South Toms River 11/17--New Wawa

Dover Road, South Toms River.

Ever since we moved here, Shari & I always said that Exit 80 off the Parkway would be a perfect place for a Wawa. There was a vacant lot right on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Dover Road and nowhere to buy coffee unless you count 7/11 which we don't. Evidently, the Wawa corporation agreed, because in April a "Coming Soon" sign went up. All the spring, summer, and into the fall, I tracked the progress the store, snapping an iPhone picture through the car window whenever I could:

May

June

July

August

September

"Soon" came today, when Shari texted me this picture:

She also sent me a self a "Ha-ha-ha" selfie, since she got in there first.

They opened at 5 AM today--had I known, I would have been first in line. When I got her text, I was about 3/4 of the way around the Manasquan Reservoir--this was almost as bad as hearing about a rare bird except that I was reasonably certain that the Wawa would be there when I got to it. But to get to it I had to take long way around, going east on I-195 and then south down the Parkway, probably about 25 miles out of my way. However, they were giving out free coffee.

This is the 83rd Wawa I have visited, encompassing 4 states: NJ, DE, PA, & FL. To see the others you can click here.

This is a pretty important one for us--it will change the way we go home driving south on the Parkway. No longer will we exit at 89 and put up with the traffic lights on Rt 70 so we stop at the Wawa on Vermont Avenue in Lakewood. Instead, we'll just cruise down to Exit 80 and swing around Rt 530 to Whiting, the original route we took when we first came to view the area 6 1/2 years ago.

There are a couple of other spots that could use a Wawa--the NE corner of the Wildlife Drive at Brig comes to mind--but I think that is unlikely.

As a memento of the new store I asked for a receipt--had to buy something since the coffee was free--and, naturally, I found a typo. The store is actually located in SOUTH
Toms River, a town distinct from the much larger one just to the north.

But I doubt anyone else will ever read their receipt beyond the numerals or care where they really are.

And so, after 6 1/2 years, a dream has finally taken on reality.