Sea Isle Memories
Here are some Sea Isle memories from my sister
Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s our family time was spent during the winter months going on long car rides (gas was cheap then) and in the summer packing up to go to Sea Isle City. We would get up early and start packing everything except the kitchen sink. My mom would pack a lunch and make a large thermos of ice tea or lemonade. We would load up our old black and white rambler station wagon with blankets, towels, beach umbrella, and thermos, only saving enough space for my brother and I to sit in what we called the way back. Seat belts were unheard of at that point in history.
On our way I anxiously awaited smelling the ocean as we approached Sea Isle. Sea Isle was not as big or bustling back then as it is now. We went to 5th or 6th St. and it was pretty much deserted-of course we were there about 8am and it is pretty much deserted anywhere at that time of the day at the shore. The beach seemed much larger back then, most likely due in part to the fact that I was small and also the fact that much of the beach has been eroded. We would spend the whole day there making sand castles, finding sand crabs, playing ball, swimming and eating.
We would pack up about 3pm to head home, all red as lobsters (suntan lotion was not used back then-we used iodine and baby oil to enhance those dangerous rays to burn our skin) except my mom who kept covered as she was fair skinned, freckled, and red haired. I always felt a little sad as we left Sea Isle but knew that we would be back again. I’m over 50 now and I still make my way to Sea Isle at least twice each summer.