THE BRIDGEWATER-SOMERVILLE CONNECTION PAGE 18 SEPT/OCT/NOV 2026 t h etchoenc no encnt ei oc nt i son j s. cnoj .mc o m theconnectionsnj.com AUTUMN’S ALLURE DINE, SHOP & CELEBRATE ALL SIZES & COLORS AVAILABLE AFFORDABLE PRICES! NO MINIMUMS REQUIRED! • Family Fun • Community Events • Sports Think of us for: You can personalize your own garments! Celebrate Fall with a custom-made T-shirt! Create your own GIMMEE GIMMEE TEE! • Birthdays • Artwork Promotion • Team Building • Company Logos,etc. High Quality, Long Lasting Garments Your Design Here GimmeeGimmeeTees.com Tues thru Sat-11 am to 7 pm Serving Somerset County for over 15 Years! We Make Custom Hats centuries. In fall, when the traffic has died down, the sand has cooled, and the crowds have headed home, it is the perfect time to pack up your family and friends and head back down to the Shore to explore the historic lighthouses. A great way to plan your adventure is to participate in the annual Lighthouse Challenge, which is held on the third weekend of October each year. This year, the Challenge includes sites on the Atlantic Coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May and the Delaware Bay and River Coast from Cape May to Paulsboro. Eleven lighthouses, four light saving stations, and one museum participated. Although the sites are open to everyone, if you pay a small entry fee of orget about what the calendar says. Labor Day might have passed, but there are still miles of gorgeous shoreline that we have in New Jersey. Without the traffic or the crowds, fall is a great time to explore the historic lighthouses that pepper our coastline. They are open every day, but if you are up for a challenge, pack up the car and spend the weekend of October 17th and 18th as part of the annual Lighthouse Challenge. Summertime at the Jersey Shore is filled with lazy days on the sand, frolicking in the surf, boardwalk rides, games, and, of course, funnel cake. There is not much time to appreciate the tall structures that have illuminated and protected the beaches for $10 you can join the Challenge and collect a souvenir at each site you visit. If the idea of visiting historical sites seems daunting to you because you have young children, do not fret. The website has a page on “How to Do the Challenge with Kids and Survive” that was created by a mom and preschool teacher. It includes creative ideas like keeping a total number of steps at each lighthouse, then adding them up and competing to see who can come the closest at guessing the total. Another idea is to come up with fun questions to ask the volunteers, like how many bricks the lighthouse is made of or what some shipwreck stories are. (Kids love a good shipwreck story!) Of course, another idea that always works is having food in the trunk and opening it up for “trunk snacks” after each tour. Allowing the kids to snack between sites makes the time in the car go much more quickly! These and more ideas are included on the website below. They will keep your kids engaged, energized, and learning while, most importantly, having a fun family day, This year the Challenge is celebrating America 250 and honoring Sandy Hook Lighthouse, which was the only New Jersey Lighthouse standing during the Revolution. Each participant will be given a map of colonial NJ with pockets on the map where each site is located. You can collect a wooden coin at each site visited to complete your map. The lighthouses at Sea Girt, Barnegat, Barnegat Light, Navesink Twin Lights, and more are all participating in the Challenge, but they are open to the public and host tours and special events throughout the year. If you want to plan a Lighthouse adventure, even if you cannot make the Challenge weekend, check out the Lighthouse Challenge website at www.lighthousechallengenj.com/ to see a list of locations. Then log on to the individual websites for information on hours, tours, and special events. The Jersey Shore is not just for summer anymore, and exploring our historic lighthouses is a great way to enjoy it year-round! Lighthouse Challenge-Accepted By Joanne Kleinle FAMILY ADVENTURES F
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