I spent many happy weeks in many, many summers in southern New Jersey beaches and towns. It was a heavenly place. I wanted so badly to move there, but hubby’s career went another direction. One thing I learned the hard way after those early, pre-marriage years of rent-sharing summer houses with college roommates or friends was not to tell anyone about where my husband and I went, which house we rented, or where there were great stores or restaurants down there. Next thing you know some “friend” would rent my ideal cottage out from under me or write a feature story in the Philly papers and that would attract a flock people who would ruin the place. When I would find another good spot, I learned to kept my mouth shut.
You were smart to stay quiet about those places and keep them all to yourselves. :-)
That’s a shame.
We rarely vacationed at the shore (too expensive for our family), but often visited (only an hour’s drive to the Central Jersey beaches). The farther down you go, the nicer it seems (except Atlantic City). Despite the depictions on “Jersey Shore”, there are several “dry towns” that were ideal for us to take our young children for vacations.