Coastal Vacation

Every year in June, the school bell rings one final time, and our summer freedom begins. After a few weeks of serious rest and relaxation, we get ready to go on our yearly vacation to our summerhouse in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. It's the highlight of our summer.

It takes ten hours to reach Sea Isle City by car. It is a long, excruciating ride, especially because all the kids are crammed into the back seats like sardines in a can. It is not, to say the least, a pleasant experience.

After the horrible trip there, we arrive on the island. Sea Isle City is a small town on the New Jersey coast. The barrier island it is on protects the mainland from the waves.

When we reach Sea Isle City, we unpack the car and claim our beds. By this time we'd have probably been arguing over who would sleep where for days. Next, we unpack our bags, and lastly, we slump in front of the television, tired out from the long drive.

When we're awake, the main thing my family does in Sea Isle is go to the beach. The soft white sand is dotted with clamshells and covered with seagulls. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean are cold but refreshing. We creep into the water, shivering like crazy until we adjust to the temperature. Then we run, as well as we can in the ocean, out to the higher water and the waves. The waves may not be as high as they are in the Pacific, but that doesn't mean that they don't make a heroic effort to drown you anyway! It's exhilarating.

Also, we often can be found at the tennis courts, the soccer field, and Play by the Bay, the playground. Play by the Bay is my brother Zachary's personal favorite place to be. Not a day goes by on vacation when he doesn't ask to go there!

Evenings in Sea Isle are usually spent on the promenade along the beach. The promenade is lined with specialty shops of all sorts and is the place to go to get your souvenirs.

After a week of fun in the sun, our sojourn in Sea Isle City ends. Sadly, we pack our bags and head home. But still, we take back with us a little coastal sunshine.

Copyright © 2002 Colleen Fischer | Last updated October 7, 2002