Three tips for a great Memorial Day Weekend

Welcome to the summer of 2012 at the Jersey Shore! Time to dust off your beach chair, load up the car, and head down the shore.

Here are three things to keep in mind if you’re hitting the beach this weekend.

1. Be patient.

Traffic is going to be a mess, compounded for our Pennsylvania friends by the continued construction on the Walt Whitman Bridge. The DRPA says that three lanes will be open eastbound for shore rush hour, but it’s still going to be a zoo. So take your time. Bring your favorite tunes, or a person you’d like to talk to for a few hours. Then, when you get here, keep that same patience in mind.

For a lot of shore spots, this is opening weekend, and some places might be working out the kinks. So grin and bear it. You’re at the beach. Things are supposed to be a little slower here.

2. Bring a sweatshirt.

Or long sleeves, hoodie, jacket, whatever will keep you warm. Temperatures down the shore are forecast to be in the mid-70s this weekend, 10 degrees cooler than in the Philadelphia area. And things can get chilly at night by the water. So bring something warm for the evenings this weekend, even if it’s just a light long-sleeve layer (this is my choice for the summer).

3. If you’re in Wildwood, thank a hero.

This weekend, Wildwood is hosting Celebration of Heros, a three-day beach festival for military service men and women, veterans and first responders. There are a lot of activities, including beach games, fireworks, a motorcycle caravan, and a music and food festival.

See you next week!