If you choose to take your east coast vacations at Cape May, you’ll find the most charming bed and breakfasts in the nation. Founded in 1620 by Captain Mey, a Dutchman, it sits on a small hook at the southernmost tip of the Jersey coast. The Delaware Bay is on the West. New England whalers occupied the town until 1700 when it began to be turned to profitable farming and before long to tourism.
In fact, the Philadelphia newspapers advertised its restorative air and fine accommodations in 1745. This started a period when it was the place to go for Southern plantation owners. It was cooler there, but it wasn’t Yankee land. Many very fashionable boarding houses grew up, and it earned the name “resort of Presidents.”
Known as resort getaways of choice for wealthy Victorians, most of its distinctive architecture dates from 1878 when a fire burned down most of the town. It was outstripped by Atlantic City after cars became plentiful and the choice mode of transportation for most Americans.
In the 1950s, however, Cape May began to market its history, and the entire town became a National Historic Landmark. It has 600+ Victorian buildings. It’s a city of trees and beautiful gardens and a very profitable bed and breakfast industry. Besides, there are wonderful beaches.
There are also very large hotels, the largest of which is the Grand Hotel. In fact, this hotel is the largest on the Jersey Cape. It recreates the grandeur of the past but has modern comforts.
On a 22-acre plot near Cape May, Cold Spring Village offers a glimpse of a previous time. Made up of two dozen Victorian homes as well as businesses such as a blacksmith’s shop, this little village intends to recreate 19th century life. You can’t take your car into Cold Spring Village, but there are seasonal festivities such as the corn festival, so you might want to go online and look at the calendar. There is a lunch room on the site as well as an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and bakery.
Trolley tours are available several times most days, and the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center offers a whale watching trip. You will also be able to see dolphins close up on one of these informational and exciting boat tours. You can also take the ferry across the Delaware Bay to Lewes, Delaware. If you’re interested in outlet malls, you can catch a shuttle to Rehoboth Beach.
Sunset Beach is unique on the East Coast. You can see the sunset with an unobscured horizon—considered one of the most colorful in the U.S.
Your east coast vacations in Cape May will include history, relaxation by the seaside, and a stay in a historic bed and breakfast that you’ll never forget. Be prepared—you’ll want to repeat it.
Related posts: