What to do on a warm November day in New Jersey.

John and I drove down to Island Beach State Park, which ordinarily would have taken 1.5 hours from Somerset, but because Rutgers was playing Syracuse, we had to take a huge detour that took 30 minutes more. Island Beach State Park shares a Parkway exit with Seaside Heights, but that's about all it shares.

The park is a long stretch of beach between Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. By the time we got to the beach (after a couple of slices of OK pizza in the nearby town), it was 2 pm. There are 6 or so little hikes from the road that runs down the center of the park to the beach or the bay, with lots of little nature signs along the way.

There were quite a few SUVs and trucks parked along the beach with men fishing in back of them. We didn't see anyone catch a thing during our hour or so walking up and down the beach prior to sunset.

Word to the wise, try to remember where you came out from the dunes to the beach. We overshot our path by about a 20 minute walk. There are no streetlamps on the park road, but there were plenty of people around. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who likes the beach, but doesn't like the crowds. However, I can't vouch for how it would be during the summer.