Best Kept Secret
My birthday was this month and one of the things I had to do to celebrate the day was to take the long drive to my absolute favorite spot on LBI… Lighthouse State Park. (It’s true, to us ‘south enders’; Barnegat Light is a long drive.) I am reluctantly sharing my best kept secret in spite of my fear that my millions of readers will converge on my favorite spot and ruin it forever! 
However, my desire to share LBI is greater than my wish to keep it all to myself. If you haven’t taken a trip to Lighthouse State Park or you haven’t been there recently, you’ve got to go – no matter what the season; winter, spring, summer or fall.
There is the nature trail that takes you through a real maritime forest where you can appreciate plants and trees that are indigenous to the island. It gives you the chance to imagine what the island must have been like before all of the development. There are various signs along the way describing the vegetation. The highest point of this trail offers a grand view of the inlet and a great spot to photograph the lighthouse.
A walkway that extends from the lighthouse along the inlet offers a wonderful close up view of the inlet, wildlife, i.e., shorebirds and harlequin ducks, and Island Beach State Park. It is also a good spot to fish. If you dare, you can take the jetty all the way out to the beach, leaping from boulder to boulder along the way. (This is the path my kids insist on taking).
I prefer to walk on the beach along the jetty to the ocean. In the warmer months we make a day of it, pack up our backpacks with some snacks and lots of water and take the trek along the jetty to the ocean. The day begins with a stop at the Inlet Deli for a cup of coffee and bagels and snacks. Then, we’re off on our hike to the ocean. Along the way the kids wade in the tidal pools that form along the jetty and catch crabs they find from lifting up rocks. When we finally arrive at the ocean the kids will play on the jetty, have a snack and hang out on the beach for a while and then we turn around and head back to the lighthouse. We stuff our pockets with shells, sea glass and other cool treasures we have found along the way. The day is complete with a stop at Kelly’s & the Dairy Queen for an ice cream.
And let’s not forget the lighthouse. I hate to admit that I try to discourage the kids from wanting to climb all 217 stairs to the top. I swear I am not a kill joy but take it from me, if you have little ones, they’ll climb about 20 steps and then expect you to carry them all the rest of the way up. I’ve done it twice, up and back down, and barely lived to tell about it.
For those who can’t make the climb but want to enjoy the view there is a camera view available at the Interpretative Center where there are also informative displays about the lighthouse. Lighthouse State Park is also the site of many very informative and educational programs throughout the year. This month a program was held there to educate people about wildlife that live in the park.
Last summer my son and I went to one of the ALO sponsored bonfires. We had a great time and the view of the lighthouse at night – awesome.
To learn about more Things To Do on LBI visit me at www.YourLBIRealEstateSource.com .