I left my heart at the Jersey shore....

The place, not the show :)

This weekend for Mother's Day, my number one wish was to go down the shore.

I knew that I may be disappointed, but I figured I'd take my chances as Martell's, one of my favorite boardwalk places, is re-built and opened.

I was not disappointed!

Yes, there's still work to be done, but it's really looking good and will do just fine this summer.  It was very encouraging.

Afterward, I really wanted to drive down Route 35 to see how things were progressing further south.  I wanted to see the how the area just past the Mantoloking Bridge was coming along.

Wow.

What a heart breaker.

It's been 6 months and 20 days, at this writing, since Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey leaving a wake of destruction in her path.

I hadn't been down the shore until now.  In my area, Sandy's mark is still evident in many places.  Even looking out my own back door I can see the remainders of the uprooted trees that came down.  Our destruction is NOTHING like down the shore.

The destruction down the shore is something that can only be seen.  My description could never come even close to what I saw.  Pictures on TV can never truly depict the actual decimation of this once beautiful vacation haven.

Seaside Heights... The boardwalk and area made famous by shows like the Jersey Shore - a total horror show.  I drove down "the strip" and became very sad.  Though I was able to peek up some of the ramps and see that my favorite place The Midway was open, the boardwalk is not complete.
There is so much to be done.  So much is just...gone.  The ride piers are gone.  The roads and buildings looked more like a sad old town than any place people used to go to vacation.

Much of the area I used to frequent when I was in high school was unrecognizable.

All along 35, some the magnificent homes that used to stand proud; collapsed, crumbled and condemned.  I was amazed at how the ocean seemed to pick and choose what houses will stay and which will go.

My heart sank.

There are too many horrors to count as you drive by.

Yet, this is all long forgotten.  Old news.

It's been almost 7 months since Hurricane Sandy.  Several other tragedies have come and gone.  People have forgotten.  People like me, who took a drive and saw for myself, only to realize that the place so close to my heart - so big a part of me and my younger years is gone, and may never be the same.

This weekend, I truly left my heart at the Jersey shore.

I blew kisses to the Atlantic and said a prayer for my home state.

It's been almost 7 months.  Summer is just around the corner.

It's time to remember that place that has every Jersey girl & boy's heart...

Restore the shore.

If you wish to make a donation to help restore the Jersey shore, or would like more information, please click on the Restore the Shore link below which will take you to their site.

Restore the Shore

I love New Jersey and I love our beaches.

I left my heart at the Jersey shore.

Thank you for reading my blog!

~Jenn



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