When Hurricane Sandy struck the Jersey Shore in October 2012, Ortley Beach, part of Dover Beaches North, was one of the hardest-hit places on the coast. The storm surge swept across the barrier island, destroying hundreds of houses and leaving sand piled in the streets. The community has been rebuilt, with new houses raised on stilts, but the memory of the storm is still fresh.
Dover Beaches North lies on the Barnegat Peninsula, a narrow strip of sand between the Atlantic and Barnegat Bay, in Ocean County, New Jersey. Route 35 runs along the island, through a string of beach towns, and the ocean beaches are wide and sandy, with lifeguards in summer. Seaside Heights, to the south, has a boardwalk with amusement rides, arcades and food stands.
Barnegat Bay, on the western side of the island, is shallow and calm, popular with boaters, kayakers and crabbers. Blue crabs are a local delicacy, and the seafood shacks along the bay serve them steamed, with Old Bay seasoning.
The riding on the island is flat and straight, with Route 35 carrying heavy traffic in summer. The bridges to the mainland can be congested on weekends. Watch for pedestrians, cyclists and cars pulling out of driveways.
Fuel is easier on the mainland side of the bridges than on the island. Off season, from October to May, the whole peninsula falls quiet, the boardwalk shutters come down, and Route 35 becomes a pleasant, breezy ride between ocean and bay with hardly anyone else on it.