A perfect family beach destination- Cape May, NJ
Cape May, NJ will always be my home away from home. I think it’s about time to share with you my favorite beach town in the United States and why you need to plan a visit. I have been wanting to write this for a while and finally got some time. It’s never too early to start planning your beach vacation right?
Growing up at the Beach
Living in the mid-west now I appreciate Cape May even more and miss it more. This is the town where grew up , where my family lives, where every single summer memory was made, where I spent days on the beach with friends and now my son has the same love of Cape May. I suspect by the time he is a teenager he will be spending his entire summers there. It is rated one of the 10 beach towns in the US by the Travel Channel. Trust me, you are going to want to save this post so pin and share !
I couldn’t ask for a better place to grow up than in this little family friendly Victorian seaside resort lined with colorful gingerbread homes and bed and breakfast’s. It’s rich in history and is American’s first seaside resort. The town is filled with charming Victorian Bed and Breakfasts, mansions and beach front hotels.
Size and Location
Located in the southern most tip of NJ, it’s a walking and biking town at only 2.742 square miles where the locals know everyone. Located just 2 hours from Philadelphia, 3 hours from NYC and 3 hours from Baltimore.
Lucky for me Cape May is a place we still visit regularly since our families are still there. I wanted to show you around because I guarantee you will fall in love with it. I am going to guess it’s like no other beach town you have ever been and I say that with confidence.
Full of Charm and occasional celebrities!
Imagine that little town you once visited that had a cute block or two of quaint little shops, buildings and gardens and full of charm and you just wanted more of it. You see, the entire Island of Cape May just like that, everywhere you go not just a couple of blocks its more than you can imagine. It’s a favorite of several celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Oprah and Tina Fey who visit often and has ties to the area. Even Taylor Swift as a child spent summers with her family in the area. Living in the mid-west now we talk a lot about my little town to friends. I only hope someday I get a chance to show them Cape May.
Cape May and Disney?
I can even tie Cape May to my other favorite place to vacation, Walt Disney World believe it or not! Even Disney loves Cape May! If you have ever been in the Disney’s Beach club resort you will find art works of Cape May and pieces of the southern New Jersey Shore as the resort reflect a seaside inn like those you can find the eastern shores. They even have a restaurant named after this famous little town, the Cape May Cafe. So erase what you think you know of New Jersey and let me take you back in time to see how amazing this little Victorian resort town is so you put it on your next beach vacation list.
My top Reasons to visit Cape May
#1-Full of History
Cape May has over 300 years of rich history that spans from Native American’s, Presidential visits, Victorian era with mansions to today where it has a place as a National Historic Landmark town. It’s one of those safe family friendly bicycle towns where you can ride everywhere to the beach, to the shops or to dinner where you feel perfectly safe walking the streets at night. It is full of history.
#2-Year Around Resort
Visiting Cape May is almost a year around event. September is prime time for beach weddings as Cape May is on of the top Wedding Destinations in the country. There are special events all throughout the year like the Jazz festival, Victorian week, Holiday festivities. It is an artsy town. Fall is my favorite time to visit when the weather is cooler but still nice with just a light jacket and the summer crowds go home. Weekends are bustling even up until Christmas so you want to book your weekend stay early because the town fills up.
The Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts provides a calendar of events and many activities and tours of the area and Tours of Victorian homes though trolley tours, walking tours and self-guided tours. January and February are the quiets months and many business close for the winter and reopen in the early Spring.
#3- The Beach
Cape May Beach. beautiful and clean. Going to the beach on Cape May beaches has been a popular past time here since the Victorian days or before. Today some of the same families but newer generations still frequent the beach in the same spot on the beach. I can always find someone I know in their spot on the beach whenever I am in town to visit.
The Cape May Promenade runs about 2 miles along the beaches of Cape May so you always have an ocean view. It’s very popular during the early morning bike rides and walkers. Beach tags are required in the summer months and on a clear day you can see across to Rehoboth Beach Delaware as well as watch the dolphins play along the coast. Even in the fall and early spring when its not quite swimming weather is a perfect time to sit, grab a good book and relax on the beach.
#4-Full of Family Time Activities
It really is the perfect family destination with so many activities to do together as a family. A place where you kids won’t miss the lazer tag or trampoline park.
As I said Cape May is a bicycle town so why not rent some bikes or a surrey for a stroll around town.
Located just down the road from the heart of Cape May is Cape May Point Lighthouse and sunset beach. The Cape May Lighthouse is a must visit, kids love the challenge to climb the 199 steps to the top to experience magnificent views of the peninsula. There are many nature trails to hike and you can bird watch or catch the monarch butterflies migrate in the fall. It’s one of the top birding destination in the United States.
A short drive away is Sunset beach where you can look for famous Cape May Diamonds to take home and see the sunken concrete ship and take in a sunset.
During the day there are whale watch and dolphin watch boat rides, paddle boarding and fishing excursions.
A stop at Beach Plum farms is always a pleasure especially in the spring when the hydrangea are in bloom.
Visit the Physick estate for a tour or afternoon tea. They even have children tours.
At night the kids can play a round of miniature golf or games in the Family Fun Arcade on the Promenade. Cape May is good old fashion fun you might expect from a beach town without the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
#5-Unique Places to Stay
The accommodations in Cape May is wide-spread but you won’t find your chain hotels in this town. Most business are locally owned. You can stay from lavish water front vacation homes, tiny vacations cottages, gingerbread trimmed Victorian bed and Breakfast Inn , condominiums to beach front hotels. A budget friendly ocean front hotel is the Grand Hotel that offers package specials throughout the year. One of my favorite bed and breakfasts is the Southern mansion and Angel of the Sea for a perfect romantic getaway.
Congress Hall is a popular hip Victorian hotel once known as the summer White house that housed several US presidents as well as many celebrities. There is something for every budget but you can expect premium rates during the summer months. If you are into ghostly spirits and history there are many homes and inns are known to be haunted and several different Cape May ghost tours are offered at night.
#6-Lots of Shopping
The heart of Cape May is the Washington street mall lined with eclectic boutique shops and dining options. Save your money up because you will want to buy everything! Don’t go home without some famous Original Fudge Kitchen fudge or Fralinger’s Salt Water Taffy! A seashore staple! Visit West End garage a unique shopping destination where you will find over 50 unique shops from artisan gifts, vintage jewelry to antiques. Its always a favorite stop of mine.
#7: Adult Activities
Need a cocktail head of the Congress Hall for a drink in the popular Brown Room , Ugly Mug or the laid back Rusty Nail and Beach Shack outdoor bar fun for the whole family to gather. There is entertainment everywhere like the Cape may Stage that offers seasonal productions. Music is offered in many of the local bars such as Carney’s. Don’t worry if you have kids. There is even a service in town call Gardian Angels Sitting service that I highly recommend that offers babysitting so mom’s and dads can go have a date night and have some fun or do some fine dining in some of the great restaurants in town.
#8 Wineries & Breweries
Several years ago it was discovered that Cape May area could grow amazing grapes for wine, it has the right kind of soil. Since then a number of wineries have popped up. The Cape May Winery is one of the originals. (My husband and I are lucky enough since its right next door to my in-laws house!) Willow Creek Winery located in West Cape May is also a beautiful setting and worth checking out. I love their Sangria! There is also a wine tour bus that will take you around to the wineries around the area and is a lot of fun. Also with the popularity of micro breweries several are located in the Cape May Area as well. Cape May Brewing Company and 7 Mile Brewery. One of the most unique breweries is the Cold Spring Brewery. Located in historic Cold Spring Village they make the beer inspired by the 1800’s recipes. What is best of all all these places are family friendly.
#9-Lots of Dining Options
Now let’s talk about food! My favorite thing to do in Cape May is grab some fresh seafood. There are so many places to dine. Cape May has everything from signature fine dining at the Washington Inn or Louisa’s Cafe, family dining such as the Lobster House or Cape May fish Market to Tommy’s Hotdogs for a beach snack. A famous touristy stop is the Lobster House. You can dine in the main dining room, do take out and eat out back on the deck, dine in their raw bar or have a drink on the Schooner sailing vessel. The kids love to check out the boats and live lobster tanks. New on the block this year is the Exit Zero Filling Station. Known for there free weekly publication, you never know if you will show up on next weeks magazine but now you can fill up your belly and gas tank at their new place. There are plenty of places for breakfast too. One of my favorite breakfast places is Mad Batter Inn. This was my first job when I was 14 so I am a little sentimental about the place. There is cuisine for everyone’s palate. Just like you won’t find hotel chains you won’t find any food chains like McDonald’s in town. Sorry folks no Starbucks either! Don’t let that turn you away because you will find everything you need and you won’t miss it, trust me. It is so hard to decide where to eat every time we visit because of all the choices.
So does that sound like an amazing vacation or what? If you want a family friendly, relaxing and a laid back vacation with good food, shopping and fun activities for all be sure to put Cape May on your vacation bucket list. This place is just a charming little seaside town and although I am a little bias I have never come across anyone who didn’t fall in love with this little corner of the world. It’s a nice break from all the hustle and bustle of life. The folks are laid back here and friendly. You are able to find time to take a stroll along the beach, watch the surfers play, listen to nature in the quiet mornings and sit on the rocking chair on the porch and read a book. It is truly relaxing but at the same time so many activities available to take part in.
Free visitor’s guide
For a free visitor’s guide of Cape May visit the Cape May Chamber of Commerce website.
I have given you lots of info in one place so be sure to pin this post. This post is filled with lots of links so you can see explore each place I mention so read through first then go back to visit the links. This is not a paid post, all suggestions are from my own.
Have you ever visited Cape May, what is your favorite thing to do? What is your favorite beach town? Comment below.
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