The End is Near

If you don't live in the NJ area, you missed a beautiful day yesterday. It was sunny and warm without the humidity that usually bathes this part of the country every August. I had a nice drive down the Margate last night, too -- I had to wear a cardigan over my summer top to stay warm, and I'm glad I had it as I ate dinner on the deck at Greenhouse last night.

It got me thinking about fall, and how my views of the Jersey Shore have changed over the last year and a half. It used to be that special summer place, and it still is. As I wrote the book last summer over an intense three and a half month period, I steeped myself in that vacation culture, trying to put into book form why the area was so popular, and what specific things are on the must-see list.

Then, after I turned in my manuscript the day after Labor Day, I figured my shore time was over -- until the book came out at least. But I kept going back, whether it was to research articles, do advance PR work or because I wanted to. Those fall/winter/spring months gave me an entirely different view of the shore. I had the time and space to really appreciate a special area of the country. Those repeat trips back and forth forced me to realize something else, too: the shore isn't that far away. It took me 45 minutes to get there last night -- that's a quicker drive than getting out to King of Prussia.

I thought of this as I rolled down the Atlantic City expressway, no traffic, a slight clip in the air. I do admit that I felt sad that the summer was coming to a close (Labor Day is three weeks away), but anticipation for my favorite time at the shore.