Just as the title implies, this is a very special two-for-one edition of the beachies blog!

The first of my two beach experiences was at Atsion Lake in the beautiful Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. Just as described in the previous edition of this blog, it's a beautiful, scenic drive with lots of wildlife, secluded cabins, and twists and turns through the dense, lush forest. After a good bit of driving through this labyrinth of trees, the majesty of Atsion Lake appears out of the wilderness. When I visited, the sun shimmered off the calm, flat water, adding even more light and majesty to what was an already bright and beautiful day.

The water of Atsion Lake was calm and clear, but with a brownish tint, which is a result of the innumerable amounts of massive cedar trees that have lined the shores of the lake for millennia. It was a really neat effect to dip my hands in and watch them slowly get redder and browner until they completely disappeared from view.

Another amazing aspect of the lake was the sheer amount of wildlife surrounding me, whether it was massive dragonflies hitching a ride on my kayak for a bit of respite, massive herons cooling off in the shade, songbirds just off the coast hiding in the trees, or hawks patrolling from above, there was no shortage of life at the lake. I cannot understate how beautiful it was to just sit back and spectate the lush wildlife everywhere.

After stopping by a nearby bar for some lunch, it was off to Brigantine Beach, a nearby suburb of Atlantic City! I ended up getting there a bit after 5pm, the deadline for when beach badges were required, so I'm not entirely sure how much it would cost to get there. (I must be blessed to never pay for any beaches that I go to)

The beach was beautiful. The day was still clear, and as the sun went down, the beachside hotels and casinos lit up the southern side of the coastline. Once the beach started clearing out a bit, and it started getting darker, I made my way into town to look for some dinner. In town, there was a really quaint commercial street with an amazing Mexican restaurant called Tiki Taco. If you're in town, this is definitely one of the best bites you'll get in the area. I got a tamarind Jarritos (real ones know) and two hard shell chorizo tacos with all the fixings; beans, pico de gallo, rice, spicy sauce, the works. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the evening and watch the sunset.

Once I was finished, it was another scenic drive back home, and while it was an amazing day full of beautiful nature, exciting animals, and delicious food, I definitely was happy to be home and exhausted by the time night came.

Thank you all for reading!! I encourage all of you who are in the area to give the lake and beach a visit. They are amazing places!