Adventures galore at Seaside Heights!

Seaside Heights is a popular destination located in the Ocean County of New Jersey, primarily because along with the Beach it also has an amusement-oriented Boardwalk, which is one of the busiest at the Shore. The community is also the location of popular MTV Show Jersey Shore.

As I am very fond of beaches and have already covered more than 10 of them this year (some had lighthouses too), i couldn’t have left this one out. So, with much excitement, we left one Sunday afternoon for Manasquan, which is on the way to Seaside Heights. We spent a bit of time on a beach in Manasquan. The place was not crowded at all, maybe because there is too much to do just a few miles away at Seaside Heights. However, calmness has its own beauty and we saw people enjoying their afternoon playing sports at the beach, including kite flying 🙂

As we reached Seaside Heights, the hustle-bustle there spoke about its popularity. Saru was happy to see numerous amusement options at the Casino Pier. First, we took the Sky Ride, that took us high above the beach and boardwalk. The cool breeze from the ocean, and great views of the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, Seaside Height’s Beach and Boardwalk took our breath away!

We then walked on the Boardwalk from the end where the sky ride dropped us to the other, where plenty of rides are located. This time I skipped the other adventure activities there, having done the same at Jenkinson’s boardwalk at Point Pleasant last year. However, Saru was thrilled just by seeing them and experienced Super Storm. The ride swings like a pendulum and also spins around its circle. The greatest thrill is when it turns you upside down, making a 360 degree revolution. Well, some people might feel nauseated after it, and that’s what happened to Saru…so that was it for the day. But we spent a splendid time there enjoying seeing others take other rides.

A Lighthouse with Spectacular Views – Barnegat

We had been waiting to visit Barnegat Lighthouse for quite some time. With the temperature in the 80s last Saturday, it was a perfect day to head out to the Beach. So, we go the opportunity to fulfill both our desires at a single place.

Barnegat Light is the northernmost community on the Long Beach Island (LBI) and derives its name from the Barnegat Lighthouse, which is one of the Jersey Shore’s most famous attractions. It is a quiet and relaxing shore town.

  

After reaching there, we were taken in for a pleasant surprise since along the Lighthouse, there is a long walkway (almost a mile) made of huge rocks, which provides for an amazing stroll along the bay. We could see boats coming and going from the bay, birds and sea life.

Before taking this long walk, we headed up on the Lighthouse, the ticket for which is priced reasonably at $3 for an adult. There are 217 steps that lead up to the light. Once at the top, the views were stunning. One can see wonderful views of the LBI, the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, Barnegat Inlet and Island Beach State Park (see the long stripe at the top in the picture below).

The Island Beach State Park looks quite beautiful from the Lighthouse, but there is another way to reach there, that would take almost an hour from where we were. Since our day was reserved for the Barnegat Lighthouse, Beach and other surprising activities there, I will continue with our Barnegat experience with thoughts of writing more about Island Beach State Park when we actually visit it.

We spent a cool and breezy half-an-hour at the top of Lighthouse and hardly wanted to come down. But then we could see the pathway and beach in the distance, which were so inviting. So, we headed down and out and right away onto the mile-long stroll. It was a very relaxing walk since the rocks are huge and we could see many people fishing. At the end of it is the beach, which was gorgeous. We spent a very soothing time, amazed by the beauty of the place.

After coming back to the foot of the Lighthouse after a couple of hours, we also did a short 0.2 mile walk along a loop trail, which branches off near the visitor center, to see the birds and plants. It is a small piece of land, and is about the only forested area left on Long Beach Island. The forest is dominated by Black Cherry, Sassafras, Eastern Red Cedar, and American Holly.

Spring and fall migration are great times to see a variety of birds. The combination of conditions there provide for a rich natural habitat.

Having spent almost a day, we headed back home, but not before doing some shopping at the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets 🙂