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Lessons from “Down The Shore”

Shortly after I met Husband, he made a reference to his family’s annual vacation "going down the shore".  And I was like, "Come again?" 

You see, we grew up "going to the beach".  But I soon learned that if you are from the Philadelphia suburbs, whether it be the Pennsylvania or the New Jersey side, any reference to the Jersey beaches is dubbed "down the shore". 

I found the phrasing rather quaint and endearing, and I adopted it easily.  It didn’t take me long before I was "going down the shore" with the best of them. 

Well, we "went down the shore" this past week with Husband’s family, and even though this is our twelfth such trip, there are still new lessons to learn.  Such as…

1) There are a lot of people who look better in a bathing suit than I do.

2) But there are also a lot of people who look worse in a bathing suit than I do.

3) There is a reason the bottle of sunscreen says to reapply.  Ooops.

4) The last ones up from the beach may get a cold shower.

5) Happy Hour may begin any time after the lunch dishes are put away.

6) No matter how straight your hair is naturally, or how much pomade you may apply, after a day in the humid beach air, it will be a frizzy mess.

7) Don’t get too engrossed in your novel while in charge of a curious toddler on the beach.  She can wander off faster than you would think.

8) Thank the good Lord above for yellow bathing suits that stand out from the crowd.  (See #7.)

9) Along the same vein, a camouflage-colored rash guard does not enable you to differentiate your child from the 150 other children riding the waves out on the horizon.  Next year, consider a bright orange or red for better visibility.

10) Radio static makes a pretty good substitute sound machine when you accidentally leave the real thing at home.

11) Five people sleeping in two twin beds makes for rather snug sleeping arrangements.

12) What seems to be an innocent trip to the Boardwalk could result in bringing home a new pet.  (Stay tuned…)

13) Mack and Manco Pizza ROCKS.

Join The Conversation

14 Responses

  1. How cute are they?!

    Fried dough, soft pretzels and fudge? I’m coming with you next time!

  2. Holly, last year for our 11th wedding anniversary, we bought each other a Nikon D50, and it is the best money we ever spent. The pictures are fantabulous. There is a Nikon D80 out now that’s supposedly even better.

  3. I too have embraced “down the shore.” We actually aren’t doing a beach vacation there this year, which is a bummer. Glad you had such a great time! And I’ll have to pester you about Ocean City, that is on our list for next year. We are still in search of the perfect shore destination…

  4. I’m looking forward to hearing about the new pet also!

    Sleeping arrangements on family vacations are always fun, aren’t they? 🙂

  5. Glad y’all had fun “down the shore”! Can’t wait to hear about your new addition too.

    Your pictures are so pretty and clear-what kind of camera do you use?

  6. JUST saw that you were in Ocean City. Would I have LOVED to have come on up from Cape May to say hello!?! Yes! Love the pics – we’ve got some too – and I love that we Philadelphians were strewn across southern New Jersey. Glad you are back, and I can’t wait to catch up on the goings-on.

    In other news, I just awarded you a little button award. Stop on over to get it!

  7. Um, were we just in the same city for vacation on the same week and did not even think to meet up? We were in Ocean City too! Discovering Mack and Mancos and Johnsons Carmel Corn!

  8. Hey! My nephews and niece are “down the shore” right now! Their dad is from a suburb of Philly.

    Just stoppin’ by from Oh Amanda. I’ve lurked some before, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever commented!

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