Looking for a place to stay?

There are over 100 hotels and motels to stay in when you are visiting Wildwood. My family, for awhile, had the pleasure of spending our summer vacation at my grandparents house, that was located in North Wildwood. Once they sold the house, we started looking at other places to stay. The very first hotel that my family and I stayed in was The Grand Hotel in Wildwood Crest. I can remember the pool being so huge that I thought I was going to get lost in it. It had cutout benches directly in the pool that you could actually sit on. The Grand Hotel is no longer available, since it's been recently tore down to build condominiums.

The Adventurer Motor Inn is another great hotel to stay it. It's centrally located, right on the beach, and just steps away from the boardwalk. They have a game room for kids, and their own restaurant for your convenience.

Prom Weekend, my friends and I stayed in the Sandy Shores Resort Motel in North Wildwood. Because we were only there for the weekend, it was an affordable place for us, and the accomodations were very good. We were minutes to the boardwalk, which made things a lot easier considering we didn't do much driving that weekend.

No matter how much money you are spending, there are many reasonable hotels and motels throughout the Wildwoods. The only hard decision is which one you want to stay in!

References:

Greater Wildwood Hotel-Motel Visitors Guide. (2008). Wildwood, NJ: Greater Wildwood Hotel-Motel Association

*Photo retrieved from Google Images

Oh those Wildwood days!

Isn't there that one song that just always puts you into a good mood? I tend to get a little over excited whenever I happen to hear Bobby Rydell's classic 1963 song "Wildwood Days" on the TV or the radio. It makes me want to instantly hop in my car and head down to Wildwood for some fun. For everyone who isn't familiar with the famous song, check it out below! And for further fun, check out the lyrics so you can sing along!

References

Bobby Rydell - Wildwood Days Lyrics. (n.d.). Sweet Lyrics. Retrieved June 13, 2010, from http://www.sweetslyrics.com/705050.Bobby%20Rydell%20-%20Wildwood%20Days.html

YouTube- WILDWOOD DAYS - Bobby Rydell (1963). (n.d.). YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved June 13, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ZS5TZeedw

The Experience of Morey's Piers

Morey's Piers, which are three fun-filled amusement havens, located right on Wildwoods boardwalk, offer endless amounts of fun for families and people of all ages. In my younger days of being a teen, Morey's Piers was the "cool" spot to go to. My friends and I would hit the piers for hours, jumping off one ride, and hopping on another one. Even though I am older now, there is one ride that I religiously make it a point to ride on is the Sea Serpent roller coaster. It was my very first roller coaster that I ever went on before, and even though it literally last about 2 minutes, it's a small thrill that I always look forward too. Some other popular rides among the piers are the infamous Ferris Wheel, that can easily be seen from any place on the boardwalk, and the SkyCoaster, for those of you who are feeling brave and want to get a quick experience of flying.

Not a big of roller coasters? That ok! All three of Morey's Piers have many low key rides, and also rides for children, like the carousel, kiddie swings, and mini teacups.

One new attraction that is a "can't miss" is the Ghost Ship called Ignis Fatuus. It's a cargo ship where you will be subjected to dark spaces, live actors, and high intensity effects. This ride is geared for the older crowd, and no one under the age of 12 is permitted to go 'on board.' This is one ride that I can't wait to stand in line for because it's something fresh that the Piers have never created before. An instant thrill!

Also, Morey's Piers has two great water parks; Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis and Beach Club. Both are geared to cool you down on those hot summer days, when you're taking a break from catching rays on the beach, with their various slides, lazy rivers, and interactive play areas that have Lily pads and fountains. There are also areas for children, and food stands that offer all types of cuisines.

References:
Water Parks and Piers in Wildwood NJ - Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks. (n.d.). Water Parks and Piers in Wildwood NJ - Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://www.moreyspiers.com

All pictures were retrieved from Google Images

Don't let the salty balls scare you!

While in Wildwood one weekend last summer with my friends, I stumbled upon this "whole in the wall" called Maui's Dog House, right in the heart of North Wildwood. It's a very easy place to just pass by and not even know it's there, but it's worth the second look. I remember laughing as we parked across the street at how odd this place was. The first thing I saw was people sitting at old, worn, picnic tables, eating food out of dog bowls. Yes dog bowls. I couldn't help but stare at the young girl who was trying to figure out how she was going to fit the loaded hot dog in her tiny little mouth. The menu at this joint is massive. They have over 20 different varieties of hot dogs, from the "naked" plain hot dog, to the "Forget-About-It", topped with chili, raw onions, spicy mustard, globs of cheese, and fresh cooked bacon pieces. I opted for the "Soprano" hot dog which has all my Italian favorites on it; sauteed spinach in garlic topped with provolone cheese. Yum!

Although Maui's is famous for their hot dog creations, they have other family favorites like burgers, chicken and sausage sandwiches, fries, a kids menu, and the not so normal; Salty Balls. I bet you're thinking how in the world can something that's called "Salty Balls" be tasty? If you try them, you'll be pleasantly surprised, because I know I was! The salt- brined potatoes, accompanied by a side of melted butter, are the perfect compliment to your meal. They will definitely leaved your lips clenched together in a good way!

References:

Maui's dog house home. (n.d.). S.Jerseys Only Original Hot Dog Joint. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from http://www.mauisdoghouse.com/



*All pictures were taken directly from the Maui's Dog House website.

Memorial Day Weekend in the Woods.

If you were one of the thousands of shore-goers to experience this past Memorial Day Weekend down in Wildwood first hand, I'm quite jealous of you. Sadly, I was not able to attend this year. It's been a very rare occasion where I am not in attendance, but I know the events that take place well enough to talk about them.

One of my favorite events that I never like to miss is the Kite Festival that is held directly on the beaches of Wildwood near the Convention Center. I was there two years ago to see it, and it left me in amazement. It's easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond at this festival. I remember standing with my feet in the sand, looking up and seeing about 200 kites flying around above me. There was one kite that I loved. It was in the shape of a huge dinosaur, and it had very vibrate colors like neon greens and oranges. The man who was controlling it let me take a try to fly it. I was so scared because this kite was literally 10 sizes bigger than I was. This year marked the 25th anniversary of The Wildwoods International Kite Festival, which is the largest kite festival in North America.

The main reason as to why we have Memorial Day is to commemorate the fall soldiers who have fought for our country, along with the soldiers who are currently fighting today. One event that was held that I am sad I missed was the dedication and unveiling ceremony that was held for the new Wildwoods Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The new wall is a half-size granite replica of the Vietnam Memorial that is currently in Washington D.C. I have a few close friends that are fighting oversears, so this was a special event that I regret not being able to witness.

A favorite Wildwood guilty pleasure of mine are the boardwalk curly fries. I could live off of curly fries if you gave the chance to, and this year, was the first annual Curly Fries Festival.

So whether you headed down to Wildwood to check out some of the events that took place, or you went down to catch some rays on the famous Wildwood beaches, the fun and excitement of the Wildwoods was sure to be all around you!

References

Release, P. (n.d.). Memorial Day Weekend in the Wildwoods is Chock-Full of Dedications, Events and Brand New Attractions - Cape May County Herald. Cape May County's #1 Source for Breaking News, Community News & Events, Classifieds and Business Marketplace. Retrieved May 30, 2010, from http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/tourism/62447-memorial+day+weekend+wildwoods

Wildwood New Jersey Events. (n.d.). Cape May Times - Cape May New Jersey Best Bets! A Guide to the Cape May NJ shore area.. Retrieved May 30, 2010, from http://www.capemaytimes.com/wildwood