Ocean Grove, NJ

I am in New Jersey for the week for the death of my grandmother.  As a way to escape the stressing atmosphere, I took a break and headed a few miles north to the town of Ocean Grove, NJ.  Ocean Grove is a very interesting and different town from the rest of the Jersey Shore.  It is secluded and there are only two entrance points to the town.

In the 1860s a group of Methodist travelers camped at what is now Ocean Grove because of the shade and the close location to the ocean.  They ultimately decided to stay there and use the location as a Christian camp.   As more and more visitors came to the camp, a huge auditorium was built.  Tents were erected around the camp and referred to as "the tent city."  The tent city still exists today.

The houses in Ocean Grove tend to be very ornate and detailed.  The town has very strict restrictions about the colors of the houses, the height of the houses, the changes that can be made to the houses, etc.  Up until only about 15 years ago you could not drive a vehicle in the town on a Sunday.

The tent city: 

Some very bored  cousins (who gave me explicit instructions that they better not show up on my blog ... which I explicitly ignored)

Some of the items in the cute little beach and cottage themed shops that lined the main street:

A few of the Victorian houses:

And that is a sneak peak of Ocean Grove, NJ :)