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My summer travel plans have officially gained another trip: Asbury Park, New Jersey. Over the holiday weekend, we got an invite to Tyler’s cousin’s wedding in September, which will take place on the Jersey Shore. It’s been a minute since we saw his family, but a few things stand out from our 2019 trip to visit them – for starters, it was a very cold January! Otherwise…

Asbury Park Boardwalk

The boardwalk is probably what Asbury Park is best known for, so we spent a chilly morning walking along the water. Since we were out of season and it was early, we mostly scoped out the views of the beach (and ran into a women’s march). However, there are a ton of things to do there – The Stony Pony, a historic music venue, may be the most famous, but don’t miss out on the great food and the mural photo opps.

Porta

We were able to spend quite a bit of time with Tyler’s family while we were in town, hanging out at breweries and bowling alleys, but Porta is the place that I remember best. Tyler’s cousins recommended it for brunch, and it did not disappoint. This local restaurant has three locations: Asbury Park, Montclair, and Jersey City. If you look at some of my favorite St. Pete eats, you’ll know I crushed their lemon ricotta pancakes – would highly recommend. 

Monmouth University

Before we left, I had to swing by Monmouth University, because I was let in on a little secret while we were visiting: the Great Hall at Shadow Lawn (Woodrow Wilson Hall, when we visited) is a gorgeous mansion from 1929, and it was actually used as Daddy Warbuck’s home in Annie. The hall actually has a lot of interesting history, and I’m glad I got to have my own “Annie” moment on the stairs – even if I was a little bit frozen afterward!

We have our flights and a bed and breakfast booked for our upcoming visit in a couple months, so I’m excited to see the Jersey Shore in its summertime prime!