I’ve been coming to Stone Harbor, NJ almost every year since I was 10. It’s a quieter town that is great for families. We brought Asher two years ago before he could walk or talk. I was 9 months pregnant at the time. So glad that’s over.
The boys slept a good portion on the ride since yesterday’s adventures wore them out.
Asher got gross car sick right as we pulled in to town, 2 minutes from the hotel. 🤮
Heading into the trip, my mind was filled with so many logistics to juggling a 3 and (almost) 2 year old, figuring out what foods the picky big brother would live on for the trip, coordinating who is sleeping where and when, and tracking down all the toys to keep them amused on the ride and in the room. We haven’t done much away from home travel since having kids, and this is a primer before we head to Wyoming to meet their grandma. I’d say we survived and learned a few things along the way.
Day 1 – Unpack and Explore
Day 2 – Let’s Play
The day started out great. Both boys were still reserved until Asher got a bit too much water in the face. Then they became hesitant and generally disagreeable.
In hindsight, our breakfast, coffee, and preparing to go to the beach took about 2 hours. By the time we got there, they were almost hungry enough for lunch. We didn’t get them back and settled for nap until 1:30.
I’m used to the days of spending 7 hours on the beach with a short break. Working around their need for a 2-3 hour afternoon nap is weird. It’s vacation – and I needed the nap too. But, then I felt like I was laying around too much. My body hurt and I got headaches from the lack of movement. I wanted to get out in the water myself for a few minutes but even that was a stretch. The boys need 2 adults really to wrangle them in wide open new spaces. They’re still working on sharing, how to and when not to touch (read: grab, bite, kick) each other.
I was glad that there was still a lifeguard on duty. We walked a few blocks extra for that. Later we learned there were ripe tides leftover from Hurricane Dorian.
Sunset Beach
Going to Sunset Beach was always an event during beach week as a kid. I knew my boys would love it there. They are really into picking up rocks this summer (last year it was sticks). So, we grabbed a pizza to eat at the pavilion by the lighthouse.
Afterward, we headed over to one of the few places on the east coast where you can watch the sunset over the ocean. Sunset Beach is at the headway from the Delaware Bay into the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 3 on the beach
We zipped through breakfast and beach prep this morning. It went much better as we coordinated how to get more done while the boys were playing with my parents. That got us down to the beach sooner.
I also let Asher know it was our last day at the water. Today was the day to play and not to wait around reluctantly. Tomorrow was a day for the zoo and heading home.
It was hard to drive such a long distance and for them to only warm up to being in the waves on the last day. Hopefully next year we can go for a few more days.
Dinner Out
We split up from the boys. My parents took them for an evening of fun while we snuck away for supper at the Harbor Burger Bar. Dinner at the beach is always a bit more pricey, but it came without picky eaters needing us to get up so many times throughout the meal.
Cape May County Zoo
We stopped by the Cape May County Zoo on our way home. We got in just as the gates opened. It was a hot morning but the abundant shade from the trees helped us stay cool for our quick tour.
