Tuesday Photo Challenge – Scene by jansenphoto (Dutch goes the Photo!)

Crushed hopes…

After lunch at FINS Tropical Cuisine, we drove on 2nd Avenue toward Bradley Beach. We parked on Ocean Avenue and crossed the street to enter the beach.

One thing I don’t like about New Jersey is that one must pay to access the beach. It just feels wrong. The rationale is that the beach must be cleaned and maintained and the fees help with the cost of that. Ok, fine but it also pays for the salaries of people like this woman pictured about who collect the beach access fees. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to install a turnstile? In states like California, the beach is public access and are a part of the state parks system. New Jersey could do the same and ensure that ALL New Jersey residents, not just the ones who can afford the $9 fee. Some beaches in New Jersey are free. Belmar and Avon-on-the-Sea and Bradley Beach are not among them.

The clouds were mostly gone and we could feel the sunlight. Finally!

It’s a beach scene.

We set up our beach chairs and sat down to enjoy the smell and sound of the ocean, the warmth of sunlight on our skins, and the salty sea breeze.

The day didn’t start out on a good note but it turned out better than I expected. I had a few hours to chat with my family and forget about work. My only regret is that we didn’t do this earlier in the summer and that our daughter, Kiran, could not join us.