One of the things that we enjoy about cruising by sailboat are the unexpected places in which we find ourselves. A few places turn out to be unexpected in a negative way, but most of the time we’re pleasantly surprised by where we end up.
A perfect example is Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Located at the southern edge of Sandy Hook Bay, this town is essentially a suburb of New York – there are hourly high-speed ferries that leave the town docks destined for Manhattan. Beautiful historic houses line the hills overlooking the edge of the bay, shaded by old oak and maple trees. The downtown area is a few blocks square and is dotted with parks and small restaurants. And in the distance, the skyline of New York twinkles after the sun slowly sets.
Quiet and peaceful, Atlantic Highlands is just the kind of positive surprise we like.
Side note: The town gets it’s name because of the hill onto which it’s built. Topping out at 266′ elevation, it turns out that this is the highest point on the eastern seaboard between Maine and the Yucutan Peninsula – who knew?
