New Jerseyans seem to be programmed to hit the Parkway and head to the Shore every summer. But when my mom told me on the phone yesterday that that's where she was driving, my reaction was "you're going WHERE?!?" Count me as one Jersey Girl who bucks migration to the taffy, the boardwalk, and the sand.  I'll take the lake any day.

We love the Shore, but where else can we go on a lazy day in (yikes, already, almost?) August?

I grew up on Lake Hopatcong, and every summer (or summer-like) day I spend there feels like something special. But this past weekend was extra sentimental.