Down the shore

In New Jersey when you go to a seaside town you do not go "to the beach" but instead go "down the shore". Locals make the distinction between going to the vicinity and actually going out onto the sand or into the water. This is a distinction we don't make in other parts of the USA, even in other states along the Atlantic seaboard.

This from the Urban Dictionary:

Down the shore is the term used by people from New Jersey - specifically Northern Jersey (away from the shore area) - to describe going to the beach areas. Since New Jersey's beaches are all in the central and southern parts of the state rather than the Northern part of the state, which is blocked by New York City so there are no beaches, going "down the shore" means you're heading south. That's where the "down" part comes from. People who live near the beach wouldn't say "down the shore" because they're already living in that area. Once at the shore, if you're going to the beach you would just say "I'm going to the beach". But the term "down the shore" actually just refers to heading south towards the shore points on the New Jersey coast, or to the general shore area, because the Jersey Shore is more than beaches. It is also made up of boardwalks (with rides, food, water parks), bays, lagoons, many restaurants, etc. So if you are just going to hang out in those areas, you would probably just say "down the shore".

Regardless of semantics, early mornings along the waterfront with a lot of sunshine are indeed a very pleasant experience. This gentleman enjoying the oceanfront view in Belmar, New Jersey would doubtless agree.