And just like that, summer is already over. Labor Day has come and gone, and most of the beaches I spent the summer exploring are closed until next Memorial Day. Fall is coming, and I’m somewhat ready for it. However, today I’m going back to the shore … at least, in my memories!

After enjoying Cape May so much, I was excited to explore my next beach, Belmar, with my husband, Nathan, and my 16-year-old cousin who was staying with us. Belmar was a whole different experience after Cape May. Firstly, this was a daytrip, and so we had none of the perks of staying at a hotel. Parking was plentiful, but so were the cars occupying the spaces. It took us quite a long time circling before Nathan dropped us off at the beach and left to find parking wherever he could.

Belmar Beach, NJ.

That, however, was the only negative I have to say about the day. The beach was large and the water was beautiful and, best of all, the lifeguards were calm. Actually, they were surprisingly relaxed given the way the waves were rolling in. If only we had brought the boogie board! But we had fun swimming and partaking in some beach snacks when hungry. As the day wore on and the lifeguards tipped over their stands for the night, we took some photos by the jetty and packed our bags. It was time for dinner, and we couldn’t wait! After a quick Google search, I grabbed the car and picked up the boys with all the belongings, and we set out for Los Barbaros Birria on Main Street, about six blocks back from the beach.

Belmar Beach, NJ.

We had no idea if the place was going to be any good, but I am so glad we gave it a chance. My cousin savored a plate of Quesabirria tacos with beef and a side of birria-style ramen, while my husband and I took a chance on the Pizzabirria. It was delicious, but you definitely need to be hungry to truly enjoy it — luckily, we were! We hit some traffic on the way home, but nothing unusual for a Saturday night in the summer as people are returning to Philadelphia.

Margate Beach, NJ.

Having crossed Belmar off the list and in the mood for a trip for just the two of us, Nathan and I opted for Margate next. This time we found parking right away and only a block and a half from the beach entrance. Margate’s beach was a bit nicer than Belmar’s, with volleyball nets every few hundred feet and catamarans casually left out on the beach, stored there by their owners overnight. The surf was also much gentler — and this time we did bring a boogie board, of course. Nathan still enthusiastically caught whatever small waves he could, and we both relished the warm water Margate gave us. Although officially it was around 75 or 76, I swear it felt closer to 80.

Margate City, NJ.

This time, as the afternoon wore on, we decided we wanted to grab dinner and see the sunset. On the East Coast, you get bay sunsets instead of ocean sunsets, but they are every bit as beautiful. A quick consult with Google again and we were on our way to Tideline. The outdoor seating was going to be quite a wait (it seems almost all of Margate had the same idea as us!), so we said yes to an inside table and headed up to the third floor. Thankfully, almost the whole floor was windows, and we had a gorgeous view of the pinks, purples and oranges the late summer sun treated us to. Nathan started with a beer, and I chose the Coastal Grandma, a mix of tequila reposado, lemon, lavender and basil. Word of warning: Do not let that name fool you, the Coastal Grandma is no cup of afternoon tea.

Coastal Grandma.

Before we knew it, our appetizer had arrived. We split the cheesesteak empanadas and were impressed: not too greasy, and the pastry itself was good. For our entrées, I selected the farro salad with shrimp, cucumber, pistachio, onion, avocado, tomatoes, edamame and a sweet soy dressing. It was perfectly crisp and refreshing after a day spent baking in the sun. True to his fashion, my husband stuck with fish and chips, and judging by his quickly emptied plate, he was impressed with it as well.

A quick trip to celebrate the winners of this year’s The Trazees and Wherever Awards took me to the West Coast mid-August. The plan was to visit Long Beach Island upon my return and Avalon for LDW. Alas, I caught an unfortunate end-of-summer cold that inevitably took both of us out for the remainder of the month. Nonetheless, our weekends have been filled with weddings, quality time with our new niece and fun nights in the city.

Though who knows, an early fall sunset on the beach is always a good idea … .

— Yasser Gallagher-Ogando, executive media director