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News from the Jersey Cape
There’s More to Explore at the Jersey Shore

Cape May County, “The Jersey Cape,” is an area famous for its beaches and boardwalks, but the Cape offers visitors of all ages much more to explore than surf, sand and amusements. Known for some of the best beaches in the world, the Jersey Cape has become a destination for families generation after generation.

Easily accessible from the Canadian cities of Quebec and Montreal, the Jersey Cape is a vast resource for a family vacation. At the Jersey Cape visitors will find exciting outdoor activities.

In a typical week’s vacation on the Jersey Cape, a family with children will likely visit the beach five days and make at least two trips to the area’s boardwalks. In between they may spend a day fishing or crabbing, shopping in any of the superlative shopping districts in the area such as Cape May’s Washington Street Mall or Ocean City’s Asbury Avenue; taking a nature tour, visiting Victorian Cape May; visiting some of the historical sites such as Historic Cold Spring Village, Naval Air Station Wildwood’s Aviation Museum, the Cape May County Museum or one of the many local museums; taking a tour of the beautiful gardens at Leaming’s Run; or spending a day at the Cape May County Park Zoo.

From mid-May through the end of September, the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean are the preferred spots for those who like nothing better than lazing in the sun, basking in the salt air, and creating spectacular sandcastles. For those who can’t seem to sit still, the beaches invite long, leisurely walks, and host communities have created special beaches for surfing, rafting, volleyball, and other beach games, such as bocce and paddleball.

The beaches of the Delaware Bay, found in western Cape May County are an excellent alternative to the seaside beaches. Though primarily unprotected by lifeguards, these beaches are not frequented by the masses, and lend themselves to more simple pleasures, such as long walks, exploring the dunes, or just sitting and admiring Mother Nature’s handiwork.

One of the more uncommon beaches in the region is Sunset Beach at Cape May Point, the southernmost part of the Cape, home to Cape May Diamonds and the concrete ship, hosts a nightly ceremony in the summer months that draws hundreds of visitors for a perfectly exquisite view of a sunset.

Here you’ll find the ever-sinking World War I vessel the USS Atlantus, an experimental wartime ship constructed from concrete. The concrete ships of the era (there were four) were an engineering failure, but the remains of the Atlantus provide beautiful scenery at sunset as well as a barrier to the harsh tides and a home for many marine creatures.

The real treasures of Sunset Beach, however, are those under foot.

Small pieces of quartz, rounded and smoothed through hundreds of years traveling down the Delaware River, converge on this beach. When polished, these quartz rocks resemble diamonds—hence the name “Cape May Diamonds.” An afternoon of hunting for Cape May Diamonds is almost a rite of passage for any youngster who has visited the Jersey Cape, generations of visitors return to Sunset Beach each year to introduce their progeny to this wondrous pastime.

Fine dining, bicycling, sensational nightclubs, professional theater, outdoor concerts and miniature golf add to the list of favorite activities for families who visit the Jersey Cape.

So when planning a family vacation or a quick get-away, plan on the Jersey Cape: there’s more to explore than the world’s best beaches and boardwalks.

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