>> Click to enlarge << Strollo’s Italian Ice on Long Branch, New Jersey. Photo by: Jerry Tyson

New Jersey is well known for its lighthouses. With three of the fourteen tallest and several notable others that include the oldest original lighthouse structure – Sandy Hook Light – and the nearby unique Highlands twin lights, New Jersey doesn’t need to take a back seat when it comes to “worth the trip” lighthouses.

>> Click to enlarge << Lighthouse Plaza anchored by McLean Advisory ... Photo by: Jerry Tyson

The concept of a lighthouse is a breeding ground for designs, signs, churches and almost anything else. Near a shore area, they flourish. New Jersey has more than its share of faux lights. Many have a light in the lanterns, but not for ship navigation so much as for drawing attention to the commercial enterprise below it at ground level. While on a search for an elusive light recently, we passed three that bear more than a notable mention.

>> Click to enlarge << Strollo’s Italian Ice in Point Pleasant, New ... Photo by: Jerry Tyson

Back in the 1930s, there were people who started a tradition of heading to a “lighthouse” that wasn’t noted for a bright light as much as bright happy faces enjoying Italian ices. Today, several more locations in central New Jersey near the shore serve not only the ices but a variety of treats, including soft-serve ice cream flavors that are uniquely Strollo’s. Unfortunately for us, the quarantine from the Coronovirus foiled our hopes to sample Strollo’s goodies, but anyone driving past their Point Pleasant Beach or Long Branch locations will not be able to ignore their lighthouses drawing attention to them.

Not that far away in Waretown, New Jersey is another eye-catcher over the entrance of the offices of Scott McLean’s McLean Advisory Group, specializing in a “Lighthouse Strategy” to aid their clients.

This story appeared in the Jul/Aug 2020 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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