South Jersey's Sober Party Girl

While everyone was packing their coolers and rushing down the Parkway to the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day Weekend, we made a different call. As locals, we know better than to get caught in beach traffic on a holiday weekend. Instead, we went off the beaten path—to where hooves, feathers, and good food await. First Stop: Funny Farm Animal Rescue Our Saturday adventure started with a road trip to Funny Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing, NJ. If you haven’t been, this place is pure magic—and it’s all thanks to Laurie Zaleski, the heart and soul behind the operation. Laurie, a passionate animal advocate, opens her sanctuary to the public and hosts events throughout the year to raise funds for the hundreds of rescued animals she cares for. This weekend’s visit came with a special treat: we met the sanctuary’s newest resident—a baby emu who needed a little help with its footing after a rough hatch. Visitors were welcome to gently pet the emu and interact with the pack of fr...

Looking for legendary sandwiches and a mocktail with a bay view? Here's why The Anchorage in Somers Point is a must-stop! During a South Jersey Summer, many of us locals are smart enough to stay away from the islands. There’s no parking anyway! But, every now and again we get out early and head to some legendary local hot spots. I have praised the local HERO Campaign on last week’s blog and all over social media. Their website, 2025herotini.org , allows patrons to make a donation to vote for the best mocktail in town. The Anchorage was listed and I had to test it out. This is going to be a Herotini summer! We rocked on down to Anchorage in Somers Point. This bar and restaurant sits right across the street from the bay. The best part? They have a great large parking lot, so you don’t have to go crazy looking for parking. It wasn’t blistering hot so we opted to sit on the deck, and listen to the traffic below as jet skis and boats pulled into the nearby dock. This is what it’s all ab...

It’s officially Herotini Season in Atlantic County—one of my favorite parts of summer! Hosted by the HERO Campaign, this annual challenge invites local restaurants to craft creative mocktails while raising money to promote designated driving. The community votes for their favorites with a donation, making it a fun and meaningful way to support a vital cause.  The Hero Campaign was started by Bill and Muriel Elliott after their son,  John R. Eliott was killed in a head-on collision with a drunk driver 2 months after graduating from the US Naval Academy. You can read all about their story and efforts at www.herocampaign.org. This year, I drove to Josie Kelly’s Public House in Somers Point to enjoy their HEROtini Happy Hour. As soon as you walked into the party room a group of jovial volunteers were there to greet you. I signed in at the table and bought my raffle tickets. Bill and Muriel Elliott welcomed me to the event as I walked in. It’s thanks to their hard work and dedicati...

  May Madness! To Margate and Ventnor Then Ginza EHT! It is basically summer on the Jersey Shore. All the shore towns have thawed out and want to party! Earlier in the month, I went out on a boat in Margate for the opening day of flounder fishing. The plan was to enjoy a few hours on a boat then check out the Margate Block Party. Too bad mother nature wanted to party too. As soon as we dropped lines in the water the heavens opened up and the rain came thundering down.  Even though I had soaked through 3 sweatshirts, it was actually still a fun experience. You can almost always find me enjoying a good rainy day. We had to head back to Scott’s Dock early due to the weather. I walked back to the car since I don’t think I could’ve gotten any wetter. We got back so soon it wasn’t time for the block party and all the places I wanted to check out weren’t open yet. I spoke to some locals and got some recommendations for my next trip to Margate. THE SHOW MUST GO ON I waited a week, but...