This winter has seemed like an endless period of sadness, struggling and wondering what the future holds for so many people, ever since superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast on Oct. 29.
The cold weather and darkness added to a cloud of depression that seemed to have enveloped the Jersey Shore, at least from my point of view.
Loving to spend time at the Shore whenever possible all year round, my husband and I have gotten into the habit of visiting the boardwalks and inlets whenever possible throughout the fall and winter — just to get some fresh air, exercise and look at the ocean.
We could, most often, be found visiting Belmar, Point Pleasant and Manasquan in the afternoon and then dining at one of our favorite waterfront restaurants.
Having been devastated by the storm, there seemed to be no place to go to look at the ocean this past winter.
Then one day, the sun came out — and something shifted. It happened on March 30, Easter weekend.
As Ocean Avenue in Belmar continues to be closed while construction on the new boardwalk moves forward on schedule, we decided to attempt a bike ride to Manasquan on that warm, early-spring Saturday.
Not sure what we would find, we chose to take the Edgar Felix Bike Path toward Manasquan, which starts at Allaire State Park in Wall Township.
When we parked at Allaire, we were thrilled to see the smiling faces of families enjoying the Easter festivities, tours of the Historic Village and a ride on the Pine Creek Railroad’s Easter Bunny train.
I started to breathe again and to feel a bit more normal as we rode along, until we came upon a tree that was blocking the path. Some people chose to carry their bikes to the other side of the tree, but we went back to our truck and drove to Manasquan, where we got back on our bikes and rode through our favorite bike-riding town toward the beach.
It was nice to see so many people in this town, which experienced severe repercussions from the storm, out and about in the parks and on Main Street. As we got closer to the beach, the devastation was more evident, but it was intermingled with work and repair as once-boarded-up homes and businesses showed signs of progress.
At the beach that overlooks the Manasquan Inlet, people were out on the jetty. They were even walking along the half-constructed path in front of beachfront homes that took the brunt of the storm. Some homes are beyond repair, but others had workers onsite, even on a Saturday.
Construction trucks stood sentry on the beachfront path, waiting for Monday, when work would continue on the new path that apparently will sport new curbs in front of the home sites. Then there was the Atlantic Ocean — ahhh, the water — which even had a few boats passing through. Despite the fact that the rising up of this same ocean is the cause of all the devastation, it felt so good to see my old friend, albeit a friend that I have been really angry at, but really missed.
Then we went on to check out the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk.
The part of the boardwalk that had been totally destroyed, just south of the police building, was in the process of being fixed up. Only the joists were visible when I last visited it a few weeks ago, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The first promising sign came when Ocean Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach was filled with cars, but when we got to the rides at Jenkinson’s, my heart filled with warmth and excitement, and my eyes filled with tears as I heard the screams of children having fun. It was the annual two-for-one ticket book sale, and it was packed — as it has been every year for as long as I can remember going with my children.
The point is, it was normal, and my heart soared.
The biggest thrill came when we made our way over to the actual boardwalk on the other side of the rides, and it was there. Despite the fact that there was a chain-link fence keeping people off of the huge mountain of sand on the beach, people were strolling along the new boardwalk. They were buying ice cream and food, and playing arcade games.
Chippy’s Fries, the first business to reopen on the undamaged older section of the boardwalk after the storm, was no longer alone.
Live music was blaring from Martell’s Tiki Bar, which was packed, even though the pier was blocked off as construction continued. People were even having fun at the tiki bar on the beach, and children and adults enjoyed Jenkinson’s Fun House, as well as the aquarium and the food court.
After that, we went to the newly reopened and renovated Shrimp Box restaurant in Point Pleasant Beach, where a plaque halfway up the wall indicated the level water had reached inside the waterfront restaurant during the storm. We enjoyed our favorite view of the fishing boats and smiled and relaxed.
In my mind, the tides have turned. Even though the sounds at the beaches this summer may also include some hammering and sawing as the rebuilding continues, the signs are clear that we are on our way back to the new and improved Jersey Shore.
Hope to see you there one day soon!
Amy Rosen is a Greater Media Newspapers staff writer and managing editor of TheBeachBeat.com.