Ocean Grove is one of the oddest and most charming towns on the Jersey Shore. It was founded in 1869 as a Methodist camp meeting resort, a place where families came for a summer of sea air and religious revival, and it still has the feel of a Victorian time capsule: streets of gingerbread-trimmed houses with deep porches, and in the middle of town the Great Auditorium, a vast wooden hall that holds thousands of people and a famous pipe organ. Around it, in summer, stand the canvas tents of the camp meeting, small wooden cabins with canvas fronts that families have rented for generations.
For a long time the town was dry and strictly observed the Sabbath: until the late twentieth century, cars were not allowed on the streets on Sundays, and the beach was closed on Sunday mornings. The rules have relaxed, but Ocean Grove still has a calmer, more family-oriented atmosphere than many shore towns. Right next door, across Wesley Lake, lies Asbury Park, a much louder place with a famous music scene, the Stone Pony club where Bruce Springsteen made his name, and an Art Deco convention hall on the boardwalk.
The beach at Ocean Grove is wide and sandy, with a boardwalk and a fishing pier, and the water is clean and pleasant in summer, though it rarely gets truly warm. Like most New Jersey beaches, you will need a beach badge in season, which you can buy at the entrance. There are lifeguards in summer, and the beach is generally safe, but rip currents can occur, so swim near the guards.
The ride to Ocean Grove usually involves the Garden State Parkway, a toll road with heavy traffic, especially on summer weekends. Once you leave it, the local roads are slow and congested in season, with traffic lights and pedestrians everywhere. Off-season, the town is much quieter, and riding along the shore road from Asbury Park to Belmar and beyond can be a pleasure. There is fuel and food in Asbury Park and the surrounding towns.