1. Check in to your resort—Hotel LBI (350 W.8th St., Ship Bottom) will be your summer home away from home. With suites equipped with kitchens, you can enjoy that laid-back feeling as you spend hours at the beach and even enjoy an indoor pool with a retractable roof.
2. Have breakfast at The Chicken or the Egg (207 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven) and try their cinnamon roll French toast. This fun, eclectic eatery is also a great option for lunch and their huge menu features everything the kids will love from chicken fingers to egg sandwiches.
3. Go to Fantasy Island Amusement Park (750 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven) for carnival rides, a classic carousel, boardwalk games, an awesome arcade and all the seasonal snacks you can imagine like funnel cake, churros and cotton candy.
4. When it’s time for lunch, head to Wally’s (712 Long Beach Blvd., Surf City), a family-owned dining destination for over 50 years where you can get sandwiches, burgers and huge salads. Their outdoor dining options make it a great spot to people-watch and soak up the nice weather.
5. Visit Island Beach State Park to swim, surf or fish. This barrier island is home to maritime plants and diverse wildlife including the state’s largest osprey colony.
6. Head to Ship Bottom Ice Cream (1801 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom) for handmade ice cream including inventive flavors such as Nilla Banana, Carrot Cake, Blueberry and Biscoff Cookie as well as the classics. Note they are open seasonally.
7. Visit Barnegat Lighthouse (208 Broadway, Barnegat Light) located at the northern tip of LBI. “Old Barney” just had a renovation so visitors should be able to climb up again and enjoy the surrounding park and plenty of photo ops.
8. For a dinner to remember, go to the Tavern at Black Eyed Susans (7908 Long Beach Blvd., Harvey Cedars) for artisan pizzas, housemade pasta and fresh seafood.
9. End your vacay with a round of mini golf at Hartland Golf & Arcade (2801 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom) with different holes for different skill sets, a friendly staff and a prize wheel at the end that will thrill kids of all ages.