I love going on quick trips to nowhere. Our family does so well when it comes to road trips, that sometimes we just like to go on a voyage to anywhere and everywhere. We find new favorite restaurants, playgrounds and secret spots all over the shore by just getting in the car and driving. So why didn’t I realize this when I tried to make plans for us last weekend? I blame it on “Mom brain” but thank goodness, karma got the best of me and set me straight.
My goal was simple: to get the whole family to a free jazz concert in Long Branch, NJ. Each summer, New Jersey is treated with the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival. Each week, a new shore town hosts a free show featuring some of the state’s greatest blues and jazz bands. They have all day concerts a few times in the summer, but they also offer weekly concerts in different towns. This past weekend, Long Branch was the host. So off we went in a beautiful 2013 Chevy Sonic.
The Chevy Sonic was perfect for an impromptu day at the beach and the festival. It’s compact but roomy enough inside for our family of four, it does very well with gas mileage, and you go fast in it. Really fast. Luckily the speedometer is very large, because I was speeding a bit on the parkway and immediately cut out that mess as soon as I looked down. Oops. On a positive note, we did get to Long Branch in record time. Silver lining for the win!
We were so excited to get to the festival early, since that meant we could pick our spot near the front and scope out where the bathrooms were. There was only one problem: the concert didn’t start until 7pm and we arrived at 4. I had no idea the concert would be that late. The kids go to bed at 7:30, so there was no way we’d be staying that long. But, we were already there so we did what any jersey shore family would do; we hit the beach!
After a few hours relaxing at the beach, there was only one thing left to do. Eat! We grabbed some hot dogs and the kids took advantage of the trunk space in the Chevy Sonic. Also, check out the Duchess’s wardrobe change below. She decided to run straight into the ocean and scare us half to death, but that’s another story.
Have you ever made summer weekends plans and had to change them mid-voyage? What was your plan B?
Disclosure: I was offered the Chevy Sonic for review but was not offered any monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.
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