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.

Top 7 Things to See & Do While Visiting Cape May

Cape May is located at the southern most tip of the state of New Jersey. It is one of your classic shore towns but with a twist...a Victorian twist! When you stroll down many of the streets in Cape May you will see some of the most spectacular Victorian architecture that you have ever seen!

While vacationing in Cape May you will find plenty of places to stay (hotels, motels, guest houses and Bed & Breakfast Inns), fine & casual dining establishments and tons of family-friendly activities to enjoy.

Our top 7 choices of things to see and do while visiting Cape May.

World War II Lookout Tower

* World War II Lookout Tower - This restored World War II Lookout Tower is located at Sunset Beach in Cape May and was once part of the defense system of the Delaware Bay. Admission is free to walk around the grounds surrounding the tower and there is a small admission fee to enter and tour the tower itself.

* Sunken Concrete Ship - The S.S. Atlantus was a concrete ship used in World War I as part of an emergency fleet. On June 8th of 1926 a terrible storm came ashore and sunk the concrete ship right off the coast of Sunset Beach. You can see what is left of it by visiting Sunset Beach (free) attraction.

Cape May Lighthouse

* Cape May Lighthouse - This beautiful lighthouse was built in 1859 to help light the way for mariners who were navigating the Delaware bay and the south jersey cape. Activities are held here year-round and there is an admission fee to tour the inside of the lighthouse. Once you reach the top, you will get breath-taking views of the surrounding Cape May area.

South Cape May Meadows

* South Cape May Meadows - Nature Conservancy - If you love nature and are looking for a free activity to enjoy, we highly recommend you visit South Cape May Meadows. Every time we visit, it is never crowded & there is plenty of free parking. You can leisurely stroll the grounds and walk the paths to see wildlife in their natural habitat. We have seen all kinds of shore birds, rabbits, turtles, etc.

Washington Street Mall

* The Washington Street Mall - When you visit this coastal mall you will not find large box stores or retail chains. The majority of the stores here are small mom & pop stores, gift shops and eateries. If you want to park nearby, you will need to find metered parking.

* Cape May - Lewes Ferry - This ferry is a huge tourist attraction but also serves a functional purpose for people who are traveling between Cape May, New Jersey and Lewes, Delaware. Often times when you are riding the ferry you will see whales and dolphins swimming nearby. You can purchase round trip or one-way tickets.

Historic Cold Spring Village & Museum

* Historic Cold Spring Village - This village is open seasonally and visitors can stroll around the village at their leisure. There is an admission fee to get in but it is totally worth it. We enjoy going there to see the beautiful gardens, to participate in scheduled events and of course, to do shopping!

These 7 activities of things to see and do while visiting Cape May in New Jersey is just the tip of the iceberg! Some of these activities are only available during the "in-season" and others are year-round. Enjoy your trip to the Jersey Shore!

Exploring Cape May - A Jersey Shore Treasure

Cape May is located on the southern tip in the state of New Jersey. You'll find that the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean come together in this particular area. As a result, you can catch some of the prettiest oceanfront sunsets when you're sitting on the beach, especially at Sunset Beach, off of Sunset Blvd.

Over the years I've blogged many times about this charming coastal town and today, I wanted to feature some photographs and information that hasn't been featured on this blog before. Cape May is a year-round coastal town that always has something going on.

No visit to the area would be complete without stopping in to Cape May Point State Park. This is where you'll find the famous lighthouse which is open for tours. You'll need to pay an admission fee to enter the lighthouse, but you can walk all around the lighthouse grounds for FREE. You'll also find  a little gift & souvenir shop, public restrooms, picnic tables and access to one of the beaches. It's a great place to view some coastal wildlife (especially birds) too.

When you're driving around the area itself, you'll notice some beautiful Victorian style homes! You'll see them in your classic pink, purple, lavender, teal and other colors that were popular during the Victorian era. These homes are pretty large (many of them have been turned into Bed & Breakfast Inns and Guest Houses) and are absolutely beautiful to see.

If you're looking for something FREE to do while you're on vacation, head on over to the South Cape May Meadows Nature Conservancy. You'll find free parking in their parking lot and can walk along the trails to see all kinds of different shore birds, swans, cranes, turtles, rabbits, etc. who call this area of the marshlands home.

Within the city limits you'll find some fun playgrounds and community parks where the kids can burn off some steam or you can sit down to relax. These parks & playgrounds are rarely crowded, unless they are hosting some type of event or function. We like to visit them when our grandchildren are traveling along with us.

If you're driving through the downtown area, chances are you'll see the famous Cape May Trolley. If you want to take a tour (you need to pay admission) it's a great way to learn more about the city and it's history. During the summer season, you may have to wait several hours to take the tour, due to all of the tourists in the area. I always recommend going first thing in the morning.

If you head on over to Ocean Drive you can get a scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean. It's also a great place to view all of the multi-million dollar mansions that line the waterfront. These homes are massive in size and absolutely gorgeous! I would LOVE to stay in one of these for a week while on vacation!

While on Ocean Drive, you'll also find the world famous Cape May Convention Hall which hosts a variety of expos, fairs, shows and events throughout the year. It's a large building and clearly marked, you can't miss it if you're looking for it. Looking for a place to sit & just hangout for awhile? They've got park benches sitting right out front.

You'll find hotels, motels, guest houses and Bed & Breakfast Inns all over the city. With that said, most of the area's hotels seem to be ocean front or at least ocean view. Unlike some of the other Jersey Shore locations, you won't found hundreds upon hundreds of lodging options here. Some of these places are open-year round but I find that most of them are not.

One area that I like to visit is the Cape May Harbor & Marina. I love to sit down and watch the boats come and out of the harbor after a long day out on the water. You'll find boats of all sizes coming and going and some of them are definitely worth multi-millions of dollars. Sigh, I can only dream!

As your driving around the town you'll most likely see the famous Cape May National Landmark which is actually their water tower! You can see this tower from most areas around the city. Almost every time we drive by or walk by...I see tourists snapping photos of it, so I decided to grab a picture too!

If you don't mind taking a 5-10 minute drive up towards Wildwood, you can find a place called the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. It's FREE and has free parking. You park your car and walk the trail until you reach the beach which offers some gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean.

There is always something to see and do in Cape May New Jersey! I could seriously visit this coastal town 6 times a year and never get bored. I guess that is why thousands of people call this place home year-round.

Note: You can click on each photo in this travel feature which will open it up in a new browsing window and in an enlarged size. This will allow you to see all of the smaller details up close.

6 Things to See and Do in Cape May New Jersey

Every year we take a trip down to Cape May in New Jersey. If you have never visited this coastal town it's really a beautiful place to visit. There is always something to see, do or experience in Cape May. While it is a south Jersey Shore destination in the summertime...it's bustling with activity year round.

Today...I am going to share some miscellaneous sites to see around Cape May. These are some of the things you might want to see or do while visiting.

1. Cape May Welcome Sign - This sign is actually located in town. It's like a billboard representing several different local businesses. It's an iconic sign and you will often see tourists stopping to take photos of it or them standing in front of the sign.

2. Historic Cape May Water Tower - The water tower can be see from a lot of different locations around town. It's considered to be a national historic landmark. All of the south Jersey coastal towns & cities have these water towers and again....tourists love to stop by and take pictures of them.

3. The Town Clock - The tourists often refer to the clock tower that sits in the middle of the Washington Street Mall as "The Town Clock" or the "Cape May Town Clock". The Washington Street Mall is the ONLY "real" mall in the city limits of Cape May. It's open year-round but during the summer tourist season...it gets extremely busy. We love visiting the mall around the holiday season when all of the store fronts decorate for the holiday. Really beautiful!

4. Morrow's Nut House - is located on Beach Drive in Cape May. Beach Drive runs along the coastline so you can't miss it if you are driving by. Morrow's Nut House sells all kinds of delicious nuts, homemade fudge, saltwater taffy and other candies. They have a second location which is in the Washington Street Mall.

5. Cape May Lighthouse - The lighthouse can be seen for miles away and is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cape May. You will find it at the Cape May Point State Park which has free parking, a visitor's center, beach access and nearby beach walk. Everything is FREE except for the lighthouse itself...which charges a small admission fee to enter and climb all of the steps to the top.

6. Guardian Gift Shop & Consignment Store - Every time I visit the area I love to go shopping at the Guardian which is classic-style gift shop with sun catchers, clothing, souvenirs, etc. Right beside the Guardian is a boutique style clothing consignment shop if you are looking for items of that nature. There is a metered-parking lot across the street for you to park in. I can never find any nearby FREE parking, so I always pay to park.

These are just 6 miscellaneous things you can see and do while visiting Cape May in New Jersey. If you want detailed lists of Cape May attractions...take a peek in my New Jersey sections here on my travel blog for 100's of different posts! We love Cape May and think you will too!

Note: Click on each image in this post. It will open in a new window and in an enlarged size so that you can view all of the details up close!

Family Fun at the U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival in Cape May

The U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival is held every year during the month of May in Cape May, New Jersey. This annual festival honors the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and celebrates the county's designation as a Coast Guard Community.

The official training center located in Cape May is the only designated recruit training center in the United States. According to statistics, 80% of their workforce begin their enlisted careers in Cape May County. The center graduates over 2,000+ recruits annually.

We had the opportunity to attend the festival back on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 at the training center. You can find parking spots along Pennsylvania Avenue if you arrive early, otherwise you'll want to park in one of the designated parking lots and take the trolley over to the event. Photo ID is required to get in for all adults and all bags are subject to a security search. The festival started at 10 AM and ran until 4 PM with different activities and events throughout the day.

Here are a few of the activities that you can experience:

Ship Tours - These are guided on-ship tours that require a lot of walking and climbing of stairs. They require you to wear proper footwear when taking a ship tour. (in other words, no open-toe shoes or flip-flops are allowed).

Trolley Tours - The Cape May Trolley was available to give visitors a trolley tour of the Training Center Cape May. We didn't participate in this one, but it is available to visitors & guests.

Children's Fun Zone - At the festival they had a Kid Zone set up that offered kids face painting, games, arts & crafts and they had a lot of fun playing in the inflatable bounce house. My grandchildren really enjoyed all of these activities while we were there.

Exhibits and Events - As you walk around the grounds at the festival you'll be treated to various cultural and historical exhibits and entertainment.

Food & Beverages - There are food trucks and vendors at the festival where you can get something to eat and drink.

Throughout the day you can watch live demonstrations of recruits marching in formation, "mock" search and rescue demonstrations over Cape May Harbor, K-9 demonstrations and U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Band performances. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

A few tips: You'll want to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring along your sunscreen, sunglasses and other "sun" protective gear. If they're calling for rain showers, bring along an umbrella too! They really discourage visitors in bringing along large handbags, tote bags, backpacks, etc. Please leave them behind. This event can get extremely crowded and busy...be prepared for long lines and congestion.

Additional events were held on Sunday May 6th at the Cape May - Lewes Ferry Terminal at 1200 Lincoln Blvd. in North Cape May. Festivities included a community brunch, classic car show, a band performance and a magic show with Ken the Magician. We opted to not attend those.

My family had a great time attending the U.S. Coast Guard Community Festival in Cape May on May 5th, 2018. We're hoping to attend the next one in May 2019 and hoping to spend the entire week on a family vacation. You can learn more about the U.S. Coast Guard Community by visiting their official website online.

9 Fun Things to See and Do on Sunset Beach in Cape May

Sunset Beach is one of the prettiest beaches in Cape May, New Jersey and is perfect for an afternoon of family fun! The beach is located on the southern tip of New Jersey and doesn't require any beach tags and offers-up free parking! This beach has been voted into the top 25 beaches in America by Trip Advisor and Travelers Choice.

9 Fun Things to See and Do on Sunset Beach in Cape May

1. Shopping: There are 3 gift shops for you to shop from! The main Sunset Beach Gift Shop offers jewelry, collectibles, home decor, holiday items, Cape May apparel, gourmet pre-packaged foods and more! Across the street you'll find 2 additional gift shops selling apparel, garden items, collectible rocks, minerals and seashells, jewelry, children's toys, beach items and more!

2. Food: Located directly on the beach is the Sunset Beach Grille which is open seasonally. You can get hot sandwiches, french fries, hot dogs, burgers, cold drinks and other fast-food type's of items. You can take them on-the-go or sit there right on the beach to enjoy them.

3. Free Beach: As I previously stated, no beach tags are required for you to be on Sunset Beach! You can take a leisurely beach walk to collect shells, search for Cape May diamonds or just sit and watch the waves & boats go by. Forget your beach chairs? Don't worry, you can sit on some park benches and enjoy the beautiful views too!

4. Evening Flag Ceremony: is a 44+ year old tradition and is a nightly ceremony that runs every night from Memorial Day weekend through September 30th every year. Each evening you'll enjoy God Bless America and the National Anthem before a U.S. Veteran's casket flag is lowered to the sound of Taps, approximately 30 minutes before sunset. We've seen this a few times over the past couple of years and it's a very humbling & moving experience.

5. Sunset Beach Mini Golf: This is where you'll find one of our favorite mini golf courses in Cape May. It's situated right on the beach and has 18 fun holes! Our favorite time to play is right before sunset, because you get the MOST incredible views of the sun setting across the Delaware Bay. This is a fun mini golf course that your entire family will enjoy.

6. S.S. Atlantus: Is the infamous concrete sunken ship that sits right offshore! According to the history, only 12 of these concrete ships were ever put into service and the "Atlantus" was the second prototype, weighing a hefty 3,000 ton. In 1926 the "Atlantus" was towed to Cape May in New Jersey where it was going to be used as a ferry from Cape May to Lewes Delaware. While it was waiting for positioning, it broke loose of her moorings during a storm on June 8th, 1926 and went aground. Now you can see the sunken concrete ship (what's left of it) sitting right offshore.

7. World War II Lookout Tower: Within walking distance you'll find the historic World War II Lookout Tower. You can walk around the tower and visit the memorial for FREE. However, if you want to go inside the tower for a tour, you'll have to pay a small admission fee for that. This tower was very important during World War II and you can learn more about it by reading the historical markers that are on the site.

8. World War II Bunker on the Beach: Within walking distance you'll find the historic World War II Bunker on the Beach. You can walk down the beach from Sunset Beach to Cape May Point State Park which took us about 12-15 minutes. It's a beautiful walk along the beach. You can NOT enter this bunker but you can stand up on the beach to look at it.

9. Higbee Beach: Is located right beside Sunset Beach and no beach tags are required! There is a free parking lot right in front of Higbee Beach and you can go down there to sit on the beach, walk the beach or search for those beloved Cape May diamonds! In our honest opinion, we find better seashells and Cape May diamonds on Higbee Beach than what we do on Sunset Beach. Plus, it doesn't get crowded with people!

Every time we visit Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood or Cape May, we always plan to spend one afternoon in Sunset Beach! It's family-friendly and offers a lot of free and/or low-cost activities for you and your family to enjoy. As an added bonus, you get some of the prettiest views of the Delaware Bay and the sunsets at night just can't be beat!