Wild, Wild, Wildwood Days!

In an earlier post I mentioned going to the beach, and boy oh boy we went to the BEACH.  That Girl and I loaded up the Grands and journeyed to Wildwood, New Jersey, billed as "The World's Finest and Safest Bathing Beach."  Last year on a whim we drove farther north on the shore to Ocean City, New Jersey, to just see the beach and stroll the boardwalk there, but this year we did it right.

Head 'em up, move 'em out!

We arrived in Wildwood way before our hotel's check-in time, so looked for a place to eat lunch.  The Doo Wop Coffee Shop was a block away.  The decor was definitely doo-wop, and the food was fabulous and reasonable.  Burgers, of course, and big salads, cheesesteaks, wraps, hot and cold sandwiches, and a big breakfast menu.  Cash only!  I would have gladly eaten every meal there, except they don't do dinner, darn it.

We checked in at the Nassau Inn and hauled our stuff up to our one-bedroom suite.  It WAS sweet!  Two beds in the bedroom, a pullout sofa in the living room, and a kitchenette - absolutely spotless, even at the end of the season - impressive!  Throwing our overnight bags in the room, we changed into swimsuits and headed across the street to the beach.

The view from our balcony.

A Marine landing operation requires less equipment.  The troops deployed with a beach cart, boogie board, umbrellas and sand anchors, chairs, life jackets, sunscreen, beach mats, towels, sunglasses, the works.

Gotta try that boogie board!

Smiles all around!

Once we traipsed across the dunes and ginormous expanse of sand and planted the beach cart under an umbrella, we hit the water.  Grand #1 grabbed the boogie board and set about figuring out how it works.  Grand #2 got his feet wet and FROZE.  As the waves washed the sand out from under his feet. we tried to get him to walk a little.  No dice.  After a lot of cajoling and tugging, he took a step, and another, and another. and suddenly he was a fearless, unstoppable force of nature!  He sat in the water until a wave reached him; then he'd leap to his feet and laugh like crazy.  When the water retreated, he'd flop back on his bottom and wait for the next wave's advance.  Grand #3 held on to Mom for dear life.

When everyone was sufficiently exhausted, we returned to the hotel and hit the saltwater pool, where the kids suddenly revived.  Grands #1 and #2 clambered up and shot down the slide in a continuous loop.  Grand #3 held on to Mom for dear life.

Pool fun back at the motel.

Hunger struck, so off we went.  After dinner (remarkable only for its awful mediocrity - note to self:  don't eat at any restaurant with "rusty" in its name), we sought ice cream and discovered the Sea Shell Ice Cream Shop.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  Sixty flavors of hand-dipped scoops as big as your head!  YUM!  Cash only.  There seems to be a theme here...

In the morning, the small fry were too tired for another foray to the beach.  After checking out, we noshed on bagels (per Grand #1's request) at the Bagel Time Cafe.  Excellent breakfast foods and New York style bagels with amazing amounts of cream cheese, but spotty service.  After breakfast, we headed to the boardwalk.  It was hot hot hot, and the small fry were still tired and fussy, so we didn't stay long.  A great place for older kids, though, with two amusement piers, tacky t-shirt shops, and lots of food options.  Oh, yeah - and the beach!

Wildwood was immortalized in the 1963 song, "Wildwood Days," sung by Bobby Rydell.  Along the boardwalk, we discovered a mural dedicated to him.

In the Broadway play and movie "Grease,"
Rydell High was named for Bobby Rydell.

Wildwood was a blast from the innocent past - an old-fashioned, family-friendly beach town where everyone stops when they see people trying to cross a street.  When we were finished at the beach the first day and thought we might hit the sand in the morning, we left our loaded cart outside our motel door (like everyone else), and nothing was missing the next day.  Try THAT other places.  

"Doo-wop" style architecture from the 1950s and 1960s survives in many of the older motels.  The Doo Wop Preservation League Museum has a "garden" of neon signs from demolished motels and offers nighttime tours of the remaining vintage neon around town.  Because of the small fry contingent, we didn't think that would be a good choice for this trip, but it's on my list for next time!

Can't wait!!!

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Here are the lyrics to “Wildwood Days” sung by Bobby Rydell:

Spring’ll soon be gone, summer’s comin’ on
I’m-a dreamin’ of lotsa summer love

All I think about (Wildwood days)
After school is out (Wildwood days)
Headin’ down the shore (Wildwood days)
To have a ball once more

Whoa whoa whoa whoa those Wildwood days
Wild, wild Wildwood days, oh baby
Every day’s a holiday and every night is a Saturday night
Oh those Wildwood days, wild, wild, Wildwood days
And then those party lights wild, wild Wildwood nights

Say baby you’ll be mine ’cause it’s kissin’ time
Gonna twist again like remember when

Sleepin’ on the beach (Wildwood days)
Seven days a week (Wildwood days)
Rockin’ every night (Wildwood days)
Till the early bright

Whoa whoa whoa whoa those Wildwood days
Wild, wild Wildwood days, my baby
Every day’s a holiday and every night is a Saturday night
Oh those Wildwood days, wild, wild Wildwood days
And then those party lights wild, wild Wildwood nights

Whoa whoa whoa whoa those Wildwood days
Wild, wild Wildwood days
And then those party lights wild, wild Wildwood nights

Sleepin' on the beach (Wildwood days)
Seven days a week (Wildwood days)
Rockin’ every night (Wildwood days)
Till the early bright

Whoa whoa whoa whoa those Wildwood days
Wild, wild Wildwood days, oh baby
Every day’s a holiday and every night is a Saturday night
Oh those Wildwood days, wild, wild Wildwood days
And then those party lights wild, wild Wildwood nights
And then those party lights wild, wild Wildwood nights