36
USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
NEW JERSEY | THE SHORE
Walking the Boards From serene seascapes to thrill rides, N.J. boardwalks have something for everyone
By Fiona Soltes
S
ALTWATER TAFFY, AMUSEMENT PIERS and boardwalks:
Could there be anything more New Jersey? David G. Schwartz, Atlantic City native and author of Boardwalk Playground: The Making, Unmaking, & Remaking of Atlantic City, tells the tale of the first boardwalk, opened in 1870 to keep guests from tracking sand into hotel lobbies. But he also has his own story, of spending a season dressed as Mr. Peanut for the Boardwalk Peanut Shoppe. “It was a different summer job, to say the least,” Schwartz admits. Scaled for walking and bathed in ocean breezes, the boardwalks of New Jersey — almost 20 in all — offer memories for the taking. Most discussions on the topic begin with Atlantic City. “From an early-morning bike ride, to afternoon shopping in souvenir shops, a midafternoon snack of funnel cakes and saltwater taffy to an early alfresco dinner, the Atlantic City Boardwalk
Atlantic City CASINO REINVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY