Ocean City, NJ - It happens every year - Suddenly it's Labor Day weekend and I realize we need to cram a few more boardwalk visits and beach sessions into the summer before the sun sets on Monday.
Having six kids between the ages of 6 and 21 you can imagine the variety of activities we get involved in ! Of course, there's the "normal" shore activities - little league, crew camp, summer jobs and lots of afternoons at GrandMoms house.
"Summer Vacation" for us means a trip AWAY from the shore - Central and Eastern Virginia for a visit to Jamestown and Yorktown (a history lesson during the day and a dip in the pool at night) and a few Civil War battlefields. Locally a Sunday trip down Route 9 to Historic Cold Spring Village could ALMOST deliver the same lessons - if you like history and have never visited them you should add it your list of things to do - they host a few Civil War weekends and Encampments, a revolutionary weekend and a lot more - even a model train weekend - you'll find them online at http://www.hcsv.org.
Another great way to spend an afternoon is to visit the Cape May County Zoo -our 6 year old never tires of the place. It's less than a half hours drive from Ocean City, down the Garden State Parkway.
We launched the kayaks (4) a few weeks ago and made a few trips exploring the streams near the 34th Street bridge - next year we'll go more often and try our hand at crab traps.
Julie (6) got a REAL kick out of a visit to Cowtown one Saturday night - it's a bit of a hike but well within a reasonable drive from the shore.
Of course, for us natives, September and October have a lot to offer - cooler weather, sales in the shops, warm water, and a lot less traffic.
The fall is a great time to visit Ocean City, maybe spend a few nights at a B & B and enjoy the weekend activities and find a new place to dine.
Tuesday night after Labor Day is shaping up as a Miniature Golf and Go Cart night, with a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl almost a guarantee.
Now if the Phils can just made the playoffs, like the AC Surf did, it'll make for some more great memories of the summer of '07.
