It figures that I escape to St. Pete Beach, Florida, for a vacation, and the Jersey Shore follows me. The restaurant at my beachfront motel? Wildwood BBQ & Burger.

Michele Gillian was so amped up that she could barely catch her breath – Ocean City has been named top beach in the state.

And so we come to the end of our series on the pre-season amusement park, shot at Morey's Piers in Wildwood. We close with one of the most iconic of all rides...

Through these portals at Morey's Piers pass Curly Fries, made with fresh potatoes. In the heat of midsummer, the aroma alone is worth the trip.

I loved these as a little kid, but even then it irked me that no matter what I did with the steering wheel the car continued to move mulishly in the same plodding circle.

What goes up must come down, whether it's the roller coaster or the metal weight that, if you're strong enough, rings the bell when you slam the sledgehammer down.

Step right up and buy a ticket to ride...once Morey's Piers opens for the season, that is.

Morey's Piers in Wildwood, before the season opens--silent, still, pristine...

Stillness is even more still in a place that is the antithesis of still--an amusement park.

Here the first in a series of pictures taken walking around Morey's Piers in Wildwood before it opens for the season.

Jersey Shore lobbyists start your engines: The annual best beaches survey is about to begin.

There are music or food festivals in just about every part of the state.

The New Jersey State Fair kicks off tomorrow and runs through August 10 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. In the tradition of old fashioned American state fairs, the idea is to showcase agriculture with wholesome family events like livestock and garden exhibits, a tractor pull, one of the state’s largest horse shows, and lots of Jersey Fresh produce. 

It’s high summer, those hot days in mid-July, halfway between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Jersey Shore is, of course, full of activity.