As young parents of two daughters, a toddler and an infant, we were introduced to Long Beach Island in 1974. Our friends who for years had been coming to LBI couldn’t believe we, who had been born and bred in New Jersey, had never been to the Island. Our idea of the shore was Belmar, Bradley Beach and Asbury Park, where we’d vacationed throughout our childhoods and teen years.

Arranging to borrow a motor home, we reserved a spot to park it for three nights in the trailer park in Holgate.