Garfield had been a regular visitor to the shore town of Long Branch, New Jersey, one of the nation's premier summer vacation spots until World War I. In early September, it was decided to bring him to Elberon, a quiet beach town just to the south of Long Branch, in hopes that the beach air would help him recover.
Garfield giat mengunjungi kota pantai Long Branch, NJ, salah satu tempat liburan musim panas utama di negara tersebut sampai Perang Dunia I. Pada awal September, ia memutuskan untuk pergi ke Elberon, sebuah kota pantai yang terletak di selatan Long Branch, dengan harapan udara di pantai tersebut dapat membantunya pulih.