Rain, rain, go away…come back another, well, G-Damn weekend!
Labor Day Weekend always comes too soon (primarily because summer doesn’t technically end until three weeks after), but in the Summer of 2006, summer ended right around August 12 weekend. Since that time, it has seemingly been cloudy, damp and cool for three straight weeks, and the upcoming holiday weekend will be no exception.
It will feel like NFL mid-season weather when the remnants of Ernesto arrive in Hoboken and the Jersey Shore Friday afternoon and hang around until Saturday. As much as four inches of rain is expected, and Saturday temperatures won’t even hit 70 degrees, according to AccuWeather forecasts. With 20.75 inches of rain to date, this June, July and August have been the third-wettest ever in New York City. The record is held by 1975, which saw 22.40 inches of rain, according to AccuWeather.
But fear not, summer share renters in Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Manasquan and LBI…because the best summer weekends are ones that involve anything but sand.
For starters, there really is absolutely nothing to do but drink. The movie season is shot (unless you haven’t seen Invincible yet, which was good but not exactly “Rudy” or “Hoosiers”), so going to the theater may not be the best use of two hours. Instead, check out these tasty options:
1) Bar Bingo at Leggett’s (Manasquan): A summertime tradition only gets better when a tropical storm hit on a Saturday afternoon. Prizes for the Bingo winners and an early buzz for those taking advantage of the midday drink specials. 3-6 PM, but feel free to come earlier.
2) Basketball, pool and shuffleboard at The Hudson House (LBI): It’s dark. It’s damp. It’s old. It creeks. And fans of the HUD wouldn’t have it any other way. Plenty of bar games to play, and always packed on a wet and wild holiday weekend. Be sure to eat beforehand.
3) The Lanes at Sea Girt: Bowling on Labor Day? Isn’t this more of a wintertime thing to do when nothing else is going on? Well, considering that the weather will be 65 and windy with diagonal rain, it might as well be winter…and nothing goes better with cheap beer than fried, greasy pork sandwiches served in a dirty ashtray.
4) Flip Cup and Beer Pong (Everywhere): Bring the games inside and avoid those pesky Pong-playing tickets. Flip Cup is better if you have a big crowd (up to 10 per team) and Beer Pong is always a great way to make sure you won’t have the wherewithal to make it out that night without a nap around 5:00 PM.
The forecast may be frightful for the finale of summer, but that doesn’t mean you need to let it dictate your itinerary.
More people consuming copious amounts of alcohol from 2:00 PM-3:00 AM always leads to a great story or 12. Those who remember the Washout Labor Day Weekend of 2002 can certainly attest to that.
Rain, rain, go away?
Not necessarily…