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I now find myself sitting on the westcoast dreaming of the many wonderful years when vacations made Lavallette home for three weeks. Home-made clam chowder, fresh fluke, flounder, black striper or blue fish from Chadwick's (buying it at 10:00 after picking it out in the longboat the fishermen pulled up on shore at 5:30 a.m. It just had to be the same fish; I know it was.) Walking the beach from North Lavallette all the way down to Seaside Heights and back again and carrying only those very special shells that weren't there yesterday. And the swimming; how many times Mom would swim out to get us. Though we were told we'd shrivel up if we stayed in longer, it never did affect more than my fingers. That was when we'd get dried off, have an Italian Plum or two, put the pit back in the bag to take the garbage home, then stretch out for a nap. If we were lucky, the Good Humor Man would come by, ring his bells and we could race up to the boardwalk to buy a Burnt Almond Popsicle; m-m-m-m-m good. Then there was getting the half-bushel basket out of the garage, 50 feet or so of some small laid line in a figure-eight on a stick, a "bunker" from the local bait shop, and off you could go to haul in some crabs. Put some seqweed in the bottom of the basket and cover each layer of crabs with more; keeps the crabs cool. You'll never convince me that the California or Alaskan crab can compare to those sweet blueclaws.
That's enough for today.
Posted by Ruth Peterson
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Hello to all in Lavallette and those who dream of being there! I am a veteran of the shore area from about summer of '67 onward, summers only tho. My grandparents lived on West Point Island, (John and Ruth Hutch, Dickman Drive), and have both since passed away. I would enjoy hearing from anyone who still visits or lives in the area. Also, anyone who remembers my family, it would be a pleasure to share a chat with you. I am a single parent of 3 children now. I live in Washington State where I attend college full time through the distance education learning program. Looking forward to hearing from you,
Sincere regards,
Joanie (..take a swim for me this summer!!)...thanks
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I am now 32 years old and have a family of my own but remember quite clearly summers in Lavallette. The family would pile into my parents station wagon and travel down the NJ TPK for that excrutiatingly long ( or so it seemed at the time ) trip to the shore. We stayed on Rutherford Lane about 3 houses from the beach, and for a few years my grandparents rented the house directly next door to ours. After arriving my brothers and I would run to the beach while my parents would put the house together for the time that we would be staying. As early as the next morning the routine would start.In the early days I would go to wake my grandparents and help them usher in the coming day. Later on as we got older, Dad would take the first one up out to get the paper and some danish. This would entail a walk down Rutherford Lane to a little news stor on the corner appropriately named "The Store." Once the paper was bought we would cross Rt 35 and go into the Colonial Bakery for the morning treats. The one thing that was assured was that if you were good one of the girls behind the counter would give out a special treat such as a cookie or something to that effect. After that it was back across Rt 35 and up the street to the house. By this time mom had breakfast on the stove and you could smell the aroma of fresh bacon coming out the windows. After breakfast it was off to the beach for the whole day. As the afternoon came to a close it was mom carting the younger ones off to shower and change while I stayed with dad in the water. ABout an hour later we would come back exhausted but happy and head into the showers. The it was onto the back porch for dad to light the grill and throw dinner on the BBQ. After dinner we would either pile into the car for an evening out at Seaside or Pt Pleasant. If it was an evening "in" then we would either take a walk as a family into town or better yet a night on the beach. That would consist of a ball game or kite flying or watching the fishermen. Eventually the parents would retire and the kids would wander the beach until mom would INSIST that we return in for the night. This pattern was changed around for the enire time that was spent at the shore. The weeks flew past way too fast and eventually the adventure would come to an end and we would be forced to leave this little paradise to return home. As I said earlier I am now grown, for the most part, and those summers are long ago and far away but they live on as if it were yesterday. As a child there is a lot in this world that is majical and mystical and it is a shame that it has to end. My one hope is that I can re-create some of this majic and mystery with my own son, who is now 6 months old. I can never go back again, to my childhood days, except in my mind, but hopefully I can rbing about this feeling for my child as he grows up and see this from a whole new perspective....as a parent. I want to watch the wonder in his eyes and the fun that he has as he expieriences all this joy as I did, not that long ago.
Jim
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My memories, pre dunes, started as a youngster who loved to play in the sand. Brothers and cousins started day at bay swiming and watching the wading fishermen and occasionally boating. Then to ocean beach after lunch. We built sand castles that seemed to take up most of the beach. Occasionally we would dig under the boardwalk and make forts to get away from parents. As a teenager I considered Lavelette my second home. Working through the issues that all teenagers go through was much easier when you have summer friends and a place like Lavallette to get your space. Oh yeah, we got into trouble (and skirted it) many times. (Can you say Bo Bo rent-a-cop). The 'gang' we hung with always had something fun to do or somewhere for the group to go. When we got old enough to party, we always had a host home or a bar to hop. Days on the beach playing volleyball or getting a deep tan (or both!). Time has past since then, but now I am a Lavallette home owner. It's hard to believe that a kid who loved the sand turned teenage beach bum turn owner (second home, but first in my heart!) could still feel excited every time I pack the car to go back to the town we all love, LAVALLETTE.
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Hi! I'm only 16, but the past 16 summers of my life have been spent in lavallette. My grandparents bought a big yellow house on west point island 50 years ago this summer. My mom and aunts and uncles grew up there. The house was then passed on for us grandchildren to enjoy. Unfortunately, when i was about 12, the house became too much of a hassle, and the expenses became too much for my parents. We had to sell the house. That had to be the worst summer of my life. Still, several of my cousins live in the area, so i visit often, but i cant stay the whole summer like i used to. Only 1 or two weeks at a time. I miss it so much, i've been to LBI and other beaches, none are never going to be the same as Lavallette. The days spent playing in the ocean, building sand castles with my cousins. Long walks along the boardwalk, nights at seaside. I'll never forget any of it. It was weird, even though everyday was the same, when i'm there, i'm never bored. There's always a place to walk to, a street w/ new houses to look at, when i'm in lavallette, i'm happy. Through all the years at the shore, my grandparents death, sickness' in the family, bumps and bruises, huricanes, I dont remember crying until the day i had to leave my house. Everything is better when i'm there, everything is easier.
Liz
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