Customer Reviews

Explorer's Guide Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May: A Great Destination (Second Edition) (Explorer's Great Destinations)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great guide to the South Jersey Shore- a place where I had the pleasure to live for six years. Many of my summer days were spent traveling down the Parkway and back up again, visiting many of the places Jen Miller highlights and also made me wonder how I missed some other spots she mentions (How did I never visit the Alpaca farm?). On that note, she has a lot of information here that even locals can appreciate:

I had no idea Cape May is the third largest place in the US for weddings or that the Wildwood Boardwalk has more rides than Walt Disney World.

Her descriptions of each beach town give a first-time vacationer a good feel which beach would be appropriate for them (except I don't think Avalon and Stone Harbor cater to visitors of "all economic stripes" . . . it's basically the Ritz of the South Jersey Shore). It also can help a regular visitor discover new things - Miller's encyclopedia-like listing of eateries could see you making a checklist out of the chapters.

Particularly helpful are the pricing guides and notes about in-season and off-season hours.

However, the true highlight of the book are the shaded areas within every chapter where Miller gives helpful hints - like how to prepare for running at the beach (watch out for the wind), provides back histories - like the story of Wawa and shines the spotlight on those out-of-the-way spots - (Where the hell is Strathmere?)

Overall this is a great guide to the shore, though I would have appreciated more detailed descriptions of Somers Point, downbeach Absecon Island and Diamond Beach the same way Strathmere gets written up.

This book is a great guide for shoobies (the nickname locals give to tourists) and also something that can get native South Shore people interested in their immediate environs. It will more than likely be updated in many future editions to stay current and it would be good to have handy on your next trip to the South Jersey Shore.

Like many who purchase this book, I'm not new to shore vacationing but have been spending short summer trips there since I was a little girl. Now grown and married, we've been toying with the idea of packing up and moving there. I share this to let you know what I was looking for in a guidebook. I wanted a feel for what it might be like to live there, head to the other towns, see what cultural events are availible in the off-season, etc. In essence, to go beyond the boardwalk but yet still get a feel for the best of what there is to see and do at the shore. I've purchased SEVERAL books on the topic but this book is by far the best and the one I continually refer back to. It might not have the pretty, coffee table feel that other books on the shore possess, (though it does have SEVERAL, fun black/white photos). What it lacks in esthetics, it more than makes up for in information. To start, the author fills you in on little fascinating details and sidebars that relate to the location's culture, history or both. The room/dining descriptions have a friendly feel, as if a local herself were describing the establishments to you in person, detailing thier pros, cons, and points of interest. Definitally not the feel of traditional stuffy guidebooks I have read in the past. This is a book I look forward to reading. It's a little bit culture, a whole lot of "what-to-do", a dash of history, and a healty dose of love for the shore. Thank you for this wonderful, insightful book! Give us more!

I've spent my life at the Jersey shore. As a kid, I marveled at the Diving Horse on Steel Pier. I grew up with Mr. Peanut. When I had kids of my own, I took them to Wildwood and Ocean City and Sea Isle. Then, without the crowd, I discovered the peace and beauty of Cape May.

This is what Jen Miller's book captures so well. Every shore is different. Every shore has its personality and purpose. You can't tell one from another without a really good scorecard. That's what this book is. Miller does an excellent job of capturing the psyche of each resort. The fact that she also turns this into a really good guidebook is a pure bonus.

It's one of those books you'll highlight, scribble in, tear out and send to friends. I'm buying copies for a lot of folks I know. Maybe even Mr. Peanut.

When my husband and I decided to go to the Jersey Shore over Memorial Day weekend, I started to research guide books for the area. It would be our first visit to the Shore and aside from some curiosity about Atlantic City, I had no idea where to start. I quickly came across the first edition of Jen Miller's book on Amazon, which had gotten stellar reviews, but was disappointed to learn that the second edition was due out about a week after our planned vacation. Long story short, I contacted Jen through her blog and she kindly agreed to meet me in Philly for a drive by book sale from her own stash of advance copies. I even ended up with an autographed version. It was very cool of her to help me out.

Putting all of that aside, the book is a fantastic resource and it made our vacation. There is a lot of detail about all of the seaside stops along the Shore and the descriptions helped us decide where to spend our time. We focused on Atlantic City, Sea Isle City and mostly, Cape May where we had a gorgeous, busy day: the bird preserve, hiking to the top of the lighthouse, the Ugly Mug, the whale/dolphin cruise, and a free outdoor brass band concert at night.

The book is well researched and well written. We felt like we had brought along a knowledgeable friend to guide us! I am looking forward to a repeat visit to the Shore later this summer with Jen along for the drive.

Jen offers handy information in her guide to the South Jersey Shore. (I can call her Jen as opposed to "the author" because feel like I know her already since I read her blog http://downtheshorewithjen.blogspot.com/ which contains invaluable updates to the Guide). It's a stellar guide for complete newbies to the shore, and a very handy guide if you already think you know the area but plan to travel off of what you may consider YOUR island to inland towns or other shore towns. I should say there's room for improvement and I shall give my recommendations for the 2nd edition but I think she has hit an untapped market in Travel books and has done a splendid job in her initial outing. Her writing itself deserves no criticism and she's now widely considered and expert on the subject in the Philadelphia media.

Jen knows what she is talking about. Besides spending her life as a shoobie, (someone who isn't a local, but a tourist no matter how frequently they may visit), she also spent additional time living the life of the local talking to the year round residents and looking for interesting tidbits that even she missed in her years vacationing down the shore. Because every Philadelphian and inland South Jersey resident "thinks" they know everything about the shore doesn't mean they truly do. Jen was looking for what they don't know, as this is most likely her largest audience. What really shows from her blog and this book is she's passionate about the area and has devoted the past few years to her research on the subject. I'm positive there's been no shortage of enjoyment in her endeavors as she continually goes out of her way providing information on the weekly events via her blog and I have no doubt that A.) there will be another edition and B.) that she will improve upon what is already a solid guide.

As for my recommendations, my first complaint is the fact that she has mini-golf courses listed for every town, except Wildwood. I noticed because I purchased the book to catch up on what I have missed over my 20 year absence from the area. And for the most part she filled me in. But miniature golf was always one of my favorite things to do when going down the shore and the info is non-existent for Wildwood.

Secondly I would add more restaurant/bar reviews. If you are going to call something complete, make it "complete". I'm sorry but I want it all if I'm looking at a guide. I realize this takes time that she hasn't had yet and I agree she covered the basics but I hope the second edition adds more, to make this a complete guide. Perhaps with what seems like a success in her first publication, her publishers will allow a beefier 2nd ed.

And finally something she may not realize, as she is not as removed from NJ and the shore as I am, is the lack of info about some other things that perhaps I didn't care or know about when growing up but I am passionate about today. And that's what also makes South Jersey and the Jersey Shore interesting to someone who perhaps didn't grow up there, or hasn't been back in a long time, that is Farmer's Markets and Fish markets. In these times, with gas prices as they are, more people are looking towards local items and I find that tourists are interested in what makes the local area special. And S Jersey is awash in not only Corn and Tomatoes but a wide variety of produce it is after all called the Garden State even though most people don¡¦t understand why. People think of NY, pollution, and overcrowding, when they think of New Jersey. I live in Vermont and this is what people think New Jersey is.

And let's not forget that Cape May is a Huge fishing port. Granted you expect fresh fish (or at least you should) if you have even an inkling about shore towns, but this is a guide, so it should presume you don't know anything. What are the local fish we should look for on the menu, and what markets and restaurants serve them? You would be surprised at how many places do not take advantage of the bounty surrounding them simply because they rely on their purveyor SYSCO. Personally, I refuse to go to any restaurant that serves Dungeness crab or fish from Chile. Why eat a foreign and/or previously frozen fish when you can have fish caught and brought into Cape may that day!!? Straight off the boat! It blows my mind how many places on the Jersey Shore are not getting their fish on a daily basis straight from the docks. Lazy and/or bad chefs are the only excuse. And they don't deserve you patronage. And why go to a supermarket when you can hop off an island and find produce grown only 15 miles away! This is the information that will make this a complete guide.

For those who right now are saying ¡§what are the answers to these questions?¡¨. I will give you this one piece of information you should not avoid. If you like oysters, seek out Cape May Salts. You can frequently get them at the Lobster House in Cape May [(3 weeks ago they were 7.95 per dozen and well worth it), regular oysters were 4.95, which I consider very inexpensive]. Info on the Lobster house is included in the book or simply google them). These oysters were brought back from near extinction, are now sustainably harvested and are out of this world. They should not be missed if you are an oyster lover. Truly one of many treasures that the South Jersey shore holds.

All that being said Jen has done an admirable job. She has solid information that is helpful indeed. She could improve by adding my suggestions as well as the suggestions of others. And I know I'm not the only one who offered their 2 centsº on what ¡§should¡¨ have been in there since Jen isn¡¦t the only person that is passionate about the Shore, she¡¦s just the first person that put together a decent guide to it. Buy the book. And when the 2nd edition comes out, buy that too, because I have a feeling that if the vocal masses have their say about things that weren't included then the next edition will go on to be known as the South Jersey Shore Bible , a book no one should be without.

I brought Jen Miller's guide to Wildwood last week for our annual family trip with my in-laws. Everybody, including the kids, found something new and interesting in it, even though we've been vacationing in Wildwood Crest for years now. Even if you think you know all there is to see and do down the shore, pick this gem up and take it to the beach with you.

When you go to a place for years you get stuck in a rut. This is especially true when your family vactioned there for years prior to you vacationing! This was the case for us. We travel to Cape May, NJ every year and every year we do the same things, eat at the same restaurants etc. After getting this book and realizing we had not taken part in ANY of the options Jen gave us, we set out on finding all that Cape May has to offer. Her guidance is awesome, and very accurate. The restaurants we ate at are just as good as she says they are!

I would highly recommend reading about all the "exits" you may find a hidden gem somewhere else that you never would have known about!

Jen is a highly skilled writer and I am so happy that I found her book.

Jen's book is wonderfully helpful. As someone who grew up with Lake Michigan beaches as her guide, I had absolutely no idea what was going on "down the shore" when I moved to the Philadelphia 'burbs. This is a great resource which gave me wonderful tips on different towns. Lots of great ideas for things to see and do. What I also like about it is there is a ton of respect for all the Shore towns, not just for a select few. If I had one complaint, it would be she reveals the secret of Strathmere. Shh! :) Otherwise, great book.

Jen Miller writes about the Jersey shore. Not the nonsense that you see on "reality" television and on Seaside Heights rap sheets, but the beautiful, expansive southern New Jersey shore area that draws tourists from all over, often ones who enjoy telling jokes about New Jersey. But they visit anyway.

Miller tells you why. The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May (including the Wildwoods) takes a look at Atlantic City, from the casinos and Boardwalk Empire all the way down to Cape May, and its Winery, Zoo, and Bird Observatory.

You realize immediately upon reading this book that it is not just an encyclopedia, running down alphabetical listings of places for the reader to visit. Miller is speaking to you as a New Jersey native who has been there, done that, and gotten quite a few running tee shirts.

Competitive running is another specialty for this author. Miller's book includes hints for running at the shore, and information for other activities the reader might enjoy, like crabbing, camping, surfing, and even skee-ball. Included among each shore area listing are restaurants and lodging, fun bits of history and trivia, and even emergency numbers, just in case.

The original edition of this book came out in 2008, and I picked it up because I was spending a lot of vacation time at the shore back then. The book provided an itinerary for the entire family, including miniature golf at Sea Isle City and Jilly's Arcade in Ocean City for the kids.

And I learned that the Deauville Inn happens to be a really good reason to find the answer to Where the Hell is Strathmere?

The new full-color edition also contains 48 Hours, suggestions for a two-day trip to your preferred shore area, along with good ideas to talk you into extending your stay.

Jen A. Miller speaks to the reader in the voice of someone who is actually going on their Jersey shore vacation with them. Since she's already lined up your whole trip for you, the very least you can do is pick up her $20 tab and buy this book. It would be in your best interests to pack it with you whenever you visit the Jersey shore.

This is a wonderful book. I will be in Cape May in a few weeks and it will make my vacation plans even better.