Driving to the NJ Shore question

[Chip]

Not hiking, but we will be kayaking, so maybe this won't get closed...

Saturday we're driving from CT to Avalon NJ and I'm wondering if I should head straight down the Garden State Parkway or if it might be better to go down the NJ Turnpike and then down 55 or 73...or if it's all going to stink and it doesn't matter. thanks !

 

[leaf]

Aigh. Wellll.. the Parkway requires you to stop every 100 feet and pay 30 cents. The Turnpike is usually always a nightmare. Drive in the middle of the night to avoid traffic.

 

[jfb]

I used to drive from Millville to the Gunks on weekends. To get to Avalon, I think the Garden State is the best way. Bring lots of change for tolls.

 

[Jay H]

30 cents??? where have you been? it's 35 cents and some places it's 70 (as it's a one way toll, like the Raritan river bridge...)...

GSP would be your trip although you can take either take the tappan zee to the GSP or you could follow I-95 to the GWB and follow signs for the NJT then take the GSP when they cross.... You do eventually want to be on the GSP as the NJ Turnpike (and 95) heads towards Philadelphia...

What time will you be doing this... (traffic concerns!)

jay

 

[Tuco]

Hate to say it but as a former Jersey Shore resident- Exit 83 GSP – a Saturday ride to the shore is bad news unless as suggested you go off hours. Even the other roads near me would be undriveable during the beach season. And you are heading a good deal further south where it drops to two lanes…

I really do recommend if possible getting there very early. FYI the GSP tolls; some of them have been switched to high speed EZ- Pass and some removed so its better than it used to be- but still can be miserable. If you don’t have EZ pass- well then you should…

Good luck

 

[Jay H]

The only high speed EZ pass that I know of is just south of the NYS Thruway just south of the NY/NJ border, most of the ones I go through, south of 287 seem to be the regular slow EZ Pass...

If you go early enough on a saturday, like very very early, you'll be OK.. Don't think about leaving friday afternoon or perhaps even evening and certainly not saturday midday...

Jay

 

[Chip]

yeah, we're leaving here about 5am Sat.
I don't think either route has an advantage. I ordered my ez-pass, hopefully I'll have it by friday.

 

[Jay H]

yeah, we're leaving here about 5am Sat.
I don't think either route has an advantage. I ordered my ez-pass, hopefully I'll have it by friday.

Why don't you just kayak there?

Jay

 

[daxs]

I live at the southern end of the Jersey shore (actually I am only 5 miles away from the beach at Avalon) and no matter what, traffic is bad on weekends in the summer. If you leave at 5am though it should be ok. Alot of the tolls alternate now and are either a northbound or southbound toll) and are 70 cents. There are high speed tolls at Toms River (this is a northbound toll) and Cape May (this is also a northbound toll). There is also a high speed toll at Raritan (its the toll by the Driscoll Bridge right after the 295 interesction) The Barnegat and Somers point tolls are not high speed. I think the GSP is a better choice even with the tolls. The turnpike vears westbound away from the shore and you will need to double back east. If you go rte 55, eventually you will need to go on rte 47 which is a 2 lane road and if you get behind someone going slow you often have no way of passing them. Avalon is exit 13 off of the parkway. Right by the state police barracks. PM me if you have questions. The beach at Avalon is really nice. Thats where I hang out on my beach days. Be prepared to buy beachtags though

 

[daxs]

Chip. let me know if you need kayak launch sites. You can go on the NJ sea kayaker site but I know of some sites that are not listed there. There is a launch site in Avalon at 56th street into the bay.

 

[John H Swanson]

If you leave at that time it's best to take the Hutch to Cross County to the Deagen to the Cross Bronx to the NJTP to the GSP at exit 11. This is the fastest and slightly more costly option compared to the TapZee 287 and GSP

If there is a problem on the Cross Bronx (listen 1010) then stay on the Cross County to the SawMill South to the Henry Hudson that drops you on the Cross County at the foot of the GWB. More money.

As mentioned you will still have shore traffic on the GSP.

 

[leaf]

30 cents??? where have you been? it's 35 cents and some places it's 70 (as it's a one way toll, like the Raritan river bridge...)...

Hahaha. Geez, in a cave apparantly. Well, don't get me started on the toll fare for the NYC bridges.. (shudder)

 

[Mike P.]

We go from SE CT & usually go via the TZB. As others said, timing is everything. We now go mid-week stay with family who live further up the shore & then head down to Lavallette. Co-worker is at Avalon this week.

 

[daxs]

FYI, there is a triathlon in Avalon on Sunday so some of the streets will be closed or have limited access for several hours on Sunday morning. Parking area on 30th street at the community center will be closed in the AM as this is the staging area for the tri. Run is on the beach in the 30th street area so limited access until race is over. Water temp is still is the high 50's or low 60's. It was so hot on the beash today though it felt good.

 

[Brien]

Leave early is the best advice - if you are on the road around 5am-ish you should not run into problems and then you have the whole day ahead and can watch the ttraffic come to a crawl.

I grew up on the jersey shore (Pt. Pleasant) and used to drive a cab there when i was in college.

 

[Jay H]

Did we mention leave early????? You do not want to see the GSP on saturday morning traffic... Fortunately, I never really go south on the weekends as the mountains beckon.

Didn't I also say you should kayak there?

Jay

 

[Chip]

FYI, there is a triathlon in Avalon on Sunday so some of the streets will be closed or have limited access for several hours on Sunday morning. Parking area on 30th street at the community center will be closed in the AM as this is the staging area for the tri. Run is on the beach in the 30th street area so limited access until race is over. Water temp is still is the high 50's or low 60's. It was so hot on the beash today though it felt good.

the house we're renting is on the bay on 39th street. we walked straight down 39th to the ocean sunday morning and had to dodge both bikes on the street and joggers on the beach. I hope the swim was in the bay, the ocean was giving my feet an ice cream headache. we left CT at about 5:15 and were there by 9am, so no problems there. thanks for the help.

 

[daxs]

The swim was in the ocean. I did the triathlon Sunday and I'll tell you I was SCARED during the swim. Many folks were scared during the swim. There were several rescues during the swim. The water was cold; only in the high 50's. Even with a wetsuit I felt cold in the water. There was a good current running from south to north and large breakers and swells pounding you the entire time. It was relief to start the bike protion of the race. I went back to the beach in the afternoon in Avalon Sunday afternoon and had no desire to go for a swim.