one wild weekend in wildwood, nj

I have to admit one of the reasons I love living in NYC is there are so many places to escape to in the surrounding area, should the need arise. And if you live here with kids, the call to flee your small apartment in search of well, anywhere with more space, is a strong one. Especially once warm weather arrives. Thankfully, there are many beach options nearby, the most obvious of which is the Jersey Shore.

My family and I spent Father's Day weekend as guests of Morey's Piers in Wildwood, Jersey, and the three hour commute from the city was the perfect distance to feel like we'd really "gotten away," yet close enough for a weekend jaunt. We checked in at the StarLux Hotel which has a retro '60s vibe, straight down to the lava lamp in our bedroom. Loved the kitsch factor, and our room was comfortable for a family of four.

Located across the street from the beach, boardwalk and famous "Wildwoods" sign, the StarLux is situated in a ideal location for everything you need in town. The girls also LOVED the pool and quite honestly could have stayed there the entire weekend if we'd let them! But, there was too much fun to be had on the boardwalk.

We spent Saturday taking it all in... from the water park to the rides... to chowing down on Curley's Fries... to more rides... to games... to ice cream... to the "people train" (as Millie calls it) ride on the way back to the hotel. I'm not sure we've had that much of an action-packed day in quite some time, but the girls had a blast, and so did we. Here are a few pics, in case you aren't convinced:

I don't have photos of the water park as we didn't want to get our own camera wet, but we did buy an underwater camera they had for sale at a kiosk. A great idea, but unfortunately we haven't gotten the photos developed yet! There are two different water parks at Morey's Piers, Ocean Oasis Beach Club and Raging Waters Beachfront -- we opted for the first one for no particular reason and were very pleased with all the offerings for kids. The Lazy River was a huge hit as was their "Bonsai Beach" area for kids.

If you are looking for enough activities to keep your child entertained and excited -- a classic, old-fashioned time filled with rides, games, water parks and yummy food -- then Morey's Piers in Wildwood is a great option for a weekend getaway from the city this summer. I have to say there is something about the boardwalk experience that is as American as apple pie, and I kind of love that.

And if this video of us on the Tea Cup ride doesn't get you excited for some fun this summer, I don't know what will. Have a great summer!

Disclaimer: Our weekend in Wildwood, NJ and day passes to Morey's Piers were complimentary. All opinions expressed herein are my own.