USA 2017

New Jersey's coast

Saturday morning in Manhattan: Everything is quieter, there are hardly any cars on the road, and even at 9:30 a.m., you're still pretty much alone. Unfortunately, it's also very gray today, which isn't ideal, as we plan to enjoy the coast south of New York and would like to stop at the beach here and there.

Anyway, I first pick up the rental car (about a 15-minute walk). At the station, I have a funny conversation. The employee asks me why I need a rental car for so long (16 days). I reply that we are spending three weeks on vacation in the US and will be driving around a bit. This surprises the employee even more, as he can't believe how much vacation time we get in Germany.

So I pick up the car, drive to the hotel, and load up the luggage and my companions. Then we leave Manhattan and head toward the Atlantic coast in New Jersey. We drive along Ocean Avenue and marvel at the nice residential areas near the beach. Let's just say, there are worse places to live.

Unfortunately, it is still gray, windy, and even raining at times. So relaxing on the beach is not an option. Nevertheless, we keep looking over the dunes to see what could have been. Some of the most beautiful coastal towns in the US (according to some magazine) are located along this route. I can only confirm this. We stop in Ocean Grove and Spring Lake, among other places. Both are very beautiful small towns with a certain flair. Here, too, there are sandy beaches as far as the eye can see.

At around 3 p.m., we set off for Atlantic City. On the way there, it starts raining again and the casinos are bathed in a dull gray light. The beach is just as gray and full of gravel. So we just drive around once and then say goodbye again. Conclusion: Atlantic City makes no sense.

We leave the coast and drive to Williamstown, where we spend the night. Accommodation here is still relatively inexpensive, and the next morning we only have about an hour's drive to Philadelphia.