Weekend Family Getaway to Cape May

We love visiting Cape May in New Jersey and recently took off for a 3 night and 4 day weekend getaway. Luckily for us, Cape May is about a 4 1/2 hour car ride from Central Pennsylvania and we can make good time if we leave early in the morning to beat rush hour traffic. We typically drive through Lancaster county, Chester and into Mullica Hill, New Jersey via the Commodore Barry Bridge, south of Philadelphia.

During our extended weekend getaway here are some of the things that we did.

1. Sunset Beach - We visited Sunset Beach one afternoon to do some gift shopping, to see the concrete sunken ship and the World War II Lookout Tower and to play a quick round of miniature golf. Luckily for us...only 2 other families were playing, so we were able to get through their 18-hole mini golf course in just an hour.

2. Trolley Tour - Later that evening we decided to take the Cape May Trolley to see some of the local sights. Since we were visiting during the busy tourist travel season, this was a great way to see the city. Traffic and parking can be a real nightmare during their busy times of the year. We spent about 1 1/2 hours on our trolley tour and really enjoyed it.

3. Rio Station - We drove up to one of our favorite restaurants located in Rio Grande...right off route 9 and about a 7 minute drive from Cape May. We ordered some burgers, fries, shrimp, soup and salads. We enjoy visiting this restaurant due to the vast menu selections, affordable and all of their food has been delicious.

4. Higbee Beach - We enjoy visiting Higbee Beach (right next door to Sunset Beach) because it's a FREE beach and they have a large parking lot. Every time we go to Higbee Beach there are no crowds! The beach is a tad rocky in some places and sandy in others. This is a great place to do some dolphin watching, boat watching or to look for Cape May diamonds in the surf.

5. Fishermen's Memorial - Later that particular day we headed to the Fishermen's Memorial which is a little memorial park that sits along Cape May harbor and the bay. There is a memorial there that's dedicated to the fishermen who have lost their lives at sea. There are a few park benches where you an sit down to enjoy the scenic views.

6. Oyster Bay Restaurant & Bar - The Oyster Bay Restaurant in Cape May is our favorite restaurant to visit when we want a nice sit-down dinner. If you're looking to dine on seafood, the Oyster Bay is definitely the place to go!

7. Cape May Miniature Golf - I'm aware of only 3 places in Cape May that offer mini golf. There could be more, but in the town itself, I'm only aware of 3 different places. Cape May Miniature Golf is one of our favorite places to play. They offer up an 18-hole mini golf course with some really nice water features. Fun for the entire family!

8. N. J. Audubon's Nature Center in Cape May - If you're looking for something free to do, we recommend that you visit the Cape May Nature Center. It's an educational center that focuses on animals that are native to the area and bird watching. The center consists of 2 floors with activities and an observation deck/tower where you can get some stunning views of the bay and of the harbor.

9. Cape May Harbor - If you enjoy boating, parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, saltwater fishing, etc. You'll want to visit the Cape May Harbor where you'll find all of those activities and more! We love walking around that place and just watching the fishing boats go in and out. It's pretty cool to see, especially when the larger fishing boats & ships come in.

As you can see, we crammed a lot into our 4 day and 3 night weekend getaway down to Cape May in New Jersey. It's a great family-friendly coastal town that is bustling with fun things to see and do year-round.