Summer is Sensational in Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County

Ship Bottom, NJ, May 19, 2008 - Summer's here!

Pack up your bathing suit, sun tan oil, golf clubs, tennis racquet, fishing rod and surf board - all your summertime pleasures - and head for Long Beach Island (LBI) and its neighboring Jersey shore communities in Southern Ocean County for some fun in the sun.

Just an hour's drive from Philadelphia, LBI's close location eliminates concerns about high gasoline prices.  The island and its surrounding waterfront region are a mecca for seashore excitement.  There's fishing of all kinds, clamming, crabbing, scuba diving, surfing, boogie boarding, power boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, parasailing, whale watching and a wide variety of eco-tours and programs exploring the National Wildlife Refuges and back bay areas. 

Away from the water, there's fabulous food and nightlife, great music, theatre, and abundant cultural arts and history.  Plus there's a selection of amusement parks, arcades, miniature golf and waterparks, and the area is a shopper's dream come true, with hundreds of eclectic shops, services and boutiques.

When planning a visit, be sure to check the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce's calendar of events which is filled with thrills, from a mega-air show May 31st to June 1st, July 4th fireworks, sensational concerts and children's theatre, to sailing regattas, arts, crafts and antique shows, boat shows, sporting events and fabulous festivals.

For golfers, the Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis, in Little Egg Harbor, recently was named the best inexpensive golf course in New Jersey by USA Weekend magazine.  There also are the Sea Oaks Golf Course in Little Egg Harbor, the Ocean Acres Country Club in Manahawkin, and another dozen golf courses within a short drive.
 
The region overflows with spectacular scenery and pristine forest and wetland areas, including the internationally renowned Pinelands, the Bass River State Forest and Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, for ecological and environmental activities. 

A variety of fascinating interactive exhibits and displays exploring ecology, science, technology, art and society can be found at the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve Showcase, in Tuckerton, the Long Beach Island Arts and Sciences Foundation, in Loveladies, and the Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey's Lighthouse Center, in Waretown.

Those interested in the performing arts will be delighted at the Surflight Theatre, in Beach Haven, which presents performances for every interest, from popular headliners, ballet and modern dance, to contemporary music, jazz, traveling Broadway shows, classic theatre, comedy and a wonderful children's show series.  The Albert Music Hall, in Waretown, showcases some of the finest bluegrass, country western and folk musicians found in the East, and the state-of-the-art Stafford Township Arts Center is home to the Garden State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Our Gang Players and hosts touring theatre shows and national TV stars. 

The region's boat building and fishing industries date back to the colonial era, and visitors will be fascinated to see southern New Jersey's maritime heritage come to life at Tuckerton Seaport, in Tuckerton, a 40-acre working maritime village filled with historic buildings, hands-on demonstrations and interpretive exhibits.

Barnegat is home to "Old Barney," a 165-foot lighthouse towering above Barnegat Light State Park, which dates from 1834 and beckons the hardy to climb its 217-step spiral staircase, and to enjoy the Barnegat Light Museum and the Barnegat Heritage Center just a few blocks away. 

More seafaring history will be found in Beach haven at the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History and the Long Beach Island Historical Association & Museum, and Manahawkin offers a glimpse of life in the 1800's at the Old Stone Store & Train Station and the Stafford Township Museum.

Back outdoors, the island and mainland are great for bicycling and running, and fitness enthusiasts will enjoy a myriad of sports and recreation complexes, including the Stanley "Tip" Seaman County Park, in Tuckerton, which offers bocce ball, fitness trails, horseshoes, tennis courts and softball, and the Doc Cramer Recreational Complex, in Cedar Run, which has 25 sports fields.  There also are swimming and picnicking at the Paul King County Park, on Manahawkin Lake in Manahawkin, bayside beaches at the Bayview Park, in Brant Beach, free outdoor concerts at Beach Haven's Veterans Bicentennial Park, and nature science programs and events at the Waretown Wells Mills County Park & Nature Center.

Summer sure sizzles in LBI and Southern Ocean County.  For visitor information, contact the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce at (609) 494-7211 or visit on the web at www.discoversouthernocean.com.

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About the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce:

The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce (SOCCC) is the region's primary business and tourism organization, representing 14 municipalities in the Southern Ocean County region for more than 90 years.  The SOCCC represents more than 630 businesses and organizations from throughout the island and neighboring mainland communities.  The chamber's goal is to advance the region as a vibrant place to live, work and play - fostering positive growth, development and prosperity, generating incremental income for the region's tourism-based economy and promoting member contributions to the business, civic, social and general community.  With offices in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island, the SOCCC hosts several major annual events throughout the year, including a State of the Chamber forum, monthly Business Luncheons and networking socials, a Living in Southern Ocean County Consumer Expo and its largest event each Fall - Chowderfest - winner of a 2008 Governor's Tourism Award.  For information, contact the Chamber at 265 West 9th Street, Ship Bottom, NJ; (609) 494-7211 or visit on the web at www.discoversouthernocean.com.







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