Shore to Please
You might not think of hitting the Jersey Shore in the dead of January, but this might be exactly the right time to spend a day in your favorite resort.
Case in point: the picturesque town of Spring Lake (www.springlake.org). On a recent visit (click www.njmyway.com for video), just a few lonely ducks navigated the spring-fed waterway at the heart of town. Many of the turn-of-the-century homes were empty. But without crowds there was plenty of parking, and stores and restaurateurs were eager to please.
Leave time to traverse Third Avenue and its side streets. Stop in and see Mary Reilly at the Irish Centre (www.irishcentre.net). The store is loaded with fine china and unique pottery. Plus a huge collection of crystal. This shop is one of the crown jewels of this so-called Irish Riviera.
Across the street, newcomer Finishing Touches (1115 Third Avenue, 732-449-8686) is plump with hand-embroidered pillows from Catstudio (www.catstudio.com) that salute our favorite state — and some others. A fabulous Jersey pillow illustrating everything from Cape May to Hoboken retails for $136. Shop owner Maureen Skea will give an additional 10 percent off any Catstudio pillows to anyone who brings her a print-out of this NJ My Way column.
Right next door, browse Urban Details ( www.urban-details.com) for more house gifts and wearable art. An early Valentines Day gift? How about the handmade, hand-painted photobox frames from Sugarboo Designs (www.sugarboodesigns.com)?
Hit Skuby & Co. (www.skubyandco.com) for the best casual Friday (or any day!) clothes for your other half. And shop the cousin Skuby Blue (www.skubyblue.com) for hot jeans for both of you. Pamper yourself afterwards at Juli Mei (www.shopjulimei.com).
Save room for lunch or dinner at the Island Palm Grill (www.islandpalmgrill.com), an oasis of fresh seafood with Gulf Coast and Latin flavors. Or savor the extra light omelets at Who’s On Third Deli/Grill (1300 Third Avenue, 732-449-4233), a family-welcoming eatery that challenges your knowledge of baseball trivia and the Jersey-born duo Abbott & Costello (www.abbottandcostello.net).
Spring Lake is daunting in winter when the wind whips back from the ocean. But sometimes the Shore on a January day is a great warm up for July.
Tools: Share | Ask a question
