Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 26: Mother's Day is a kick off

The shore season starts in waves. Here's how I see it:

1. Year rounders. These are the places that hunker down in the winter and keep their doors open for whoever appreciates the Jersey Shore for more than just a beach. Examples: almost all of Atlantic City, Congress Hall in Cape May, the Princeton in Avalon. Some places stick around all year but are only open on weekends. Mid-week in some shore towns can be a very desolate place.

2. Love Birds. You see this a lot in Cape May - places that start showing signs of life again in early February, opening up in time to capture the Valentine's Day weekend crowd.

3. Bunny Hop. It's relatively quiet until Easter. Then that weekend - BAM - the Boardwalks are packed with people and stores flinging open their doors to capture that crowd and some warm spring sun. Easter was late this year, which I'm sure hurt a lot of businesses, but it was hot and humid on Easter Sunday - a boon.

4. I Heart Mom. I'd say about 90% of Jersey Shore places are now open, at least on weekends. We don't have much time until the big kick off, so it's good to have a few weeks to work out the kinks, and you have folks like me who are coming down a shade early to beat the crowds that'll be here later in the month.

5. Happy Memorial Day. If you're not open by then (ahem, Tony Luke's in Wildwood - last year, not this year), then you're missing the boat.