New York & the Mid-Atlantic Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

to the north and south
respectively). Access to
all three beaches is free,
and the width of the
beach – more than 1000ft
in parts, making it the
widest in NJ – means
there’s never a lack of
space. Several massive
piers are host to water
parks and amusement
parks – easily the rival
of any Six Flags Great
Adventure – with roller
coasters and rides
best suited to aspiring
astronauts anchoring
the 2-mile-long Grand
Daddy of Jersey Shore
boardwalks. Glow-in-
the-dark 3D mini-golf
is a good example of the
Wildwood boardwalk
ethos – take it far, then
one step further. Maybe
the best ride of all, and
one that doesn’t induce
nausea, is the tram
running the length of
the boardwalk from
Wildwood Crest to North
Wildwood. There’s always
a line for a table at Jersey
Shore staple pizzeria
Mack & Manco’s on the
boardwalk (it also has
other shore boardwalk
locations).
Wildwood Crest
is an archaeological
find, a kitschy slice
of 1950s Americana –
whitewashed motels
with flashing neon signs,
turquoise curtains and
pink doors. Check out
eye-catching motel signs
like the Lollipop at 23rd
and Atlantic Aves.

4 p117

The Drive » Take local roads:

south on Pacific Ave to Ocean Dr,

which passes over a toll bridge

over an estuary area separating

Jarvis Sound from Cape May

Harbor. Then left on NJ-109 over

the Cape May harbor itself. You

can turn left anywhere from here,

depending on whether you want

to head to town or the beach.

9 Cape May

Founded in 1620, Cape

May – the only place in

the state where the sun

both rises and sets over

the water – is on the state’s

southern tip and is the

country’s oldest seashore

resort. Its sweeping

beaches get crowded in

summer, but the stunning

Victorian architecture is

attractive year-round.

In addition to 600

gingerbread-style houses,

the city boasts antique

shops and places for

dolphin-, whale- (May to

December) and bird-

watching, and is just

outside the Cape May

Point State Park (www.

state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests;

707 E Lake Dr; h8am-4pm)

and its 157ft Cape May

Lighthouse (adult/child $7/3)

(there’s 199 steps to the

observation deck at the

top); there’s an excellent

visitor center and

museum with exhibits on

wildlife in the area as well

as trails to ponds, dunes

and marshes. A mile-long

loop of the nearby Cape

May Bird Observatory

(%609-898-2473, 609-861-

0700; http://www.birdcapemay.org;

701 East Lake Dr; h9am-

4:30pm) is a pleasant

stroll through preserved

wetlands. The wide sandy

beach at the park (free)

or the one in town is

the main attraction in

summer months. Aqua

Trails (%609-884-5600;

http://www.aquatrails.com; from

single/double $40/70) offers

kayak tours of the coastal

wetlands.

54 p117

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

Cape May Victorian architecture

JEFFREY MURRAY/GETTY IMAGES ©