Avalon and Stone Harbor woke up to snow this past weekend, and temperatures were cold enough that it stuck around for quite a while.  Above, a Christmas tree on Avalon's 30th Street beach is covered with snow and decorations.

THE WETLANDS INSTITUTE has posted an article describing the ongoing marsh restoration efforts in local back bay areas, including adjacent to the Institute.  Appearing in Seven Mile Times and written by Wetlands Institute director Dr. Lenore Tedesco, the article describes the ongoing work of the Seven Mile Innovation Lab, a joint partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and the The Wetlands Institute.  Using clean dredge materials, the elevation of the marsh has been raised to help combat sea level rise and keep the marsh resilient in the future.  Read more  

WORRIED ABOUT YOUR PIPES during freezing weather? Avalon has introduced an app that allows you to monitor water consumption while you're away from your shore house.  Notifications can be set to alert you to water usage which could indicate a broken or leaking pipe.  Check out the app at avalon.my360-app.com.  Have your water bill handy to set up access to the app.
 
CONSIDER A GIFT to one of your favorite organizations this holiday season.  While lots of worthy organizations are deserving of your support, here a few local ones to consider:
Avalon Historical Society
Stone Harbor Museum
The Wetlands Institute
Cape May County Park & Zoo
 
GIVE THE GIFT OF SEASHORE MEMORIES!  Nothing brings the family together like a week at the shore!  If you're ready to book your family vacation—and lock in a week's worth of seashore memories - call or email me!  Want to make it permanent? Let's discuss your real estate goals and find the perfect seashore retreat to call your own!  I'll throw in the big red bow!

upcoming Events:

Wine Bar Local Thursday.  2-for-1 oysters, 25% off bottles of wine, and a rotating $25 bar plate.  The Washington Inn, Thursday, December 18th, 3:30pm to 8:30pm. Holiday Charcuterie: Build your own sample box to take home!  Avalon Free Public Library, Friday, December 19th, 1pm.  Registration required: call 609-967-7155. 
 
Icona Christmas Pop-Up.  A joyfully decorated Avalon Brew Pub is ready to serve libations, seasonal cuisine, and craft brews.  Through January 1st. The Santa Express: Ride with Santa aboard vintage railcars from Tuckahoe and Richland Stations.  Daytime, nighttime, coach class, lounge car, and private family cars are available!  Cape May Seashore Lines, through December 23rd.  For schedules and tickets
 
Let's Catch Santa.  Cape May Stage, through December 28th.  Read More 
 
Winter Wonderland at Congress Hall.  Decked out with festive decor, experience the grandeur of Congress Hall, the Enchanted Vendor Village, and the Congress Hall Carousel.  An enormous Christmas tree on the lawn makes for great photos, too!  Congress Hall, Cape May, through December 31st. 
 
Christmas In Cape May.  Cape May is beautifully decorated and transformed into a Dickens village for the holidays with garlands of fragrant greens and twinkling gaslights.  Activities of all kinds are available, including trolley rides, tours, breakfast with Santa, lighthouse tours, and more.  Now through January 4th. 
 
Happy Noon Year! Celebrate Noon Year's Eve at the Avalon Free Public Library with a special family friendly dance party.  Avalon Free Public Library, Wednesday, December 31st, 11am. 
 
Midnight Tide New Year's Eve Party.  DJ, hors d'oeuvres, cocktails.  The Reeds at Shelter Haven, Wednesday, December 31st, 7:30pm to 12:30am. Read More 
 
New Year's Eve at The Washington Inn.  Expertly crafter four-course dinner to ring in 2026.  Pair it with a cocktail, wine, or brew or your choice.  The Washington Inn, Wednesday, December 31st, 4:30pm to 10:00pm.  Read More
 
Avalon's New Year's Eve Fireworks Celebration.  A family friendly celebration begins at 3:30pm, followed by a dazzling fireworks display of the 35th Street beach at 5pm.  Surfside Park, Wednesday, December 31st, 3:30pm.

December 11, 2025

 
The Santa Express is in full swing! For many, it's an annual tradition to ride the rails with Santa, aboard some of the same vintage rail cars that used to carry passengers back and forth between Philadelphia and the shore! See my events list below for details!

A NORMAN ROCKWELL CHRISTMAS! Avalon and Stone Harbor kick off a very Norman Rockwell Christmas season with their Thanksgiving Weekend events, but even if you missed that weekend, both towns are still fully decorated and festive, and worth a visit!  Holiday lights line the Dune Drive and 96th Street business districts, stores are open, many restaurants are open, and it's a fun place to be!
 
IT'S COLD!  Overnight lows were down in the 20's earlier this week...make sure your shore house is ready for extreme cold.  Foundation vents should be closed to prevent frigid air from reaching pipes; inside, set your heat at 55-65 degrees to prevent freezing pipes.  If you have waterlines inside kitchen or bath cabinets on exterior walls of the house, the cabinet doors can be opened to allow heated air to reach the pipes.  Worried about your house?  Call or email me if you need something checked!
 

Average 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, courtesy Freddie Mac & Kirk George, Wells Fargo.
 
MORTGAGE RATES change frequently (sometimes daily) but in recent months have drifted downward a bit.  Putting it in perspective is this chart showing the average 30-year rate since 1972.  Despite the increases a couple of years ago, current rates are still below average.  "Marry the house and date the rate" may be good advice - if rates fall, you can refinance, meanwhile, you'll be enjoying your shore property!
 
SHOP LOCAL!  There's no better way to support your favorite beach town and merchants...  Send a little holiday love their way, and they'll ship a little holiday love your way!  Here are a few ideas:
 
Show your love for The Wetlands Institute - they offer sweatshirts, books, ornaments, and more!  Read More
 
The Fudge Kitchen is offering holiday discounts, and they'll ship anywhere! Read More
 
Stuff a few stockings with local beach tags! Read More
 
Cape May Whale Watcher is offering 20% off ticket packs!  Read More

upcoming Events:

Wine Bar Local Thursday.  2-for-1 oysters, 25% off bottles of wine, and a rotating $25 bar plate.  The Washington Inn, Thursday, December 11th, 3:30pm to 8:30pm. 
 
Tales Well Told: Seasonal Surprises.  Performed by Michele LaRue.  Avalon History Center, Saturday, December 13th, 2pm. 
 
Somm's Table: Port & Pastries.  Explore the world of Port Wines.  The Washington Inn, Sunday, December 14th, 3pm to 4:30pm. Read More 
 
Holiday Charcuterie: Build your own sample box to take home!  Avalon Free Public Library, Friday, December 19th, 1pm.  Registration required: call 609-967-7155. 
 
Icona Christmas Pop-Up.  A joyfully decorated Avalon Brew Pub is ready to serve libations, seasonal cuisine, and craft brews.  Through January 1st. 
 
The Santa Express: Ride with Santa aboard vintage railcars from Tuckahoe and Richland Stations.  Daytime, nighttime, coach class, lounge car, and private family cars are available!  Cape May Seashore Lines, through December 23rd.  For schedules and tickets
 
Let's Catch Santa.  Cape May Stage, through December 28th. Read More
 
Christmas In Cape May.  Cape May is beautifully decorated and transformed into a Dickens village for the holidays with garlands of fragrant greens and twinkling gaslights.  Activities of all kinds are available, including trolley rides, tours, breakfast with Santa, lighthouse tours, and more.  Now through January 4th. 
 
Happy Noon Year! Celebrate Noon Year’s Eve at the Avalon Free Public Library with a special family friendly dance party.  Avalon Free Public Library, Wednesday, December 31st, 11am. 
 
Avalon's New Year's Eve Fireworks Celebration.  A family friendly celebration begins at 3:30pm, followed by a dazzling fireworks display of the 35th Street beach at 5pm.  Surfside Park, Wednesday, December 31st, 3:30pm.

December 5, 2025

 
Avalon's Festive Friday & Snowfest Saturday and Stone Harbor's A Coastal Christmas produced
smiles all around! Photo provided by Borough of Avalon Facebook page.

SANTA & MRS. CLAUS made appearances and visited with children last weekend.  Tree lightings, music, family activities, and parades added to the festive atmosphere.  Local shops and restaurants were open, and the business districts of Avalon and Stone Harbor were quite busy!  If you've never been on Seven Mile Island for the Thanksgiving Weekend, it's something you have to do!
 

On Thanksgiving Day hundreds of Coast Guard recruits from Training Center Cape May were hosted by local families.  As host families arrived, recruits, above, waited until called by their company commanders for pick up.  Want to host a couple of recruits on Christmas Day?  See below for info!
 
HOST A COASTIE!  Did you know that the Coast Guard's "Training Center Cape May" is where all of the nation's newly enlisted Coast Guard personnel are trained?  At any given time, there are hundreds of Coast Guard recruits being trained in Cape May—and they need a place to call home for the holiday.  On Thanksgiving Day, over 600 recruits were hosted by local families as part of Operation Fireside, giving the recruits their first chance to relax, unwind, and enjoy a home cooked meal for the first time since arriving in Cape May.  Hosting a pair of recruits (or as many as you can fit!) is a truly rewarding experience, and truly appreciated by the recruits, their families around the country, and by the Coast Guard!  Host families within 50 miles or 60 minutes of Cape May are still needed for Christmas Day.  Interested?  The American Red Cross organizes Operation Fireside.  Send an email to opfiresidenj@redcross.org and request an application!


Coast Guard recruits Emilio, Jordan, and Derek hail from Oklahoma, Detroit, and Lancaster.  The Leisers were honored to host them on Thanksgiving Day!  We talked, shared stories, heard about their upcoming Coast Guard assignments, watched the Lions-Packers game, and of course, had dinner together.   What an enjoyable day!  Emilio, Jordan, and Derek will graduate from U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May on Friday, December 5th, and will soon be moving on to their next assignments!   
 
SHOP LOCAL: So many of our great local merchants remain open and ready to serve you during the holidays.  Put a little summer in your Christmas shopping, and support local businesses while doing your holiday shopping!  Here are some ideas:
A box of handmade fudge or saltwater taffy (they ship well!)
A gift certificate from your favorite restaurant.
A sweatshirt or t-shirt from a local clothing store.
Schedule a mid-winter getaway at a local hotel.
A boogie board or beach bucket set from Hoys 5&10. 
A gift certificate for whale watching, fishing, round of golf, or another favorite shore activity.
HHoliday Beach Tags are still available and are good for the 2026 beach season! Purchase Beach Tags
 
TOYS FOR TOTS:  Brighten the holiday of a local child in need--consider donating a new, unwrapped toy for our Toys for Tots drive.  Your donation can make a real difference in a child's holiday.  Our Avalon office is a drop off location - simply stop by and drop off your toy!
 
GIVE THE GIFT OF SEASHORE MEMORIES!  Want to give your family memories that will last a lifetime?  Spend a week at the shore with them!  Want to make it permanent?  Buy your very own shore property!  Call or email me to get started!

upcoming Events:

Icona Avalon Cookie Decorating Workshop.  Thursday, December 4th, 6pm to 8pm.  Read More
 
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Gardens & Courtyard Christmas Lights.  (Free.) Begins with a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, December 6th, at 5pm.  Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, North Wildwood.
 
Wine Bar Local Thursday.  2-for-1 oysters, 25% off bottles of wine, and a rotating $25 bar plate.  The Washington Inn, Thursday, December 11th, 3:30pm to 8:30pm.
 
Somm's Table: Port & Pastries.  Explore the world of Port Wines.  The Washington Inn, Sunday, December 14th, 3pm to 4:30pm. Read More
 
The Santa Express: Ride with Santa aboard vintage railcars from Tuckahoe and Richland Stations.  Cape May Seashore Lines, through December 23rd.  For schedules and tickets
 
LLet's Catch Santa.  Cape May Stage, through December 28th. Read More
 
Christmas In Cape May.  Cape May is beautifully decorated and transformed into a Dickens village for the holidays with garlands of fragrant greens and twinkling gaslights.  Now through Christmas.