New Jersey Bound.

One wouldn't typically think, "oh, the Jersey Shore/Asbury Park would be great around mid-October," but we are not truly 'beach people' and being by the shore on non-tourist season and being able to walk the boardwalk for miles in the night before bed sounded like heaven. We planned the trip around going to see my Grandma's new assisted living digs and celebrating her 90th (!) birthday with the relatives. We rented a car and stayed about 30-ish minutes away from her, which was perfect, since we did our thing most of the week and spent 2 days with family, doing family stuff! A perfect balance.

Yes, this pizza was legit! I couldn't choose, so I got chicken parm (left) and classic white cheese (right). Below, a local recommended this mini-donut shop to us. Not bad, but not as good as we hoped it would be. Wouldn't go back for donuts, but pizza, YES!

The time on the boardwalk was so nice. The weather was just cold enough to feel good and bundle a bit comfortably. I love good sweater weather/trench coat weather. I'm a Fall girl at heart!

Above, I got excited and felt old at the same time seeing the Pac-Man table at my grandma's assisted living facility. Of course we played a few rounds!

The two jackets I brought were my trench coat and this (above) Alice + Olivia heart cutout denim jacket that I found for a steal on eBay!

The Fall colors were beautiful!

You know we had to go to some legit diners in New Jersey! Look at the size of these dishes! My grandma's lemon meringue (not pictured) was actually BIGGER than her head!

We played some Bingo with grandma and her friends/frenemies!

I miss DELIS! We just don't have them like this in Arizona. Below, if you've grown up with a counter that looks like this, you know the value of a breakfast sandwich, chicken cutlet sandwich, buttered roll...