10 great delights of the NJ Shore in winter

And here it comes again.

There’s no avoiding it.

Winter's on its way.

It occurred to me as I was walking along the beachfront in Pier Village on Saturday night that I much prefer this bustling, buzzy cool New Jersey destination in the summer.

After all, rushing from your parked car to a restaurant, pulling your coat as tight as possible to avoid the stinging winds takes something away from the oceanfront experience.

But then I thought about it a little more.

I realized that there are some great things about the Jersey Shore in winter.

But my Jersey Shore is different from that of the people in South Jersey.

It’s a completely different experience to watch the sun setting in Margate than it is to hold hands with someone you love on the brand-spanking new boardwalk in Long Branch.

Amy Rosenberg, in an article on Inquirer.com spurred my imagination when she talked about the great things about winter on the Jersey Shore and it made me think there’s some that I love, too.

With a nod to Rosenberg‘s list, and adding some of my own, I came up with some of the splendors of the Jersey Shore in winter.

The ice-skating rink at Pier Village or any of the other outdoor rinks.

Watching the waves of a nor’easter from the boardwalk.

The view of the pounding waves from an oceanfront or boardwalk restaurant.

Having the stores to yourself, when you live in a summer town.

Sitting by the fireplace in many of the restaurants that are lucky enough to have one.

Sitting in a rolling chair on the AC boardwalk in February, covered in a plastic tent.

Bundling up and watching a snowfall If you’re lucky enough to have a front porch.
watching people experience, the strange sensation of a beach filled with snow.

Checking out the boardwalk Christmas tree in Atlantic City.

Doing or watching the polar bear plunge.

As we get into the thick of winter, we tend to complain about it so much cause we’re just so darn sick of it.

But before winter doldrums truly set in, let’s take a minute to appreciate what makes a Jersey Shore winter special and sparkly and beautiful.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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