Jersey Shore Locals Pre-Memorial Day Weekend Bucket List
You wouldn't know it from the weather recently, but Memorial Day Weekend is just a few weeks away. As all Jersey Shore locals know, with the unofficial start to summer comes the crowds.
Here's your to-do list before the Shore gets swamped!
- 1
Take Your Pup to Asbury's Dog Beach
Okay, so it might still be a little colder than we'd like to hit the beach, but still, until May 15th, you can bring your pups on the sand at Asbury Park's 8th Ave. Dog Beach!
- 2
Head to Great Adventure
While my favorite days to go to Great Adventure are still the 'slightly-rainy-but-not-enough-to-close-the-rides' days, pre-MDW, you can still enjoy the park will relatively short lines for even the most popular coasters!
- 3
Eat Outdoors By the Water
Enjoy a Saturday night meal at your favorite waterfront restaurant...without a 2-3 hour wait to be seated!
- 4
Bet on a Race at Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park Racetrack opens for the season on May 14th!
- 5
Watch a Sunrise from the Beach
There's nothing quite like watching the sunrise from the beach, but pre-MDW, it's especially peaceful!
- 6
Check out a Blueclaws game!
Lakewood BlueClaws games are incredibly underrated. They're amazingly fun and seriously affordable (you can't beat $1 beers on Thirsty Thursdays!) Not that there's really a BAD place to catch the games, but before the summer crowds come, you can get the best seats in the stadium!
- 7
Enjoy ice cream in Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove is an adorable town, but I tend to avoid it during the summer because the parking and traffic situation makes me twitch! Definitely on my to-do list over the next few weeks is heading to Nagle's or Day's for some amazing ice cream -- without the lines!
- 8
Play Mini-Golf at Your Own Pace
Summer mini-golf sessions can sometimes require a lot of patience if the people in front of your or behind you are playing at a different pace than your group. With fewer crowds now, you'll have a better chance to play at your own pace at any of the courses around the Jersey Shore (like the new Casino Pier Smuggler's Quay course in Seaside Heights!)
- 9
Build Up Your Arcade Ticket Stash
Head to the boardwalk arcades and get easy access to the best games to build up your ticket stash before the boards get mobbed! (Protip: Skee-ball at Lucky Leo's in Seaside Heights is where it's at!)
- 10
Drive the Parkway. Or Rt. 35. Or Ocean Ave.
Whether it's going southbound on a Friday, northbound on a Friday, or just anywhere near the sand...driving is about to get a lot more frustrating. Enjoy the (relatively) tame roads and clear left lanes while they last!