Camp Seashore – What it is like to spend a summer at a Beach Place

I soon begin my summer season living the beach life in a small beach town. I feel like Gidget being able to romp in the sand and touch the ocean’s edge with my toes each day; watch surfers in the waves; and admire the beautiful beach sunsets anytime I want. Dusk at the ocean is special too, with pinks and purples casting a beautiful vista. I feel like an overgrown teenager most of the time anyway, but living here in the summer is really a Gidget experience for me as I take in EVERYTHING and appreciate every single day.

My second home is located in the town of Margate, New Jersey, which is a bedroom community of beach-goers. There are some crazy good elite restaurants and lots of shops on the avenues, but mostly it is residences of every size to accommodate those who want the summer beach life. This is a seashore town on Absecon Island and locals from the east coast simply call it “the shore” instead of the seashore or beach. It is one hour from the Philadelphia airport.

Many years ago, I decided that I wanted to return to the beach place where I grew up (and had my fondest beach memories as a child and teen) and we invested in a small condo in this little beach town. It fits our needs, even if it is 1600 miles away from Houston where we live the rest of the year.

Being here all summer has me feeling like I am at the most wonderful overnight camp of all: with entertainment (live music mostly) at night, and healthy activities like biking and walking during the day.

Each day, I don my “Camp Seashore” uniform of old tee shirts that I took from my children’s drawers from their college days (over a dozen years old and holding up well) and shorts for my biking, rock climbing, and walking “camp activities” and of course a swimsuit for the water activities – beach and pool. Sometimes there is a dinner to dress up for, and sometimes, it is just a deck or beach dinner, and casual but still fun. 

Interlude here: What I used to wear to camp in the late 60’s was what we called a “shell” and denim or other shorts. It was before the tee shirt era. If you do not know what a shell is, I found someone on the boardwalk the other day wearing my former camp uniform with a shell and jeans.

If shells are back in vogue, they would be PERFECT for the BEACH (get it, shells, on the BEACH??!!!) and I may have to trade in my old tee shirts handed down from my kids for those shell tops.

Some Camp Activities offered:

Eating – the most delicious decadent foods can be found

Swimming

Surfing

Paddleboarding

Windsurfing

Sailing

Fishing

Boating – motor

Sailing

Boogie boarding

Walking

Rock Climbing at the Point

Skateboarding, inline skating, or roller skating on the boardwalk

Biking – especially on the Boardwalk.

Dancing, dancing, dancing – clubs, beach bands, and other venues

Eating (oh, did I mention that before???!!!)

Porch Visiting

Ocean viewing

Beach volleyball

Pickleball

Tennis

Hauling items to beach – burns many calories

Wave jumping

Sand castle digging and building

Parasailing

Kite flying

Barbecuing

Nature walks taking in the breathtaking views and landscaping

Mah Jongg

Canasta

Pinochle

Bridge

Bunco

Bingo

Yoga

Tai Chi

Movies on the Beach

Live music at beach and other venues – most FREE

Watching gorgeous beach sunsets and sunsets over the bay

NOTE: Do you see why I call it Camp Seashore? There is so much to do here! It is a playground for kids from ages zero to 99.

As the days go by at Camp Seashore, my Mediterranean  DNA skin turns brown, my blonde hair gets sun-bleached to almost white or platinum blonde, and my body gets fit and toned. 

Living in a beach town is so different than the big city living I have the rest of the year.

Many here walk or bike to do errands as everything is close by. It brings memories back to me of my youth, where we walked to the avenue for all of our shopping and necessities. It is much more laid back and casual – with shorts worn even for fine dining.

I always notice  things that are unique to living in a beach town for the season. I will try to describe these things so you can live it with me.

First of all, the pace is slower, the air is cleaner, the smells of the ocean, and the cry of seagulls are a constant reminder of where I am. 

In a beach town, it is not unusual to see bikinis and bare feet walking the streets to the beach. You also see the guys in swim trunks, bare feet, with surf boards heading there as well. These are common sights that you just become accustomed to after awhile. No flip flops or coverups needed in a beach town. There are beautiful young people everywhere, some biking with boogie boards or even full sized surf boards attached, many barefooted. I saw a skateboarder with a cooler and a backpack chair strapped on.

You see people biking everywhere! Bikes are the preferred method of transportation on this island, and everywhere you go, you see cruiser bikes parked with baskets attached on them as local shopping is better by bike. There are bike parking racks everywhere. 

Another unique feature, that harkens back to an earlier era, are the porches and hanging out on the porch, or visiting on a porch.

Games are big here! I had to learn Canasta to fit in! I already played Mah Jongg.

And just a few words about the eating. Philly foods that I grew up on, such as hoagies and cheesesteaks, and soft pretzels, and water ice, and custard with JIMMIES, not Sprinkles, are plentiful here and it is a good thing I am active as it could be a weight disaster otherwise. The fine dining and plentiful seafood are also decadent here.

I so appreciate my little slice of heaven in Margate. I do not take it for granted.

My Houston based grown kids now rent places here too and come with their kids! More fun for me as I become Beach Bubbie! 

Y’all come visit and check out my little paradise! Here are some photos.

I bike the boardwalk daily. Next you will see my gorgeous daughter and her friend Morgan enjoyed the Margate Dairy Bar

View from my condo – sunset on my little town of Margate