Mark Llobrera

Manahawkin 2025

Published in #family, #photos, #travel
Sunset along the canals of Manahawkin, NJ. The clouds are lit up from the setting sun in hues of purple, yellow, and orange.

In August we took our yearly trip to Manahawkin, NJ (and neighboring Long Beach Island) for our late summer Llobrera family reunion and birthday celebration. This was a special year, with my older brother Joseph celebrating his 50th birthday. My sister-in-law and I also celebrated our non-milestone birthdays.

Three women roll lumpia in a kitchen.
Lumpia assembly
A large pan full of pancit.
Sunset along the canals of Manahawkin, NJ. A bird in silhouette flies above a house.
I was happy that the bird lined up with this house
A young woman plays an arcade game.
Sake bottles lined up on a shelf, with the punny name “Heavensake”.
Oh, for…

My wife and I collect photos of license plate puns. We didn’t see too many interesting ones on this trip but we did spot a couple during our walks around the neighborhood.

Sake bottles lined up on a shelf, with the punny name “Heavensake”.
Sake bottles lined up on a shelf, with the punny name “Heavensake”.

Atlantic City #

Due to hurricane Erin the weather was too rough to go swimming on the ocean side of Long Beach Island during most of our stay, so we went swimming on the bay side and hung out at the beach house. We did take a day trip to the Atlantic City boardwalk, which I had never visited. It was a sad affair, with lots of run-down storefronts and closures.

  • Atlantic City hotel with twin wings extending to the boardwalk.
  • Inside a fudge shope.
  • Peanut World souvenir shop.
  • A mannequin head wiht a UV protection hood sits on top of the bottom half of a mannequin.
  • Chaotic gyro shop sign.
  • A salt-water taffy shop marquee missing multiple letters.
  • A shop named I heart 420 with a closed iron gate spray painted with "Sorry We’re Stoned".
  • A building with a fake-crumbling facade that looks like it’s going to fall into the street.
  • A man photographs the waves kicked up by hurricane Erin.
  • A sign for Fralinger’s Original salt water taffy.
A building with the sign "Paniq Room".
dir. David Fincher

Celebrations #

On our final day at the beach nobody could get into the water, so we flew a kite. Later we went to dinner to celebrate Joseph’s 50th.

A young woman runs along the beach, trailing a kite behind her".
Em running with the kite
A mother and her grown son smile in a restaurant.
Mom and me
A couple smile inside a restaurant.
Joseph and Kristen, double birthday celebrants
A sunset of blue, orange, and red.
A final sunset

More photos on Flickr.