jersey shore

[zunshyn]

hello, everyone. :)

i live in virginia and am driving up to long island next weekend to pick up my step-sister to bring her back down here for the summer. we're leaving ny on a friday morning, and we want to be back by in hampton roads saturday evening. any suggestions for avoiding the turnpike?

i'm thinking jersey shore, but i don't want to spend the whole time on the garden state pkwy either. are there beach roads enough to drive from sandy hook or long beach all the way down to cape may?

what are some must-not-miss places along the way? we may spend the night in alantic city (she just turned 21 and has never been there), but i am up for even hour-long detours if the sights and sounds are worth it.

jenn

[Mark Sedenquist]

i live in virginia and am driving up to long island next weekend to pick up my step-sister to bring her back down here for the summer. we're leaving ny on a friday morning, and we want to be back by in hampton roads saturday evening. any suggestions for avoiding the turnpike?
i'm thinking jersey shore, but i don't want to spend the whole time on the garden state pkwy either. Are there beach roads enough to drive from sandy hook or long beach all the way down to cape may?

Welcome to this roadtripping community forum. I don't know where you are starting in Virginia from, but it is relatively easy to drive nearly the entire distance from Norfolk, Virginia to Long Beach, New Jersey without ever driving on a turnpike or a parkway -- it would take some time... but it is possible. I was little confused why you would be driving south from Long Beach to Cape May if your final destination was Long Island, NY -- but in any case:

The basic route would be US-13 north past Salsibury, Maryland to US-9 and over to Lewes, Delaware where you can pick up the ferry to Cape May, NJ. From Cape May, you could either follow US-9 (which parallels the Garden State Parkway) or follow the county roads along the shore, starting with route 621 all the way up to Atlantic City. From Atlantic City, you pretty much need to follow US-9 past the Pinelands and east on route 72 before you can return to the beach road and go north on route 35 up to Long Beach. If you were to follow this route, I seriously doubt it could be driven in less than 12 hours, but it would be beautiful.

Alternatively, you might wish to consider a portion of I-95 and one of the best guides (that will enable you to find places you never knew existed along this corridor) is Along I-95.

Hope this helps.

Mark

[zunshyn]

thanks so much for the welcome, mark. i've got a number of road trips lined up later this year, so i'm sure i'll be back (and if i can help anyone else, i'll try). :)

to clear up any confusion: i'm driving up from virginia beach (US-13 and then the turnpike as time is an issue on the way up), but the following friday i will be driving down with my sister, and i'd like to make a road trip out of that one.

since we'll be staying the night in atlantic city, the 12-hour drive doesn't sound bad at all.

i've driven to atlantic city before, so i know most of the drive from here to the cape may lewes ferry, but i was really wondering about the jersey shore. the "country roads along the shore" between cape may and atlantic city - is that the same as ocean drive? Or is that US-9?

route 35 isn't on my map, but i'll get a better one between now and then, but that sounds like exactly what i was looking for.

thanks so much!
jenn

[zunshyn]

update... i found a map with smaller roads, and this is what i'm thinking:

from li/nyc:
- garden state parkway to rt. 36 to highlands, then up to sandy hook
- from sandy hook, it looks like south on 30 and then 71 through to brielle (although there may be some changes in roads around loch arbour - suggestions?)
- then 35 from brielle to seaside heights (is island beach worth a detour?)
- from seaside heights it's 37 to 9 (or gsp - suggestions?), then south on 9 or gsp to 72, which takes us out to long beach island
- after long beach island, it's back on 9 or gsp south to atlantic city

- after atlantic city, the next morning, i figured we'd follow the ocean drive gull (any must-sees around this area?) down to cape may and take the ferry to the delmarva peninsula .

any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated! i have never been to any of these towns, and i love a good view, a quiet town, a lighthouse or two, and old-school tourist traps, and i don't mind slower speed limits if they can take me to see something interesting.

[Mark Sedenquist]

thanks so much for the welcome, mark. i've got a number of road trips lined up later this year, so i'm sure i'll be back (and if i can help anyone else, i'll try). :)

Jenn, Local intel is what characterizes this forum and so we are really looking forward to future posts from you about your favorite trips around Virginia (and the other places too).

to clear up any confusion: i'm driving up from virginia beach (US-13 and then the turnpike as time is an issue on the way up), but the following friday i will be driving down with my sister, and i'd like to make a road trip out of that one.

Oh, that does make more sense

... but i was really wondering about the jersey shore. the "country roads along the shore" between cape may and atlantic city - is that the same as ocean drive?

Yes, Ocean Drive is the other name for the series of roads that begin with county route 621

route 35 isn't on my map, but i'll get a better one between now and then, but that sounds like exactly what i was looking for.

It is actually called SR-35 N or S (the road splits on each side of the barrier island/penisula and runs one-way (north or south) between Mantoloking on the north and Seaside Park on the south, I think it is called Bay Blvd on the northbound section. Farther north it is called Main Avenue and I also seem to recall another section called Ocean -- but it has been too long since I was there in person.

Another New Jersey place that you may not be familar with -- but is well worth a stop is near Jersey City -- try the flounder at the Liberty Seafood Restaurant

The best advice of the day -- look at Clay Mikolasy's web site which is the best resource I have ever found for southern New Jersey discoveries. I really like his coverage of Lucy the Elephant and the Leamings Run Gardens. Click here for the story behind Lucy the Elephant (you can visit her when you stay overnight at Atlantic City).

Have fun & be sure to post a field report about your discoveries when you return home

Mark