Cape May, NJ Road Trips

Cape May, located at the very southern tip of New Jersey, is a Victorian resort town. It was the country's first seaside resort and much of the original flavor still exists in the properties and other sites within the city. Settled by whalers and fishermen in colonial times, the town suffered a devastating fire in 1878 and was rebuilt during the Victorian period. As a result, Cape May is known for its concentration of Victorian era architecture. It was declared a national historic landmark in 1976. A canal, dug from a natural shallow creek, runs from Cape May's harbor to the Delaware Bay, which makes Cape May an island. In fact, historically, it's known as Cape Island. The two main industries within Cape May are tourism and fishing. Cape May is second to Atlantic City for tourism in the state of New Jersey. Being at the confluence of the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean allows Cape May full access to many types of fishing opportunities. Cape May is also home to the Coast Guard Training Station.

1 Cape May Bird Observatory, 701 East Lake Drive, ☏ +1 609 884-2736. Daily 9AM-4:30PM. If birds are your thing, Cape May is the Mid-Atlantic answer to the Everglades. The wind currents carry migratory birds out over Cape May, so it is one of the best birding spots on this part of the East Coast. Everything from ospreys to herons, to gulls, plovers and sandpipers, birding in Cape May is an attraction all by itself. Spring Weekend Festival in May. 2 Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Point State Park. The third lighthouse built on this spot, the current lighthouse is now owned and operated by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), and is being restored to its former glory. 199 steps will take you to the top of the lighthouse where you can see views of Cape May and beyond. The light from this one hundred fifty-seven and a half foot lighthouse can be seen from 20 to 25 mi (32 to 40 km) out to sea. Adults $8, Children (3-12) $5. (updated Jul 2017) Sunset Beach Flag Ceremony — There is a poignant flag lowering ceremony in honor of servicemembers, daily at sunset, at Sunset Beach, just outside of Cape May Point. Dolphin and Whale watching — some of the boat owners guarantee aquatic mammal sightings on every trip. Dolphins seem to be the normal sighting, as hundreds of dolphins summer around Cape May. Whales? Bottle-nosed dolphins are part of the whale family, but are not the only whales in New Jersey. Humpback and Fin back Whales are sighted with frequency throughout the year. Two- or three-hour boat rides are common.

Parasail — See Cape May from the air. It is extremely safe and fun. Try East Coast Parasail located in Cape May New Jersey 1121 Rt 109, 609-898-UFLY email at [email protected] or Hang Loose Parasail, (609) 522-WILD, in Wildwood. You'll love the relaxing view of the whole island from 500' in the air. Jet Ski & Waverunner Rentals — Rentals are a great way to live life to the fullest this summer without breaking your budget. Try East Coast Jet Ski & Waverunner Rentals located in Cape May New Jersey 1121 Rt 109, 609-898-USKI Bike — Cape May is still a relatively small town (in diameter) so biking is a very practical way of getting around. There are a number of bicycle rental places within Cape May, where you can rent everything from the average one-speed two-wheeler to a four-wheeler that seats four and includes a basket for your beach toys or shopping bags. Fish fresh water fishing can be had in several small lakes located around the area. The back bays, surf, Delaware Bay and open Atlantic Ocean allow for many more (surf and deep sea) fishing opportunities. The Miss Chris Marina tel:(609)884-3351 offers Daily Deep Sea Fishing Opportunities aboard the so-called "Head Boats, or Party Boats" for four, six or eight hour fishing trips, as well as Kayaking and boat rentals and a nice tackle shop. At the Miss Chris Marina they also offer Whale and Dolphin Watching Trips, Sightseeing, and Dinner Cruises. Kayak — take a sea kayak on a ride, and explore the many nooks and crannies of the salt marsh. Surf — Wildwood, just to the north, is known for big surf.

There is a wide variety of dining available in Cape May, from family and elegant to seafood and pancakes. However, many restaurants operate on a seasonal basis. Most restaurants are open seven days a week from Late May through early October. After that, it's best to call ahead. There are good places to eat on nearly every corner. Good pizza and lots of good Italian food. Seafood and burgers are easily found at budget prices, though it might be wise to search for seafood at mid-range prices and above. Carney's The Mad Batter (excellent breakfasts) The Pilot House The Ugly Mug George's Place Restaurant +1 609 884-6088 Hot Dog Tommies There are many places where it is possible to get very good food (esp. sea food) at reasonable prices. One can buy fish right off the boats coming in from the day's fishing. Black Duck Restaurant, 1 Sunset Blvd, ☏ +1 609-898-0100. American Contemporary The Lobster House McGlade's Backstreet Cafe Cape May is known for its many fine restaurants. The town's been dubbed the Restaurant Capital of New Jersey. 410 Bank Street, 410 Bank Street, ☏ +1 609 884-2127. Freda's Cafe, 210 Ocean Street, ☏ +1 609 884-7887. The Washington Inn, 801 Washington Street, ☏ +1 609-884-5697.

Carneys, 401 Beach Ave, ☏ +1 609 884-4424. Located just steps from Cabanas, is great both day & nighttime. Step over from the beach for a frozen drink. The Ugly Mug, 426 Washington Street, ☏ +1 609-884-3459. A Cape May institution on the Washington Street Mall. Cozy, pub-like atmosphere. The Pier House, 1327 Beach Av, ☏ +1 609-898-0300. The Schooner Bar, at the Lobster House. Lucky Bones Backwater Grill, across from the Lobster House. The Brown Room and The Boiler Room at Congress Hall.

Periwinkle Inn, 1039 Beach Avenue, ☏ +1 609-884-9200, [email protected]. Montreal Inn, 1025 Beach Ave, toll-free: +1-800-525-7011, [email protected]. Mount Vernon Motel (Beach and 1st Ave), ☏ +1 609-884-4665. Madison Motel, 601 Madison Ave, ☏ +1 609-884-4838. Albert Stevens Inn, 127 Myrtle Ave, ☏ +1 609-884-4717. Bedford Inn Victorian Bed & Breakfast, 805 Stockton Ave (1 block to the beach), ☏ +1 609 884-4158, toll-free: +1-866-215-9507. All rooms have private bath. Decorated with period antiques. 1 Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant (Peter Shields Inn), 1301 Beach Ave (on Beach Ave, oceanfront doorstep), ☏ +1 609 884-9090. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. The Peter Shields Inn is a 1907 Georgian Revival mansion, a Bed and Breakfast Diamond Collection boutique inn with 9 guest rooms, oceanfront views, a front porch, bike rentals, and a restaurant. $99-119. The Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast, 102 Ocean St, ☏ +1 609-884-8702. The Mason Cottage, 623 Columbia Ave, ☏ +1 609-884-3358. Built in 1871 and open all year, this is a country Victorian B&B. The nine guest rooms are furnished in the period style, with private baths and TVs. Full breakfast, afternoon tea, complimentary bikes and beach chairs are provided. $109-299. John F. Craig House Bed and Breakfast, 609 Columbia Avenue (Turn right on Columbia and follow it about six blocks and just beyond the war memorial is the Craig House), ☏ +1 609-884-0100, toll-free: +1-877-544-0314. Built in 1866 and open all year.

The nearest large airports to Cape May are Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI IATA) in Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR IATA) and Atlantic City (ACY IATA). From there you can drive for about an hour from ACY, drive two hours from PHL, or approximately three hours from BWI or EWR. For those with private aircraft, there is a small airport (WWD) just a few miles out of town. The closet rail terminal is Atlantic City, NJ (about 45 minutes by car or two hours by bus to the North). This station is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line from Philadelphia and is connected to Cape May by NJ Transit bus, see below. Drive time to Cape May is about three hours drive from the New York City metropolitan area and from Baltimore, Maryland. If you fly into Philadelphia, it only takes about two hours (assuming you hit good traffic). If you're able to fly into Atlantic City, you can make it down in about 45 minutes. New Jersey Transit runs the 552 bus route from Atlantic City to Cape May. From the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal, take New Jersey Transit bus route 319 to Atlantic City. A Few 319 buses will terminate and begin in Cape May, check the schedule. Note: New Jersey Transit runs a summer schedule on these two routes when school is out for the summer. So pick up a printed schedule when in doubt. The Web site for New Jersey Transit publishes the normal schedule. Cape May has complete harbor access from the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cape May is a relatively small town, compared with other mid-atlantic and southern United States resort communities. While cars are allowed on the island, it's best to park it and walk or take a bike. The flat terrain makes biking ideal.