Most people visit the beach for rest and solitude. But, when they get there, they quickly discover that the pace is just as frantic as when they were in the city. For those who want a storybook vacation, where the visit is both physically and spiritually refreshing, Ocean Grove, N.J., is the place to go. You’ll find no high rise condos and flashing signs here. In fact, there isn’t even any liquor sold in town.

Ocean Grove is one of New Jersey’s unique year-round family seashore resorts. It is known for its abundant Victorian architecture in the one-square-mile town. Born out of a Methodist Camp Meeting ground in 1869, Ocean Grove has kept its community and Victorian charm through the years. The tree-lined streets, historic architecture and gracious townsfolk make this one of the most charming and relaxing seashore getaways I’ve ever visited, and it is only a 3 ½ hour drive from the Baltimore-Washington area. 

This isn’t your typical beach town. When you stand on the boardwalk facing the ocean and turn toward the town, you will not see the usual beach condos, but beautiful Victorian homes, condos and inns. The boardwalk remains refreshingly free from commercialism, and you will find families and friends walking, jogging, biking or fishing. 

Ocean Grove is designated as a National Historic District and claims to be the largest aggregate of Victoriana in the country. It is a fine example of a 19th-century planned community. The town was laid out so that the buildings nearest the ocean were set back from the street to create a “funnel” to capture sea breezes and channel them westward. Virtually all the historic buildings were built prior to the turn of the last century. 

Horse and carriage rides allow visitors to experience life as it was in 1869, when the town was incorporated, and hear about the history of the town, which was founded in 1894 by Dr. William B. Osborn, when it was a venue for Methodist Camp Meetings (open air religious revivals lasting many days). 

Ocean Grove is one of the few camp meeting sites left that remains true to its original purpose and still holds a Camp Meeting every summer in its famous Great Auditorium, so-called because it is, well, great. It seats almost 10,000 people and houses a Hope-Jones organ, which has become world famous with its 10,000 pipes. It continues to be used for Sunday services during the summer. The Great Auditorium once served as a showcase for the world’s great preachers and evangelists such as Billy Sunday, Billy Graham and Norman Vincent Peale.  

Tents were the predominant shelter for early visitors to Ocean Grove. Tenting is still a treasured way of life here. Today, 114 tent structures can be seen nestled around the Great Auditorium.  

In addition to worship services, the Great Auditorium features cultural events and popular entertainment. Sounds of many famous orchestras have filled the Great Auditorium including John Philip Sousa, Duke Ellington and the Guy Lombardo Orchestra. Just a few of the many notables who have stayed here over the years were presidents Ulysses S. Grant, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and Richard M. Nixon. 

On Main Avenue, just one block from the ocean, there are more than two dozen specialty shops where you can shop for anything from gifts, antiques, flowers and décor, to beach supplies, jewelry, books and art. Take a break and sit outside and enjoy a meal or ice cream at an outdoor café or indoor restaurant. Visitors must experience Nagles Ice Cream & Soda Fountain, a 1901 Apothecary Café. 

Hotels, bed and breakfasts and inns are all located within steps of the clean, uncluttered beach, where families can splash in the waves or sit on the beach and read a book. Room rates are refreshingly reasonable.

A magnificent place to stay, only one block from the beach, is The Majestic Hotel, originally built in 1870 as a 20-room hotel. The Majestic just finished another renovation and now has 15 beautifully appointed rooms and a penthouse. All rooms come with luxury 350-thread count linens, private marble and tile bathrooms, wireless Internet, personal stereo system with MP3/iPod capability, VCR player and complimentary movie library, cable TV, continental breakfast, beach chairs and towels, and discounted beach passes. Some of the rooms have a kitchenette.

The front porch and second-floor balcony are perfect venues for viewing the ocean and enjoying the refreshing salt air. Even though there is no elevator, the Majestic is ADA compliant and has special accommodations for guests needing an accessible room. Bia, a European Bistro, which is located on the first floor, is a first-rate dining choice. The Ocean Grove Surf Shop occupies the hotel’s lower level. The Majestic is open year round and is located at 19 Main Avenue. For information, visit www.majesticoceangrove.com or call 732-775-6100.

If you would like to top off your relaxing getaway with a massage, Holistic Healing Arts, located at 48 Main Avenue, is the place to go. Nationally certified massage therapist Alvina Quatrano has just the right touch for relaxing and therapeutic massages in your hotel room or at her studio. For information, call 732-502-0514.

No visit to Ocean Grove is complete without an old-fashioned afternoon tea, served up by Jane Wehr, owner of The Lillagaard Hotel, which was built in 1872 and is located at 5 Abbott Avenue. Tea is by reservation only. You will feel like you’ve been transported back into time as you slip on a flower and lace hat and sip tea and eat dainty desserts, finger sandwiches and scones, all served up on Wehr’s mother’s original china. She even sets the mood by offering instruction on tea and fan etiquette as guests enjoy their refreshments. Wehr caters to girlfriends, seniors and church groups who want to experience a truly Victorian weekend. For information, call 732-988-1216 or visit www.lillagaard.com.

For information on Ocean Grove, visit www.oceangrovenj.com or call 1-800-388-4768.