The Garden State...Tribute

As someone who has spent significant amounts of time in different parts of the country (Vermont, Colorado, Oregon…), I can tell you with absolute certainty that as far as states go, New Jersey is the nation's whipping boy. Between the insufferable "What Exit?" jokes, the degrading "armpit of America" designation, and the endless references to a certain TV family as a complete and accurate representation of life in the Garden State, it's pretty clear that the rest of the U.S. -- while unwilling to agree on anything else --has found a common ground in their willingness to have a good chuckle at the expense of our home state.

Now, Lord knows I've taken my own shots at NJ from time to time, but like the big brother that pounds on his sibling, I can get away with it. And it’s not just because I grew up here. It’s because I, unlike those that poke fun from afar, know that while New Jersey may have its flaws, it's also capable of providing days like today.

Cloudless skies providing a canopy for miles of soft-sand beach. A light on-shore breeze cooling what would be insufferable heat just miles away. And to top it all of, an ocean filled with just-the-right-temperature water rolling out endless opportunity for rite-of-passage moments like the one you see above.

So let the rest of the country make their ever-so-clever mobster/hair spray/Bon Jovi jokes. They’ll never know about places like Long Beach Island and days like today. And maybe that’s for the best.