Weekend Trip Idea: Sea Isle City New Jersey

Summer is right around the corner and it’s time to start planning your beach getaway.  While you may want to take a whole week and go to a quintessential beach locale like Cape Cod or the Outer Banks, it’s always good to have an easy and local beach trip in your arsenal.  My suggestion is Sea Isle City, New Jersey.

Now, before you start yelling at me that you’re not a guido and you don’t want to spend your time dodging Snooki & company’s sloppy seconds, let me tell you to calm down.  The southern Jersey shore, south of Atlantic City to Wildwood is nothing like what MTV has presented to us as reality.  Granted, my forays in Sea Isle aren’t really relax-on-the-beach-with-a-book either; Sea Isle is a beach party destination.  Go to Sea Isle if you’re looking for a shore-side party, but more in the vein of cover bands playing Springsteen and Jimmy Buffet rather than pumping beats at Bamboo and Karma (and I’m officially embarrassed that I made that allusion, as you should be if you get it).

Aside from the fact that you’re at a beach, my favorite part of Sea Isle City is the “no shower happy hour.”  Everyone converges on the bars, straight from the beach for some really great deals (dollar bottles!) and live music.  If you’re smart, you’ll fortify with some lunch from McGowan’s.  Try the “Little Brother JP”, a phenomenal spicy turkey sandwich (side note for all you other trashy food fans: the Wawa in Sea Isle tastes better then other Wawa’s…no joke).

The Ocean Drive, or OD if you’re speaking Sea Isle City (of SIC) lingo, and Springfield are the two most fun in my opinion.  After happy hour, head over to Mike’s Seafood (stop at the distributor for some booze if you still feel like indulging..it’s BYOB) for a dinner on the bay before going home to shower (maybe), and head back out (or just pass out).

If complacently soaking up rays isn’t your thing, charter a boat or jetski, go parasailing, rent a kayak or head up  to Atlantic City for some daytime gambling.