The 5 Ultimate Jersey Shore Smells That Remind Us It Is Almost Summer
We have finally arrived at the “unofficial” start of summer 2024 and there are so many things that bring back memories of your childhood everywhere you turn. Personally, I love walking the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore and hearing the seagulls while feeling that ocean breeze anytime of the year. The crashing waves and brilliant sunshine reflecting off the water and the sand are magical to my soul. When I think of my childhood I remember vacations to the Gaslight at 7th and Surf in North Wildwood and the Madrid in Wildwood Crest.
The nights on the boardwalk heading to Hunts and Morey’s Pier are sketched in my psyche. It’s the smells though that continue to stimulate my mind every time I arrive off the Garden State Parkway. Which of these Jersey Shore “fragrances” are most memorable to you? I list mine in order of memory. Sadly, our own Connor Thomas has to sit this one out. He can’t smell anything.
Here Are The 5 Best Smells Of The Jersey Shore
The Coppertone Smell
The overwhelming winner of the Nose Olympics for me is the smell of COPPERTONE. Yes, the one from the old ad campaign with the sexy blonde in the bikini having her bottom tugged at by a little dog! If you get that reference you most certainly can picture the ad!
That distinct smell is so unique that no other sunscreen smells anything like it. It screams Wildwood Boardwalk to me and all of those summers at the shore as a kid. Back in the day I remember that they either had the number 2 or 4 on the bottle. Things have certainly changed in the sunscreen business! I use nothing less than 70 now!
The Beach Smell At the Jersey Shore
Is it the sand or the salty sea air? It might be a combination of both. All I know is when I get off the AC Expressway and turn on to the Parkway heading to the Southern shore points I can smell it.
As you approach the bridges into each shore town the windows are down! I love the intoxicating smell and it immediately disconnects me from life back over the bridge to Pennsylvania. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer came up with the idea for a beach cologne? I think Cosmo was on to something.
The Fresh Baked Waffle And Waffle Cone Stand
This fragrance grabs me every single time! I must admit that I am a person that loves breakfast foods at dinner. There is something about the toasty, malted smell of a freshly baked waffle cone that gets my attention and I am not even a big ice cream fan.
When I was a kid it was the two smaller waffles with the square of vanilla ice cream in the middle that my Mom would enjoy every time. There is something that transports me back in time when I encounter that smell. I’m afraid. That if I did like ice cream I would weight 500 pounds on the amount of those waffles and cones I would consume on one vacation.
The Wood Smell On The Boardwalk
I love this category because it could actually be two distinctly different aromas. There is the smell of the planks on the boardwalk in the midst of a hot weather stretch when the boards are baked to a balmy crisp. It has a strong wood smell, like walking the lumber aisles at Lowe’s on a Saturday morning.
Then there is the opposite memory, the boardwalk when it’s wet. A storm blows through and the rain pours down. The smell of the damp boardwalk is completely different than the well-cooked version. Both of these are fantastic ways to remember great summer moments of the past.
The Boardwalk Popcorn
Sometimes it’s overcooked and other times it’s perfectly toasty. There is nothing like the pervasive smell of boardwalk popcorn. It’s as if the local AMC Theater exploded and you get assaulted with it everywhere. It’s glorious and I can usually catch the smell before any other coming up the ramp at Bob’s Grill.
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