I didn’t care for the beach, but I loved the boardwalk. My sister Bunny used to take me on the rides in Wildwood until I was sick!

Even though I grew up at the beach and have a million memories there, my absolute favorite has to be the “return” to the beach. When my daughter Christina became ill with cancer, she couldn’t attend school or go out in public whatsoever because she would come in contact with germs. One of the biggest no-nos, according to our oncologist, was the beach. It seemed so unfair – we live a stone’s throw away from it, but she had to abstain because of the ocean, and the myriad of medications she was on made her very sensitive to light.

Then the day finally came that we got the ok to return to the beach from her oncology team at CHOP. She wasn’t allowed to submerge in water and it had to be at dusk so she didn’t burn, but it was glorious nonetheless. I’ll remember it forever. 

This photo was taken in 1946.  

My parents bought our Shore house because they didn’t want me swimming in the local pools because of the polio outbreak. I fell in love with the Shore immediately, and all throughout high school I spent my summers there. I worked as a waitress in the morning, spent the afternoons on the beach and then went dancing all night at the old convention hall. 

As soon as my parents got home from work every Friday during the summer, we’d throw our bags in the car and all pile in to head to my grandparents’ house on LBI. My dad would put a special mix tape into the tape deck, and my mom would hand out sandwiches. Once we hit the bay bridge, my dad would roll down the windows so we could put our hands out to feel and smell the salty air. 

It’s hard to pick one memory since I’ve lived at the Shore all my life, but I do remember when my nana worked at the casino and there was casino family day in Wildwood. We would get wristbands for all three piers, and it included a buffet on the beach. I’ll always remember seeing the giant tent where the food was. We’d make a day out of it, and that was one day we were guaranteed to all be together. You really don’t realize how much you’ll appreciate those little things until you’re an adult and scheduling family time around everyone’s work lives. 

My favorite Shore memory is spending every Fourth of July of my childhood in LBI. Our neighbors would set off fireworks on the beach. It was always the highlight of my summer. 

My memories of the beach were some of the best days of our lives. I can remember driving over the bridge and smelling the ocean air as we opened our windows, and it always felt like a kiss on the face. I loved riding in the waves on my dad’s back as a kid, and now seeing my kids, nieces and nephews do this on their fathers’ and uncles’ backs is a high five. My uncle used to take us to the beach as kids, and he would tell us no ocean until he got back from his run. He would get back only to catch us all wet from totally disobeying him. He would also tell us no treats – only to buy us one on the way out. 

My favorite is my wedding day on June 4, 2016. The Ocean City mayor married me and my husband Daniel on 59th Street beach. We then proceeded to take photos on the boardwalk. 

My favorite childhood beach memories include my family being there with me, particularly my brothers. We’d build sandcastles and have competitions on who could swim out the farthest in the ocean. Perhaps my favorite memory, though, was jumping in the ocean, running all the way up to the hot sand and covering ourselves in it, only to run right back into the ocean and do it all over again. 

We love our early mornings walking the Great White Coaster with awesome views of the beach and ocean. Very few people are out this time of morning when we begin our journey to inspect the coaster. It’s peaceful and a rare occasion of being on the coaster without all the hustle, bustle and screams that usually fill the boardwalk.

My family vacationed in Atlantic City, and every time we walked on the boardwalk, I knew Mr. Peanut would be waiting for us. The Planter’s Peanuts store on the boardwalk roasted fresh peanuts, and you could smell them blocks from the store. We always bought peanuts that came in white paper bags, but nothing beat shaking Mr. Peanut’s hand in front of the store. 

When we rented on Long Beach Island on summer vacations, I would always get up early and go to the beach to set up our spot for the day. I loved to stay and watch the lifeguards arrive and push their chairs into place. It had a feeling of routine and sameness that I welcomed and loved. 

I remember this day back in 1983 as being the quintessential beach day in Ocean City with my mom. We got there early in the morning and stayed all day playing in the water and sand, and my mom snapped a picture to mark the day. 

As we got older, my brother, sisters and I began to appreciate spending the day together on the beach even more. On this trip to Ocean City in 1997, we got silly and re-enacted that picture taken years prior.

My favorite memories of the Shore are going to the beach and boards with my family. Now, I get to bring my kids and share with them the simplicity and joy we grew up with at the beach. 

When I was a small child, my family and I lived in a place called “The Ritz” in Atlantic City. I have memories of mornings when my dad would take me out to the boardwalk and walk along the shore. I distinctly remember being intrigued when I once found a dead crab washed up on the beach. I think it’s one of the earliest memories I have. 

I always remember one special day at the Shore. I convinced everyone to go to Seaside because it was pouring rain at home. We all went – my mom and dad, my sister, and my now-husband, who I had been dating for two years. It was just a good day; we spent all our time on the beach. In those days, bathing suits were all one piece, and the material was heavier. No one would ever think of wearing a bikini.