Winter Beach

One of the many ways that we buck common sense is winter trips to a winter beach. Beach trips in the winter are not all that unusual and they usually involve the state of Florida. Stepping into an airport out of a frigid winter wind and out of the airport into the warm Florida air two hours later is like magic. Although we are avid fans of walking on a warm Florida beach in the dead of winter, the opportunity is usually well beyond our reach. On the other hand, a winter beach is only 3-4 hours drive away at the Jersey shore. When the snow is piled up on the dunes and the temperature is adjusted by windchill rather than humidity, hotels are dirt cheap, the beaches are empty, and you have your pick of the best tables at the few restaurants that are open. We love the beach in the winter.

It is not without its drawbacks. We made almost 4 attempts to come the the Jersey shore in January and February this year and were thwarted by record snow storms each time. One of our winter visits a few years ago, the sand was frozen solid. Despite the appearance of soft, undulating, talcum powder beach, it was like walking on uneven cement. Our feet didn't leave the least mark. Almost everyplace that the girls like to visit has the word "Gifts" in the title and they are almost universally closed for the season.

But we have been to the same beach in August. We have stepped onto a beach where the odds were much better you would step on people than sand. We have sat on roads backed up for miles in shimmering heat waiting for our turn to join the crowds of sunburned humanity. We have battled surging mobs at pizza joints and sandwich shops for our daily ration of beach food. We'll take the beach in the dead of winter any time.