Is it even possible that it’s time to say goodbye to another summer? There’s just one problem: I am not ready ☹. We have been so fortunate this summer with so many gorgeous, sun-drenched days when the blue skies appear to go on forever ... that, combined with the many cool, comfortable nights. The summer of 2022 will no doubt go in the books as a beauty.

We may have to bid a farewell to the summer season, but autumn is a great time to take advantage of the refreshing crisp air and plan a tasting tour for your next date, celebration, or girls’ night out. Explore the vineyards or hop around to different breweries and restaurants. “Sip” back, relax and “wine” down on your next tasting tour through Cape May County that should include any or all of these locations. Cheers!

Reserve your space for this popular event featuring a unique Stone Harbor location to be announced closer to the date (shhh, it’s a surprise)! The event will feature a dinner party, live music, and an after-dinner dance party. For tickets, call the Stone Harbor Chamber at 609-368-6101 or visit the Welcome Center at 212 96th St.

What’s in a pancake?

For three generations of the O’Hara family, it’s the vehicle for a business journey launched in Stone Harbor.

It’s a trip that marks six decades, expanding to Avalon, Ocean City, North Cape May, Cape May and Wildwood.

Area residents boil it down to four words: Uncle Bill’s Pancake House.

Fall is just around the corner, and now is the best time to shop for everything you will need for the season. Whether you’re looking for some décor for your home, clothes to keep you warm, or items for back to school, we’ve shopped around and found some great must-haves for the fall season!

Members of the Klingensmith family are deeply committed to their annual week vacationing together in Stone Harbor. They’ve been at it for the past 75 years.

This treasured tradition began with a honeymoon.

Danielle Smith tried out for the Avalon Beach Patrol on a whim in 2013 – just to see if she could make it.

She not only made it, but she has thrived and is in her ninth year on the vaunted patrol. Smith also made history last summer when she was named the first female lieutenant.

It could have just as easily been 36 minutes but, in reality it had been 36 years since the Fabulous Greaseband stepped off the stage in the Bongo Room in the Avalon Hotel for the last time. But here they were on a Zoom meeting in August 2022: Greaseband founding members Harry Pasquito and Doug Stackhouse were joined by longtime bandmate Craig Parson along with the man who was the heart and soul of the old Bongo Room, Phil Judyski.

Son of a Sailor Seafood is a new restaurant that opened this summer serving fresh local seafood. Enjoy cold and hot seafood appetizers and dinner right on the patio or get takeout to enjoy at home!

This year, it’s all about the lens.

Avalon Beach Patrol Chief Matt Wolf motivates team members with a “South Jerseys or Bust” philosophy each racing season.

There was no South Jerseys team title for Avalon this year, as Margate won the Super Bowl of lifeguard racing in the 15-patrol circuit.

But there’s no bust, either.

Everything and everyone radiated from Caroline Kyle.

She was the glue that joined friend groups and siblings and families together, in Avalon and back home in Blue Bell, Pa. She was the one who always made the plans to meet up with her favorite people and never missed out on an opportunity to have fun.

Meteorology is by nature an “inexact science,” which is another way of saying that we get the forecast wrong on occasion, or in the worst case, more often than that. So, if a meteorologist can’t accurately predict what tomorrow afternoon may bring, is it foolish to believe any prognostication that looks ahead not hours, but months?

In 2009, Gloria Orlando Ives and her family grieved the loss of their beloved Spencer, a member of a Hungarian dog breed called a Vizsla. Ives quickly put her emotions to paper. And then she set it aside. It wasn’t until a fortuitous introduction that the publishing wheels would be set into motion.

The Wetlands Institute’s horseshoe crab rescue program, reTURN the Favor (RTF), celebrated its 10th season this year, and the RTF volunteers have a lot to be proud of. This dedicated team of horseshoe crab heroes has developed into a key piece of the conservation puzzle, with more than 150 trained volunteers contributing to the recovery of a keystone species in the Delaware Bay this year alone.

When the Avalon Stone Harbor Schools reopen for the 2022-23 school year, longtime familiar faculty faces will be elsewhere because of retirements.

Three teachers in three different fields retired in June: physical education and health teacher Patti Fottrell, first- and second-grade language arts teacher Lorna Robertson, and art teacher Jackie Farina.

Relocated from a New York City suburb to quiet seaside Avalon in 1997, Danny and Michael Lopriore spent five formative years on the Seven Mile beaches before the family moved back north in 2001.

Twenty-five years later, the “boys” are social media comedy celebrities with a decade of success beginning with short video skits on Vine and moving on to several podcast, streaming and gaming platforms.

Here we are, friends, facing the end of another summer season. Whether you’re in the “glass half full” or the “glass half empty” camp, don’t let this season go without one more celebration. Take the time to gather with friends and family to recap, recall, and reminisce about the best of the summer. How about we gather the ladies on the porch, deck or yard while we bid farewell to summer, hosting a Happy Hour book exchange with a nod to the classic “The Golden Girls”?

The Avalon Borough Council has approved a proposal for the replacement of the 23rd Street Pier, made necessary by rising flood elevations.

“The bulkhead will be replaced to meet current flood elevations,” said Bill McCormick, the director of the Department of Public Works. “To do this, the pier will have to be raised and replaced as well.”

It’s hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to an end. If you have ever spent fall on Seven Mile Beach, then you know why the locals love it so much. The weather is perfect this time of year. It’s hot during the day and cool at night. Parking isn’t an issue, no matter where you go, and it’s always easy to get a reservation! If you are looking for an outfit that works for dinner and even into the late night, The Spot has everything you need and more.

Fall is finally here and that means jeans, flannel shirts, cute hats, cozy sweaters and of course, cute joggers or sweatpants. These days comfort is always in style, but you don’t want to risk not looking cute in the process. Lady Lannell’s Loft is new to Seven Mile Beach this year and it has the perfect casual chic outfit to wear out for an endless summer night.