S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

my playground

2007.07.19

Late day shadows on one of the vehicle access roads

Almost sunset.

heavy surf as fisherman ready for staying the night

near dusk after a heavy rain

flooded road facing the western sky

Low tide. Certain times of the year the ocean is crystal clear.

my F150

some of the dunes on the left

sunset on Barnegat Bay

New Jersey receives a lot of bad press. It suffers from being between two large cities New York and Philadelphia. It is crowded and in some places pretty industrial and ugly. Watch the introduction of the Soprano's to see what I'm talking about. There is this joke ... when two New Jersians meet, they ask, "What exit do you live off of?"

Southern NJ is less populated and it has the Pine Barrens, bays, cedar swamps and the beach. Most of the beach is developed with houses and marinas even casino gambling like Atlantic City.

One place that has remained natural is Island Beach State Park. Its a 20 minute drive from my house, deflate the tires and I am at my favorite place.

Island Beach State Park is a narrow barrier island stretching for 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Island Beach is one of New Jersey's last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along much of the coast and is also one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Over 3,000 acres and 10 miles of coastal dunes remain almost untouched since Henry Hudson first described New Jersey's coast from the ship, the Half Moon, in 1609.

.

24 Comments

so which car/truck.SUV is yours?! i want to go off-roading now! after i'm done playing at the beach. hehe. nice shots. I think the last is my favorite1

MidsummerSilence · 2007-07-18: 07:32

first 6th and 7th are awsome!!! Very great set

OC110481 · 2007-07-18: 07:58

#2 has been added to my fav.
it's amazing ! :)

mademoiselle · 2007-07-18: 08:02

Thanks for all your comments.

I was posting during a thunderstorm and some of these photos made it and some did not. The order changed and text was added.

These photos are for Lindy a beach lover

jonrake · 2007-07-18: 09:37

You're right about New Jersey's bad press—so it's nice to know that there are some beautiful places. Your photos of the expanse and the clear water are wonderful. No wonder you spend time there.

photopoet · 2007-07-18: 12:22

i envy you the beach! i live in a country that has no sea at all! damned..

kackac · 2007-07-18: 12:31

Oh.............. summerdays........ Beautiful!

Najeli · 2007-07-18: 13:02

Thank you for posting these for me Jon.. I really really appreciate it ... It made my day .. I really love the last one and the one with the cloud in the water ..the first one and the one with the crytal clear water... all of them make me so homesick for the beach ..if I can swing it ..I will go and take some pics for you ..of course you got to see Myrtle Beach some... didn't you..??

Thanks again ...loved them all;)

Lindyart · 2007-07-18: 14:29

It's a great spot, lots of natural beauty. I'm still suprised when I see cars on the beach like that because we can't drive on our beaches here.

vollenda · 2007-07-18: 14:41

very cool place! you are good photographer, this post like an add....
send a bill to the NJ tourist office)))

natasa7 · 2007-07-18: 15:00

Looks like a great place to be!

Lizzi · 2007-07-18: 17:51

I´m speechless. I want to play there too.

storytaylor · 2007-07-19: 12:44

Come back to read your article, I really never been to Jerry beach. My husband said it not as you think it is, like the sand can burn your feet and it not very good looking beach.
You are right.

Anyway I am now interested in Island Beach State Park, it seem nice when I see it from your post. I wonder, how far to drive from NE Philly.

OC110481 · 2007-07-19: 13:45

Awesome!!ooks like a beach just right for a zooming quad to fly
by?? Great beach post!!!!

Good choice of trucks!! We have an F350 Super Duty!!
Answer to my post of yesterday..yes the squirrels are that color in CO. we don't have the grey squirrel. I have seen a black squirrel now and again..

SheriJ · 2007-07-19: 14:26