Prince Harry Gets “Jersey Strong”

A sentence I never thought I would say: Prince Harry visited the Jersey Shore this morning.   It was quite lovely to wake up in my own bed and drive a mere 30 minutes to greet the young prince this morning as he visited the Seaside boardwalk – an area brutally damaged by Hurricane Sandy. However he had one very significant detour prior to  gracing us with his presence on the boardwalk – he helicoptered to Mantoloking to meet Governor Chris Christie, touring damaged homes and greeting first responders. Oh, and it was better than I could have imagined because the Governor gave His Royal Highness an official Chris Christie fleece – the constant for Jersey residents as we rode out the storm six months ago.

Upon arriving in Seaside, Governor Christie showed Harry the infamous roller-coaster submerged in the ocean; the ride was finally removed almost the moment the prince departed. Then came the cuteness – Harry played classic boardwalk games with a group of twenty-five young children from Seaside Elementary School. My former high school science teacher turned Seaside principal, Chris Reichel, said he asked teachers to select the students who would be the best fit for fun and games with the prince – and he was blocking a gaggle of female teachers from jumping on the bus this morning. While the older children were well aware of what was going on and were excited  he said, the younger ones were a bit more overwhelmed by all the press. Mr. Reichel told me that one young student asked Prince Harry, “where’s your crown?”

When asked about the seeing New Jersey in recovery mode, Prince Harry said: “They’re fantastic, its American spirit.” He then elaborated on the resilience of the Jersey Shore, “Everyone getting together and making things right. Its fantastic, its really good.”

Harry, I could not agree more. Please, feel free to visit whenever you would like. I know a great pizza place to take you. Needless to say, I am thrilled he visited the area that I call “home,” and am hopeful that his visit will bring attention back to the shore – six months may have passed, but Hurricane Sandy is still a daily struggle.

Prince Harry in New Jersey: To Ocean County He Goes!

Well, it’s not what I was selfishly hoping for, but it was what I was expecting. The towns which Prince Harry will visit during his New Jersey tour stop next Tuesday have been announced – Mantoloking and Seaside Heights.

It’s been said that Harry wanted to see the “hardest hit town in New Jersey,” hence the Mantoloking stop – about 40 minutes south of me. (The Jersey Shore is a huge area.. like, massive). The town’s Mayor George Nebel said that the young royal and Governor Christie will visit about ten homes before getting in the car and heading to Seaside Heights for a press conference. Yes, that Seaside that has seen the drunk and disorderly conduct of Snooki, DJ Pauly D and the rest of their non-Jersey resident crew. No matter where you are from, chances are you have seen the now iconic photos of the historic Seaside roller-coaster submerged in the Atlantic Ocean.

Although I was pulling for my neck of the woods, it is a great thing that Prince Harry will be visiting Mantoloking – that town needs some some cheer in the form of a dashing Brit.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t try to imitate this guy – despite how awesome that actually was.

Prince Harry’s US Tour: There’s No Place Like Jersey

It’s almost that time – Prince Harry and a slew of royal reporters from across the pond will be arriving at the Jersey Shore in just under two weeks (cue jumping up and down and clapping). Although the prince and his posse will only be here for a short time, I feel it is my duty and as a royal watching, Jersey Shore native to prepare you all accordingly.

So, what can be expected when you all arrive in Jersey on May 14th?

If you fly into Newark airport, at first you might be all, um.. where am I? Why are we visiting this smoke infested state?

Don’t worry, they just chose to put the airport in the one teeny, tiny area that is used for industrial ugliness.

Then, you will look to your left, see something like this and quickly change your tune..

You will head down the Garden State Parkway..

You will arrive at the Sandy-ravaged shore and your heart will break a little..

But behind all that rubble, you will still be in awe of your surroundings and Harry will be all “I can’t wait to summer here with the in-laws after Kelly and I get married..”

And you will see that we are rebuilding, coming back stronger than ever..

Finally, Governor Christie will make an appearance and you will most likely get a colorful comment of sorts..

After all that time outside, breathing in the fresh ocean air, you might be getting a bit hungry..

Pork roll, egg and cheese on a hard roll – does not get more Jersey than this

Contrary to popular belief, you will not see any of this because surprise! These clowns are not even from New Jersey..

So put Bruce Springsteen on repeat, throw your preconceived notions to the wind and be prepared for a morning in a beautiful place. Oh, and you will also see this girl..

Get used to seeing her around, word on the beach is that Prince Harry will be falling in love with her and whisking her back to England.

The British Are Coming, The British Are Coming!

It might just be the best Monday ever. No, wait.. I think it actually is. After what seems like an eternity of waiting for details on Prince Harry’s rumored United States visit, the time has arrived. Altough the initial chatter was of a New York City visit, this tour is shaping up to be much more than that. In fact, it is more than I could have hoped for. Just when I thought there was no way to love the handsome prince even more after his dance party in Lesotho, he goes and adds a tour stop in my home state of New Jersey..no it’s not just to see me (although I’ve heard that’s why he requested this tour stop), he will also be visiting  Hurricane Sandy victims. Those of you who read my blog often and follow me on Twitter know that I reside in one of the hardest hit areas from the storm and fortunately my house and family made out okay. It is really touching and means so much that he will be coming to Jersey to visit those who lost everything in that horrible storm.

Not only is Prince Harry coming to the greatest state in the union, but on his May 9-15 tour he will also be visiting Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, Washington D.C., New York City and Connecticut. Activities announced thus far include stops at Arlington National Cemetery, Walter Reed National Medical Center, a community baseball program and a Sentebale polo match.

I can’t wait to welcome the white pants to the United States and anxiously await more details so I can plan accordingly! Stay with Keep Calm and Harry On as the momentous occasion draws closer! And to all my royal reporter pals, I hope to meet you when you’re in New Jersey – I’ll get you the best pizza!

UPDATE (11:55 am): According to E! Online and The Telegraph, the dates appear to be shaping up as follows:

-May 9-10: Washington D.C.

-May 11-12: Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado

-May 13: Travel day back to East Coast (the best coast 😉 )

-May 14 – New Jersey and New York City

-May 15 – Greenwich, Conneticut

Keep Calm & Stay Jersey Strong

I know this has nothing to do with the royal family or anywhere close to the UK, but  I wanted to use this amazing platform at my disposal to ask my readers worldwide for assistance. I’m sure by now you have all seen photos and videos of the devastation Hurricane Sandy brought upon the East Coast of the United States; maybe some personal stories have even  reached your corner of the globe and hopefully, you have felt compelled to help in some way.

For those of you who do not know, I am a Jersey Shore girl. The broken homes, washed away beaches and destroyed boardwalks you see on the news – that is my home. My family was incredibly fortunate during the storm, we only lost a big tree in our yard. So many of my closest friends and some family members were not as lucky – the first floors of their homes are currently sitting on the side of the road while they live in hotels or with loved ones, waiting up to a month for FEMA and the insurance adjusters to come in and tell them how much their entire lives are worth.

The majority of my area is going on day six without power and the cold is beginning to set in. Tonight, we change the clocks for Daylight Savings Time and forfeit an hour of sunlight – critical to the warmth and light needed to cleanup this absolutely decimated area. For some towns, it may be a month or more before full power is restored, gas lines are turned on and residents can get back into their homes. In short, this place looks like a war zone – the National Guard trucks everywhere make that even more evident.

So, I ask all of my followers near and far to do whatever you can to help the Jersey Shore and surrounding areas hit hard by this storm. In addition to donating to the Red Cross, local first aid squads and police and fire departments are a great place to direct your assistance. Some of the most devastated areas include Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey (towns such as Oceanport, Long Branch, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach, Sandy Hook, Belmar, Avon, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Spring Lake, Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, Atlantic City, Point Pleasant, Mantoloking) and Manhattan, Long Island, Staten Island, Rockaway Beach and Breezy Point in New York. If you have a way of sending clothes, food, water or supplies – do so. If you live close enough that you can volunteer – do that too.

What you have seen on the news does not even begin to describe what it is like here; it is one of those things you need to see to believe, but once you see it you will never believe it. Here are some of photos taken by myself and those close to me..

Our hearts may be broken, but if you know anything about Jersey kids – we are as tough as they come. We need your help!