by: www.thenewyorkcitytraveler.com

This summer, forget the Hamptons and leave Atlantic City behind.  Visit Spring Lake, New Jersey and enjoy this sophisticated beach town.

Where to Stay:  Spring Lake has unique accommodations to meet the needs of every visitor.  From a beach house to a quaint bed and breakfast to an inn, here are a few of my favorite places to stay.  

• The Grand Victorian at Spring Lake  General Manager Steven Hyatt makes guests feel welcome and tends to every need without being overbearing.  As an invited guest of The Grand Victorian, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.  Located on the beach, you simply can’t beat the location.  Enjoy the laid-back beach vibe that radiates though the house.  Enjoy the ocean view while relaxing on the giant wrap-around porch or take a complimentary beach pass and enjoy your day on the beach.  www.GrandVictorianSpringLake.com 
• The Ocean House  More of an inn than a bed and breakfast, Ocean House has 30 rooms but owners and innkeepers, Dennis and Nancy Kaloostian, still make everybody feel like family.  Five types of accommodations will fit the needs of every traveler.  www.TheOceanHouse.net  
• Victoria House  Owners and innkeepers Lynne and Alan Kaplan have restored and maintained this historic 1882 house.  Victoria House is a traditional bed and breakfast with modern-day amenities.  The beautiful backyard boasts a gazebo and a koi pond, perfect for long, relaxing afternoons.  Lynne, a trained chef, will delight you with the breakfasts she cooks, often using the fresh herbs from her garden.  Ask for the Berry Brule, it’s amazing! www.VictoriaHouse.net 

Where to Eat:  Breakfast at your inn, picnic lunch on the beach, and dinner at one of the fine restaurants in the town makes for culinary delights.  Here is a sampling of the cuisine found in Spring Lake. 

• Tom Bailey’s Market  Head to the back of this market for a great selection of lunch meats, cheeses, and a selection of hot deli entrees.  Or have them make you a sandwich, perfect for enjoying on the beach.  www.tombaileysmarket.com
• Vivere Restaurant Located at the Grand Victorian at Spring Lake Inn, Chef Claudette Herring specializes in Northern Italian fare never disappoints.  Enjoy dinner in the dining room or on the covered porch with a view of the ocean. 
• St. Stephen’s Green Publick House  Paying homage to the “Irish Riviera,” St. Stephen’s offers Irish pub fare like Shepard’s Pie and Potato Leek Soup.  Live traditional Irish music every Tuesday night and Irish rock band every Saturday at 9:30pm.  www.StStephensGreenPub.com   

Getting There:  Spring Lake is easily accessible on the New Jersey Coast Line of NJ Transit.  Trains leave almost hourly Penn Station-New York.  Most trains require a quick, easy transfer in Long Branch.  The trip lasts just over 2 hours and costs $12.50 one-way. 

Getting Around:  Spring Lake can be easily navigated on foot.  The train station is five blocks from the beach and most accommodations are walking distance to sights and restaurants.

 by: www.thenewyorkcitytraveler.com

The weather is getting warmer and it won’t be long before New Yorkers look for a way to escape the sweltering city.  Spring Lake, New Jersey offers an idyllic setting for a quick weekend getaway.  Located just 65 miles south of New York on the Jersey Coast, Spring Lake has everything that makes for a relaxing weekend: great accommodations, fine restaurants, a quaint commercial district, and a beach that rivals anything found on outer Long Island, all located within a picturesque town.

What to Do:  If you’re looking for something more than just relaxing at your  inn and reading a book, there is a myriad of activities to occupy your time while in Spring Lake.  Most inns have bicycles that you can borrow to get around town.

• The two-mile, non-commercial boardwalk and beach is the central summertime attraction in Spring Lake.  The white sand reminds me of some Caribbean locales.  The beach is private, however most accommodations will provide complimentary beach passes.    
• Stroll through the park and cross one of the three wooden bridges in the town’s namesake Spring Lake.  The lake is stocked with fish, so bring your fishing pole! 
• The active community theater, Spring Lake Community House, received regional recognition for the original play William’s Dark Lady.  Performances continue in late June and July.  A production of Oliver! is scheduled for August.  www.SpringLakeTheatre.com 
• Visit historical sights such as the Sea Girt Lighthouse, which dates back to 1896. The lighthouse offers tours and has rooms dedicated to the marine history of Spring Lake.   

Getting There:  Spring Lake is easily accessible on the New Jersey Coast Line of NJ Transit.  Trains leave almost hourly from Penn Station-New York.  Most trains require a quick, easy transfer in Long Branch.  The trip lasts just over 2 hours and costs $12.50 one-way. 

Getting Around:  Spring Lake can be easily navigated on foot.  The train station is five blocks from the beach and most accommodations are walking distance to sights and restaurants.

By Mike Reynolds

NJ surf makes me very happy. Lordy, lordy, someone's turned on the pointbreak-surf machine in Central New Jersey. The severe weather has carved almond-shaped coves every 100 feet with a left & right wave breaking into each one. They're not all perfect, but on the right tide and with the right wind, each of them seems to have their moment in the sun.

Last week, I surfed an incredibly mechanical, chest-high left alone for 2 1/2 hours. The wave didn't exist in the morning or afternoon but, smack in the middle of the day, it was on. Easy take-offs led into fast, reeling, open shoulders, a quick barrel on the inside and then more open face. Not one wave sectioned or ran too quick. It was downright bliss and I had a blast putting my 8'0" Bonzer through the paces.

I paddled out this past Saturday more for kicks and giggles given the beautiful day and was shocked to find a right pointbreak on my local beach, getting better as the tide went higher. I don't know many good high tide breaks in New Jersey, so this one was a bit of an anomaly. The real gem of a section came when the wave rounded the bend into a deeper cove, where-like clockwork-a nice waist-chest high wall slowed down enough for thwackin' and peeled until it hit the sand 75 yards away. It was so good, I surfed for 3 hours and blew off the family dinner. And, man, the wife was so not happy.

Given our sandbottom world, you know these breaks are doomed to be swept away with the next solid storm to roll through...if it even takes that. I'd keep your eyes and options open and when the next fun swell hits, go find a pointbreak that'll give you the same buzzing energy I've had coursing through me for a week now. You gotta love New Jersey!

Get any good sessions this past week? Let me know in the Comments section. No need to reveal spot specifics.

Cheers!
-Mike
mike@survivingbill.com
www.nj.com/surfwriter
Twitter: @ColdWaterMike