Walking on the Beautiful North Wildwood Seawall

We love visiting the south Jersey shore and our favorite place to visit is North Wildwood. It's quieter and more laid-back than the rest of the island. Plus, if you're looking for the prettiest ocean views and beaches...you'll find them in North Wildwood!

Every time we're down for a visit we spend a lot of time walking up and down the North Wildwood Seawall. It's a "paved" walking path that runs right along the Atlantic Ocean and the beaches. If you're handicap, you'll find several areas that offer ramp-style entry points and there are a couple of public restrooms along the way.

Once you're up on the seawall you'll be treated to some of the most gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and the beach. If you get up early in the morning, you can stand or sit up on the seawall and watch the sunrise. It's absolutely beautiful to see! In the evening if you look towards the west (the bay area & the mainland) you'll see the sunset.

If you're looking for a beautiful place to sit...head to the park benches that are located directly behind the historic Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. These benches are NOT shaded, so you'll be sitting out in the sun. You'll get unobstructed views of the Hereford Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean, it's also a great area to spot some of the local area wildlife (butterflies, rabbits, seabirds, etc.).

When I want to do some dolphin watching, I head up to the seating area located on JKF Blvd. and near 3rd street. It's part of the North Wildwood Seawall and you'll find a lot of different seating areas there. We see dolphins there quite often when we're up there and in my honest opinion, one of the best viewing areas on the island.

All of the photographs that you're looking at today are of the North Wildwood Seawall and/or of the Hereford Inlet and Atlantic Ocean while standing/sitting on the seawall. As you can see, it's definitely the prettiest area on the island and one of my favorite places to go!

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Over the past 7 years we've been following the Pennsylvania Historical Marker Trail all through our great state and documenting them here on the blog. Millions of people walk or drive by these markers every year and never give them a second thought. They're a great source of historic information and we're trying to bring some much needed attention to them.

We were following the Historic Marker Trail through Dauphin County and Harrisburg when we found the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Historical Marker that's located on State Farm Road in Harrisburg. You'll find it sitting right along the road and in front of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission property. If you're unfamiliar with the area, you'll find State Farm Road right off of Elmerton Avenue.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Historical Marker

Governor Andrew G. Curtin signed an act on March 30, 1866, establishing a commission to improve water quality and restore migratory fish passage. It serves as a leader for national initiatives, including state fish hatcheries and environmental and habitat protection regulations and law enforcement. The agency protects, conserves, and enhances Pennsylvania’s aquatic resources, and provides fishing and boating opportunities.

By: 2016 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

We're big fans of waymarking, documenting historical markers and we enjoy checking out what we call "local artist street art". If you drive onto their property and located near their front door you'll find this really beautiful mosaic fish sculpture. I wish they would put an informational plaque out there giving us some information on it. Sadly, I didn't find any information there or online about it.

Right by the fish sculpture you'll find the Ralph W. Abele Historical Marker, so you can document 2 markers on the property.

Ralph W. Abele Historical Marker
(1921-1990)

Conservation leader and Pennsylvania Fish Commission executive director, 1972-87. Abele’s “Resource First” philosophy strengthened the agency’s mission to protect, conserve, and enhance water quality, improve fish passage, and increase youth conservation education. Notable achievements included modernizing the Fish and Boat Code, emphasizing conservation enforcement, and leading efforts to restore American shad to the Susquehanna River.

By: 2012 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

If you enjoy waymarking and/or documenting historical markers you can check out that entire section right here on our Pennsylvania and Beyond Travel Blog.We're documenting our finds over on Pinterest too!

Best Places to Get Pizza and French Fries in Wildwood

We've been vacationing in Wildwood New Jersey for the past 20 years. We go down to the Jersey Shore at least three times every summer season. When it comes to great tasting pizza and delicious French fries, we know where to find them!

Just recently they put in a pizza place in North Wildwood called SLICE. They offer some of the BEST pizza that we've ever tasted and it's made-to-order. They're open for lunch, dinner and late-night munchies. You can eat-in, grab take-out or have it delivered. We typically get take-out and take it back to our condo to enjoy.

Our second favorite place to get pizza (used to be our favorite until SLICE opened up) is called Sam's Pizza Palace and it's located right on the Wildwood Boardwalk. This place has been in business since 1997 and many of the locals consider it to be the best pizza parlor in the area. I think a lot of the tourist & regular visitors to the island would agree.

If you're looking for the BEST French Fries, you can find them at Curley Fries. Curley's is located right on the Wildwood Boardwalk and they are at two different locations. They're French Fries are freshly made and fried to perfection! Every time we buy them, we buy them by the large bucketful. In addition to the fries, they have the best boardwalk lemonade, at least in my honest opinion! Every time we are down visiting, I'll get a cup of their boardwalk lemonade almost every day that we're there!

I'm a big fan of sweet potato fries and my favorite place to get them is at the Star Diner Cafe Restaurant in North Wildwood. You get a big serving of them and they're absolutely delicious! Matter of fact, our family loves going to the Star Diner for all kinds of different food. If you enjoy eating sweet potato french fries, this is the place to go! YUMMY!

Well, there you have it! Those are our two favorite places to buy pizza and our two favorite places to buy French Fries down in Wildwood New Jersey. You can click on each photo in this travel feature to open it up in a new browser window and it will automatically enlarge in size. This will allow you to view the smaller details up close.

Patterson Covered Bridge No. 112 in Columbia County

The historic Patterson Covered Bridge No. 112 is located on Hartman Hollow Road in Columbia County, Pennsylvania in Orange Township. It's 82 feet long by 14 feet wide. It was built in 1875 by builder Frank Derr and listed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1979. In my honest opinion, its one of the prettiest covered bridges in Columbia County.

You can see the Burr Truss Arch Bridge with a tarred metal roof by taking one of the many covered bridge tours in the area and state or you can visit it all on your own. Travelers and locals use the bridge to cross the Green Creek.

It was named after the Patterson Saw Mill which was located nearby. Back in 2006 the bridge underwent a major renovation and is currently owned and operated by Columbia County. If you want to photograph this historic site, you'll have to safely pull off to the side of the road. There are no parking lots or official parking spaces nearby.

Pennsylvania is known for having many beautiful old covered bridges throughout the entire state. You can find a Pennsylvania Covered Bridge Map online to help guide you to all of the locations where you'll find one. Some of these old historic bridges are closed to the public and on private property, while other's are still open to the public and still in-use by travelers & locals.

A Family Visit to Hershey's Chocolate World

Hershey's Chocolate World is located in downtown Hershey, Pennsylvania. It's within walking distance of Hersheypark, ZooAmerica and other Hershey area attractions. Chocolate World is open year-round (hours depend on the season) and offers FREE admission to visitors. You'll find free parking on-site if you plan on staying less than 3 hours during your visit. If you're planning to stay longer, you'll have to pay a parking fee.

You'll find various attractions at Hershey's Chocolate World for you and the family to enjoy. There's the Chocolate Tasting Experience, the Tour Ride, Create Your Own Candy Bar, 4D Chocolate Mystery, Hershey's Photo Studio, gift shopping, the food court, etc. If you want to take a guided tour around Hershey, you'll find Hershey Trolley Works located here too!

Several times a year we take our grandchildren down to Hershey to enjoy the local attractions and make a day of it. When we're down for a visit we always stop into Hershey's Chocolate World. It's one of the best FREE activities to enjoy while visiting the Hershey area. When I say "FREE" you get free admission into the building and the tour itself is free. With that said, there are many PAID activities that you can participate in too.

During the months of May through the end of September they can get extremely crowded with tourists. If you want to avoid the crowds and long lines, I recommend that you visit during the off-season or go early in the morning on a weekday. Summertime evenings and weekends are busy, so try to avoid those particular times.

Once inside you can walk around and visit all of the various gift shops and souvenir stores. There are a few eateries if you want to get something to eat and if you're looking to buy FRESH Hershey's chocolates and candies, you'll find them here! When it comes to souvenirs & gifts, you'll find t-shirts, hats, clothing, home goods, jewelry, toys for the kids and more.

You'll want to head upstairs if you plan on taking the free ride and tour. My grandchildren LOVE getting on the ride and taking the animated tour. Typically we'll stand in line about 15-20 minutes and the ride (tour) lasts approximately 8-10 minutes in length. After you exit the tour area one of the employees will hand you a little miniature Hershey's candy bar for free.

When we visit we like to go into the food court area and treat ourselves to one of their delicious Hershey's Milkshakes. Oh my gosh, if you've never tried one...you're really missing out! If you're not a milkshake person, you can try one of their decadent ice cream sundaes which are delicious too! Just want to let you know ahead of time, things can get expensive when eating in the food court, especially if you have a large family. You may want to plan ahead.

We love Hershey's chocolate candies so I always stock up when we're down. I will buy several bags of their Hershey's Kisses, Miniatures, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, baking chocolate, etc. Here's a little tip for you...their chocolates freeze well once you get home!

If you're looking for an extensive review on visiting Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania you can check out our previous review post for that. When it comes to parking, you may have to park several rows away from the building if you're visiting during the prime time hours and days. If you're handicap, they do have designated parking areas where you can park closer to the entrance of the building. Most importantly...just go and have a good time!

The North Wildwood Boardwalk Arch

Wildwood, it's the summer memories that keep me coming back year, after year. The bright sunshine, the smell of the salty ocean, the sounds of the waves and the warm sand between my toes. Yup, I love that place and if I could, I would live there year-round. I love those Wildwood Days!

If you're heading to the Wildwoods and go up onto the boardwalk...head to the north end where the boardwalk begins in North Wildwood. You'll find the famous dolphin & seashell welcome arch that proudly says "Through this arch walk the happiest people in the world". I know when I'm there, I'm truly happy and right where I want to be.

Millions of visitors photograph or pose in photographs of this welcome arch every year. Right beside the arch...you'll find one of the main hubs for the famous Wildwood Sightseer Tram Car. You can buy tickets right there at their little office and hop on for a ride down the boardwalk in style. At the time of this posting, it costs $3.00 each way.

After you've had your fun for the day (or evening) you'll walk under the arch again and on the other side you'll read the words "You are now leaving the boardwalk of fame & happiness". The seashell & dolphin design is the same on both sides, just the wordage is different.

The North Wildwood Welcome Arch has become one of those classic symbols on the boardwalk. If you're looking for some of the prettiest beach & Atlantic Ocean views on the island, you'll want to keep walking on the pathway and head on up to the very north end of the island and towards the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse.

Once you've reached the back of the lighthouse, you'll be walking on the North Wildwood Seawall and that is where you can get some of the best views of the beach and water. It's also our favorite place to sit and watch for the bottlenose dolphins to swim by. Out of all of the Jersey Shore beaches & boardwalks, Wildwood is definitely our personal favorite.

Note: You can click on each photo in this post which will automatically open it up in a new window and in an enlarged size, so that you can view the details.

Aztec Wall Mural Street Art in Wildwood

We've been going down to the Jersey Shore several times a year for the past 30+ years. When it comes to my family's vacation time, we love spending it down at the shore. Our favorite coastal towns in New Jersey are Ocean City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood and Cape May. Yes, visiting south Jersey is the best in our book!

Every time we go down there we're on the lookout for new street art and outdoor wall murals that we haven't seen before. We are HUGE fans of street art and coastal wall murals and have photographed & visited about 30 different ones located around New Jersey. You can find those posts right HERE on our blog and make sure you check out our Street Art & Wall Murals Pinterest board.

While on a recent trip down to Wildwood in New Jersey, we stumbled upon the Aztec Wall Motel Wall Mural painted on a wall of the Aztec Resort Motel building. If you're unfamiliar with the area you'll find the resort located on Lavender Road in Wildwood Crest. It sits about 1 1/2 blocks from the beach and 2 blocks from the world famous Wildwoods Boardwalk.

Like a lot of the outdoor wall murals that you find down in this area this one is done by MG Signs, you'll find the signature in the bottom right corner. Matter of fact, I've counted at least a dozen of MG Signs wall murals on the island over the past few years and documented many of them right here on our travel blog. This one really stands out because most of the wall murals that I've seen in the area are beach, ocean or tropical theme. This one...completely stands out and reminds me of something I would see out west.

Spending the Day Shopping in Lancaster County

Every year thousands upon thousands of people flock to Lancaster County for the Amish Attractions and discount shopping at all of the Lancaster Outlet Stores. We live in central Pennsylvania and like to drive down three times a year to just go shopping! We find the best times to visit are the "less" busier times of the year (early spring, late summer and early holiday) seasons.

When I spend the day in Lancaster shopping I like to visit the Tanger Outlets and the Rockvale Oulets which sit within a couple of miles of one another. If you plan on staying overnight, you'll find many lodging accommodations within walking distance and oodles of restaurants nearby.

At the Tanger Outlets Mall you'll find: Skechers, American Eagle, J Crew, Old Navy, Talbots, White House Black Market, Coach, Clark's, Asics, Banana Republic Factory Store, Bath & Body Works, Eddie Bauer Outlet, Haggar and many other great stores!

At the Rockvale Outlets Mall you'll find: Pepperidge Farm, Five and Below, QVC, Carter's, Goldtoe, Puma, Dress Barn, New Balance Factory Store, G.H. Bass Factory Outlet, Lane Bryant, Orvis, Penndleton, Casual Male XL, Alfred Dunner and more! If had to choose a favorite, I would probably choose Rockvale for my personal shopping needs.

When visiting the outlet malls you'll want to park your car in a central location, so that you can walk down one side of the mall, walk back up and to your car to store your packages, then down the other side of the mall and so forth. The mall is quite large, so if you can't do a lot of walking, you'll want to seek out the handicap parking spaces and move your vehicle as you go along.

If you're into antiques and collectibles I recommend driving up to the Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall located on Lincoln Highway East in Paradise. It's a 10-15 minute drive from the Rockvale Outlets, depending on traffic. You'll find 125+ vendors and it's open year round. You can find antiques, collectibles, furniture, handcrafted candles, homemade crafts, kitchenware, children's toys and games, pottery, glassware and everything in between.

After shopping for antiques I like to stop into Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pies Bakery to pick up some homemade treats and of course...a shoo-fly pie to take home with us. You'll also find homemade jam, jellies, locally-made furniture, Amish-made crafts, cookbooks, gifts and souvenirs. They boast that their store has over 10,000 items in all. If you love Shoo-Fly Pie, this is definitely where you need to go! Plus, they offer free pie samples too!

If you're looking for lunch or dinner while spending the day shopping in Lancaster County, we would recommend that you stop in to Miller's Smorgasbord for some award-winning food. Just be forewarned, Miller's can get extremely crowded during the summer season, especially during the weekend evening prime-time hours. A very family-friendly restaurant with an extensive menu for adults and children to enjoy.

When visiting Lancaster County in Pennsylvania for just a day of shopping...I recommend that you plan ahead. You'll want to start your shopping experience with the stores that you want to visit the MOST and then branch out from there. If you want to avoid crowds, long lines and parking nightmares, I suggest visiting from late September through early May, when less tourists flock to the area.

Beautiful Street Art, Wall Murals and Graffiti in Wildwood

We're huge fans of outdoor wall murals, street art and graffiti, so every time we travel to a new destination we try to find it. We're particular fans of outdoor wall murals in a coastal and beach theme, particularly by the artists Wyland and David Dunleavy. You'll find many of their wall murals documented right here on our travel blog.

Wildwood in New Jersey has a lot of artistic street art designs that you'll see painted on the sides of hotel/motel buildings, on the walls of restaurants, murals up on the boardwalk and I love all of the different designs that you now see while sitting at a stoplight on those electrical traffic light boxes.

While driving around on the Wildwoods island (yes, it's a barrier island) in New Jersey, we spotted the artistic designs that we're featuring in our blog post today. These are just a small sampling of what you'll find when visiting the island. You can find a ton of them documented in our wall murals & street art section right here on the blog.

The Bill Haley and his Comets wall mural is part of the Doo Wop Musical Icons Series and it's number 2 out of 3 that I'm aware of. You can find it on the side of a building on Pacific Avenue, one of the main avenues that runs north to south on the island. If you're into street art, I recommend starting on Pacific avenue on the north end and taking it south...you'll see a lot of great pieces!

Up in North Wildwood we found this Beach Life Wall Mural painted on the side of a small motel that sits within the beach block area. I'm not sure of it's official title but it was painted by MG Signs who does a lot of the murals up and down the Jersey Coast. This one reminds me of vacation memories from my childhood when my brother and I would spend hours on the beach every summer playing in the sand and building sandcastles.

The boardwalk has some great wall murals too! This one which features underwater sealife was painted by one of my favorite artists...David Dunleavy. You'll find it painted on the side of the Fudge Kitchen's building up on the boardwalk. It sits on a corner, so make sure you walk around to the side of the building to see it.

On Pacific Avenue you'll find the American Safari Motel and on the side of their building you'll find this fun American Safari Wall Mural. I think it really sticks out due to the fact that it isn't beach, ocean or island themed. It was painted by MG Signs and while it's pretty...it just sticks out like a sore thumb. Just my 2 cents on that.

As you're driving around on the downtown streets and through the business district in Wildwood you'll come across those electrical traffic light boxes that I previously spoke about. Forgive me, I'm not sure what you officially call those boxes! Anyway, you'll find them at the various intersections and each one is done in a different theme and all of the designs pertain to the Wildwoods Island, the Beach and/or the famous Wildwoods Boardwalk. They're colorful and very artistic in nature. I really enjoy seeing them!

The Sightseer Tram Car design was located up by the Convention Center by those famous Wildwood Beach Balls, across from the StarLux Mini Golf Course. The Sighseer Tram Car is an icon on the island! The Love by the Moon design was located down at an intersection in the downtown business district. I believe we saw it on or around Rio Grande Avenue. The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) sponsored these particular designs and the others that you'll find.

As you can see...Wildwood is a great place to visit if you enjoy seeing outdoor wall murals, street art and artistic graffiti. You'll find gorgeous designs all over the entire island...so the next time your down to the Jersey Shore for a visit...spend an hour driving around and checking out all of the beautiful designs.

The Brats Grille on Derry Street in Harrisburg

The Brats Grille on Derry Street in Harrisburg is the place to go when you're in the mood for Brats and Sausages. The grille is open 6 days a week (closed Sundays) and offers dine-in, take-out and delivery is available through the GrubHub. You can call in your order and pick it up via their drive-thru window.

Location: 3867-A Derry Street (Next to UPS), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111
Phone: 717-558-3610

Menu Offerings: Brats, Sausages, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Corn Dogs, Hot & Cold Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads, Subs, Chicken Tenders, Cod Fish Tenders, Breaded Shrimp, Fresh Cut Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Onion Rings, Mac & Cheese, Pierogies, Homemade Soups, Coleslaw, Ice Cream, Old-Fashioned Milkshakes, Specialty Coffees and Fountain Sodas.

We've eaten at The Brats Grille several times in the past few months. We've tried their Brats, Fresh-Cut Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Greek Salads, Chicken Wraps and Greek-Style Burgers. Everything that we've tried (so far) has been delicious! The restaurant's staff has always been friendly, helpful and prompt when taking our orders.

If you're looking for "fast food" that is served to you within 5 minutes, this place isn't for you. Everything is made-to-order, so we typically have to wait 15 to 25 minutes for our orders to be served. With that said, their food is well worth the wait!

The Brats Grille is the perfect family-friendly restaurant when you're in the mood for something different. You can dine-in, order take-out, arrange for pick-up or have your meal delivered to your home via GrubHub. Looking for daily specials? You can find them on their Facebook page.

The Beautiful Astoria Column in Oregon

The beautiful Astoria Column is a 125 foot tall monument located in Astoria Oregon. It stands above the city giving you a stunning view of the surrounding area and in the distance you'll catch a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. It's one of twelve historical markers that stretch from St. Paul, Minnesota and Astoria, Oregon.

According to their website: It was modeled after the Trajan Column in Rome, the Astoria Column features a hand-painted spiral frieze that would stretch more than 500 feet if unwound. The monument was dedicated in 1926 and over the years has underwent several restorations and upgrades. You can read all about the history of the column by visiting their website online.

When it comes to the exterior artwork it's absolutely stunning to see! The artwork depicts the historic events that transpired at the mouth of the Columbia River. The artwork goes around the complete exterior of the column, so make sure that you walk around and really check it all out while you're there.

On the day that we visited they weren't crowded at all, so we were able to take our time exploring the site. They offer balsa wood airplanes for sale at the on-site gift shop, so my husband did purchase one and once he climbed all of the stairs to the top, he flew it over the sides. Several visitors participated, so it was fun to see all of the balsa wood planes flying down.

There is no admission fee to enter the park or to visit the Astoria Column. With that said, they do charge a small fee for parking (I believe it was around $5.00). They're open year-round, but the park does change up their hours of operation depending on the season of the year. You can find their operating schedule directly on their site.

If you're unfamiliar with the area, you'll find the Astoria Column located at 1 Coxcomb Drive in Astoria, Oregon 97103. If you need additional driving directions or information, you can call the park at 503-325-2963.