Monday, June 20, 2022

BELMAR BEACH,NEW JERSEY,USA


                                       















                                        






 

BELMAR BEACH,  NEW  JERSEY

 

Belmar happens to be one amongst some finest and well maintained beaches in New Jersey ( also known as Garden State ) ,State .Belmar is about 60 km by road from Manhattan or Jersey city. One can travel to Belmar by car, train or other modes of  public transport. On 19th June ,2022, we travelled to the beach by car .

 Belmar is a small borough ( administrative unit ) situated on the Atlantic shore. It falls in  the Monmouth County ( district ) of New Jersey ,State. The beach is open in summer season from April to September. Belmar beach town has a population of about 6000. A good number of houses face the beach  and are located on what is known as oceanfront.

 

 The beach is a fun and relaxing place for children and adults of any age. One can swim, surf, fish and sail in the sparkling Atlantic Ocean or sit back and relax with a good book. One can also shop at various stores selling attractive items for tourists of all tastes. One can go for continental food and drinks at numerous eateries and taverns. The beach has neat and clean restrooms or toilets  which are maintained by the  beach management officials . An entry fee of 10 dollars collected from every visitor is used for making improvements to the  facilities at the beach apart from beautifying the 1.4 mile beautiful Boardwalk ( more than 15 feet wide wooden walkway ) on the beach. The Boardwalk has been completely rebuilt with a composite material made of wood and plastic fibers that eliminates the possibility of getting a splinter. It’s a wonderful place to walk, jog or just relax and enjoy the ocean views. Every visitor is given a beach tag which is to be tied to the wrist to enter the beach through various avenues .One can also buy Belmar beach tags costing  $70.00 for the  full season ( April to September ) .

 The coast of Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey ,State is home to dolphins ( bottlenose variety ) . These dolphins can be more seen along Atlantic shore than the continental shelf . Accordingly, during daytime one can see dolphins in  groups moving along the Belmar beach .One can book a whale watching tour in Belmar, New Jersey to see whales and other marine animals in the blue waters of  the Atlantic Ocean. In this three hour tour, one can also get a stunning view of the New York city Skyline in the background.

 

Pets ,bicycles alcohol and glass containers are not allowed on the beach and the Boardwalk .Grilling and bonfires are not permitted on the beach. Actor Tom McGowan (born 1956), and artist Jay Alders ( b1973 ) are notable residents of Belmar.

 On our return from Belmar beach , we visited Red Bank town and had our evening dinner over there. The Lenape tribe of the indigenous people lived here for thousands of years before the British arrived in  the early 17th  century and colonised it. Located on the Navesink river and just five miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the town is a busy stop for visitors to some beautiful beaches of New Jersey, State . Located midway between Belmar and Jersey city, this beautiful town is about 45 miles from Jersey city and approachable by train, Atlantic ferry and other modes of public transport. The town has more than 100 restaurants serving variety in food. Always crowded with tourists,  its permanent resident population is about 12000. Like Pahalgham in Kashmir , the business activity in this beautiful town comes to halt in winter season due to heavy snowfall and freezing winds from nearby Atlantic Ocean. 

                                                     ( Red Bank Town market )

                 ( Red Bank Town market )

                                                    ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                      ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                               ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                      ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                           ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                       ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                              ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                         ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                          ( Red Bank Town market )
                                                       ( Red Bank Town market )

Music and arts are hallmarks of this small town. You can see the ‘Count Basie Theater’ presenting live music and the ‘Two River Theater Company’ performing plays . There are some aesthetically inspiring art installations in the town . The town has book shops ,delicious ice cream shops ,trendy stores, coffee shops and a small brewery. The shops close at 8.30 pm as people over here start their dinner by 7 pm . I was told that many residents move to warm regions during winter season.

                                         

At Red Bank town ,looking at  many happy faces, I was reminded of some lines of Ali Sardar Jafri's Urdu  poem 'Me aur meri tanhaayi'.I quote:-

 

"Ye phool se chehre hain hanste huve guldaste

Koyi bhi nahin apnaa begaane hain sab raste 
Raahen hain tamaashaayi rahi bhi tamaashaayi   
Mein   aur meri tanhaayi..." 

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( Avtar Mota) 


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