Cool Cape May 2020-21
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Whale and dolphin watching abounds — this boat is from <strong>Cape</strong> Sea Excursions. jessica orlowicz<br />
one of the “top 75 theaters offering summer productions<br />
in North America” by The New York Times. And the Equity<br />
theater company <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong> Stage regularly draws Broadway-caliber<br />
and Emmy-nominated actors who perform in<br />
a beautifully converted 1853 church on Lafayette Street.<br />
Elaine’s Dinner Theater, also on Lafayette, puts on raucous<br />
shows guaranteed to please the whole family.<br />
UTSCH’S MARINA A family operation for 70 years, this<br />
isn’t just a floating campground for boaters (including Walter<br />
Cronkite). And it’s not just home to a great tackle shop<br />
and ship’s store. It also rents space to businesses selling<br />
fun on the harbor, including East Coast Parasail and Steger<br />
Stand-up Paddleboard.<br />
VILLAGE Historic Cold Spring Village is an open-air, living<br />
history museum that focuses on early 19th-century<br />
American life, aka the Age of Homespun, particularly in<br />
south Jersey. Set on more than 30 acres with 27 restored<br />
buildings curated from across the county, this is the largest<br />
living history museum in the state. When you’re finished<br />
visiting with the site’s historical interpreters or spectating<br />
a thrilling Civil War reenactment, check out the bakery,<br />
ice cream parlor, country store and a non-profit brewery<br />
housed in a beautiful, historic barn.<br />
WILDWOOD This wild, wild town just north of <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong><br />
is famous for its doo-wop architecture, complete with<br />
Vegas-style neon signage and delightfully tacky faux palm<br />
trees. But it’s the two-mile boardwalk that’s the real draw.<br />
The boards have all the funnel cake, water ice, fried oreos<br />
and seaside souvenir shops you can dream up, but they’re<br />
also home to Morey’s Piers, a world-renowned amusement<br />
park. The operation encompasses beachfront restaurants<br />
as well as two beachfront water parks complete with wild<br />
slides, play areas and a float-up snack bar. As for rides and<br />
roller coasters, they range from kiddie to family-friendly,<br />
thrilling to extreme. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you about<br />
the bungee jump!) It’s no wonder Amusement Today, leading<br />
trade publication of the industry, has voted Morey’s<br />
the Best Seaside Park in the World.<br />
X MARKS THE SPOT The red buoy situated just off<br />
the promenade on Beach Avenue at the end of Gurney<br />
Street marks the southernmost point in <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong>, which<br />
is the southernmost point in New Jersey. It’s a good<br />
reminder that this is the end — people don’t come to this<br />
peninsula en route to somewhere else because there<br />
IS nowhere else, just osprey-dotted skies as far as the<br />
eye can see. The structure — an excellent photo op, if we<br />
do say so ourselves — is reminiscent of the equally red<br />
(and yellow and black) buoy marking the southernmost<br />
point in the continental US. That’s in Key West, largely<br />
considered <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong>’s sister town both because of its<br />
similar(ish) vibe and because of the sheer number of<br />
<strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong> locals who enjoy vacationing there.<br />
YEAR-ROUND Unlike other Jersey Shore towns, <strong>Cape</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> is a destination even off-season. During autumn<br />
months, quirky festivals take place in West <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong>’s<br />
Wilbraham Park to celebrate <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong>’s storied agricultural<br />
past. Beach Plum Farm hosts Fall at the Farm,<br />
featuring hayrides to the pumpkin patch, s’more-making<br />
and a pig roast. Throughout the Christmas season, Congress<br />
Hall transforms into a Winter Wonderland, with a<br />
35-foot tree on the front lawn, a shopping village, a carousel<br />
and numerous opportunities to meet Saint Nick.<br />
Meanwhile, a community parade sure to get you in the<br />
spirit weaves through town the first Saturday in December.<br />
And the island is becoming an increasingly popular<br />
destination for spring break, too (think town-wide murder<br />
mystery events), since <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong> is open for business<br />
and the beaches are inviting, but the masses have<br />
not yet descended.<br />
ZOO The <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong> County Park and Zoo, just off exit 11<br />
on the Parkway, was ranked third best zoo in the nation<br />
and 13th best in the world, according to TripAdvisor, and<br />
not just because it’s free. Unlike other, concrete-heavy<br />
zoos, the animals here — 550 of them representing<br />
250 species — enjoy large, lush habitats. For the muchbuzzed-about<br />
snow leopards, the Chilean flamingos<br />
from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and a brandnew<br />
baby giraffe, life is good. The zoo is highly shaded<br />
by tree canopy and flanked by play and picnic areas as<br />
well as wooded walking trails. Oh, and a section of the<br />
park is home to the Tree to Tree Adventure Park, which<br />
is guaranteed to add a little adrenaline to your vacation.<br />
In other words, it’s time to go wild.
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