Sunset Beach makes top 25 in country

Written by Mary Linehan Thursday, March 14, 2013 06:37 am

LOWER TOWNSHIP – Sunset Beach has been named one of the top 25 beaches in the United States by Trip Advisor, an internet travel site with more than 1.3 million users.

“Many hotels live and die by the ratings on Trip Advisor,” said Deputy Mayor Norris Clark at Monday night’s council meeting. “And if you get bad comments on Trip Advisor it can really hurt. They are a pretty big outfit.”

“We just found out that Lower Township’s Sunset Beach was identified and voted upon as the number 24 in the entire country. It was the only beach in New Jersey to make the list,” he said.

The only catch, as Clark saw it, was that the site identified the Lower Township beach as being in Cape May.

“No sooner had we gotten excited about Sunset Beach being named one of the best beaches in America, it was identified as being located in Cape May,” he said. “I know that Larry Hume and the good folks at Sunset Beach would rather it be identified as Lower Township. Today, I wrote them a letter asking them to fix it.”

Octogenarian Marvin Hume conducts a daily flag lowering ceremony at the beach during the summer months.

Despite the geographic slight, Lower officials remain pleased with the recognition.

“We are forming the economic advisory committee to bring in tourism and support jobs here. We have to look for every opportunity to promote Lower Township and everything it has to offer,” said Clark. “We need to do a better job getting the word out there.”

On Trip Advisor, nearly 300 reviewers have commented on Sunset Beach in particular. Comments called it a terrific place to relax, walk and fish.

Sunset Beach made the national list, which was topped by Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii and Siesta Key Public Beach in Sarasota, Fla. Overall, Florida had nine beaches voted on to the list; Hawaii had eight, followed by Massachusetts and California with two each.

Maine, Virginia, South Carolina and New Jersey each had a single beach on the top 25 list.