travel | Her Philly

September 20, 2020

The Best Places to go Down the Jersey Shore

My mom grew up in Ocean City, NJ, living the beach life you may imagine one would live. She and my dad raised us in Upper Township, NJ, just over the 34th Street Bridge. Saying I was “from the Jersey Shore (but not that Jersey Shore!)” was a fun talking point during sorority recruitment I once participated in (/endured). But I don’t think I really realized how wonderful of a place the South Jersey shore was to grow up until recent years. I went through a pretty long period after college where I didn’t appreciate going back home and taking in all this magical area had to offer.

But now that I’m dating a shoobie who really loves the shore, and had many different experiences in different towns than I did, we go down every chance we can. We’re always discovering new places and showing each other our old faves. I am so thankful I was raised in a place that brings people joy, and I’m excited to share some of the places that have brought me the most joy at the shore.

Thanks to COVID, a few of you have shared you’re looking to do a fall shore vacation. With schools being virtual, many shore spots are staying open to accomodate more flexible schedules. What started as a question from my friend Neil on Twitter has transformed to a loooong list of faves, with editing and contributions from my sister, my mom, and of course, Jim. It’s pretty Ocean City heavy because that’s my town, but we tried to share the love. 🙂

I hope this list gives you a starting point on the best shore bops, hidden gems, and places you really should add into your next Cape May County trip. Enjoy!

July 5, 2019

My first trip to LBI with Fearless Restaurants

I had never been to Long Beach Island (or LBI, as we will henceforth be referring to this pretty island of beach towns) before. As you may remember, I grew up at another beach, so we didn’t really venture to other shore towns when I was younger (I have since started to expand my locales, including exploring North Wildwood at The Shore House last summer).

You probably know Fearless Restaurants, they’re a restaurant group with spots in Philly (Moshulu, Louie Louie, and White Dog Cafe), the Main Line (Autograph Brasserie and the other White Dog locations), and of course, on LBI! They invited some ~influencers~ to check out what the summer life is like at their beachy home, and I was thrilled to see what they had in store!

August 31, 2018

A Beginner’s Guide to Musikfest: Bethlehem’s Annual Free Concert Festival

I’m not really a “concert festival” goer. The idea of sleeping in a tent in a field and being without a modernly updated bathroom and my daily essentials is not really on my list of faves. But I am here to say, after experiencing Musikfest, the largest free, non-gated music fesitval in the nation, right down the road in Bethlehem, PA, I think my mind may have been changed.

Turns out, there are some music festivals I can do, with the proper support system of lodging, appropriate clothing, activities, and food choices. And as a first time Musikfest-goer, I think I’ve learned QUITE a bit about how to make your first time as great as mine.

July 9, 2018

A Look Inside The Shore House

Growing up “down the shore” (though, I never started calling it that until I was a few years into my Philly life), outside of quick shopping trips to Cape May, dinners in Stone Harbor, and, naturally, nights at the Princeton in Avalon, we really never spent a ton of time at beaches that weren’t “ours.”

Since living in the city, I’ve discovered that everyone here has a different shore town they love, and for really great reasons. So when I was invited to check out The Shore House, North Wildwood’s hottest new motel, I could not wait to spend some time on a new (to me) little shore getaway!

May 3, 2017

5 Tips for Solo Travelers at their first All-Inclusive

Earlier this year, I was #blessed with a trip to Mexico. Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya was a dream, and while I was going to be spending some of my time with the other amazing bloggers on the trip, I knew I’d be tackling some of it as a solo traveler. And actually, for one of the first times in my adult life, I was really excited about that. But as this trip also happened to be the first time I was staying at an all-inclusive, I wanted to share some things I learned that could help you, should the travel bug hit you for a solo vacay.

March 31, 2017

A Philly Blogger takes Mexico!

Earlier this month, when Philadelphia’s temperatures were in the “freakin freezing” range and it seemed there was absolutely no hope in sight, my winter blues were suddenly cured by a little jaunt to Mexico. It was my first time vacationing in Mexico. My first time traveling solo, too. And, as all vacations in Mexico should be, my first all-inclusive resort.
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September 10, 2015

{Her Philly Travels} Visiting the Bay Area

We sure were traveling on our recent Bay Area California trip. I actually didn’t mind the traveling too much, because every drive was so incredibly beautiful, gazing out the windows took on a whole new meaning. I thought I’d share some fun things to do in a few places we stopped (other than San Francisco and Napa – coming soon!) on our trip.

August 7, 2015

{Her Philly Travels} San Francisco

When my parents said they were heading to California for a wedding, my sister and I didn’t really hesitate in asking to tag along. We were gone for a very magical ten days, and got to see San Francisco, Palo Alto, Napa, and Walnut Creek. I thought for a bit about if I wanted to share all the fun things we did (and, let’s be real, delicious things we ate) with you, as Her Philly is a Philadelphia-based blog, but as a very wise friend told me: “people can’t really expect that you never leave the city, right?” And that’s true (unless you’re referring to the suburbs, of course), so, here we are. If you’re only here for the Philly goods: I promise there will be more of that very soon!

July 20, 2015

How to Conquer Your First Solo Vacation

What happens when you’re fearless, outgoing, and know how to treat yourself? Potentially a lot of things, but for my friend Brooke, it was a solo vacation. Brooke and I have been friends since freshman year of college, and after both of our post-grad jobs brought us to Philadelphia, life has been good. I was so crazy proud of her (along with my fair share of: “are you sure you’ll be safe?!” mixed in) for taking on a vacation by herself, that I asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing her experience with all of you for my second guest post (ever!).

November 11, 2014

{Quick Trip} Boston Girls’ Weekend

Since it’s fall and the weather is lovely and getaways are really needed this time of year, I really wanted to go on a vacation with my friends. With every vacation I take, I always want to make the best memories, and ever since my friend came back from Iceland, I thought that this would be a great place to visit at some point. I’ve already come across a site like Cars Iceland (https://www.carsiceland.com/) that has plenty of vehicle options to choose from, so this would make it easier to get around the country. But as this was a quick-thinking thing, we didn’t have enough time to sort everything else out. Maybe next time though. Instead, my girlfriends and I decided to take a weekend trip up to Boston. We left with modest goals: see good friends and eat good food. And for only a 48 hour stay, we certainly achieved those goals.

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