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Your Favorite Beaches
 AAA World wanted to know where
AAA Mid-Atlantic members go to wiggle their toes in the sand,
collect seashells, boogie board and soak up the summer sun
(always with the appropriate SPF, of course). We asked, and you
told us. Dozens of different shore points received votes. From
New Jersey in the north to the Carolinas in the south, here’s
our take on some of your favorites.
Top Beaches: The Wildwoods,
New Jersey "Lines in the Sand"
 For anyone who’s ever combed the
coastline for a beach destination that offers “something for
everyone,” you just might hit pay dirt in the sands of The
Wildwoods. Of course, it’s impossible to be all things to all
people, but as The Wildwoods prove, some places can be many
things to millions of people.
Just ask any of the nine million annual
visitors to The Wildwoods, and you may uncover a virtually
endless list of answers, some of which may even seem
contradictory. In fact, when AAA members voted this South Jersey
shore resort a Top Mid-Atlantic Beach, they cited reasons
ranging from its quiet, nostalgic family atmosphere and small,
uncrowded beaches, to its lively nightlife and boardwalk and
sprawling beach-blanketed sands.
That’s not surprising, considering The
Wildwoods is actually three beach towns with three distinct
personalities—all situated on one walkable five-mile-long
island. Often casually called “Wildwood” collectively, this
Jersey resort is comprised of North Wildwood—with smaller
beaches and a history of world-class fishing and watersports;
Wildwood—famous for its two-mile-long action-packed boardwalk,
nonstop neon-flashing nightlife and expansive beaches; and
Wildwood Crest—popular with generations of families and, not
coincidentally, the “dry” (bar-free) part of the island.
But no matter which town draws you to The
Wildwoods, chances are you’ll find treasures of all kinds
island-wide. That includes not-so-hidden gems like the big, free
beaches—five football fields from the boardwalk to the water in
some spots; the 38-block long boardwalk with more amusement
rides than Disneyland; the circa-1874 Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
that still lights the way today; and the world’s largest
collection of 1950s and ’60s Doo Wop architecture (think
space-age imagery, tropical themes and bold colors).
You’ll also uncover local pearls of wisdom like
who makes the best boardwalk pizza: Sam’s or Mack’s; what to do
when you hear the recording “Watch the tramcar, please” while
walking the boards; why you’ll probably never see a skinny
seagull on the boardwalk or beach (cover your French fries and
funnel cake!); and, of course, how The Wildwoods can mean so
many different things to so many visitors for so many summer
seasons.
More info: wildwoodsnj.com; 800/WW-BY-SEA (992-9732)
—Stacy Tillilie (source AAA.com) |
