I have a thing for signs and I noticed that the Jersey Shore had plenty of interesting things to tell us. They displayed a tale of my week-long visit down the coastline in words and pictures. I didn’t intend to search for signs, nor did I have any particular plan to remember them. They appeared at random intervals and it just made sense to capture them for posterity.
Spiraling Situation
An earlier article discussed the many lighthouses we climbed. They all featured claustrophobic staircases that corkscrewed ever higher towards the top of the tower. We’re in pretty good physical shape and it took some effort even for us. Imagine getting stuck behind people who could barely walk across a parking lot. Yeah, that happened a lot. I worried about medical emergencies.
The staff at Barnegat Light seemed to have a wicked sense of humor though. The first 16 steps didn’t feel particularly daunting although I’m not sure I really wanted to know I needed to go another 201.
Turtles Everywhere
I didn’t see a single turtle at any point during the week. Maybe it was still too cold and they were hibernating? Whatever the reason, signs all along the shore reminded us to watch out for them. No two signs seemed alike, either. Each community put its own spin on the theme. Some featured faithfully realistic renderings while others bordered on the cartoonish. This one seemed particularly cute so I had to stop for a photo.
Monopoly
Twelve Mile Circle once featured an article about the streets of Atlantic City that served as squares on the original Monopoly board game. I figured I should see a few of them in real life. Boardwalk seemed the most obvious and of course I went there first. I only had to walk through the back door of our casino hotel.
Actually, I cared most about one specifically; Marven Gardens. It wasn’t a street, it was a neighborhood just southwest of Atlantic City. I liked if for its portmanteau name (because I have a thing for portmanteaus), formed from its location on the border between Margate City and Ventnor City. Marven Gardens also got extra points because the sign used the same yellow coloring scheme as its assigned space on the monopoly board.
Special Events
We encountered an even more interesting sign later that evening about a half-block from the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Things get pretty low-budget even steps away from the shoreline, where glittering skyscraper casinos giving way to, well, the “special late night rate” at the Super 8. Maybe the hotel catered to people who imbibed too much and wanted to avoid drunk driving convictions. They could grab a couple of hours of sleep and then drive home.
Who am I kidding? I’m sure it appealed to something a little more salacious.
A Little Grabby
This sign probably described the Super 8 situation more accurately. I found it particularly funny on the Wildwood boardwalk because the town promoted such a family-friendly atmosphere. Nobody could buy a beer in this town although it didn’t seem to have any issues with a pretty obvious double entendre. More accurately, I supposed, it didn’t have an issue with adolescent humor. Who other than a ten year old kid would laugh at this? That didn’t stop me from taking a picture though. I guess in some respects I still have the maturity of a ten year old kid.
Beach Nutrition
One doesn’t generally go to the shore for healthy eating. Here, if something can be covered in batter and deep-fat fried, undoubtedly someone will buy it and eat it. I ate plenty of funnel cakes at carnivals and the county fair during my youth. Deep fried Oreos sounded intriguing too. I wanted to know how someone could deep fry ice cream though. Wouldn’t that melt the moment someone plopped it into a fryer? It seemed like such a paradox. I wanted to know the secret.
Most Welcome
Eventually the journey had to end. We left the Jersey Shore on the Cape May Ferry. The “Welcome to Lewes, DE” sign greeted us at the ferry terminal on the Delaware side of the bay. No more holiday. Time to go home.
Articles in the Jersey Shore Series:
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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