Sitting on the front porch after dinner, we heard an acoustic guitar being played down the street. We took a stroll to the sidewalk in front of the Daily Grind, home of the grinder which happens to be served on pita bread (?). But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Anyway, the strumming we heard was from a young Pennsylvania guy named Dirk Quinn who had an interesting shtick. He plays a bit, records it on a loop station and plays back the recording while strumming over it. While I enjoyed the sound, I wasn’t familiar with any of the music. Then I recognized one of the songs . . . it was the Super Mario Bros video game . . . I was cracking up. Overall, he had a funk/jazz sound that was distinct and appropriate for a Friday night at the shore.

We caught about the last half hour of his gig. There were about 10 people sitting in front of the cafe at tables but no one seemed to actually have ordered anything. Friday nights in Ocean Grove are pretty calm but I expect that Saturday will be a lot busier. There was a group of about 4 guys in their early 20’s who absolutely loved him.

My darling Chris (an artist) really enjoyed it and even bought the studio CD for $10. He especially liked the cover art that was designed by Lars Leetaru (Dirk’s childhood friend), a Philadelphia artist who also does some work for the New York Times Book Review.

Dirk signed the CD and spoke to us a bit afterwards. He will perform with the Dirk Quinn band on July 5 (Thursday) at The Saint in Asbury Park (the town just north). He said when he’s with the band, the sound is even funkier. He enjoys having his own band because he can make the sound exactly like he wants it and can fire people without changing everything about the band. He was enthusiastic and gracious and seemed to appreciate that we stayed to talk to him.

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Swim & Drive

Pretty much the only time I went to the beach as a kid was when my parents were willing to drive 2 hours to Wildwood or Cape May. I loved these trips and still look forward to going, but sometimes I wish the beach were closer and there wasn’t as much of a gas-guzzling excursion involved.

Well, I recently took a trip to Sandy Hook, and it’s my new beach destination of choice. Here’s why.

For one, not only do you not have to drive, it’s better if you don’t. Parking and traffic are rumored to be terrible. There are buses, but I opted for the ferry that leaves from two locations in Manhattan - Pier 11 and East 34th St. Yes, I had to get myself up early enough to catch the 8am-ish Decamp to get to the city (the other option was drive to the PATH), but I hate driving, so I tolerated all the public transportation. And, yes, the ferry is a bit costly, but when you average in the price of gas and parking, and the aggravation of driving, it’s well worth the $40 round trip per person. Of course, I wasn’t going with five people packed in a car, sharing the cost.

Extra benefit: you can take your bike on the ferry, and your dog (it’s only like $3 extra to take your bike).

And did I mention the ride was just 40 minutes?

There are five public beaches in Sandy Hook, a 2,044-acre barrier peninsula, with uncreative names like “North Beach” and “E Beach”. And then there’s Gunnison, the nude beach. Yes, nude. But Hetero men can stop drooling - most of the sunbathers here were gay men or old couples. Some teeangers sitting near me actually came running back in horror, complaining to their mom.

We chose to go to E Beach which has public bathrooms and a restaurant, and seemed to attract more families than horny teenagers in mini-kinis. So the atmosphere was tamer than what you might find in Seaside.

When we went, the water was so frigid it actually hurt, but every inch of sand was packed anyway. My husband who, for some unknown reason, isn’t bothered by cold water went swimming and was actually numb for about 15 minutes after getting out. And he said the water was “okay, not too bad” - so if you’re attracted to things like Polar Bear Clubs, please come now and don’t wait until August when the water is a little closer to body temperature. The water was also really rough and at times there are rip tides to watch out for.

There is no beach town or commercial community of Sandy Hook – it is actually a National Park that is also home to a military base and a lighthouse. So, no boardwalks, but I have read that in nearby Highlands there are seafood restaurants, and nightlife and outdoor activities. I didn’t get a chance to go, so if you’ve been there, please let us know if it’s worth the trip.

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Finally, we are in full-swing tee-shirt weather and nothing has New Jersey written all over it more than relaxing at an outdoor beach club.

Sipping a cold one with an ocean view is a favorite pastime we wait all winter (and dreary spring) to enjoy. Donovan’s Reef in Sea Bright is worth standing in line for, especially because of the buzz that says it may be demolished to build none other than more ridiculously overpriced condos! That’s Jersey for ya.

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