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GEMS OF THE JERSEY SHORE From Atlantic City to , the Garden State’s classic seaside strip glimmers with and boardwalks, and campsites

article and photography by Jeremy and Stephanie Puglisi

he sun is barely above the fasts, then circle back around to the Originally settled as a whaling ocean horizon, and already seashore. Bicycles are allowed on the and fi shing community, Cape May the Cape May promenade is promenade until 10 a.m., and we want emerged in the mid-18th century as a teeming with cyclists enjoying to enjoy it while we can. popular resort destination for Phila- the scenic 2-mile stretch of This is our favorite way to start delphia’s elite. It had become one of Tpaved boardwalk that runs along the each morning in Cape May, a destina- America’s most famous vacation spots in this quaint Victorian seaside tion we grew to love as a dating couple by 1878, when a massive fi ve-day fi re town at the southern point of . and which still calls us back every year destroyed most of the town’s homes and We fall in line on our own bikes, now that we have three young children. businesses. Reconstruction was fast after reminding our boys to stay to On some mornings, we follow up our and focused, resulting in a town full of the right and avoid sudden stops. leisurely bike ride with a pancake Victorian-style buildings. Throughout Every half mile or so, we depart from breakfast at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, the last century, preservation efforts the boardwalk to meander through a beachfront restaurant staple in Cape have maintained the architectural the quiet side streets, packed with May. Other mornings, if we are in the integrity of Cape May, and it became a charming homes and bed-and-break- mood for something lighter, we pop National Historic Landmark in 1976. into Avalon Coffee Company to grab Present-day Cape May is a destina- breakfast sandwiches and fruit cups, tion that draws in every sort of traveler: eating at the outdoor picnic tables. the young honeymooners searching We break into our days slowly for romantic candlelight dinners and while vacationing at the Jersey shore. moonlit horse-and-buggy rides, the A morning at the beach is meant to families looking for sandcastle contests be savored, offering warm sun, light and mini golf, and the retired couples breezes and the therapeutic sounds hoping to capture beautiful photographs of waves and seagulls. of sunsets and migrating birds.

Towering above the community of Cape May Point, the invites visitors to climb its 199 steps for a small fee. The lighthouse stays open late on nights with a full moon.

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Along Beach Avenue in Cape May, wraparound porches and gingerbread fl ourishes adorn the Victorian-era dwellings, now mostly bed-and-breakfast inns.

MORE THAN THE SHORE CAMPING IN CAPE MAY share of upscale seasonal campsites. Beyond pristine beaches and promenades, Before owning an RV, we would spend The remaining sites are a bit tight, and there’s plenty to see and do in the com- our visits to Cape May in one of the the best ones are booked far in advance. munities that line the , hundreds of bed-and-breakfasts On some visits we decide to forgo including the following four diversions. peppered throughout the town. When the pool, spa and organized activities, CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE we bought our fi rst pop-up camper six and stay at the Depot Travel Park, which Cape May County Zoo and Park years ago, we were thrilled to fi nd an places us within walking or biking 609-465-5271, www.cmczoo.com amazing assortment of campgrounds distance of the best shopping and A visit to this beautiful zoo is absolutely free, and RV parks just outside of the dining in Cape May. It is a great no-frills and because it is within a county park, you downtown area. option, in spite of being a bit quirky. can also enjoy the picnic area, playground and walking trails. Seashore Campsites, just 4 miles Don’t expect to make online reserva- from the Cape May beaches, has tions or even leave a voice mail. They GALLOWAY emerged as our family favorite, and do not accept credit cards, and guests Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge even though it is a big and bustling are required to mail a check within two 609-652-1665 place, the landscaping and campsite weeks of booking. www.fws.gov/refuge/edwin_b_forsythe Birders come from all over to see migrating layout somehow make it feel cozy. We The south Jersey shore has many species pass through. Visit the nature center, love staying here in September, when other appealing options for RV camping drive the loop road and hike the trails with the tourists have all gone home but the (see “Garden State Getaways” on page binoculars in hand. sun and ocean temperatures are still 60), but we always choose Cape May as warm, especially since they keep the our base camp for exploring area at- MARGATE CITY pool open until October 1. tractions all the way up to Atlantic City, 609-823-6473, www.lucytheelephant.org About a mile farther away from the 50 miles and less than an hour’s drive At 135 years old, America’s oldest roadside ocean, a bit north on U.S. Route 9, is to the north. attraction is also a National Historic Holly Shores Camping Resort, another Landmark. Tours of this six-story-high family camping favorite. Like many BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES wooden elephant run on the half hour. campgrounds along the southern coast AND BOARDWALKS SMITHVILLE of New Jersey, this one has its fair The beaches along the southern portion Historic Smithville and Village Green of the New Jersey coast are a diverse 609-748-8999, www.historicsmithvillenj.com bunch, and at times we gravitate toward This quaint town is packed with shops and the ones with bustling boardwalk at- eateries, and special events run throughout tractions. The iconic Jersey shore the year. We love to stop for dinner after a hike at the wildlife refuge, just minutes away. experience includes a Ferris wheel ride, funnel cake and a few games of Another South Jersey icon, Lucy the Skee-Ball in the arcade. You can fi nd all Elephant was built in 1882 to attract of these things in Wildwood, about 20 prospective property owners to Margate. minutes north of Cape May. But there you will also fi nd a great many college students and a bar on every corner, so we tend to head a bit farther north to Ocean City, a with a small

Opened in 1946 and now an Atlantic City icon, White House Subs has served celebrities from Frank Sinatra to the Beatles.

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GEMS OF THE JERSEY SHORE The authors and their sons explore one of three nature population and sleepy feel. menu items like fi sh tacos and trails at Cape May Point If you arrive in Ocean City early crab quesadillas. State Park. enough, hop online for fresh homemade Our day in Ocean City is never doughnuts at either Browns Restaurant complete until we visit Playland’s or Oves Beach Grill, both situated at the Castaway Cove, a fi xture on the northern end of the 2.5-mile boardwalk. boardwalk for more than 50 years. We It is a local tradition to argue about purchase our sheets of tickets and rip which doughnuts are better, and our them up in strips of four and fi ve, laying money is on Browns, but you will have out the family strategy for riding the to decide for yourself. Tilt-a-Whirl, Scream Machine, Gravitron The wide, pristine beaches here are and Double Shot. The pirate-theme perfect for young children, and at low shooting gallery hasn’t changed in tide our boys love splashing in the small decades, and we are instantly trans- pools that form along the shoreline. We ported back to the summers of our enjoy our long, competitive games of youth when we would fork over a pile of a World War II bunker and miles of paddleball on the hard-packed sand. dollar bills and fi re air rifl es at targets nature trails that meander through Picking80 up a Pro Kadima paddle set at for game after game. wetland marsh and coastal dunes. one of the sundry shops in town before Other days we stay closer to the We bring our binoculars, and even 287 heading to the beach is a tradition for campground, enjoying the beautiful though our birding knowledge is limited, many returning visitors. Cape May beaches. You could spend there is always a stunning amount of After a long day in the sun, we the day at any of the popular beaches wildlife to enjoy at the Cape May Point. always head to Ike’s Famous Crabcakes that run along the stretch of Beach We count egrets, herons and ospreys. for78 the quintessential seafood-shack Avenue, but our favorite place to get If it is October, we join the dozens of experience. The fi sh and chips are sandy requires venturing away from crispy, fl avorful and fresh. The the promenade and driving out to Cape crab-cake sandwiches are legendary. May Point State Park, home of Sunset We also enjoy the more adventurous Beach, the Cape May Lighthouse,

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Galloway World-class comedians, musicians and magicians light up the stages in Atlantic City year- • • Smithville round. Shows sell out, so if you go, be sure to purchase tickets ahead of time. 9

NEW JERSEY Atlantic City • Margate City • REACH THE BEACH To get to the southern Jersey shore from the , take the Atlantic City Expressway Garden State • Ocean City to the and drive south. From points south, consider taking the ferry between Lewes, , and North Cape May (RVs are welcome aboard). Otherwise, take Route 40 to Route Ocean View • 55 South and follow it to where it ends at Route 47 South, then continue to the Garden State Parkway • Sea Isle City and head south. Cape May is at the end of the parkway, accessible by one of two main bridges. Cape May Court House • Cape May–Lewes Ferry New Jersey 800-643-3779, www.capemaylewesferry.com 800-847-4865, www.visitnj.org Cape May • Wildwood •

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GEMS OF THE JERSEY SHORE

Down south in South Jersey: Cape May’s southern tip is the southernmost point in the state. Seashore Campsites and RV Resort

birders who gather to watch one of enjoy one again in the future. GARDEN STATE the world’s largest hawk migrations, On other evenings, if we can get GETAWAYS which passes right through Cape May. away from the kids, we drive north More than a dozen RV parks dot the Hundreds of hawks swarm in the sky to Atlantic City where the , Atlantic coast on New Jersey’s southern above, and as they swoop down, we Caesars and Tropicana casinos offer shore. Go to www.goodsamclub.com/travel hear the cacophony of shutter clicks us the chance to get dressed up, do a to search for them all. from all the cameras set up to catch an bit of shopping, try out our luck at the image of one of nature’s great shows. gaming tables and then enjoy dinner at CAPE MAY And then there are the monarch but- one of the many amazing restaurants. Depot Travel Park 609-884-2533 terfl ies. Tens of thousands of monarchs We debate endlessly about whether we www.thedepottravelpark.com pass through Cape May every September will eat at Cuba Libre, Morton’s or the Clean and tidy, this no-frills RV park is and October on their way to Mexico. We Borgata Buffet. perfect for those that want to be near the ask the locals where they seem to be Sometimes when we are feeling downtown area of Cape May. gathering, and often we are directed to casual, nothing but a White House Holly Shores Camping Resort the even more remote beaches of the special from the famous White House 877-494-6559, www.hollyshores.com Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Subs on Arctic Avenue will do. We sit in A bustling family-owned campground with Area. We walk quietly through the beach the orange booths that haven’t changed fantastic amenities and theme weekends. plum, bayberry and scrub oak laden since we were teenagers and scan the trails, and even if we don’t spot the hundreds of celebrity photos lining Seashore Campsites and RV Resort 877-817-5697, www.sunrvresorts.com monarchs, we are sure to see a variety the walls. Afterward, we walk off the A beautiful family-friendly Good Sam Park of migrating songbirds on our hunt. sandwiches by strolling through the less than 5 miles from downtown Cape May. outlet shops on Atlantic Avenue and It’s also big-rig friendly, but some sites are BEYOND THE BEACHES drooling over the outdoor gear at Bass tricky to get into. After a full day at Cape May Point Pro Shops. State Park, we fi nd ourselves walking Cape May is a town for foodies, and GALLOWAY Pomona RV Park and Campground through the Washington Street Mall, we avoid the pub-style restaurants that 609-965-2123, www.pomonarvpark.com a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with line Washington Mall and instead make If you want to be just minutes away from the fudge shops, souvenir stores and reservations to enjoy surf-and-turf at the Atlantic City casinos and restaurants, this specialty boutiques. Cape Atlantic Book Peter Shields Inn, comfort food with a top-rated Good Sam Park is your best bet. Company has been providing visitors twist at Freda’s Cafe or upscale Creole at OCEAN VIEW with great beach reads for decades, 410 Bank Street. Many restaurants are Ocean View Resort and you can fi nd the perfect Jersey BYOB in this town, so we love picking up 609-624-1675, www.ovresort.com shore postcard at Whale’s Tale, another a few bottles of wine from the Cape May Midway between Atlantic City and Wildwood, longtime resident on the mall. Winery to enjoy with our meals. this campground is minutes from the Sea At the end of the mall, on the corner After decades of vacationing along Isle City beaches. It has an on-site pool and lake, as well as a full roster of amenities of Ocean and Washington streets, we the southern Jersey shore, the magic and activities. spot the horse and buggies from the still hasn’t worn off for us. The combi- Cape May Carriage Company. Our boys nation of beaches, boardwalks, wildlife, TUCKERTON will beg for a ride, and sometimes we wine and food has kept us coming back Atlantic City North Family Campground give in, purchasing tickets and settling again and again. And each time we 888-229-9776, www.campacn.com in to enjoy the 30-minute tour, always leave, heading north toward home or About 30 minutes north of Atlantic City and 15 minutes from the beaches of Long Beach packed with fascinating local history. south toward another RV destination, Island, this Good Sam Park has a swimming Prior to the boys’ arrival in the world, we we blow our beloved Cape May a kiss pool, spray ground and tons of recreation loved a good ghost tour and can’t wait to and whisper, “See you soon.” q options for families.

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