This has been a long time coming. I have lived in NJ for more than half of my life, and to my shame have never visited Cape May. Until this last summer. We ripped off the band aid and rented an Airbnb.
First, where we stayed was outside of town, a short walk from the beach that is actually the Delaware Riverm delta. The place we stayed at was lovely. Here is what I would do differently next time: rent downtown Cape May. It just works better for our family, to be able to go and meander somewhere after the sun has set. While it was less expensive to rent in North Cape May, we did feel rather trapped at home when we got there after our adventures.
Mistake number two was that I had a cranky 15 year old with me, and he did not have any of his friends around, which made him even crankier. We lured him there with a promise of food and parasailing.
I also had a list of things that I wanted to do, and given that we were there for two nights, and just one full day, that list was jam packed. I realize that two nights are not enough. There were things on my list that we did not have time for. Cape May zoo and Cape May Bird Observatory were two places we did not have time to visit. On our long way down from Central Jersey, we wanted to stop at Barnegat Lighthouse and Lucy The Elephant. Unfortunately, they were under construction. Another thing to add to my next visit! We did stop by LBI, and went in for ice cream at the Skipper Dipper. Trying new ice cream places across NJ is my jam, and one day I will write a list of the best ones.
The first thing we did when we got to Cape May was eat out at the Blue Pig Tavern. It was worth it. The food was delicious, and the outdoor seating lovely. After, we enjoyed a nice walk through the downtown, and a walk on the beach.
Of course we got some ice cream before the night was done. Of course, we walked down to the beach front, to Fine Fellows Creamery. It was even better because we could cross the street and chill on the beach while eating ice cream.
We went for an early morning hike at Cape May Point State Park, visited the beach there, explored the bunker, and then climbed to the top of the lighthouse. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning.
After that we headed to parasail. I made reservations with Atlantic Parasail. I can’t recommend them enough. First, I had to reschedule due to weather and due to our own schedule issues a gazillion times. They were always accommodating, understanding and kind, and not once did they make me feel like the crazy, type A, overplanning person that I actually am. Secondly, once we made it there, everything was so much fun. I don’t love heights, but I love going fast. The boat ride was awesome, and while I was terrified to go up, once I did, it was amazing. They were thorough, knowledgeable and chill. If I were to recommend you do one thing there, this is it! Do it! You can check them out on their website.
We spent the afternoon eating lunch, walking around the downtown Cape May, enjoying the architecture, the cute little shops, and some delicious ice cream, and the beach, of course. In the evening, we went to Sunset beach where we got to have a magical moment – watching the sunset over the shipwreck (those that don’t know me, I have a thing for shipwrecks), with dolphins bouncing all around, and delicious fries.
After the sun has set we headed to Wildwood for the rest of the evening. It is not really my kind of thing, but it sure was pretty there, and it just felt like it is somewhere we should visit.
Finally, on our way back home we made a stop at Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, and had a nice time exploring the grounds around it.
All in all, I really enjoyed Cape May. It had a very relaxed vacation vibe, and I would definitely do it again.