautiful sunny and clear morning that I visited, the views were spectacular.
The view of the port area of the complex
The view of the inlet and Lake Pohatcong across from Route 9
My video of the views from the top of the lookout
The Tuckerton Seaport Museum tour was a very thorough look at the community and its development over the last three hundred years. The exhibits showed the progress the community has made and where it is headed in the future as the shore communities keep changing.
With the economy, the rise of AI, climate change and overall population growth toward the shore, it will be interesting to see the changes of the future.
Leaving the museum complex at the end of the trip
Tuckerton has an interesting past as a shipping and fishing destination and now you can tour the buildings and see what life was like back then and there it is moving in to the future today.
I had a very busy weekend of running around South Jersey. I have been updating my blog on the Historical Sites of South Jersey and trying to visit as many of this small museums and special events venues before they close for the season. Like any of my blogging trips, I planned the weekend like “D Day”. I lucked out as the weather was wonderful both days, clear, sunny and in the mid 80’s. I could not think of a better time to go to the shore than post-Labor Day weekend. My goal was to attend the Apple Festival that I had heard about at the Gandy Farmstead Museum when I toured the home for my blog, VisitingaMuseum.com (see blog and reviews).
The JW Gandy Farmstead Museum at 26 Tyler Road in Greenfield, NJ
Two weeks after my initial visit to the Gandy House during the Firemen’s Convention, I returned for the Historical Society’s Annual Apple Festival on Saturday, October 4th. The event reminded me of the Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival I had attended in May , a very nice family and community event that attracted everyone.
The East Fishkill Historical Society-Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival 2025/Exploring Fishkill, NY blog:
Since there were a lot of shore towns I wanted to revisit while the weather was nice, I arranged to stay at an Airbnb in Ocean City so I had plenty of time to do what I needed to do and relax afterwards. Plus when the event was over, I could visit Ocean City and explore both the downtown and the boardwalk.
I could not believe how crowded the roads were as so many places were having either Fall festivals or October Fest. Route 9 was like a parking lot near Smithville, NJ as the town was having their ‘October Fest’ over both days of the weekend. Traffic was backed up for about two miles trying to get in so I got off Route 9 and traveled down the Garden State Parkway.
I got to the Apple Festival around noon and the parking lot was packed with people. One of the members said later that afternoon that he could not believe the consistent crowds as it was still busy at 2:15pm (the festival was over by 3:00pm). The crowds were filled with several generations of family members who I am sure were traveling from one event to another on this spectacular sunny morning. People were still arriving even as the event was winding down that afternoon.
The sign welcoming you to the event
When I arrived at the festival, the parking lot was still filling up so I had to park way in the back so I could get in and out easily.
On the Gandy family property on the other side of the home, they had an antique car show, a mini train ride around the tracks of this part of the property and a Caboose train car that you could explore.
The train tracks around the farm property
The train set up and tracks to tour around the farm
The train rides were really popular with both the small and ‘big’ kids
This small train trip had a nice sized line to it as families were really enjoying themselves
I then toured the Caboose which was set up for service and a day in the life of a conductor. Some of the volunteers were even dressed as conductors leading tour and talking to families. I did not understand how the train car got there but I thought it was an interesting look at life on the early train system of this country especially how it opened up the State of New Jersey.
The caboose on the farm property
The inside of the caboose
Getting ready for the holidays
Life of a train conductor shown in the caboose
After the tour of the car show and watching the families have fun on the trains, I headed across the street to the Gandy House for the tours and activities. There were all sorts of craft vendors, food and entertainment. The music duo was performing the James Taylor song “How Sweet it is to be loved by You” when I arrived.
The back of the Gandy Farmstead with crafts and entertainment
Entering the Apple Festival with a Farmers Market and Apple sale
The Farmers Market of locally grown produce
There was a stand that was a mini Farmers Market with locally grown apples, pumpkins, squash and tomatoes on top of other produce. It was so nicely displayed and the prices were really reasonable.
They had a wonderful duo interesting the crowds that afternoon
There were all sorts of crafts stands around where the entertainment was performing
The local crafts people were really talented and included crocheted, painters, floral arrangers and jewelry markers. There were all sorts of handmade items and there were stands to buy homemade jellies and pickles and the prices were not like North Jersey, where a jar of jam at a Farmers Market will run you $15.00. The prices here were closer to $5.00 for certain items, which I thought was very fair.
One woman sold flowers from her gardens and arranged bouquets
This woman painted her own crafts and did beautiful work for both Halloween and Christmas
Here beautiful holiday crafts
I loved this Santa tree and was going to get it for my mom
This woman had the most beautiful handmade doll clothing and knit items for the holidays
What is an Apple Festival without food? I went to the concession stand for lunch and ordered a hot dog with a glass of locally made Apple cider and had an homemade Apple Shortcake, which I found out later the members had made the night before.
The concession stand where all the food was made
Enjoying my lunch. Both the hotdogs and apple cider were locally made and that’s why it tasted so good! The apple cider was from a local farm and I wished they had sold this at the festival. I think the farmer would have sold out!
Hot dogs taste so good off the grill!
The delicious homemade Apple Shortcake with homemade apple topping were made by the members
I also stopped off at the apple stand where cases of apples were being sold. It looked like many people were going to make pies and sauce with these and the stand looked like they were selling out.
I managed to buy one of the Mango sweet apples they were selling individually
The apples were so hard, fresh and sweet that it made the perfect addition to dessert. Nothing is better than a Jersey Apple right off the vine. I could not believe how fast they sold out of the boxes of apples and the individual apples were selling just as fast.
The Mango Sweet apples
Talk about delicious
After lunch, I ran into the Board members who had helped me with the tour two weeks early and I took a quick tour of the first floor of the home. The laundry room was not open the day of my private tour, so I toured this part of the house on top of taking a better look at the first floor.
Touring the outside grape arbor
The grape arbor on an early Fall day
Touring the first floor laundry room
An early washing machine
How to do laundry at the turn of the last century
After having lunch, touring the house and visiting all the vendors I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and listened to the entertainment perform. The duo performed a combination of 70’s hit songs, country music and some James Taylor.
The duo performing classic hits
The first part of the song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” from the 1970’s before people walked in the way
The rest of the song performed. They did an excellent job with it
Before I left just after 2:00pm, I stayed to see who won the Apple pie contest. There were only three contributors but I wanted to get a slice before I left. They did not slice them up while I was there. Bummer! I really wanted a piece of fresh Apple pie.
The winners of the Apple pie contest
The Apple Festival sponsored by the Upper Township Historical Society happens every October. It is a wonderful family event and fundraiser for the Historical Society. I know I had a lot of fun and it reminded me of the events that I went to as a kid in the 1970’s, which was long before cell phones.
It was funny that the only person who had a cell phone glued to his hand was me but then I was there to cover this event. It really was a relaxing and wonderful afternoon with good food and entertainment. It was just like the 1970’s all over again with families enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes I think that people underate these local events which are so much fun.
By the time I left, most everyone was gone but I did watch families still walking in and heading to the food concessions. I hope they had that delicious Apple Shortcake. I assume the Festival did not close until after 3:00pm.
From the festival, I headed to Somers Point for an afternoon of picture taking. I had been here the summer before Grad school to visit the three museums on Shore Road, the Somers Mansion, the Atlantic County Historical Society and the Somers Point Historical Society and never got the exterior shots of the town that I wanted. I ended up revamping the whole blog and almost all the pictures.
As I was heading into Somers Point, I came across the most unusual farm stand sign and had to stop to take a picture. I thought this was fun and engaging and what a way to capture your attention.
The sign for Vaughan’s Farm Stand
The entrance to the Vaughan’s Farm at 312 Roosevelt Boulevard in Marmora, NJ
I stopped for a quick visit to the Vaughan’s farm stand and took a quick walk around the greenhouse to admire the plants and fall decorations on sale. I thought there might be food but just colorful plants and gardening supplies for local homes.
The flower and plant selection
The beautiful plants that they carry
The selection of seasonal items and Halloween themed gifts that they carried
Then I headed into Somers Point and my first stop, the original Somers Mansion which was the only museum open at the time. The other museums had closed earlier in the day but I had already visited all three in the past.
While the house looks impressive from the outside and was once home to five generations of the Somer family, the inside is a dusty relic of the past and they will not allow you to take pictures inside (I think they think someone will steal the dusty relics). I just think the inside could be a better interpretation of the family who lived here. Still the views from the house are amazing on a sunny day.
The view of the bay and the highway and bridge
On this trip I had about two and a half hours to really tour and explore the town. I ended up revamping the entire blog from three years ago with more pictures and a better depiction of this historical town.
I walked through the historical district of the town which stretches from the Somers Mansion to the modern downtown and got a better understanding of the growth of this community.
The district is filled with old and classic beach homes
Then I walked down Shore Avenue, the heart of Somers Point historical area and came across the statue of Richard Somers.
The statue of Master Commandant Richard Somers
Walking down to the elementary school on New York Avenue, I also visited the graves of the Somers family which is tucked off to the side.
The family cemetery was once part of their estate
After my tour of the historic district and revamped my entire blog on Somers Point, I remembered the Dairy Queen in town and had a craving for a Banana Split. It still tastes the same as it did in 1972!
The Dairy Queen in Somers Point at 501 Shore Drive
After my snack, it was time to walk it off. I took a tour by the shore line and discovered parks that I had not seen on my last trip to town.
The park and beach by the bay
As I walked further down the road, I came across the walkway under the bridge and the highway. That was an interesting walk.
The walkway under the bridge offers great views of the bay and dazzling sunsets
The sun was starting to make its descent in the late afternoon
I wanted to get to the Airbnb by 5:00pm and relax before dinner. Driving between Somers Point and Ocean City is a breeze in the off season and I made it in about twenty minutes.
My Airbnb was right next to downtown Ocean City and three blocks from their Boardwalk
After I settled in and relaxed a bit, I took a walk through the downtown to look at the stores and restaurants. I pretty much knew where I wanted to go for dinner but wanted to see my options.
Their pizza is always a treat and I look forward to eating here every time I am in Ocean City. Their red sauce has a nice flavor and is so well spiced. While a bit pricy for a slice (the meat lovers slice was $8.00), they did not skimp on the toppings.
A slice of the Meatlovers and a slice of Cheese pizza
I really enjoyed my dinner. The Meatlovers was loaded with different types of meat and you could taste the complexity in every bite. It was also fun to watch everyone glued to the Phillies game. When I explored Beach Haven the next day, it was all about the Giants.
After dinner, I took a stroll down the Boardwalk and walked through the amusement parks and games. Ocean City does not have the ‘honky-tonky’ feel of Wildwood or Point Pleasant. It really has the feel of family resort.
Walking through the amusement area
The park was really busy for a Saturday night post Labor Day
What was really beautiful was my walk on the beach and the light of the moon rising over the shore.
The beach views were breathtaking
My video of Ocean City Beach at sunset
Just walking on the boardwalk in the evening on a beautiful fall night was a treat. It had not gotten cool yet and it was still warm that evening.
My last stop before I headed back to the Airbnb was a stop at Johnson’s Popcorn. By this point it was now 9:00pm and everyone was closing up shop fast. I have never seen an amusement park empty out that fast.
The girl at the counter of the main Johnson’s Popcorn could not have been nicer. She told me she had plenty of popcorn left and gave me a bag of a combination of Caramel and Cheddar in addition to my cup of popcorn that I could barely finish.
My bag of Johnson’s Popcorn
The combination of the Cheddar and Caramel has the best flavor
I was a very happy camper that night
The popcorn was still warm and the caramel was still really sticky. Even at that time of the evening, the popcorn was such high quality. Trust me, not a kernel went to waste on the Boardwalk.
I slept so soundly that night and had one of the best night’s sleep in a long time. The Airbnb was great because it was so close to everything that it was a short walk back from the boardwalk I could get right into bed.
My room at the Airbnb
The next morning I wanted to take a quick walk around town before I headed towards my next shore town of Beach Haven just up the coast.
I stopped for a quick breakfast at McDonalds in Ocean City and indulged in the new Sausage McMuffin and Egg Breakfast Extra Value meal.
The new McDonalds in Ocean City, NJ at 900 West Street
I still think the Sausage McMuffin with Egg is the best breakfast in the industry
I wanted to make two stops before I left town. I started with a walk on the boardwalk admiring the sunny morning. Nothing is more wonderful than walking around a boardwalk on a quiet Sunday morning. The stores and restaurants were opening for breakfast and surfers were out in full force ‘catching waves’. Mornings in a shore community have their own life.
The boardwalk at Ocean City, NJ
The beach with early risers
The amusement area in the distance
There’s a big surfer culture here
I could not believe the amount of surfers who were on the Ocean City beach. The waves were not that big that morning but I could imagine what the waves were like during the recent storms. These folks have their own culture and lingo.
My video on the Surfers of Ocean City on the beach that morning
After my walk on the beach, I headed off to the US Lifeguard Station 30 Museum to see the exhibitions.
I was very lucky that I was able to visit the museum before it closed for the season and tour the facility. I found the life of the rescue teams fascinating and all the work these men did before the creation of the Coast Guard. The way they handled rescues and the training they needed back before the advent of phones and walkie-talkies was interesting. How the lanterns were used for as a form of communication between the beach and the building.
The inside Rescue Gallery
The formal Dining Room
There was a whole formal culture built on this and visitors and guests were welcomed to the building by officers, some meals cooked by the members wives and some by themselves.
The pulleys and wenches that saved people
Additional rescue boats
Life here was active but comfortable as I judged by the bunk room. This loft once overlooked the sea that is now three blocks away. Here the men had to be ready for anything and the windows offered perfect access to the sea.
The Bunk Room loft where the men slept and watched over the beaches
After I left the museum, it was time to travel to Beach Haven. So I took more walk around Ocean City to enjoy the beauty of this Jersey shore town. Even though it was just an overnight trip, there is a lot to see and do in these South Jersey communities packed with historical sites and interesting restaurants and especially beautiful beaches.
One last walk on the Boardwalk that morning
One last look at the spectacular beach
Now it was on to Exploring Beach Haven, NJ and Long Beach Island. I wanted to revamp that blog as well as there were places I wanted to visit before the weather got cooler. This is the best time to visit the Jersey shore and what a spectacular weekend it was!
My blog on Visiting and Exploring Beach Haven and Long Beach Island:
It was another wonderful afternoon in South Jersey and really shows all the wonderful things this area of the State has to offer. These little festivals show what volunteers can accomplish and I think we are better as tourists when we ger to attend them.
The historic grounds of the property in the winter
I visited the John Westley Gandy Farmstead on private walking tours both in the Winter of 2024 and the Summer of 2025 and got a glimpse of farm life in early rural Southern New Jersey. Away from the markets of New York City, I got to see how tenant farming and life was for early farmers after the Revolutionary War.
The house is decorated with artifacts from the early 1800’s to the turn of the Twentieth century and how they affected the lives of early inhabitants of the house. There is antique furniture, home made quilts and a fully stocked kitchen with a wood burning fireplace to cook meals from scratch (which was not a trend in those days, that is how they lived).
The grounds when I visited in the summer months
The grounds of the farm in the winter
The grounds of this historic homestead in the winter
When a returned for the private tour in the summer, it was a different story. The grounds were lush and in full bloom. It was really interesting to see how the farmstead was in the different seasons.
The same grounds in the summer
The history of the house
The front of the house during the summer
When you walk inside the Gandy Housr on the first floor, you are welcomed into the kitchen and pantry area plus some of public areas of the house. Here meals were prepared and guests were greeted.
The pantry area of the kitchen
Wood was stored for heat and cooking and herbs were drying for the winter months for cooking and daily use.
The fire wood and herb s drying
The pantry and larders for daily cooking and baking for the daily meals. All meals were cooked from scratch and large breakfasts and lunches were part of farm life. All meals were cooked in the open hearth so meals had to be properly timed and cooking and baking had to be coordinated for the family meals.
The larders were filled with the items that were in season
Cooking over a wood burning fire was part of everyday meals in the farm kitchen. Various pots and pans were in use to cook the family meals.
The inside of the kitchen area that heated the main room
Meals were coordinated for the day with cereals and soups cooking first, baked items going into the oven when it was warm enough followed by roasts and stews.
The days cooking over a hot stove
There were early morning breakfasts on the farm and then a late lunch/ early supper when the afternoon work was done.
The other half of the main room was used for dining and the families social space. Here meals were served and the family relaxed.
Everyday family objects of the household
The front part of the room faced the road and the comings and goings of the surrounding community.
The side bench and family objects
The most interesting part of the tour of the first floor is the view of the construction of the home. Behind the glass frame showed how the home was built and of what.
The construction of the home behind the glass frame
The family quarters on the second floor show the chores that followed during the day with spinning yarn, making and mending clothes and dying fabrics.
The spinning wheels and the making of quilts
The landing and the first floor rooms
The spinning wheels and patterns
The first bedroom was furnished with handmade quilts and sown linens. The wash basins were used before indoor plumbing.
The first bedroom upstairs
The wash basin and grooming products
Going out for a formal evening
The second bedroom on the second floor has is collection of quilts
The hand made quilts in the second bedroom
The children’s toys
The handmade quilt collection in the one bedroom
Handmade linens were part of the fabric of rural life as women were trained to sew and quilt their clothes and bed linens. Store bought linens were a rarity at this time and the quality of a woman’s homemaking skills defined her household. The handwork on these quilts were amazing.
The upstairs fireplace to keep the rooms warm
The upstairs alcove where the fireplace is located
The Morning clothing in the alcove
We then headed up the stairs to see the attic which were hard to walk up they were such small stairs.
The narrow stair’s to the attic
I got to see the attic area which visitors normally don’s see. This is where the boys of the family would sleep in the summarrr
The attic loft area
We finished the house tour back in the kitchen-living room
The full kitchen and living room room
The laundry area just off the main room
The we then toured the grounds of the estate walking through the grounds and exploring all the buildings on the property, some original to the estate and some brought here from other properties that awaited the wrecking ball. The grounds included the family well, barn, outhouse, root cellar, wood shed and a grape arbor.
The area right behind the main
The estate well which was going to be replaced
Fresh well water is still a part of the communities in Southern New Jersey. These farmsteads were pretty much self-sufficient and people grew what they needed and could barter for the rest or bring it to market.
The woodshed on the estate
The estate on a sunny day
The root cellar
The Root Cellar was used to keep Summer foods and preserves cool throughout the season. People tried to eat seasonally as much as possible and store for the Winter months.
The Ice House
The historic sign for the Ice House
The inside of the ice house and the hooks to hold meats
Ice was brought in from local lakes and ponds to keep foods well preserved during the warmer months of the Spring and Summer.
The barn that was moved here
The inside of the barn with all sorts of historic farm. These are pieces of equipment that were used over the last 100 years.
The farm equipment
The equipment that runs a farm
The storage area of the farm
The storage bins
The Outhouse
There was no indoor plumbing in those days and the use of the outhouse was placed far from the main house.
The grounds of the farm
The back of the farm
The front of the homestead in the summer of 2025
The house was warm and contained by fireplaces in the Winter months and open and airy in the Summer months with a flow of air through the open windows. The Upper Cape May Township Historical Society is open also for special events like their Strawberry and Apple festivals plus private tours.
The Gandy Farmstead Annual Apple Festival
Two weeks after my initial visit to the Gandy House during the Firemen’s Convention, I returned for the Historical Society’s Annual Apple Festival. The event reminded me of the Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival, a very nice family and community event that attracted everyone.
Since there were a lot of shore towns I wanted to revisit while the weather was nice, I arranged to stay at an Airbnb in Ocean City so I had plenty of time to do what I needed to do and relax afterwards.
I could not believe how crowded the roads were as so many places were having either Fall festivals or October Fest. Route 9 was like a parking lot near Smithville, NJ.
I got to the Apple Festival around noon and the parking lot was packed with people. One of the members said later that afternoon that he could not believe the consistent crowds as it was still busy at 2:15pm (the festival was over by 3:00pm). The crowds were filled with several generations of family members who I am sure were traveling from one event to another on this spectacular sunny morning.
The sign welcoming you to the event
When I arrived at the festival, the parking lot was still filling up so I had to park way in the back so I could get in and out easily. They had plenty of parking on the farm across the street.
On the Gandy family property on the other side of the home, they had an antique car show, a mini train ride around the tracks of this part of the property and a Caboose train car that you could explore.
The train tracks around the farm property
The train set up and tracks to tour around the farm
The train rides were really popular with both the small and ‘big’ kids
This small train trip had a nice sized line to it as families were really enjoying themselves
I then toured the Caboose which was set up for service and a day in the life of a conductor. Some of the volunteers were even dressed as conductors leading tour and talking to families.
The caboose on the farm property
The inside of the caboose
Getting ready for the holidays
Life of a train conductor shown in the caboose
After the tour of the car show and watching the families have fun on the trains, I headed across the street to the Gandy House for the tours and activities.
The back of the Gandy Farmstead with crafts and entertainment
Entering the Apple Festival with a Farmers Market and Apple sale
The Farmers Market of locally grown produce
They had a wonderful duo interesting the crowds that afternoon
There were all sorts of crafts stands around where the entertainment was performing
The local crafts people were really talented and included crocheted, painters, floral arrangers and jewelry markers.
One woman sold flowers from her gardens and arranged bouquets
This woman painted her own crafts and did beautiful work for both Halloween and Christmas
Here beautiful holiday crafts
I loved this Santa tree and was going to get it for my mom
This woman had the most beautiful handmade doll clothing and knit items for the holidays
What is an Apple Festival without food? I went to the concession stand for lunch and ordered a hot dog with a glass of locally made Apple cider and had an homemade Apple Shortcake, which I found out later the members had made the night before.
The concession stand where all the food was made
Enjoying my lunch. Both the hotdogs and apple cider were locally made. That’s why it tasted so good!
Hot dogs taste so good off the grill!
The delicious homemade Apple Shortcake with homemade apple topping were made by the members
I also stopped off at the apple stand where cases of apples were being sold. It looked like many people were going to make pies and sauce with these and the stand looked like they were selling out.
I managed to buy one of the Mango sweet apples they were selling individually
The apples were so hard, fresh and sweet that it made the perfect addition to dessert.
The Mango Sweet apples
Talk about delicious
After lunch I ran into the Board members who had helped me with the tour two weeks early and I took a quick tour of the first floor of the home. The laundry room was not open the day of my private tour.
Touring the outside grape arbor
The grape arbor on an early Fall day
Touring the first floor laundry room
An early washing machine
How to do laundry at the turn of the last century
After having lunch, touring the house and visiting all the vendors I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and listened to the entertainment perform. They did a combination of 70’s hit songs, country music and some James Taylor.
The duo performing
The first part of the song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” from the 1970’s before people walked in the way
The rest of the song performed. They did an excellent job with it
Before I left just after 2:00pm, I stayed to see who won the Apple pie contest. There were only three contributors but I wanted to get a slice before I left. They did not slice them up. Bummer!
The winners of the Apple pie contest
The Apple Festival sponsored by the Upper Township Historical Society happens every October. It is a wonderful family event and fundraiser for the Historical Society. I know I had a lot of fun and it reminded me of the events that I went to as a kid in the 1970’s.
It was funny that the only person who had a cell phone glued to his hand was me. It was just like the 1970’s all over again with families enjoying each other’s company. Try to visit in the future.
Open: Please call for a appointment and special tour
My review on TripAdvisor:
a
The front of the schoolhouse
The entrance to the property
The historic marker
The outside sign
The Friendship School was an interesting look at early rural education where students of various ages would be educated together.
The hours would vary with the growing seasons and students would be educated in the basics to educate them to the next level.
During the school day, children would have various chores to do such as gather wood, collect water, mind the fire and watch the day’s lunch. It would be a full day for both the teacher and the students.
My tour guide confirmed that nothing was easy during the school day and children had a lot of responsibility for what went on in their lives.
The tour was an interesting look at the lives of children of that period of time and the education they received.
The history of the Friendship School:
(from the Museum’s website)
This historic property contains the circa 1930 Friendship School, a circa 1900 privy, and a circa 1917 coal storage shed. The Friendship School was originally donated in 1976 by William Wells, grandson of Enoch Clouting to the Upper Township Bicentennial Committee during a time when Upper Township was particularly interested in its earliest buildings.
The historic plaques
The school’s hand pump
The committee, headed by the late Curtis T. Cordon, evolved to become the nucleus of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township (HPSUT) in 1977. Virginia M. Wilson was its’ first President.
The history of the Friendship School begins when it was incorporated in May of 1831 with Jonathon Corson, Lewis Corson, and Seth Young as trustees. The students’ tuition was paid for by parents in 1830, but by 1869, public funding for schools was established. In the 1862-63 school year, 52 students crowded into this 15’x 20’ structure, and of those students in the teacher’s roll book, 24 were Corsons!
The grounds of the school grounds
The school itself is standing on its fourth known location! It was originally located 6 houses southeast of its present location. It was used for classes until it was replaced with a larger building in the 1860’s.
The abandoned school house later owned by resident, Lot Corson, became known as “Lot’s Temple” because church services were held there. Then, it was moved to Enoch Clouting’s farm where a corn crib was placed on one side. It is Enoch’s grandson who kindly donated the school.
The barn on the grounds
The school building was in extreme disrepair when it was moved from the Clouting property to the corner of Ocean Ave. and Shore Road. According to an undated news article, “mere fragments of the (original) building remained” although “some of the heavier corner posts were salvaged.”
The school’s outhouse (pricey)
The historic sign
Nevertheless, restoration of this Friendship School was researched and planned by Kyle Fleetwood of Tuckahoe and James Wilson of Marmora; with assistance from Matt Unsworth, Robert Entirkin, Curtis Corson III, Somers Corson, Marshall “Ted” Behr, Guy Himmelberger, Harry “Hap” Folger and other members of the Bicentennial Committee. It was completed in 1980.
All replacement wood matched the original in size and material and great care was taken to restore it to its original appearance. Locally sourced materials for the restoration/reconstruction came from the Van Vorst sawmill in Petersburg, the Hess sawmill in South Seaville and the Brewer sawmill in Dennisville. Benches donated by Myra Clouting Biggs, were reproduced by Matt Unsworth.
The inside of the school house
The teacher’s desk is a reproduction also made by Matt Unsworth. Hardware for the building was hand-wrought by Robert Entrikin of Petersburg. Although it does not qualify for the State and National Registers listing because it retains little original historic building fabric, the building is important to the historical time line of Upper Township.
The schoolbooks and school equipment
Also on this site are two old frame buildings: a circa 1900 privy donated from the property of the Seaville School on Kruk Drive and a circa 1917 coal/storage shed donated from the Palermo School on Route 9. The coal storage shed, was donated by Wes and Doris Nickerson with Jim and Nancy Siegrist helping with its restoration. It was added to the property in 1993. Three three-seat privy (outhouse) from the old unused Seaville School was donated by Sharon Kruk in honor of her father, and was restored by Lewis Albrecht and Jim Siegrist. It is a work of art (with a French style roof), but is non-functional.
The school room reproduction
A special item, the cedar flag pole, from which flew a U.S. flag that flew above the capitol in Washington, DC, was donated by former Deauville Inn owners, Walter and Gloria Carpenter in December of 1983. (Since replaced)
The school bell and flag
The Friendship School was dedicated on September 10, 1983 by Virginia M. Wilson, President of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township, Upper Township Mayor Leonard Migliaccio, HPSUT members: Ebbie Unsworth and her son, Matt Unsworth, and guest speaker, New Jersey State Senator, James R. Hurley.
The children would collect water and fire wood for the class room during the school day
The reproduction of the school
Upper Township continues to own and manage the property and the school, while HPSUT members manage the inside and its activities. Each Upper Township Kindergarten class is invited to the annual Kindergarten Day to learn what a student classroom life is like in a one room school house in the early
After the holidays were over and I returned from my trip to Cape May for three days, exploring all the museums and historic sites that were open while enjoying the extension of the holidays, I got to visit a few of the local “Lightshows” on the last weekend they were open before the Epiphany. These are interactive exhibitions of lights and museum that should not be missed and are fun to walk through.
These started in Cape May and continued on through my last walk through Brooklyn on the last night of “Lightscapes” on one of the coldest nights of the New Year. Even with the weather turning bitterly cold, some of the nights there was not wind and made these nights out a true delight. You get caught up in the beauty of all the lights and music.
My adventure of lights began after Christmas with my annual trip to Cape May, NJ. Cape May is one of the most dazzling towns to celebrate Christmas. The only town to rival it is Rhinebeck, NY and they are neck in neck for the holiday season. The parks, hotels and the downtown Washington Street Mall are always decked out for the holidays.
The Park in downtown Cape May, NJ
Cape May Park in Downtown Cape May, NJ
I love this annual lightshow because it is free and part of the holiday magic that makes Cape May, NJ so special. This walk through the ‘Village Green’ of Cape May is part of what is so wonderful and shows the holiday spirit of Greater Cape May during the Christmas holidays.
The glittering tree in the park
The park glitters and shines
The Gazebo is always brilliant at the holidays
The Christmas tree is always amazing in Downtown Cape May
The decorated homes of Cape May, NJ near the beach
The houses in Cape May lit up for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May lit for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May
The Washington Mall during the later evening in Cape May
The beautiful Christmas lights and decorations continued at The Congress Hotel just off the downtown. The hotel is always so beautifully decorated like the town and is a wonderful place to stay at Christmas time (I stayed here in 2017 for Christmas and loved it). I ended up eating at the hotel for both breakfast at the Blue Pig and dinner at the Boiler Room (you can see these reviews in my Christmas blog from 2017 updated in 2024):
The inside of the hotel’s foyer always decorated to the hilt for the holidays
The Courtyard of the hotel decorated for the holidays
The beautiful Christmas tree in the courtyard is always a treat to look at every holiday
After I left the hotel, I just walked around Cape May and there is always a light show to see. So I walked around town, had dinner and just enjoyed the lights for two nights.
The light tree in one of the parks in Cape May
I ate at Viggiano’s at Sunset 109 Sunset Boulevard for dinner my last night in Cape May after touring around town
I started the meal with a delicious Italian Wedding Soup
This was followed by a delicious Spaghetti Carbonara
The food at the restaurant is very homey and delicious. The dinner was a perfect way to end my tour of Cape May’s downtown area and all the decorated homes. The two days I spend there always refresh me after the holidays.
When I arrived home from the Christmas holidays with my family, I had the week off before the college I work at resumed classes. I had not planned too many activities so I decided to update some of my older blogs by visiting places I had once visited during the holidays and planned to visit some of the popular light shows in the tri-state area.
The first thing I did when I returned home was visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The crowds started to go down after the holidays and I got to visit it later in the evening so I could take better pictures. There is nothing like Rockefeller Center at Christmas time. It is in a league all its own.
Visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmas is always exciting
You have not experienced anything at the holidays until you have seen the tree at Rockefeller Center
Across the street, Saks Fifth Avenue was decked out for the holidays. The decorations and lights were beautiful and made up for their windows which were decorated with just clothes this year.
Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue at Christmas time
There were three light shows I wanted to visit on the last weekend of the holidays and it took some coordinating. On New Year’s Eve, I took the train down to Center City Philadelphia to see the lightshow at the old Wanamaker’s store which is now Macy’s (Thank God I did as they announced after the holidays that Macy’s will be closing this location in March 2025). This is always a treat. I had not seen it since 2016.
See my Blog on visiting Philadelphia at Christmas in 2016:
The front of the store made famous by the movie ‘Mannequin’
The trailer for “Mannequin”
The windows at Macy’s Center City
The opening of the movie “Mannequin”:
The inside of Macy’s Center City in the movie “Mannequin”
The beautiful decorations of Macy’s Philadelphia at Christmas
Preparing for the lightshow in the main Rotunda
The magnificent decorations on the first floor
The famous eagle on the first floor
I saw the Lightshow twice, once to take pictures and once to film it. It is the same show I have seen several times, narrated by Julie Andrew’s but I never get bored from it. It really is a holiday tradition.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
The Finale
The Video of Part Five: The Finale
The Finale always gets an applause
After the Light-show was over, I walked around Macy’s. It is not the same store it was when it was Wanamaker’s when all the floors were open and they had all the magnificent restaurants. Wanamaker’s was top notch. Still I saw traces of the old store here and there. You can still see all the beautiful architecture and lighting.
The Rotunda after the Lightshow
Macy’s at Christmas
Macy’s at Christmas time
After I left Macy’s, I walked around Center City Philadelphia and walked around the City Hall complex. This was pretty much the last week of decorations and the holidays before they started to take this down.
City Hall in Center City
The lights continued with the Philadelphia Christmas tree downtown
On the other side of City Hall was the last day of the Christmas Mart
The outside Christmas Mart had its own gardens and Christmas lights
After I had toured both the store and the downtown area, I headed over to Reading Market for lunch. I love coming here for meals when I am in Philadelphia. There are so many places to choose from.
One of my favorite places to eat when it is open is the Dutch Eating Place inside the Reading Market. I love their breakfasts, their burgers but especially their Hot Turkey Platters. They are the best. Sitting at the counter, you can always have a nice conversation with someone.
The food at the Dutch Eating Place is always top notch and very homey. The Hot Turkey Sandwich was the Thanksgiving dinner that I did not have this year.
After my tour of the Reading Market, a short walk around downtown Center City and tour through Macy’s (with almost no merchandise on the shelves in certain departments, it was signaling to me that there was a problem in the store), it was time to head home. There were even more beautiful Christmas lights at Penn Station with their Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree at Penn Station in Philadelphia
After the holidays were over, Macy’s announced that the Center City store would be closing in March. So much for coming back or a ‘Mannequin’ remake.
Macy’s closing their downtown store in Philadelphia in March 2025
Over the weekend of the Epiphany, I arranged to see three more walking tours before they all closed for the season. One was the Holiday Lights tour at the Bronx Zoo, another was the Christmas Walking tour of the Armour-Stiner House in Irvington, NY and the last was one of my favorites, The Lightscape tour at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Each of these were more beautiful then the next with the only problem being is how cold it got those evenings.
The well lit welcome to the Bronx Zoo at the entrance by Astor Court
The fountains by Astor Court
Astor Court dazzling that evening
The wonderland of lights by Astor Court
The Christmas Tree light show just off Astor Court
The Light-show is captivating
This holiday light presentation was ongoing and beautiful. I just wished the music could have been louder. The main Christmas tree had so many unusual light displays.
The beautiful lights during the show
The main Christmas tree
I loved all the lights on the tree
I ended up watching the show three times for over a half hour and it still keep changing to something new
The tree display
The tree lights were captivating
After I left Astor Court, I just followed the pathways around the zoo and enjoyed the lights and displays. The show either seemed bigger than I remembered or I missed a lot on my last trip in 2019.
Walking along the pathways with all the displays
The pathways lit to create a Fantasyland
What I love about this show is the different themed sections of the show and how the zoo sets the show up. The Nautical displays were on the side of the Zoo that I entered and were the first set of lights I saw.
The nautical lights
The Nautical lights
Stingrays in the Nautical lights
The fish display
The Jellyfish display
The seals were one of the bigger displays in the zoo
One of the indoor displays was interactive
The multi lights and interactive puppets by the zoo sign
I liked the light structures
The giraffe sculptures
The reindeer lighting the way
The colorful flowers lining the paths
The light sculptures line the paths of the zoo
The puppet masters entertained us in the park
Then I headed down paths to visit all sorts of exotic animals and their colorful habitats lined the paths.
The flamingoes
The Turtles
The ant eater
The colorful parrots
The penguins
The Emu
The Alligator
The crowds are sparse at this time of the year and this is the best time to take pictures
It was the weekend of the Epiphany when I visited so the holiday decorations were still up
The park was so nicely decorated for the holidays
The beautiful snow flakes
I next went to the jungle themed part of the park and visited all the animals in the wild. This is where all the bigger displays were located and you got to see all the zoo related animals.
Where the wild animals were located
The friendly giraffes
The friendly faces of the giraffes
The playful monkeys
The elephants
The Rhinos
Lions and tigers
Walking down the well lit paths
The Rainbow tunnel
The Wild Wolves
The Green Tree by the Dancing Crane Cafe
I had to stop for a while to warm up and have something to eat. I tried to stop before I got to the zoo but there are only delis that surround the park. I had not eaten here years and the food had always been pretty good.
The Chicken Fingers here were excellent and the portion size was very fair
The fries were really good as well and had just come out of the fryer
I have to say that I was very impressed by the food and the service. Everyone could not have been nicer and it was a very pleasant and relaxing dinner.
As I resumed my walk down the paths of the zoo, I walked through the most amazing colorful tunnel, where everyone was taking pictures.
When you can walk through this alone it is really amazing
My part of the zoo I traveled through was the Magical Rain Forest with its colorful flowers and exotic animals.
The beautifully lit Totem pole
The colorful flowers lined the paths
The colorful butterfly’s
The colorful flowers in the Rain Forest
The beauty of the walkways
This was such a colorful frog
Another playful frog in the Rain Forest
I thought the frog with the toad was very clever
These colorful birds lined the path
The colors of the frogs in the Rain Forest were amazing
This beautiful Diamondback turtle was last animal I saw before I left the Rain Forest
The temperature really started to drop this evening and it was in the thirties when I left the Bronx Zoo. Still it was an amazing night. The show was so dazzling that night and dinner was surprisingly good that night that I did not mind.
The 125th sign all lit when I left the park that night
The Swan Gate as I was leaving
It got really cold at the end of the evening but it was such a great night. The displays were amazing and the musical light shows were a lot of fun. It is something everyone should see once. It is even better later in the season when there are no crowds and you can take great pictures.
The decorated Rhino was one of the last thing J saw when I left the park
On the Sunday of the last day of the Christmas season, I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see their lightshow ‘Lightscape’ which I had seen a few years earlier. It was the last night to see it and it was crowded and really cold.
The problem was that the weather had turned really cold and it was in the low thirties even in the early evening. So I really had to bundle up for these visits. The show itself was well worth the trip.
The map would take us all over the gardens
The lit tree army the entrance of the gardens
Then I entered the ‘Canopy of Light’ with its magical lights and music
At the entrance of the show was the breathtaking ‘Canopy of Light’
The beautiful multi lights with music
The lights moved to ‘Let it Snow’
I continued down the path to the Japanese Garden and saw the most spectacular light and water show in the lake of the garden.
The colors and fountains swayed to the music
What gorgeous colors
The movements and music were wonderful
The amazing water show in the Japanese Garden
The end of the show was beautiful
I ended up seeing the water show twice because I knew they would not let me turnaround to see it again. The I turned down the path.
The lights in the trees were amazing
The field of white lit roses
A closer look at the white roses
I continued down the path to the next display
I next moved on to the main lawn where the sculpture ‘Singularity’ was displayed. You could not stare at it too long or it could hypnotize you.
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
I walked around the Water Lilly ponds whose flowers would bloom again in the summer but had sculptures of Butterflies floating around in them.
These were called ‘Butterfly Effect’
The ‘Butterfly Effect’
I love the way the sculptures swayed and moved in the pond to the music. The Yellow Magnolia, the Garden’s restaurant was open that evening and was packed with people eating dinner. There was no way of getting in so I moved on down the path.
The pathways were lit with all sorts of colors
The next sculpture was ‘One Small Thing’ and the sculpture ‘Halo’ that lit the way in the back of the Gardens.
‘One Small Thing’
The lights alone the path for ‘One Small Thing’
The came the sculptures for ‘Halo’
The next interactive and musical sculpture was ‘Alumine’ which looked like trees in a Dr. Seuss book. Colorful and fun!
Walking through the ‘Alumine’ sculptures
The experience of walking through ‘Alumine’ is like walking through ’Whoville’ in the winter
The lights here changed color every minute and were so amazing.
As I left ‘Alumine’, the next series of sculptures were light shows with dazzling colors and music. This is what made this show stand out more than the shows of the past.
The beautiful lights lit the path through dormant trees
The colors kept changing
As I walked down the path, I entered ‘Rainbow Road’ with it colorful disco lights and energetic soundtrack.
The outdoor lights and music makes you feel like you are in a discotheque
I stayed here the longest to listen to the 70’s soundtrack
The music was fantastic that night
I moved on to the area of the gardens between where the crocuses will grow in two months and near Daffodils Hill was another amazing display entitled ‘Anemonia’. These sculptures looked like futuristic lamps.
The ‘Anemonia’ sculptures
The ‘Anemonia’ lit beautifully
The next light display rivaled the ‘Happy Waters’ was ‘Interface’, a display of memorizing lights and music. I stayed for three shows as it was so dazzling.
The ‘Anemonia’ sign
The lights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The sights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The show ended with some of the spectacular lights
I then walked through the ‘Neon Network’ to get to where the Cherry Blossom Esplanade dazzled everyone in April with its beautiful, fluffy pink blossoms. It was other bright colors showcasing this part of the gardens.
The ‘Neon Network’ sign
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’ led to the last spectacular displays of lights in the Cherry Blossom Esplanade, ‘Winter Reflection’, a celebration of lights, trees and snowflakes.
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’The
Video on ‘Winter Reflections’:
The tree brightly lit in ‘Winter Reflections’
The dazzling colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
To really appreciate the shoe of ‘Winter Reflections’ you had to walk up the pathways overlooking the Esplanade.
The pathway through the Cherry Esplanade was spectacular
The lightshow for ‘Winter Reflections’ was most entertaining from the top of the hill
The video of the show from the top of the hill show it’s true beauty and entertainment:
One of the most memorable show off ‘Lightscapes’
After I saw the show twice before I headed out of the gardens. I walked through the ‘Winter Cathedral’ which had been the biggest part of the light show a couple of years ago. This is most impressive.
The ‘Winter Cathedral’ at the end of the tour
The lights are so spectacular in the evening
The last display before I left the park was the ‘Lantern Garden’ at the original area of the gardens entrance.
The sign for ‘The Lantern Garden’
The ‘Lantern Garden’ at the end of the garden
The ‘Lantern Garden’
I exited the gardens after almost two hours of walking around and it started to get cold outside. It was still really busy in the gardens as the later ticket holders will still coming in.
The exit of the show at the Eastern Parkway entrance
Before I returned to Manhattan, I had a quick dinner at Bahn Mi Sandwich on Washington Avenue. Their Vietnamese sandwiches are always wonderful.
After cold night in the gardens, I stopped to have a sandwich and eat inside the restaurant. It was so nice and warm and the sandwich was excellent. I ordered the Shredded Chicken Banh Mi and it was delicious. Lots of steamed chicken tucked inside a chewy bun with fresh vegetables. I really enjoy their sandwiches.
The sandwich was a perfect way to end the evening
Before I left Manhattan for the evening, I walked through Bryant Park on the way back to Port Authority. The Christmas tree was still up surprisingly and the most of the food vendors around the skating rink were still open.
The Skating Rink at Bryant Park at the end of the holidays
The food vendors were still open at the end of the season
The Christmas tree was still ablaze at the end of the 12 Days of Christmas
Bryant Park is so spectacular during the holidays
For anyone who says New York City or even Philly for that matter are boring during the holidays have not walked the parks and streets. There are so many beautiful and spectacular things to do and see.
You all have to experience them for yourself in eleven months!
Post Christmas visit during the Philadelphia Flower Show 2025:Macy’s Closing
What was sad though when I returned two months later for the Flower Show, it was announced that Macy’s was shutting down the downtown store as part of the store cuts as Macy’s was downsizing the company.
Macy’s Closing at the Wanamaker’s Building
Almost all the inner city stores like Brooklyn and Philadelphia were going to join stores like Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. It was a sad day for Philly.
Macy’s during my day of touring
Sad day in Philly
It reminded me of when B. Altman closed in New York City
The display windows said it all but had been very festive just two months earlier
The once elegant Men’s Department
The mannequins for sale
Me with the ‘Mannequins’ on the first floor
Me with the decorations that once adorned the first floor during Christmas
It’s so sad to see where John Wanamaker once walked and Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall once danced down the aisles has now been reduced to thisbargain sale
The empty cases were once filled with beautiful jewels and fancy perfumes
All the Christmas decorations from two months before were all sold
The beautiful atrium where I watched the light show a few months before
The Accessories Department
No one was near the Eagle that day
The back part of the Atrium
The sadness of the Clothing Department
The Cosmetics Department had nothing left
The beautiful embellishments around the Cosmetics Department of the Eastern States. This is of Massachutes
This is the New Jersey emblem
Where Kim Cattrell and Andrew McCarthy danced in the film
The lion guarding the stairs
The actors dancing in the film “Mannequin”
The front of the old Wanamakers store where the opening scene of ‘Mannequin’ was shot
Not what John Wanamaker envisioned for his store
It is a sad day as this was once one of the most beautiful and creative stores in the country now reduced to a bargain sale.
It has been a long time since I had visited both Seaside Park and the Seaside Heights Boardwalk and beaches. I used to come down swimming with my dad at the Seaside Park Beach all the time in the summer in the early 2000’s when I moved home from Guam. I always really enjoyed the park as it was one of the nicest beaches in New Jersey.
I had not been to the Seaside Heights Boardwalk in a long time. I used come down in the summers when I was in high school (like everyone else in New Jersey) but I was writing a series of blogs about museums down the shore and was writing a blog on the new Seaside Heights Historical Museum and Carousel so off I went down the Garden State Parkway again to this popular resort town. While I was down the shore, I went back to Point Pleasant Beach up Route 35 and revisited the downtown for that blog to update it.
The welcome sign to Seaside Park, NJ on a sunny Summer morning
I started my day talking with the Director of Recreation of Seaside Park, who was starting to spearhead a new Historical Society in Seaside Park and invited me to tour their historic City Hall building.
The historic Seaside Park City Hall at 1701 North Ocean Avenue
What I thought was interesting about the building is that it originally started out as a lifeguard station. I thought it had an unusual design with a tower and wide doors.
The from of the building faces the ocean.
When we toured the whole building I could see where the lifeguards used to watch the ocean from the tower and the large garage doors are where the lifeguard boats were stored. That’s why the doors were so large. What was impressive were the tower views.
The ocean view from the top of the tower at City Hall
After I got dropped off when the tour was over, I made my way to the Seaside Heights Boardwalk which starts in Seaside Park and passed the well known pizzeria, Sawmill Pizza, which has an excellent reputation and is well known down the shore. I had never eaten there but I heard they had over- sized slices.
The original Sawmill Cafe in Seaside Park, NJ in the downtown area
I had gotten to Seaside Heights so early, it only took me only an hour and fifteen minutes to get there from North Jersey, that most of the businesses on the Boardwalk had either not opened yet or were just opening. The Boardwalk was really quiet and I had the Boardwalk to myself.
The Seaside Heights Boardwalk at 10:30am in the morning was quiet and very relaxing
The Boardwalk by both the Sawmill Cafe and Three Brothers Pizza. The outdoor seating is plentiful.
The long stretches of quiet Boardwalk in Seaside Heights
The Boardwalk is perfect when its quiet and not much of a crowd. It was a sunny day with a pleasant breeze. With some of the businesses preparing to open for the day, I was able to visit many of the stores on the Boardwalk without the usual crowds having to elbow people to see things on the shelves and in cases.
I had asked the Recreation Director of Seaside Park why there had not been the damage during Hurricane Sandy as in other parts of the shore, he said it was due to being on higher land on the shore line and the well built dunes that had been created. These dunes today are well maintained and a valuable part of the beach ecosystem.
The planted dunes by the shore line in the Seaside Park part of the beach
The well built dunes near the Boardwalk protecting both the Boardwalk and beach
As I walked down the Boardwalk to get to the new museum, I noticed the open air art show on the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk was lined with interesting paintings by artists depicting Seaside Heights.
The newest addition to the collection on the Boardwalk
I thought it was wonderful to have an artwork display that had so much creativity and imagination in each of the pieces. The fact that it was a beautiful sunny morning to enjoy it made it even better. Each piece had such a colorful perspective of life at the shore.
I finally got to the Seaside Heights Historical Society and it was all gated off. I had to stop and ask the woman selling beach badges when it would be opening and she said not until 3:00pm. I am looking at my watch and it was past 11:00am. She said it was open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm so I would have plenty of time to see it.
With so much time before its opening and so much more I wanted to see and do, I decided to take the time to explore not just Seaside Heights and Seaside Park but Bay head and Point Pleasant Beach as well. I had wanted to revisit their downtown area as well as visit other museums in the other towns.
The Seaside Heights Historical Society- The Carousel Pavilion at the dnd of the Boardwalk
Some of the historical pictures of the past of this shore community
After our conversation, I decided to make a morning of exploring the two towns and see what they have to offer. Both towns have so much to see and do both on and off the Boardwalk. The first thing I did was have something to eat. I am not sure if it’s the sea air or just the smells of the boardwalk of fried foods and sausage but I got hungry.
This started my ‘Pizza Fest’ adventure on the Boardwalk. With so many pizzerias located on the Boardwalk, it was going to take several trips to Seaside Heights to try them all. I started on one side of the Boardwalk and would work my way down.
As I passed the Historical Society, I looked at the pizza case at Shore Slice Pizza at 1309 Boardwalk and saw the Sausage pizza in the case. I got to talking with the owner and he was telling me he worked in the City and learned the business there. All I have to say is that the pizza was wonderful.
The pizza made first thing in the morning. Pizza at 11:00am was really fresh.
I had to have a slice of the sausage pizza and it was fantastic. I love a slice of pizza loaded with sweet sausage.
After a nice lunch, I walk the length of the Boardwalk and explored the stores and the restaurants. I had a nice time weaving through all the stores looking at candy displays and restaurant menus. I saw plenty of gift shops as well.
The amusement area closed that morning
I passed the amusement area but it was closed in the afternoon so I only got to see the rides beyond the fence. The park would open up later that evening. I walked all around the Boardwalk that morning and have to say that there is nothing like a Boardwalk that is all your own. You are not elbowing people, the shop keepers are not over-whelmed with people and are extremely friendly and it gives you time to really enjoy it and look around.
One store that impressed me was Planet Candy at 615 Boardwalk
I stopped in Planet Candy attracted by all the candied covered apples and chocolates in the window. The smell of the sweets lead me inside and I was delighted by the selection of candy, chocolates and novelties.
I loved the selection of gifts and treats and the service was very friendly
I loved the assortment of fresh candies, gifts and admiring the boxes of fresh salt water taffy, a Jersey shore specialty. Talk about a kid in a candy store. I left with a smile on my face.
I stopped to look at Jimbo’s Bar & Grill menu to see what they were having for lunch. The had an extensive menu which I took note of for another time. I had my eyes set on another pizzeria.
I had heard about the pizza at the Sawmill for years and it has quite the reputation down the shore so I had to try it. I have to say that the slices are really large so bring an appetite.
The giant cheese slice The Sawmill I had for my second part of lunch
I have to say that I was disappointed. It was an over-sized slice and it looked good, it was thin on the bottom and could have been cooked more so it limped in my hand. Maybe this happened because it was the first pie of the morning. The guys at the register were really friendly and served the pizza quickly.
I took one more trip around the Boardwalk to work off the two slices of pizza and passed the display of Seaside Heights Rescue Boats that people took pictures in. While it was quiet in the morning by the afternoon you could not get people out of these boats. I was able to get some nice pictures before it got busy.
On my second trip to Seaside Heights, I had done a bit more research on the town and remembered another pizzeria that I wanted to try on the Boardwalk, Maruca’s Tomato Pies Pizzeria at 601 Ocean Terrace on the Boardwalk.
What I had remembered about Maruca’s was that they put an extra swirl on the top of the pizza to finish it once it baked. People in the State of New Jersey call this a ‘Tomato Pie’ since the sauce is on top of the pizza and not below the cheese.
Maruca’s Tomato Pies (Pizzeria) at 601 Ocean Terrace
Maruca’s Tomato Pies do live up to the hype. I had a piece of Sausage pizza and it was very good (but it could have used a bit more sausage on top). It really did have the swirl on top of it and what was nice about the extra sauce is that it added extra flavor to the cheese on top of the pizza. I must have really enjoyed this lunch because it was the same dinner I had when I visited in October. They are so generous with the sausage on top of the pizza and the pizza is so crisp!
My lunch on the second trip to the Seaside Heights Boardwalk
The pizza really does look nice
I had a slice of their Sausage pizza for lunch on my second trip to town and it lived up to its reputation. It could have had a bit more sausage on top and was a little pricey at $7.00 a slice but figured it must be the rent. Still the pizza was flavorful and delicious. Their was nicely spiced and the sausage added a sweet flavor to it.
I returned to Seaside Heights in October 2024, to see what was happening on the Boardwalk for Halloween. There were some nice decorations but nothing had been planned for the Boardwalk that I could tell. We had some warmer weather in the middle of the month and for a week it was in the 70’s.
When I returned to Seaside Park and Heights in October of 2025, the Boardwalk had been busier with a Pumpkin Decorating Contest and the night before a showing of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. I also got to see the finish of the Scarecrow Contest. So there were little ones running around but the cool weather kept people from sticking around.
The Boardwalk was very busy but most of the businesses had closed for the season and those that were open closed at 6:00pm. Still it was nice to walk on the Boardwalk and enjoy the warm breezes from the ocean and be able to visit the dunes without having to pay for it.
Seaside Heights Boardwalk was celebrating Halloween on the Boardwalk
Some of the businesses had decorated the Boardwalk for the Fall holidays
I was finally able to visit the beach without paying for it in mid-October
A beautiful view of the now closed Amusement Park at Sunset on a October afternoon
The Seaside Heights Beach by the Boardwalk at Sunset on October 20th, 2024. I was just beautiful the way the sun sparkled on the shore
In October of 2025, I stopped in just after a Scarecrow Making Contest. The contest was already over by the time I got there but people were still looking them over. The kids did a really nice job with the contest. While Seaside Heights and Park don’t have the activities that its northern neighbor Point Pleasant has, the activities led to some creative ingenuity of the kids and there were interesting decorations all over the towns over the Halloween weekend.
The town even decorated the Boardwalk more this year with skeletons and other creatures. There were not many activities on the Boardwalk on the Halloween weekend but the decorations were fun.
Skeletons on the Boardwalk
Zombies on the Boardwalk
I left the Boardwalk to explore Seaside Park’s Downtown area and parks. I can see the beach at any time but what makes the character of a town is where the locals go. The restaurants that are out of the way, the parks families go to and the business districts that the tourists don’t flock to but should. I took a stroll down the Main Street of town. My first stop was the Seaside Park Farmers Market.
The Seaside Park Farmers Market at the Marine Lawn
The Farmer’s Market is every Monday and Friday when in season. I walked through the market that afternoon and really enjoyed the variety of merchants they had selling their wares.
The entrance to the Seaside Park Marina where the market takes place.
There were a whole array of vendors to choose from at the Farmers Market and you could find what you need to fill your pantry or for the perfect picnic at the beach. The was a pickle man, a woman making gourmet pizzas to go, farm fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms in the area, a bread and pastry man, and a cheese man. There were several people selling homemade crafts and jewelry.
The market was busy that afternoon
The one thing I did notice was that the prices were very similar to those in Bergen County. It looks like the price hikes have affected down here too. When you want quality it will cost you.
There was a lot of nice produce and prepared foods to buy
The Cedar Post Farm Market had a nice variety of fruits and vegetables at their stand
After walking the whole Farmers Market and noting the vendors for my next trip down the shore, I left the Farmers Market to visit the stores that lined the business district. Before I left, I took a quick tour of the marina district behind the park. The views were amazing.
The Marina District at the end of the block with a view of the bridge
The views from the Marina District
The old fashioned clock tower just outside the Farmers Market
There were a number of stores I passed on the walk down the street that were not open at the time but would warrant a visit in future trips. The first business I passed was a whimsical ice cream shop with a very unusual logo.
The Ice Cream Boss at 10 NE Central Avenue in Seaside Park, NJ
I noted that they made their own homemade ice creams in house and wanted to try their peach and blueberry while they were in season. The store was not open at the time but this is for another trip to Seaside Park.
On my second trip to Seaside Park, I ended my day and my eating tour of town with a medium dish of ice cream, which equates to two and a half nice scoops of ice cream in a dish. This is far more generous than some the places closer to the City.
The inside of Ice Cream Boss
The selection of homemade ice cream at Ice Cream Boss
I changed my mind on what ice cream flavors I wanted to try when I sampled the Pretzel Caramel Swirl and the Birthday Cake flavors. Talk about wonderful. The ice cream here is all homemade and you can taste it in the quality ingredients.
The combination of Birthday cake and Pretzel Caramel Swirl was delicious
There were loads of chopped pretzel and big swirls of caramel in the first scoop and hunks of vanilla cake, icing and sprinkles in the second scoop. I had no problem devouring this at the end of a very hot day.
What I like about Ice Cream Boss is that you can eat either inside or on the outside tables giving you view of the surrounding homes and gardens. The road is also filled with people heading to the beach so it is busy all the time. On a sunny, warm day there is nothing like it.
The next place I passed was the Union Church of Seaside Park with its historic looking wooden structure. This historic building stood out amongst all the shore homes in the area.
The Union Church of Seaside Park at 47 4th Avenue in Seaside Heights
The church was organized by founding members in 1899 and the church was completed in 1901. This historic non- denominator church has been welcoming locals and tourists alike for over a hundred years (Church website).
The main entrance to the church
The next business I visited has been a shore staple for years and that I see in many shore towns, B & B Department store at 500 SE Central Avenue.
The outside of B & B Department Store at 500 SE Central Avenue
B & B Department Stores are one of the last of the small localized department stores in New Jersey. Many of these disappeared in the early 1990’s with the bankruptcy of Allied, Federated and Macy’s Department stores. B & B seems to know their niche and caters to the Jersey shore downtowns. I visit their store in Beach Haven I am in the area.
I love the way they merchandise their clothes
They a nice collection of seasonable clothes that is perfect if a tourist is visiting and needs to pick up a couple of things for the trip. They also have a nice gift department and a collection of logoed ‘Seaside Park’ merchandise. Each of their stores gears this merchandise to the beach town they are located in.
I thought the displays were very original. This shark display was in the beach merchandise department
After I left the store, I continued down the street to the next store stopping at Park Bakery at 408 SE Central Avenue. I got there rather late in the afternoon and the assortment of baked goods was limited but I took note of the items available and will be back for breakfast in the future.
This whimsical little guy greets you when enter the bakery
After I had breakfast on my second trip to town in August it must have been something in the salt air but I was still hungry from my breakfast at White Oak Market and had to stop in the store for a piece of pastry.
There had been so much going on in the store on my last trip with a delivery and a noisy family inside plus being late in the day, there was not that much of a selection. Early in the morning, there is more to choose from. I loved looking at the assortment of twists, yeast breads, doughnuts and turnovers to choose from.
The selection of pastries, cookies and cakes at Park Bakery
What I like about Park Bakery is how whimsical the store is inside. I had not noticed it on the first trip but there are puppets and interactive characters along the walls and by the coffee station.
These dessert Chef’s oversee the counter at the bakery
The talking Moose and Tree interact with one another and the tree is actually a refrigerator
After surveying the turnovers and cookies I chose one of the doughnuts and that was a hard choice as they all looked so good. I had one of the powered Jelly doughnut’s with a raspberry filling and it was a delicious. There was so much jelly inside that when I bit in, the sweet jelly burst in my mouth.
The delicious jelly doughnut with raspberry filling was the perfect way to finish breakfast
When I came back in August, I did a more extensive walk of the town and ended up walking not just the entire length of Seaside Park but all the way to the edge of town to the Seaside Park that is located in Berkeley Township. I thought it had been part of Seaside Park, the town.
The entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkley Township in the Summer
Then turned around and walked the entire length of the business district and Boardwalk again in Seaside Heights and saw all the new developments there as well. Like many of the shore towns in New Jersey that I have visited, the old businesses are being knocked down for pricy condos and more upscale expensive restaurants to cater to the people who will moving in. I have seen this in Point Pleasant Beach and Wildwood.
The Island Beach State park is actually located in Berkeley Township in South Seaside Park
You can’t just ‘walk into Seaside Park’, the park itself but have to drive in and pay a fee so that is where I stopped when I got to the entrance. I noted the restaurants at the entrance of the park and there were some that I wanted to try in the future.
The Seaside Park sign on October of 2035
As I walked back to Seaside Park, I stopped at several of the small parks that line the bay on the side streets. I think the tourists miss these and that’s what the locals enjoy. The first one was a small park near the entrance of Seaside Park two blocks down from the entrance at the end of 24th Street. The small pavilion offered nice views of the park and bay.
The view from the pavilion at 24th Street in South Seaside Park
The nautical display by the businesses in South Seaside Park
The little bohemian houses as you leave the Berkeley Township neighborhood by the beach
The next little gem of a park was by the 13th Street Pier in Seaside Park. This long pier was attracting fisherman and joggers on the hot day. At the entrance of the park, there was a butterfly garden meant to attract monarchs on the migration path.
The sign for the 13th Street Pier and Park
The small garden at the entrance of the pier
This wonderful little park also had a pavilion to rest in the shade and relax and enjoy the views.
The Butterfly Garden by the entrance of the pier
The views from the 13th Street Pier at the park
The views from the end of the pier are just breathtaking of the bay area. On a sunny day you can see all the way up to the bridge. The views are just spectacular and the park is so peaceful on a quiet weekend.
The views from the 13th Street Pier Park
The views from the 13th Street Pier Park looking south
I walked back to the circle where the main part the Seaside Park shopping district starts and had to stop in the police station because there are not a lot of public bathrooms outside the Boardwalk area. They have nice public bathrooms and no one bothers you when you use them.
I walked around the circle of the main shopping area and made my way back up Central Avenue. I could see the Bay Area from the shopping district and went off the path to explore it. One store I enjoyed walking into was the Shore and More General Store at 100 5th Street.
The Shore and More General Store at 100 5th Street
The Shore and More General Store is for the visitor who forgot the things they needed for their trip or for a day tripper who did not want to drag everything with them for a day at the shore. There are all sorts of beach chairs, towels, umbrellas for sale and inside suntan lotion, snacks, drinks and gift items to take home with you. It reminded me of some of the stores of Amity Island in the movie ‘Jaws’. A little local store that carries everything needed in a beach community for a visitor.
The inside of Shore and More General Store in Seaside Park, NJ
I stopped at the 5th Avenue Bay Pier and Park after my long walk around the shopping district. This wonderful little park has a small beach, a wonderful pier to walk on to see the views and the most breathtaking views of the bay and shoreline. This park is really for the locals and it funny how all the kids seemed to know on another.
The park offers a small beach for a fee for swimming in the bay and the pier looks like it is popular with fisherman and sunbathers alike. Just like the 13th Street Pier Park, it offers the most spectacular views on the bay and the surrounding shore.
5th Avenue Bay Pier in the afternoon
The park is nice to get away from all the hustle of the Boardwalk. I watched everyone fishing on the pier talking and swapping stories past catches. The I got the end of the pier and saw all the sailboats in the distance. That was a beautiful site. It looked like a regatta.
The view from the 5th Avenue Bay pier is breathtaking on sunny afternoon
The 5th Street Pier
This seagull acted like he was guarding the pier
The view of the 5th Street Beach and Pier with our friend the seagull looking on
The weather got hotter in the afternoon and I got the most amazing accidental tan. I did not realize the strength of the sun that afternoon. It was really strong hidden by cool breezes. The pier offers such a nice place to relax and watch families having a nice time on the beach. It is the perfect place for a walk after a day at the shore.
I walked up Central Avenue peeking in the gardens along the way and admiring peoples homes. There seems to be a mix of weekenders and permanent residents.
One of the gardens I admired on my walk up the main street
I loved this shell flag that was on one of the porches
One of the nicely landscaped homes gardens in the downtown district
From the park I made my way back to the shopping district on my way back to the Boardwalk. On the way, I passed the White Oak Market at 206 SE Central Avenue and walked in to see a bustling crowd of customers.
The grocery section and deli of the White Oak Market
What a great little grocery and deli. It had the nicest assortment of sandwiches and salads and is the prefect place to get food items for a beach picnic. The people working there could not have been nicer to all the customers. The problem was after two slices of pizza I was not hungry and I was eyeing the breakfast sandwiches coming off the grill.
The hot food deli section of the market
I made note of this and on my second visit to town had breakfast here as my first stop. I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a hard roll that was wonderful. They loaded the sandwich with fresh bacon, about three eggs and a couple of slices of American cheese and tucked all of this into a chewy bun. I was able to enjoy this with a Nantucket Red Plum juice on one of the benches outside the store.
The White Oak Market’s prepared food section and salads
While I was waiting for my order to be finished, I stopped and looked at the gift and beach section. The store has all sorts of shirts for the beach and to take home as a souvenir. What’s nice too is the grocery section is extensive and you can stock up on things you will need for both your hotel room and beach rentals.
The selection of gifts and grocery items
I had a better chance to walk around the store and it is really like a little general store for the locals with a nice grocery section, a section for beach toys like pails, shovels and items like chairs and umbrellas for a day at the beach.
They also have a selection of clothing with logoed items from Seaside Park to take home as gift. What I really liked about the stores is that it really was a gathering place for the residents who were greeting one another by name and sharing gossip with one another. It is one of those stores that every town should have in it.
I took my Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich and a Red Plum juice and ate outside on the benches, which is a really nice treat on a sunny day. The sandwich was excellent and was the perfect breakfast that morning after a long walk (see reviews on TripAdvisor and LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com).
The Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwich on a hard roll is definite choice for breakfast
Yum!
When I returned in October in 2025, for lunch I tried the Chicken Salad on a hard roll. The over-sized sandwich was enough for lunch and dinner.
The Chicken Salad with a side of Macaroni salad
It was a great sandwich
Ditto with the Macaroni salad
After my second meal was over, I made my way through the rest of town and into the business district of Seaside Heights which parallels the Boardwalk. This is where the real changes are happening.
Gone are the older motels and shops. The area must have been rezoned because all sorts of upscale condos and apartments are being built where those businesses once stood. It tells me that they are trying to attract a more year round visitor.
The edge of the Seaside Heights Downtown business district by the Boardwalk
A downtown restaurant sign
The Downtown artwork
The Downtown artwork
The Downtown artwork
With all this new building you can see the quality of the coffee shops and restaurants now being built around them. The old hot dog and cheesesteak places that surround the block between this and the Boardwalk are starting to look out of place.
Part of the old Downtown Seaside Heights by the Boardwalk, the waterslide park
I made my way back to the car which I parked near City Hall. I had to go back to Point Pleasant to finish my blog on that town’s downtown area and two of their museums. I came back to the Boardwalk later that evening.
My blog on Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach:
Later that night I was back on the Boardwalk again and there was a nice crowd that evening. The amusement park opened on the Boardwalk and it was a lot more lively with the rides going and the music.
The Boardwalk amusements area was really lively when I returned to the Boardwalk that evening
The rides were spinning, flipping and swirling everyone around. It looked like everyone was having a good time on this sunny Friday night. There is nothing like a night at the Jersey Shore.
My view of the rides and activities on the Boardwalk:
I walked to the end of the Boardwalk to find that the Seaside Heights Historical Society building was open and the historic carousel was in use with its colorful animals and cheerful music.
The Dr. Floyd L. Moreland carousel in the Seaside Heights Historical Society Building
The carousel was so beautifully restored and the music so festive.
The start of the ride and the music
The beautifully restored horses
The camel
The tiger
The gentleman working the carousel that evening told me that the Historical Society plans on having more exhibitions in the future but for right now the doctor’s collection of carousel horses were on display.
The case line of carousel horses being shown at the museum
The panels from the carousel that could not be restored were on display as well
The Seaside Heights Historical Society has done a wonderful job creating a museum that is engaging and interactive. That and the carousel offers a wonderful ride.
The Society has a new exhibition in the back part of the building promoting the “Postcards from Seaside Heights” in October 2024.
“Our History in Postcards” at the Seaside Heights Historical Society
The Seaside Heights “Hodge Podge” of the Town Map and artifacts from the town
The Seaside Heights Banner display
The Seaside Heights Historical Society keeps adding all these interesting displays to the building and you really have to walk around the building to enjoy them. Don’t forget to ride the carousel.
As I walked back down the Boardwalk, I enjoyed all the laughter and yelling going on with people having a wonderful time on the rides and at the games. Before I left for the long ride home, I stopped at the Midway Steakhouse at 500 Boardwalk for some Cheese Balls. All I saw that afternoon were signs for the famous Cheeseballs of Seaside Heights and now had to have some before I left.
What Cheeseballs are fresh mozzarella balls (or have been rolled into balls), breaded and quickly deep fried similar to mozzarella sticks. They are then served with a homemade red sauce. They are heaven on earth and the Midway Steakhouse did an excellent job on them.
My Cheeseballs meal from the Midway Steak House that I ate on a bench on the Boardwalk
Yum!
I took one last look at the amusement area before I left and watched the summer crowd just having fun. Funny if we’re not for the cellphones and the models of the cars, I would have shown it was 1978 all over again. That’s what the Seaside’s do, bring you back to your youth.
The entrance to the amusement area at dusk
It was a fun day!
The Boardwalk at the end of the day
The clown in the amusement park taking a rest
Greetings from the restaurant section of the Boardwalk
Seaside Heights Boardwalk in October of 2025 during Halloween Weekend
Halloween Weekend in 2025
No matter what time of the year it is, both Seaside Heights and Seaside Park offer interesting and fun activities or just a quiet walk on the Boardwalk is nice as well. It is a relaxing place to just think and have a nice afternoon.
After a long holiday weekend in Cape May in post-Christmas 2025, I decided to head to Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant to see what was happening there for the holidays.
Both Seaside Park and Heights were really quiet in comparison
I drove though both Seaside Park and Seaside Heights and the towns were both extremely quiet. Most of the businesses I had visited over the summer and late Fall around Halloween were closed up tight with signs that said ‘See you in the Spring’.
The Christmas decorations and the Seaside Park Christmas tree
The festive Santa in Seaside Park
I decided to walk over to the boardwalk to see if anyone was around. Only the arcade with a full staff all on their cellphones because of a lack of customers and one branch of Big Brother Pizza was open with again a bored staff. They have to do a better job of letting people know they are open for business. All the public bathrooms were closed, which was a pain.
The quiet boardwalk was fun to walk in the off season. It has a quiet beauty to it
The snowmen band was one of the few traces of Christmas on the boardwalk
The arcade’s Christmas tree was a real beauty
The one nice thing about the arcade being open is that they let everyone use the bathroom. So, there was a stream of people who were walking the boardwalk that walked in. That meant some business on a quiet day. As I walked around the rest of the Boardwalk, it looked like it was closed until the warm weather returned. Still both Seaside Heights and Park were nicely decorated around both towns for the holidays.
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