The Real Jersey Shore

Island Beach State Park

Part I – Rachel's Story: It's Not Always Happiness Down the Shore

"Oceans have their own very peculiar physical attributes- a list of inherences and essentials that at the very least would include such matters as the topography of the sea's invisible underneath, the temperature and chemistry of the water and the movement of the ocean's current and its tides." – Simon Winchester.

On June 2, 2011, Rachel went to Island Beach State Park with Sarah (her sister), Alex (her childhood friend), Boyden (Alex's little sister), and Kim (her oldest brother's girlfriend) on the windiest Thursday afternoon. The gate to Island Beach State Park is a gigantic ash concrete wall. Island Beach State Park is a part of the Barnegat Peninsula, which is a long narrow barrier peninsula that separates the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Island Beach State Park is south of Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. Barnegat Peninsula is as known as a barrier island. Seaside Heights and Seaside Park are three neighboring cities on this part of the peninsula. Point Pleasant guards sit in booths all day collecting money from the cars passing through. During the business day, the gate has three guards collecting the six dollars. The sun shined brightly in a perfect blue sky. The wind blew the sand everywhere. Sand flew in our hair, eyes, bikinis, and in Kim's notebook. The ocean felt as chilly as water frozen in the freezer.

Sarah took pictures of everyone on Alex's camera. She also read the "keep out" sign behind us on the huge sand dune as "eeps". Sarah is a very lovable 14 year old who always makes the best out of whatever she's doing. She says crazy things like "eeps" all the time, but that's why everyone loves being around her.

Alex made everyone laugh and started most of the conversation. She cracked jokes about the wind, while wearing her shirt over her head. Every few seconds, she would look up and scream, "ahhhhh sand go away!!!!" The sand didn't listen like she wanted it to, but her sense of humor made everyone else forget about the sand because we were too busy laughing at her jokes.

Kim documented the day in her notebook. She wrote down the weather and everyone's reactions. Kim tried to hide her little notebook, so she could write down notes about the day for her thesis. The sand blew into her face and notebook even though there was a skirt and shirt on top of her head. She didn't let the sand ruin her note taking time.

Rachel drove her deep blue Neon Plymouth down the shore. She told Alex to control the radio on the way to the beach and back. Rachel realized that was a mistake because Alex couldn't pick a station. She had a blast singing along with the radio when a song she liked come on. Rachel's bad luck continued on the way there. She paid the six dollars at the gate then searched for the parking area of Long Beach State Park. An SUV cop car hid behind the random bushes on the sand along the road, waiting for someone to break the law so he could do his job. The officer pulled out when she drove by. Rachel freaked out because she had just seen a speed limit sign and realized she was speeding. The poor girl freaked out so much that she turned into the exit area. The officer followed her and instantly turned his blinding red and blue lights on with the siren.

A tall young cop stepped out of the SUV and walked toward the Neon Plymouth. Rachel nervously rolled down the window.

The officer spoke in a deep voice. "Hello maam. Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Rachel replied without thinking, "I think because I was speeding."

He replied with a sweet but evil deep voice and said, "No. You went through a 'DO NOT ENTER' one-way. Did you see it maam?"

Rachel tried her hardest not to lose control of herself and replied, "I'm sorry officer. I didn't see the sign."

The officer rudely asked for her license and registration. He took her information and walked back to the SUV to write up a ticket. While he wrote up the ticket, a person driving in a black Explorer drove out of the entrance. The cop was too busy writing up Rachel's ticket to notice another driver breaking the law.