Not everyone will get the chance to vacation this summer after all we've been through, but those of us who can should vacation at the Jersey Shore in 2013.

We all know the importance of the tourist industry to the Garden State, so if we vacation here it would be a great example to the rest of the world that the Jersey Shore is open for business. It would also be a greast boost to our neighbors who own businesses along the Jersey Shore and are trying to put it all back together.

Now, I know there is still a mountain of work ahead and there's no way it could all be done for this spring and summer, and many shore towns just won't be ready, but many towns throughout the state could be. This will be far from a normal tourist season and I think most people will understand that and would at least know their tourist dollars are helping in some way

. And of course there are way too many people waiting way too long for the help they so deserve to get their homes and lives back into some sort of order. It is shocking and unacceptable that so many of our neighbors have been put through this wait after having endured the pain of this storm months ago. I would hope that a busy tourist season would keep a national and world spotlight on our Jersey Shore, and that can't hurt the cause.

I know you work hard for your money and after the year we've had, you deserve to spend that hard earned vacation money however you want. I just think it would be really meaningful to spend it close to home this year. However you decide to spend your vacation if you're lucky enough to take one this year, enjoy it, you deserve it.

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