I know summer is technically over, but we are down the shore for the rest of the week, so we are still soaking in the sand, the sea and the sun for a few more days. I have been coming down to Long Beach Island since I was a little girl – my grandparents had a house they rented every summer on the bay in Harvey Cedars, and in the 90’s my parents bought a house in North Beach. I have the best memories of being here, and I love that now Tom and I get to bring Georgie down and start a whole new set of beach traditions.
LBI is a true beach destination – you can wear a bathing suit, cover up and flip flops pretty much anywhere, everyone is so friendly and everything is so laid back. And the FOOD – the seafood is the best here and there are so many yummy places to get ice cream, pancakes, clam chowder, lobster and just about anything else.
When we arrived on the island, we stopped at Wawa (please come to New York City, Wawa!!) and got hazelnut coffee, breakfast sandwiches and The Post. The essentials. Georgie went down for a nap in her travel crib once we got to the house, and when she woke up we went for a walk on the beach. It was pretty cloudy, but still beautiful.
We bought a pool at Target and set it up on the deck. Maybe a bit bigger than we needed, but Georgie loved it!
This girl knows how to relax. I love how these days you plop her in the stroller and she finds her fingers and just chills out.
We took a drive down to Barnegat Light and walked around the lighthouse, then stopped at Viking Village (a fishing village that has the freshest seafood and cutest little shops) on the way home.
I tend to indulge when I’m on a beach vacation (maybe it’s the salty ocean air?) and our sweet little Georgie has been doing the same! The other night she ate this entire bag of garden peas (steamed and pureed) for dinner. I kept waiting for her to get full (she’s very good at keeping her mouth shut and turning away when she’s had enough) but she didn’t stop until she had eaten every last bite. It was amazing. Our girl likes to eat!
It’s so sweet to see the new expressions that Georgie makes now that she is getting older (7 months on the 7th!!) and I just adore her precious face and big eyes, taking it all in.
One of the loveliest parts of the house here is the big deck that overlooks the ocean. I love waking up and walking outside to breathe in the fresh air and watch the ocean waves. It’s pure bliss.
The sunsets here have been gorgeous – wispy pink clouds or a bright orange sky. Once Georgie goes down, Tom and I bring a glass of wine onto the deck to relax before dinner.
And last but certainly not least, I leave you with the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted, from this shop. We will be buying this in bulk to bring back to New York.
