Visitors flocked to the Jersey Shore on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
LONG BRANCH - Continued sunny skies and temperatures above the 80-degree mark brought thousands of visitors to the Jersey Shore on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
The crowds in some beach towns, such as Long Branch and Asbury Park, were slow to arrive on Saturday morning. But by lunchtime, the parking spaces were already scarce and there were lines stretching from the entrances to the beaches.
Tenafly resident Tyler Hojo spent the morning building a large sandcastle with a water pit with his children Logan, 5, and Dylan, 3.
"It's Memorial Day weekend, it's the start of summer!" Hojo said. "It's hot, we're at the beach and we're just enjoying spending time together."
Eatontown resident Alexandria Chukwuma, 20, spent Saturday on the beach with her two younger brothers and her younger sister to the beach near Pier Village for the day.
"We don't go to the beach that much, but it's a nice day and I wanted to get them out of the house, so we're here for the day," Chukwuma said. "There are so many stores here and the beaches are clean, so it's a nice place to visit."
Isabella Patterne, of Denville, is spending the holiday weekend with a group of friends at the Ocean Place and Spa.
The group checked in Friday night and spent Saturday on the sand.
"We're just going to spend the weekend enjoying the beach, the restaurants, the weather and the resort we're staying at," Patterne said. "And the weather is very nice today, it's a lot sunnier and warmer than it was (Friday)."
Friends Christine Crowley, of Clifton, and Regina Kucheruck, Elmwood Park, decided to bring their kids to the beach when their husbands had to work for the day.
"It was a long winter, so I think everyone is excited for Memorial Day weekend because it's the kickoff to summer. They're ready to go to the beach, barbeque and everything else," Crowley said "It's a little chilly, but the refreshing kind of chilly where you don't have to go in the ocean. If the weather stays like this - sunny and warm, with no rain - this is going to be a great start to the summer."
"Spending the day at the beach is just a great way to start of the summer," Kucheruck said. "But it also a good time to remember what Memorial Day is really for."
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.