Day Trip: Point Pleasant

You’ll never be bored in the boardwalk town.

Courtesy of pointpleasantbeach.org.

Point Pleasant is one of New Jersey’s favorite Shore destinations—with something for everyone. Point Pleasant boasts great shopping, a variety of restaurants, and a bustling boardwalk, highlighted by one of the Shore’s great attractions, Jenkinson’s Aquarium.

Piece by Piece: Shopping for home décor and antiques is a pleasure in Point Pleasant. For candles, rugs, and Jersey-girl accessories, visit Coastal Creations (405 Route 35, 732-714-0606, coastelle.com); or take a stroll through Point Beach Interiors (649 Arnold Avenue, 732-295-9243) for fine furniture and distinctive accessories. You can shop outdoors at Globetrotter (1809 Ocean Avenue, 732-892-2001) for an assortment of blue, teal, and aqua pots and vases; or search for nautical gifts and seashells at the Sand House (411 Ocean Avenue, 732-899-3373, thesandhouse.com). For antiques, check out Point Pavilion Antique Center (608 Arnold Avenue, 732-899-6300); Canvas House Antiques (614 Trenton Avenue, 732-701-0255); or Point Pleasant Antique Emporium (622 Trenton Avenue, 732-892-2222, pecksprimitives.com).

Shore Eats: There are many different cuisines to choose from in this shore town. Try Joe Leone’s (400 Route 35 South, 732-701-0001, joeleones.com) for homemade Italian specialties, including rice balls, fresh breads, and chicken dishes. Seafood lovers enjoy Spikes Fish Market and Restaurant (415 Broadway, 732-295-9400) for its delicious clam chowder, Dungeness crab legs, and every kind of fresh-caught fish; as well as the Offshore Restaurant and Pub Bar (225 Ocean Avenue, 732-892-2848, offshorerestaurant.com), which offers clams on the half shell, shrimp scampi, surf and turf, and pizza. For faster meals, there’s Stewarts’s Root Beer (63 Broadway, 732-295-2722), featuring burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and, obviously, root beer; or get a Mexican feel at the popular Jersey Shore chain Surf Taco (1300 Richmond Avenue, 732-701-9000, surftaco.com).

Creative Fix: Stop by the H. Hargrove Gallery (638 Arnold Avenue, 732-899-2338, hhargrove.com) to browse the collected works of this Italian-born painter of American scenes and icons.

More to Buy: Point Pleasant has boutiques and clothing shops for a variety of tastes. To find accessories, bags, and designer clothing stop by Necessities Boutique (503 Bay Avenue, 732-295-5673) or Lola’s Boutique (519 Bay Avenue, 732-899-7884); and for surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding apparel, don’t miss the large selection at Brave New World (506 New York Avenue, 732-899-7874, bravesurf.com).

A Jolt of Joe: To start your day trip off right, stop by Rockin’ Joe Coffee Lounge and Eats (1805 Ocean Avenue, 732-899-1002, rockinjoe.net) for a hot latte and a quick sandwich; or try Green Planet Coffee (700 Arnold Avenue, 732-899-2201, greenplanetcoffee.com), with live musicians and a mission to provide the finest organic coffee.

Don’t Forget the Beach: Spend the day building sand castles, collecting seashells, and taking a dip in the ocean. Lifeguards are on duty between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Too much sun? Check out the boardwalk for games, cotton candy, and fried oreos. Or enter the world of sea creatures at Jenkinson’s Aquarium (300 Boardwalk, 732-899-1659, jenkinsons.com/aquarium/), where children can hold a starfish, watch the seals being fed, and even adopt a penguin.

By Night: The boardwalk turns into a popular spot at night with Martell’s Tiki Bar (308 Boardwalk, 732-892-0131, tikibar.com), featuring tropical drinks, live music, and a dance floor overlooking the beach; while Jenkinson’s Night Club (300 Boardwalk, 732-899-0569, jenksclub.com) presents drink specials, VIP parties, and DJs.

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