News from Around the South Jersey Shore

A fellow NJ Monthly blogger shares her favorites from Cape May.

Fourth of July crowds helped make up for a crummy June.

A good sign: casinos added jobs this summer.

Yikes, shenanigans outside of Shenanigans in Sea Isle. What is happening in SIC this summer? Lots of odd stuff going on.

The Philadelphia Inquirer food critic writes about new shore restaurants. I agree with him about the Virginia (and thanks for giving Dixie Picnic a shout out), but I disagree with what he wrote about Blackfish in Stone Harbor. I didn't like it at all. As I wrote in the New York Times: "This spring, the seafood restaurant and bar Blackfish opened in what used to be Henny’s Cafe, a 78-year-old bar and restaurant that closed in 2008. But its raw and stripped-down space, which belies the glamorous image it tries to project, is only a temporary situation." I was underwhelmed.

Pictures from the always-interesting Strathmere Fourth of July parade, where they say what they really feel about Upper Township.

Nice to see someone else notices that Atlantic City has other things to offer than gambling.

More griping about dogs in Lower Township where Bill Connors says what he really thinks about dog owners. From the story: “'So-called dog lovers could care less about our feelings or health concerns and they totally disregard the law and run wild on the beach,'” he said. “'If you say anything to these people, you risk an argument or a confrontation with them.'” Two things to point out as I get on my soap box: One, most of us leash our dogs. Yes, some dog owners are irresponsible, but what about parents who let their kids feed seagulls, kick sand in our faces, or shake out their beach towels over everyone else? Two, dog owners are not some gang prowling the beaches with a pack of wolves looking to pick a fight. Yes, you are a taxpayer, but we pay taxes too, on hotels and food and souvenirs and fill the town's coffers. I guarantee if dogs are banned from those beaches, fewer people will come to Cape May on vacation. When I planned that fall vacation, bringing the dog with me was a must. If Emily was banned from the beach? Why bother? This "no dog" argument is another incarnation of "shoobie go home." That's got to stop. With shore towns scrapping for every possible tourism dollar, this kind of stuff will hurt Cape May. Every other beach in Cape May bans dogs in the summer. Leave us with these slivers of sand.

ANYWAY: I'm off to Long Branch today for work, and I'll be there until Saturday morning when me and Bill run the Belmar 5. Of COURSE after all this glorious weather, Saturday is going to be hot and sticky. I don't expect a spectacular time since I've been cross training instead of straight running, and I hate running in the heat. So we'll see!

Who Kicked the Dogs Out?

Last September, I took a vacation in Cape May and brought my dog, Emily, along. We spent our days at Higbee Beach, right along the Delaware, and Emily spent her days figuring out how to swim and chasing birds. We saw a lot of dogs on the beach -- always leashed, cleaned up after.

That might no longer be the case as some residents are making a stink about the dogs and demanding they be barred from the beach. Read their complaints here.

Cape May has long been the most dog friendly South Jersey shore spot. Not only is there an inn made for you and your dog, but just about every restaurant with outdoor seating allows you to bring your dog, and there's even a dog park. The bay beaches were always known to dog lovers as the place they could play with their pets.

Kicking dogs off those beaches would change that. I don't know if I would have picked Cape May for my vacation last year if I couldn't bring my dog. That was one of the reasons I picked it -- and what would I have done with Emily if she couldn't be on the beach? Lock her up all day?

No measures have been taken so far. Hopefully those residents will get the sand out of their pants and let the issue lie.

If you do take your dog to the bay beaches, make sure that the dog is leashed and you bring plenty of poop bags (the town provides them on the beach, too). Let's make sure that our dogs have at least one spot to play on the beach.

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Quick non-newsy note: I'm going to be on SoJo 104.5 on Friday morning, either between 8:20 and 8:30am or 9:20 an 9:30am.

Onto the news...

Early word is that the Wildwoods are named among New Jersey's Top Ten Beaches in a public survey completed this spring by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC). I'm guessing that they were all counted together as "The Wildwoods" instead of each one individually. I'm trying to get the rest of the list (which is officially supposed to go out on May 22, but if I'm getting press releases, someone has to have it...) **UPDATE** Ocean City has confirmed that they are going to be named a top beach as well.

Here's a write up of the World Series of Birding.

People really want to work at the Cheslea. But will it open on time? I'd put money on them hitting their deadline over the new Borgata tower.

Trump's still looking for someone to buy his casinos.

Here's the Philadelphia Inquirer write up of Monday's storm. Here's mine. Phillyweather.net has the stats.

Stone Harbor's having doggie-OK beach times. Emily, my dog, will be so pleased.

Get your quarters ready.

Cape May's Convention hall is closed for good.

But at least they have an architect for the new one.

PSA: Jack Russell Terriers are Not Purse Dogs

I'm going to stray from the South Jersey Shore for a moment to post about something that's been bothering me.

If you frequent gossip blogs or read tabloid magazines, you've probably seen pictures of Mariah Carey walking around with her Jack Russell Terrier (also known as know at Parson Russell Terriers), Jack. Jack is adorable. He wears cute outfits. He's been seen about town in the same way that a lot of celebs use little dogs: as accessories.

I'm not making any kind of assumptions about how Carey treats her dog. But I want to say that if you're thinking of getting a JRT based on the cute factor, that you consider one thing:

Jack Russell Terriers are crazy.

Now, hold on just a second before calling PETA. As I've written about before, I have a Jack Russell Terrier, a six year old gal named Emily. I love her dearly. She is -- obviously -- the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. Even so, she can be a difficult dog.

Jack Russell Terriers are very hyper. They like to bark. They like to chase. They like to jump. They don't always get along with other dogs (which is why Emily was in the shelter where I found her), and they require a lot of exercise and play. I don't know if I could have a Jack Russell Terrier if I didn't work at home and was able to walk her often, and even then, I sometimes think about hiring a part time dog walker so that someone else can help Emily expend her energy while I work.

Anyone who has a Jack knows this. But since Jacks are cute, they're frequently used in commercials and on TV. Eddie from Fraiser is the most obvious example. During one walk this summer, a batch of people screamed "Eddie!" to me and Emily as we walked by their house.

Even though she does sort of look like him, she doesn't act like him. He was an impeccably trained acting dog. Not all of us can train a dog, especially a strong willed dog, like that, and a lot of people who buy one thinking they're getting an Eddie are sorely disappointed, which is one of the reasons Jacks end up in shelters.

So if you're looking at a Jack Russell and thinking of getting one because he or she is cute -- heck, ANY dog that you see on TV and think might be a good dog for you -- I implore you to read up on the breed at the American Kennel Club. Here's the direct link for JRTs.

I would never discourage someone from getting a JRT. But, like picking any breed of animal, please do a lot of research and talk to a vet to figure out if that breed is going to fit into your lifestyle. While I could fit Emily into a purse, she's much happier walking by my side and has much more energy than my brother's 100 pound dog.

Don't believe me? Here's a video of Emily trying to get to a cat that was on the other side of that glass door (and, yes, I realize that it's facing the wrong way, but this was taken just when youtube started to be used by my grandparents).

Yappy Hour

I admit it -- I'm a dog lover. Ever since Emily, my Jack Russell Terrier, invaded my life, I've been hooked. But having a dog has thrown a wrench in my book writing plans. Emily's not allowed to come with me. I rented a shore house with a bunch of people, and while it's a nice place with central air, dogs are not allowed. Fortunately, I have a big family and two dogwalkers that are willing to lend a helping hand.

In general, the Jersey shore isn't the most dog-friendly places, which I wrote about in a recent issue of Fido Friendly magazine. Dogs aren't allowed on the boardwalks or on the beach in the summer, and most hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts are staunchly "no dogs allowed." There are a few exceptions, of course. And I think they'll do better business for it.

My favorite so far is the Billmae Cottage (1015 Washington Street, Cape May, 609-898-8558). It's run by Bob and Linda Steenrod, two of the nicest people I've encountered on my travels for this book, along with Mary Ann and Jay Gorrick, who run the nearby Inn at the Park (1002 Washington Street, Cape May 08204, 866-884-8406). Bob is the head of Cape May's chamber of commerce, and also a minister (the online kind). He performs wedding ceremonies around Cape May, which is the third largest destination wedding spot in the country.

He and his wife are, like me, dog lovers. That's why the Billmae Cottage doesn't just accept dogs, but embraces them. Their cottage isn't a B&B but a B&D -- bed & dog. Every night around 6pm, they host Yappy Hour on Billmae's wrap around, gated porch. Dogs and their owners are invited to come out to gab, nosh, drink and sniff -- well, the last one applies to dogs only, of course.

I was in Cape May last Thursday with my mom, celebrating my 27th birthday, and we decided to stop by the Billmae Cottage to see what Yappy Hour was all about before we headed off to dinner at the Blue Pig Tavern (251 Beach Avenue, Cape May, 888-944-1816). The first dogs to greet us were Jameson and Guinness, Bob and Linda's husky/lab puppies. Even if they're babies, they're already bigger than my little 12-pound dog. They were joined by Bandit, a daschund, and my personal favorite, Petey, a hyper Jack Russell Terrier who was so much like my Emily that I was tempted to call in and check on her. Petey and his owners weren't even staying at the Billmae -- Bob and Linda invite their like-minded friends (and their dogs) over to enjoy the scene.

A yappy hour isn't without its hazards. Jameson and Guinness are playful puppies, but don't recognize their own strength, and there's usually an accident or two on the porch, which is why Bob and Linda keep a very full watering can handy. But it's a friendly event, and I was sad to say goodbye to the people, and the dogs, even if I knew that an excellent dinner was waiting for me. Maybe me and Emily will come by in the fall after all this book research is done, and when you can get away with taking your dog on the beach. I bet she'd love sniffing along the shoreline.

What I'm writing to: Guster on Ice, Live from Portland by Guster.
What I'm reading: Legends of the Chelsea Hotel by Ed Hamilton.