WELCOME TO NORTHERN LONG BEACH ISLAND
At the
very end of the Island, be sure to visit Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.
View Barnegat Inlet, the dunes, and the short, but informative, nature
trail. Climb all 217 steps to the top of the 175 ft. Lighthouse, "Old
Barney", built in 1858 by
future Civil War General George Gordon Meade. It's open some evenings, too.
Wander the
shops on Broadway
(Andy's-at-the-Light is a tradition) and don't miss the Gardens and Museum at
5th & Central with the original lighthouse lens in our former one-room
schoolhouse. You can enjoy a meal or ice cream at one of the eateries on
Broadway from Kelly's to Moustache Bill's. The liquor store is on Broadway also,
and in N.J. you go there for your beer and wine too. Note also Kubel's Bar &
Restaurant hidden away at 7th & Bayview.
Watch out for the Sun! Use plenty of waterproof sunscreen with a high S.P.F.
Start out with a good coating and keep it topped up. Every Summer we see the
results of carelessness on this subject - don't let your vacation be spoiled by
the pain of sunburn.
For
serious fishing, a variety of charter and head boats is available
at the four docks on Bayview Avenue from 18th Street to 6th Street.
Many people take a stroll to the docks in the afternoon to see the boats come
in. For more informal fishing and crabbing or just noodling around the Bay, rent
a small boat from Eric's, Kelly's, or Bobbie's at about 9th &
Bayview (they all sell bait & tackle and know what's biting). Nearby are the
public boat ramp with pump out station and restroom facilities. By the Post
Office and Boro Hall on West 10th are the tennis courts, playground,
and ball and skateboard fields; there's another small playground at the Bay
Bathing Beach at 25th & Bayview.
For a
natural walk, take 20th Street West from Central, cross
Bayview, take the first two rights onto Arnold and Sunset, park just short of
the cul-de-sac, apply bug spray, and walk through the gate and bear right - hike
the mile long beach to the far end of The Dike, that low, vegetated strip of
sand you see off to the left when you are at the inlet
looking across at Island Beach.
It was manmade during the War, and a now-removed Coast Guard facility guarded
the Inlet. It's a great walk, bring your binoculars and keep an eye out for
wildlife, but please, pack out your trash, and maybe a little extra of someone else's. If you go
into the shrubbery, watch out for poison ivy and check yourself for ticks
afterwards. It's best to stick to the beach on the right side - the few marsh
creeks can be easily waded even at high tide. On a hot day, a cold bottle of
water will be welcome.
As you
passed Bayview on 20th, off to your right lay Viking Village and
the commercial fishing dock. The view at night of the lit-up commercial boats is
often quite spectacular. Viking Village is a collection of small shops in old
wooden sheds dating back to when the Norwegians built the early docks in
Barnegat Light. Besides the shops and two fish markets, they also have craft and
art shows at various times during the season.
Continuing down the Island, at
about the middle of Loveladies, on the Bay side, lies the Loveladies
Foundation for the Arts and Sciences. They offer an extremely wide
variety of programs, courses, shows, films, and other events. They cover such a
broad spectrum that it's best you drop in to see what's happening that might be
of interest. Another mile or so South, try Harvey Cedars Shellfish for an
informal and funky eating experience (best done during the week - they have a
waiting line because they're so good).
A long
way down the Island, visit the Surflight Theater at Beach & Engelside
in Beach Haven which does summer stock and also matinees aimed at the kids.
There's an associated ice cream parlor with live interactive performances.
Speaking of kids, you'll need at some point to get them down to
Fantasy Island Amusement Center and the Schooner's Wharf area at 7th to
9th in Beach Haven. In your travels, enjoy sampling the antique-cum
junk shops (like the "Wizard of Odds") that sporadically dot the
boulevard.
For
more adult entertainment, a leisurely cruise from Beach Haven to Atlantic
City and back by way of the Black Whale Fleet sure beats driving if gambling is your game or if there are good shows
at the casinos.
For
nature lovers, the salt marsh canoe and kayak tours at Island Beach State
Park are simultaneously a lot of fun and most interesting and educational
for both adults and kids. It's a long drive
back to the Parkway, up to Toms River, across to Seaside and down Island Beach,
but absolutely well worth it to paddle by the numerous occupied
osprey nesting platforms, the
peregrine falcon tower, and see, handle, and learn about the marsh flora and
fauna with an accompanying park naturalist. This is a "double-extra-sunscreen trip ". Call 732-793-0506 well ahead for information and reservations.
If
you're looking for something South Jersey but "off-Island", ask
us about the following which are about a 1/2
to 1 1/2 hour drive: Batsto Village - a restored colonial
bog-iron forge town on Rt. 542 in the Wharton State Forest - it's difficult even
to imagine how much industry there was in the Pine Barrens a century or two
back; Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, although it's at best in the Fall;
Sweetwater Casino (off County 643 near Batsto); Allen's Clam Bar,
Rt. 9 in New Gretna; and the
Renault Winery (fantastic dinners!) on Bremen in Little Egg Harbor. In
Tuckerton, visit the Baymen's & Decoy Museum at the new Tuckerton Seaport
and drive to the end of Great Bay Blvd to see the old Coast Guard Station (now
part of Rutgers), the ruins of the Fish Factory, and at night the lights of
Atlantic City. Canoeing the Pine Barrens rivers, the Oswego, Batsto, and Wading,
can easily be done via the canoe rentals on Rt. 542. For solitude, this is best
done in Spring or Fall. For a bit more noise, you can watch the A-10 Warthogs
strafe and bomb at the Warren Grove Bombing Range on Rt. 539 behind Tuckerton -
call the range at 609-294-1264 for times & directions.
The
information on this page was provided by Barnegat Light Market at 16th
and Central avenue.