Getaway Guide To A Cape May Autumn

Sixty-Three years seems like a lifetime. It's that long since a city boy set eyes on pristine Cape May for the first time by sauntering into the Coast Guard Training Station in pegged pants and marching out in bell-bottoms. Then people strolled the boardwalk in suits and dresses. It was a quiet town with just a couple of restaurants, bars and 2 movie theaters. It was a summer town where everyone fled and homes were closed up in the fall. All that has changed. But Cape May never gets old. There always seems to be something that we haven't done. And fall is the perfect time for discovery.

BEACH PLUM FARM

140 Stevens Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
caperesorts.com/

Having breakfast at the Congress Hall Hotel, the menu noted the produce and eggs come from their own farm and suggested we visit. The eggs were bursting with yolky flavor, so we did - visit, that is. I never realized how entertaining chickens could be, as kids and adults scrambled to feed them. The cluckers crowded around and no one wanted to stop, including the chickens. The farm is on the way to Cape May Point and hosts fall festivals all month. The kids will love it.

CAPE MAY POINT STATE PARK

Lighthouse Avenue
Cape May Point, NJ 08212
state.nj.us/

This is an annual autumn stop to watch the bird migration and the birders who can detect a birds origin and pedigree at the drop of a whistle. There are birding platforms and stands overlooking the marsh and scattered through the nature trails that circle the park and skirt the oceanfront. For a real bird's-eye view of this nationally acclaimed preserve, climb the lighthouse for a dynamic panorama.

CAPE MAY LADY

South Jersey Marina 1231 Route 109
Cape May, NJ 08204
capemaylady.com/info.html

If you've never been deep-sea fishing, here's a chance to get your bait wet. The Cape May Lady sails out of a snug marina that shares a harbor corner with the popular Lobster House. The cruises are 4 hours and adults pay $49.50. Kids hook up for $38.50. Rods can be rented for $5.50. Don't forget a good hat, some sun-screen and of course, an ice chest to bring home the catch. And remember, drifting and slowly trolling in the sea swells can cause a bit of queasiness. Take Dramamine before you head out.

TWO-MILE LANDING CRAB HOUSE

Fish Dock Rd.
Wildwood Crest, NJ 08260
twomilelanding.com/

Most folks link spicy steamed crabs with Maryland. But New Jersey is no slouch in the crustacean department. As long as the season and the crabs are running in the back bays here, the Two-Mile Landing Crab House has 'em. A pair of large outdoor decks, an enclosed bar, a tiki bar and a more formal indoor restaurant make up a complex that lies in the heart of the shore fishing industry that includes Bumble Bee, Snow's and Lundts seafood packing plants. You'll have water views, an array of raw bar and fin food along with a lineup of taps that dispense craft and familiar beers.

TROLLEY TOURS
CAPE MAY CENTER

The Mall at Washington Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
capemaymac.org/home.html

So you think you know Cape May? Take a historic or architectural trolley tour of this Victorian City and you'll find a lot to learn. The town was practically gutted by fire and unique architecture nearly lost during a19th century inferno. But it rose from the ashes with homes that replicate the originals. Stephen Decatur lived here. Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison were visitors. And the guides spell it all out in entertain fashion.

As they say around here, "The fun doesn't end with Labor Day." Cape May is now virtually a year-round playground.