Featured Destinations
Cape May
Distance from urban areas farther north makes the Cape May and Wildwood portions of the Jersey Shore decidedly different. Easily accessed via a well-maintained inlet, the Cape May area deserves special consideration, especially if you’re bound to ports beyond the Jersey coast
It’s not only a safe and convenient stopover to await weather or tides, it’s also a fascinating place to visit on its own.
Cape May has deep, historic roots that this city of some 3,400 permanent residents treasures. Widely recognized as the nation’s oldest seaside resort, the population explodes to nearly 50,000 during the summer with visitors arriving from the Philadelphia area in significant numbers, as they have since as early as the late 1700s. An excellent inlet and a well-preserved historic district should place it at the top of a must-see list for anyone traveling by boat.
Although the Colonial history of this area dates back as far as 1620, the handsome Victorian architecture that characterizes the entire downtown didn’t appear until much later. A disastrous fire in 1878 leveled 30 blocks of the city’s downtown and replacement homes were almost uniformly of the style popular in the late 1800s. Today, only San Francisco has a larger collection of these gaily-colored manses, with the entire city of Cape May designated a National Historic Landmark.
Like most Jersey Shore towns, the beaches are also a prime attraction, with some beach rating outfits calling Cape May’s sands the best of the best on a yearly basis. If you arrive in late May and early June, just before the prime season, you can catch parts of the weeks-long Cape May Music Festival, which includes chamber, classical, jazz, oldies and even kid-oriented shows, some of which extend into the summer months. With a seasonal theater scene, beachside films, historic landmarks and museums, and an active charter fishing fleet, the city has a lot to offer a visiting boat and crew.
In the past, Cape May’s strategic location also attracted the U.S. Navy’s attention, especially during World War II when the enemy submarine threat was active just offshore. Cape May was a key to offsetting that threat. After the war in 1946, the Navy turned its facilities over to the U.S. Coast Guard, which still maintains an active training facility in the harbor. Both the excellent inlet and the handy canal connecting a prime harbor with Delaware Bay are Navy legacies that make boating in the area easy by almost any standards.
Farther afield and worth the effort to see are the neighboring island beach resorts of Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood, which are called “wild” for good reasons. The funky and flamboyant “doo-wop” culture of the Wildwoods contains the largest collection of 1950s architecture in the nation. Stroll along the 2-mile Wildwood Boardwalk full of attractions, or head to any of the three amusement piers with more than 100 carnival rides, beachfront water parks, roller coasters and more.
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Things to See and Do
Good walking shoes are useful in Cape May but you may end up needing a little something more in the mobility department. The beaches are a bit more than a mile away from the marinas and likewise for much of downtown. Bicycling is officially fostered and encouraged, with various bike routes all over town and some even connecting the Wildwoods to Cape May. The beaches and some scenic wildlife refuges also have bike trails and bike riders are all over town. For bike rentals, check out Shields Bike Rentals (11 Gurney St.; 609-898-1818), Cape Island Bikes (135 Sunset Blvd.; 609-884-5320), or Village Bicycle Shop (606 Lafayette St.; 609-884-8500) and ask if they will deliver the bike to your marina. Also, some marinas may have loaner bikes. In any case, it’s a very bike-friendly town.
To get your bearings on what you’d like to see, you have two options. Immediately downtown is the Cape May Welcome Center (609 Lafayette St.; 609-884-5508), which is run by the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May. Not too far away is another good source for sightseeing, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (1048 Washington St.; 609-884-5404), which offers trolley tours of the city’s famed Victorian District, as well as several other tours in the area. It’s also in charge of the Emlen Physick Estate, which was built in 1879 by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and is a handsome Victorian edifice anchoring the city’s historic district.
Theater lovers will be at home here, especially at Cape May Stage (405 Lafayette St.; 609-770-8311), which features professional performances in the Robert Shackleton Playhouse. Likewise, professional performances can be found at East Lynne Theater Company (500 Hughes St.; 609-884-5898) just off the beaches. For family-oriented entertainment with lots of kid-centric options, check out Cape May Convention Hall (714 Beach Ave.; 609-884-9536). Among these numerous options are also Movies on the Beach in July and August.
Farther afield, another family option is the Cape May County Park and Zoo (707 North Route 9; 609-465-5271), an 85-acre facility with more than 550 animals representing roughly 250 species, both foreign and domestic. There are also carousel rides and hands-on skill challenges.
Admission to the park and zoo is free. A little closer to the marinas is the Nature Center of Cape May (1600 Delaware Ave.; 609-427-3045), a New Jersey Audubon-sponsored facility that uses the harbor and nearby forests as natural classrooms for all kinds of activities, science classes and natural history programs. Options include lessons in crabbing, local birds, butterflies, kayaking, fishing and beachcombing.
Shoppers can exercise their credit cards at the open-air Washington Street Mall (401 Washington St.; 609-884-0555), which includes three blocks of stores and restaurants, plus a church, attractive streetside flower gardens and a nifty fountain display, all amid nicely preserved historic buildings. And yes, there are lots of benches for those who are less interested in shopping.
With all the shallow backwaters handy to the main harbor, you may want to paddle around on a guided kayak tour from Miss Chris Marina & Kayaks (609-884-3351) or rent your own kayak (or paddleboard) for some independent exploration. Yes, they can also take you fishing — and whale watching too. On the site of Utsch’s Marina is Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center (1121 State Route 109; 609-898-0055), with an informative and exciting dolphin- and whale-watching cruise.
Among ornithologists, Cape May is known for its wide variety of birds, both indigenous and migratory. The numbers of birds and bird watchers explodes during the horseshoe crab mating season in late spring, as well as the autumn migration beginning around early October. For more details, visit the Cape May Bird Observatory (701 East Lake Drive; 609-400-3868), which operates under the auspices of New Jersey Audubon. If you’d rather observe birds and nature on your own, check out the 17,000-plus acres of the Cape May Wetlands Wildlife Management Area, just north of the main harbor in very shoal backwaters surrounding Jarvis Sound.
A little easier to access is the still-active, 157-foot Cape May Lighthouse (215 Light House Ave.; 609-884-5404), built in 1859 to guide mariners into Delaware Bay. You can also meander around the adjacent grounds of Cape May Point State Park (220 Light House Ave.; 609-884-2159), which has clearly marked walking trails from half a mile to 2 miles long, plus a nice sandy beach.
Worth a short ride north out of town, Historic Cold Spring Village (720 Shore Road; 609-898-2300) plays out the past amid 30 acres of 19th-century buildings, along with actors in period dress depicting the professions of the Colonial and post-Colonial era.
Continuing north to the Wildwood area, the atmosphere jumps from the 1800s to the 1950s, with doo-wop style motels and boardwalk amusements stretching for miles. You can also cruise here from the NJ-ICW, but entering from the inlet is not recommended without extensive local knowledge. The marina area is several miles from the beach and boardwalk.
Morey’s Piers (3501 Boardwalk; 609-522-3900) is the king of beachside entertainment with seven roller coasters, go-carts, racecars and other rides. If the surf thrills you, try the water parks, such as Splash Zone (3500 Boardwalk; 609-729-5600), which has kid- and adult-size rides to keep the entire family entertained. Duffer’s (5210 Pacific Ave.; 609-729-1817) offers 18 holes of mini-golf along with dining, ice cream galore, a full arcade and more.
About midway between Cape May and Wildwood is the Cape May Airport, home to the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum (500 Forrestal Road; 609-886-8787), an impressive collection of more than two dozen aircraft of historic significance, as well as engines, photos and other memorabilia. The air station was commissioned in 1943 and served as a training facility for dive-bombers.
Featured Marinas
Canyon Club Resort Marina
609-884-0199South Jersey Marina
609-884-2400Utsch’s Marina
609-884-2051
Restaurants and Provisions
Plenty of eating options are located within a handy distance of the marinas of Cape May. Depending on how far you want to stray from the harbor and marinas, we think farther doesn’t always mean better — but it often does increase your options amid a port teeming with dining temptations.
At South Jersey Marina you’ll find Saltwater Cafe (1231 State Route 109; 609-884-2403), where their scrumptious breakfast and lunch options can be enjoyed with a side of picturesque views. In the same neighborhood, enjoy dockside dining next to Utsch’s Marina’s from Lobster House (609-884-8296), well known for their takeout and seafood market, plus a popular raw bar. At the north end of the harbor is the Harbor View Restaurant (609-884-5444), which is handily attached to the marina of the same name.
Overlooking the beaches are numerous restaurant/accommodation options, with the Union Park Dining Room (727 Beach Ave.; 609-884-8811) chief among them. Like its competitors, this is upscale fine dining with a French twist while overlooking the beach.
Similarly situated is the Peter Shields Inn Restaurant (1301 Beach Ave.; 609-884-9090) whose elegant building and dining room are matched by inventive American and seafood options. If you’re feeling a little more like beachgoer food, get in line and check out Hot Dog Tommy’s (319 Beach Ave.; 609-884-8388), where the numerous menu items are matched with a fine sense of humor.
If you’re just looking for a good breakfast to start your day, let the Mad Batter (19 Jackson St.; 609-884-5970) at the Carroll Villa Hotel impress you with oatmeal pancakes or orange-and-almond French toast, among other things. Alternatively, try Uncle Bill’s Pancake House (261 Beach Ave.; 609-884-7199), a local favorite for decades. There is also George’s Place (301 Beach Ave.; 609-884-6088), which is a Greek restaurant available for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.
In the heart of the best-looking section of town is the Washington Inn (801 Washington St.; 609-884-5697), where Italian options mix with American fare, all with a penchant for making even the fussiest foodie happy. Likewise, the dining room at the Blue Fish Inn (601 MadisonAve.; 609-884-4838) has garnered a solid reputation with a laid-back attitude and excellent American fare and seafood. The accommodation options are also dog-friendly.
The pedestrian mall at Washington Street has numerous mealtime choices in and around it, some of which are BYOB. You can equip yourself with your favorite drinking option at Collier’s Liquor Store (202 Jackson St.; 609-884-8488), which has craft beers and wine, and is open until 10 p.m.
A large Wawa Food Market (1426 Texas Ave.; 609-884-6753) around the corner from South Jersey Marina makes provisioning easy. There’s a CVS Pharmacy (139 Myrtle Ave.; 609-884-2368) in the heart of downtown, and a short cab ride up Route 9 will take you to all sorts of shopping plazas with everything you might need.
If you’ve cruised into Wildwood, your non-boardwalk choices on the water include the Boathouse Restaurant (609-729-5301), which has casual dining outside and fine dining inside. Other options are the Beach Creek Oyster Bar & Grill (609-522-1062) or Urie’s Waterfront Restaurant (609-522-4189). Both have seafood-centric menus and have been around for decades.
In Wildwood, you’ll find everything from standard groceries to fast food along the busy four-lane road that passes near the marina area. There’s a large Wawa (418 W. Rio Grande Ave.; 609-729-6339) convenience store within walking distance, plus chain pizza, fast food, sub shops and the like.
