Johnny, I know how you feel. (photo graciously borrowed from Life.com via Google images)

It’s September. This churns my stomach. If I were still in high school, I’d be despondent to be back in my Catholic school uniform; in college, I’d be thrilled to be back on campus. But alas, commencement called for me quite a bit ago so nothing changes. Work still comes every Monday, but soon enough there will be no beach time dominating my weekends. Ugh.

But fret not. Aside from the fact that we still have Labor Day Weekend (a beautiful – but somber – thing unto itself), early fall at the Jersey Shore brings gorgeous weather, near-deserted watering holes and very fun events. If you’re like me (here for the long haul) or if the unofficial start of autumn brings you to points north or west, September at the Shore is the perfect way to wind down your summer soul and settle in for the fall. Before you get the Labor Day blues, check out these second-weekend-of-September events and you’ll see that it can be just as much of a party as the first.

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Beachgoers get way too close for comfort, so let's try to get along. (gratefully borrowed from nj.com via Google images)

In light of the Seaside Heights beach smoking ban, the Star-Ledger’s NJ.com asked readers what else should be banned from our fine beaches. As someone who supplemented her tips from waitressing throughout all five years of college by badge checking, let me be the first to tell you: plenty. There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to tell you Shore restaurant etiquette, so we’ll just stick to the beach for now.

Bart Brooks makes some quality points, but I’m going to have to disagree with his Nos. 3 and 4. Jellyfish and seaweed? Sorry Bart, they are nuisances but can’t we all get along? We’re invading their turf, not the other way around. Yes, I know eutrophication is causing a major influx in jellies in the bay, but I haven’t seen too many on the beach this summer. Then again, I haven’t seen too much of the beach this summer. And who doesn’t love a good clear jellyfish fight? No? Just me?

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It's undeniable that this fake palm tree screams "I'm on vacation!" but it's also yelling "Totally tacky!!"

A good 75 percent of the time my family’s boat leaves our dock, the destination is Martell’s Waters Edge – a massive tiki bar accessible by both land and sea on Barnegat Bay’s western shore in Bayville. By car, it would probably take 45 minutes to get to, but a ride aboard the Barrel O’ Monkeys takes a mere 20 minutes.

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Music by the beach at The Stone Pony Summer Stage (Photo: veronica lola via flickr)

Summertime at the Jersey Shore means a lot of different things: freedom from the grind, lounging on the beach, surfing, grilling with friends and family, and just downright relaxing. At night, it comes alive with activity, from the bustling boardwalk scene to the music venues that are scattered along our shoreline.

Music is what gives the Jersey Shore its soul. On almost any night of the week, you can walk the boardwalk or our sandy streets and hear music wafting through the air, whether its from a bar band or an iPod in a residential backyard, and smile; music provides a soundtrack to our summers at the shore.

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Franzia, Andre and you...perfect together

So my partner-in-crime Bernie has brought you a couple fancy-shmancy cocktail suggestions this summer like tea-flavored vodka and canned pale ale. Now I’ve had the vodka and it’s tasty and all, but lets face it – my journalism degree doesn’t exactly haul in the dough. To make my dollars take my liver to its limit, I try to start the evening with some economically-minded beverages. They say necessity is the mother of invention and, let me tell you, that is absolutely true. This is how my brainchild, Frandre Spritzers, came about.

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