Long Beach Island

A 6am departure was scheduled as usual for the Sierpina annual family holiday, this year with two Deversons and a Loliet in tow. The destination, Long Beach Island, on the Jersey Shore. This has been the location of the Sierpina summer holiday for the last 22 years, the first year being when Amy was just one year old. This is something Amy has told me about over and over again, and was so happy to finally share with me.

So the plan was to pile the car full of beach gear, supplies and people and off we were on our nearly 3 hour drive. We had a full eight days and arriving very early on Saturday we headed to Amy's Aunt Margaret and Uncle Steve's beach house. We caught up with them, got into our togs and off we to he beach, even before we can set up camp at the holiday house.

John and Thomas safe under the umbrella

Our beach setup

 

The route was laid by the experienced LBI holiday goers: head to the beach early, set up camp involving a beach chair per person, umbrellas, towels, beach games, boogie boards, and chilly bins of water, drinks and snacks. All set up everyone could sleep, read, swim and just hang out. Watch out for that sun though. Amy's family being of Greek and Italian decedent, they just acted very Mediterranean and laid in the sun all day long, as us papaw hires huddled for shade and shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We would either buy lunches, e.g. I did not, or make sandwiches at home, e.g I did. After an hour or so lunch break, more beach going till very late afternoon was on the agenda, and then we would head to the traditional dinner locations of pizza, seafood, wings and maybe a bit more seafood. Mini golf is a favorite past time for the holiday week, Amy and I both put on some stellar puts and took out a few wins!

 

 

 

 

 

Early in the week, Amy and I drove John and Kel to Atlantic City, the East Coast Casino metropolis. Together we walked the boardwalk, hit up a few casinos, ordered some free drinks then left the two for a few nights of 25th floor glamour. Back at the beach we continued with the routine of sun, swimming and sand! I managed to crawl out of bed one morning for a tidy wee surf, I won some clean little 2 ft waves.

 

On Friday, we had to shoot J & K off to the airport as they were off back to Australia via Hawaii, for some more beach action. We had a crazy ride back to LBI from NYC in some pouring rain, really having to crawl along the highway with all cars deploying their hazard lights just in order to maintain sight of each other! But we got back to the beach in one piece, and enjoyed a few more nice days on the jersey shore. And let's be honest, it's not such a bad gig there at the beach, despite the life guards blowing their whistles at anyone nearing the edges of the flags, throwing balls or swimming out too far. That was me doing all those things, but you would have already assumed that though wouldn't you??!

Thomas, Amy, Kel and John on the Atlantic City Boardwalk