Jersey Shore beaches finally reopen after the weekend shutdown

Gov. Chris Christie and family soak up sun on state beach he closed to the public. @AndyMills_NJ https://t.co/5NfFIv4IWX pic.twitter.com/nnWVxw5XT1

— Tony Dearing (@TonyDearing) July 2, 2017

Further living up to the state’s outstanding reputation, New Jersey’s best beaches closed for three days this weekend—over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, no less. Thanks, Chris Christie.

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A budget dispute on Friday resulted in Governor Christie calling for a government shutdown of state services including ferries, the DMV and state beaches and parks. (We never thought we’d be excited to have NJ Transit, but thankfully it remained functional this weekend.) Many popular spots on the Jersey Shore were forced to close, from Cape May Point to Island Beach State Park.

And you’ve seen the memes.

As Christie enjoyed his private tanning sesh, the rest of the state’s beachgoers were forced elsewhere: Local and municipal beaches (like Sandy Hook and Seaside Heights) remained open over the weekend but were plagued with severe traffic and overcrowding.

The rest of the beaches finally reopened on Tuesday, so head there this summer if you need to escape NYC. Just keep an eye out for the great white sharks.