Continuing the Beach Adventures in Sea Isle

Waking up on Wednesday, I laced up my running shoes to embark on my first beach run of the year, observing the seagulls along the shore and other runners enjoying the sunrise. Running or walking along the beach is a deeply meditative experience that will calm the parasympathetic nervous system of everyone. Turning back toward the beach house after running a few miles, I noticed an orange and blue bench on the promenade with a dedication inscribed. It said, “Love you, Jake! 6-28-00 to 7-18-19,” on the top, with messages of hope over suicide inscribed on the bottom. My heart sank, realizing that Jake was only nineteen-years-old when he took his own life. I felt a sense of despair for those that he left behind. Wiping away tears and sweat, I continued along, running at a steady clip to the sounds of familiar voices from Abel Township during their first annual boat race back in 2013 from the ZRX app.

When I returned back to the house, I showered, got dressed, and ate breakfast as my family began to stir awake. The dreary skies in the morning did not facilitate a relaxing beach day, so all of us decided to explore some local distilleries and wineries in Cape May County. We ventured first to Nauti Spirits Distillery, one of New Jersey’s largest distilleries. They have been in business since 2013, with their grand public opening in the summer of 2017. They offer a broad selection of Vodka, Rum, Gin and Whiskey, with a cultivated selection of delectable and uniquely-named cocktails. Their “Krabby Patty” drink features jalapeno-infused vodka, with lime and orange-oleo saccharum, while their “Nauti Mary” features a choice of vodka or gin with a house made Bloody Mary blend. The dark clouds overhead began to release the rain, ensuring that all us patrons sought cover under the outside awnings. After a couple hours with a glass or two, we continued on our boozy adventure to a vineyard and winery.

Jessie Creek Winery had an aura of subdued elegance, cultivating an inviting atmosphere for all flavors of wine connoisseurs. We enjoyed a sampling of cheeses, crackers, and wine glass trees, thoroughly enjoying each others reactions to each unique drink. Remaining sober during these excursions was an illuminating experience, observing the lowering inhibitions of my family with laughter and camaraderie. I still joined in the fun, reminding myself that it is possible to have fun without liquid courage. After a couple hours, we packed into the car and headed back to the beach house, resting for an hour before driving to a local restaurant, Carmen’s.

Dinner at Carmen’s has been a tradition for us at Sea Isle City for a long time. It is a restaurant that epitomizes a familial and relaxing experience, with long tables matched with benches overlooking the bay outside. The restaurant was incredibly busy when we arrived a little after seven in the evening, which was not unusual given its popularity in the summer. Our favorite appetizer at the restaurant is a bucket of freshly-caught mussels drenched in house made Diablo sauce. The sauce is a muted scarlet color, tasting like a spicy cocktail sauce. After our palettes enjoyed the scrumptious mussels, the waitress brought everyone’s entrees as we drank some drinks ranging from soda, beer, and bourbon. Rising from our table and walking to our car with a bag full of leftovers, we were thoroughly stuffed. Similar to the previous night, we chatted well into the night before retiring to bed, hoping that the weather is better tomorrow. (Spoiler Alert: it was!)

Before the clock struck noon the following day, everyone was dressed in swimming gear, packed food, drinks, and beach activities into the rolling cart, applied sunscreen, and started to walk to the beach. I carried some of Michael and my beach things in a fantastically designed Uber Eats bag, featuring an insulated interior and a multitude of pockets in an over-the-shoulder carriable design. I received this bag when I earned extra money during the COVID pandemic delivering food to local residents in Glens Falls and beyond and used it at the beach ever since.

When all of us arrived near the ocean, we unpacked our chairs, with Gabriel and Becca setting up a small, shaded tent. While the sun was shining, the wind speed was quite powerful, creating strong currents in the water. It led to dangerously tall waves and pulled swimmers along the shores. The hot summer temperatures had caused the ocean to have a temperature of over seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the powerful currents, all of us enjoyed immersing ourselves in the water. My cousin Anthony illuminated one of the many benefits with a beard: swimming. The feeling of the facial hair as I swam underwater was incredible; it certainly led to me spending way too much time in the ocean.

Aside from swimming, we played games, like Cornhole, matching up together to see who triumphs. The high winds certainly made it difficult, as the throwing bag kept getting pushed away from the board. The wind also made it difficult to read books, forcing those that were reading to hold down the pages. But despite the powerful winds, all of us had a pleasantly good time, listening to music, playing games, and jumping into the water. One by one, we all headed back to the beach house.

After packing up my chair into the cart and walking away from the ocean, I noticed a family gathered by the path on top of the dunes. A gentleman approached me to ask if I could take their photo. I obliged, snapping a dozen landscape and portrait photographs on his iPhone. The situation reminded me of my own family. Thirteen years ago, the Palladino clan dressed in white shirts and blue jeans, with my Uncle Michael bringing his photography equipment to one of the dunes in Sea Isle City. The photos captured at the time are more precious, as we have lost a couple people over the years. Their faces and the memories were preserved that day, as well as the family that I just met.

Once everyone was showered and dressed after an afternoon on the beach, my dad finished cooking the pasta dinner for everyone. The sausage and sauce had been slowly warming in the slow-cooker, so the preparation after the beach involved boiling water for the raviolis. Michael and Gabriel shared the funny tradition of using way more Parmesan cheese than my family. Ever since Michael and I first dated, I was always agape with laughter at the snow-like nature of his pasta bowl topped with Parmesan. I have grown to appreciate the unique taste over the years, and I certainly can’t wait until Costco arrives to upstate New York to procure a 128oz bottle of Parmesan cheese.

As tonight was the first Thursday of August, the living room television was tuned to the Philadelphia Eagles preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the first game since their dominating Superbowl performance in February, and the Eagles still held up with their backup players against the Bengals. During one of the many touchdowns, I grabbed a commemorative Eagles Superbowl Bud Light to toast for their continued success in the new season. It had been the first Bud Light in over a year, and it was just as bland as I recalled. But I appreciated the clever marketing of Anheuser-Busch, creating a green-tinted beer bottle and featuring the Superbowl 59 logo. It was lovely to share the exciting moments with family during the team’s opening preseason game.

After the football game, my brother connected and turned on his new Nintendo Switch 2 to organize a game of Astro Bears. The game is best described as a multiplayer, 3D-version of the classic game, Snake. We played a couple rounds, enjoying the many comedic moments abound, before heading outside to the deck. We partied into the night, some until after midnight, with good spirits, camaraderie, and family. I’ll continue recollecting the final day in Sea Isle City soon. Stay tuned!