Travel Guide: The Jersey Shore

Full disclosure: I grew up (mostly) in New Jersey so have always had a soft spot for the Garden State. After I graduated high school and moved to California, my mom left the town I grew up in (as many of the parents do due to high property taxes), and she moved around a bit before settling in a small town in South Jersey. “South Jersey?!” I once proclaimed with shock and admittedly, a bit of disgust. It felt so far, so small, and very boring. But as I’ve gotten to know this part of the state, I’ve slowly but surely fallen in love.

First of all, South Jersey is beautiful — there are rolling green fields everywhere. It feels like a visit to nature every time I visit, whereas North Jersey definitely does not. I love NYC, especially after a two year hiatus, but I still crave nature no matter where I am. South Jersey is still convenient and closer than you think to the city, especially Brooklyn and downtown (only 50 minutes without traffic!). But best of all, South Jersey is where the Jersey Shore is. I’ve been familiar with the Jersey Shore for almost all my life. I went every summer for weeks, all throughout high school. But I’ve really come to appreciate it for what it is in more recent years. If you know where to go, it’s truly the perfect all-American summer moment. Not only are trips to the Hamptons/Montauk seemingly impossible without having a friend with a house (I don’t) but I genuinely love the Jersey Shore because it’s easier to get to, more relaxed/low-key (you will never run into anyone), and just so fun!

For the Memory pop-up at Climax Books, two of my closest Korean friends came all the way from Seoul to the Big Apple. They are angels who wanted to help me with the pop-up, but also fun, travel-loving girls who wanted to explore New York City and the East Coast — pretty much for the first time in their lives. I really had no time to plan anything real or substantial for them because my mind was so bogged down with pop-up chaos, but I booked a last minute bed and breakfast for us at the Jersey Shore. In the short little hour I spent researching a place for us to stay, I realized two things: there are actually so many cute bed and breakfasts in Jersey, but also, they get packed every weekend and are not exactly cheap ($300-500/night). We were lucky because we wanted to go during the week anyway, so we snagged a room that could fit all 3 of us and we were off.

Here is my itinerary for the perfect few days in Jersey 🐬🦆🪴🦢⛲️🏡🦞🧈🥪🩱