The First 24 Hours On The Island

As I anticipated, I struggled to decide what to document and what not to document.

I drove the whole length of the island yesterday. As expected, Holgate was a quieting sight. The fact that no life was lost is a testament to how well the preparation for the storm was executed. In addition to that, what struck me most was every block or so …were holes. A blank spot where a home or business or trees stood. These holes are pockets of devastation of dreams. But for every dashed dream that lays in ruin, there are scores more dreams being rebuilt around it. There is definitely a spirit of enthusiastic renewal that permeates the island. It was all overwhelming.

The island has been evolving constantly since I first visited in the 1970’s. Business come and go, small capes evolved into piered monstrosities and the huge homes north of Ship Bottom slowly became less and less visible from the Boulavard as landscaping and vegitation grew to provide desired privacy. These were slow changes…every season brought a “Wow, look at what they built there” or “Dang, they closed?” But this season, A slow ebb and flow of life. Sandy has brought with her instantaneous change. A revolution of events and environment that is palpable.

But as has been said before and more eloquently than I can, LBI is Alive and ready for visitors.

I had a fantastic dinner last night at The Black Whale. The places was rockin’. A wait for seats both in the dining room and the bar. I met a lovely couple from Doylestown, PA who were on “a reconnoissance” trip down to see if renting this summer would be feasible. They are so excited…I imagine they are booking their rental now.

Tonight, I sampled the Pinziminio Trattoria. A terrific dinner of scallops and salmon with Tuscan flair. My waiter, Robert and I had a really nice conversation about the recovery efforts and about the spirit of the island. They are working very hard down here to make sure more good times are head for locals and visitors alike.

As I mentioned, I struggled with what to document. I sat on the beach for a spell today and noticed all the wild life going about there business and realized that capturing this beauty was the best thing to show. The life and love that renews us all.