one weekend, three lighthouse, one half marathon and a rescue station

A relaxing weekends down by the shore. I know people always rag on the Jersey shore, but I like it. I just must not be there on the days when medical waste flows in.

Saturday we left Bonnie's about 7:30 and headed down the turnpike. But instead of the AC Expressway we got on 95 and went around Trenton. We stopped at a DINER with local, organic, natural food. Jersey Fresh and farm names were all over the menu.

The hunter's bacon was the best I ever ate. Thick, unsmoked, not processed with nitrates. I didn't order any, Bonnie and Lyd did, but they gave me a piece. I was amazed for the quality that the prices weren't that much more than a traditional diner.

We waddled out of the dinner,  drove thru the Pine Barron's toward the Barnigate light. 

The Half Marathon coincided with the Lighthouse Challenge weekend. For that, you try to do as many lighthouses as possible. If you do all of them you get put in for a prize drawing.

We arrive at the Barnigate light,  we signed in for the challenge, and received our passports. You can see on the back how many lights there are, including two in the Delaware bay.

Barnigate is 172 feet tall, 217 steps and built in 1859. They had the biggest expanse of beach, a visitor center, potties, and a picnic area. Yeah, it was a state park.

Down the street is the museum, with the original Fresnel lamp. In three short blocks we had two stamps in our passports! This building was the town's one-room school house and post office. It had a beautiful garden

Next stop was the Tuckerton. There at the Tuckertown Seaport was the Tucker's Island lighthouse. Much small, more house-like with only 40 stairs to climb. The original was eaten by the Atlantic during a storm in 1927.

The volunteers were decorating the lighthouse for the big haunted seaport Halloween festival next weekend. It was a little scary during the day!

We got back on the Garden State Parkway, passed Atlantic City and headed to our next stop the US Life Saving Station #30 in Ocean City. Constructed in 1885 it was decommissioned in the 1940s, and used as a private home.

When we arrived it was gutted. The docent said that the Coast Guard even sent over volunteers to help. They are just as excited to see it restored.  Though now it's in a neighborhood, at one time it was on the beach, and there is a large room to take the boats out from. Next year the exterior will be done, and if all goes well in 2013 the interior will be done. They are hoping to restore it to it's 1915 appearance.

About 3:00 we arrived at the hotel. Just in time to check in. In the lobby was an exhibit of Miss America dresses. We looked at them all. On the second floor was funky parade shoes. Clearly these were not designed to walk in.

We then walked the half mile to Bally's AKA the starting line. On the 6th floor was the expo, and sign in to get your number, shirt ect. Leaving, we got lost in the maze and spent a good 45 minutes trying to get out.

Our plan was to eat and then head to the Absecon Lighthouse. It was 1.5 miles away and they were open for night climbs. We headed out the Boardwalk and walked and walked and walked. Didn't see it. At the Revel hotel I asked a pedi-cab driver how much further. He said another 10-15 minute walk. And m'am you don't want to walk there. It's a bad neighborhood.

We talked about it and decided to head his advice. When we got back to the hotel, I looked at the map. I think we were 3-4 blocks away. Sunday, we discovered we were about 2 blocks. I guess the skycrapers block it.