![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/photos\/downtheshore\/20050716\/photo01.jpg\")
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Wednesday night<\/b>:<\/p>\n
Erica<\/b>: Since I have been working so much lately, my boss is giving me Friday off.<\/p>\n
William<\/b>: If I were able to take Friday off, we could go down the shore.<\/p>\n
Thursday evening, past quitting time<\/b>: Say, supervisor<\/i>, if I finish up a bunch of stuff, can I take tomorrow off?<\/p>\n
Supervisor<\/b>: Okay<\/p>\n
William (on telephone):<\/b> Erica, I got tomorrow off, let’s go to the shore!<\/p>\n
Erica<\/b>: Okay.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And so began an instant road trip to Seven Mile Beach<\/b> aka Avalon\/Stone Harbor, N.J. We left before 8 a.m. Friday and headed up I-95 to the Garden State. It felt good to be headed north up I-95 again.<\/p>\n
We arrived around noon on Friday, between low and high tides. I was concerned that we were too long past low tide for good bodysurfing, but I forgot that the surf at Avalon is so good that tides are largely irrelevant. We got in twice, read our books, and took a walk that was over 60 blocks long roundtrip. We also relaxed on the exquisite white sand that puts other beaches to shame.<\/p>\n
For dinner, we picked P.J. Ryan’s<\/b> in Stone Harbor, which was mixed. Our service was slow, but Erica enjoyed her stuffed flounder. I choose the more pedestrian hamburger and fries. They must have been excited about the imminent return of the NHL, because the served me a hockey puck on a roll. The upside was the prices were good.<\/p>\n
Naturally, we hit Springer’s Ice Cream after dinner. It was sooooo good.<\/p>\n
For lodging, we stayed at the Route 47’s El Dorado Motel on the mainland. We knew by the sign it was a dump, but for $55 a night, we got by. We had been planning on driving all the way to Millville or Vineland, but this was cheaper and closer.<\/p>\n
Saturday, we went back to Avalon and had brunch at the Windrift Hotel<\/b><\/a>, which fronts the beach. It was okay.<\/p>\n
Following brunch, we hit the beach, read our books and went back in the ocean. It was heaven being out there. Around 1 o’clock, we headed home, stopping by Springer’s on the way out. It rained for half the trip home too, which made our decision to leave much easier.<\/p>\n
I put together a small photo gallery<\/b><\/a> of the trip.<\/p>\n
Also see last year’s trip DOWN THE SHORE!<\/b><\/a> from July 18, 2004.<\/p>\n