Just one of Cape May’s charms: Beaches that are among the world’s best.
Recipe for a memorable family vacation: Mix warm marine temperatures with your choices of fun kiddie rides, animal encounters and/or getting back to nature — enjoy and repeat. If that sounds like an appealing getaway for your brood, there’s a spot in New Jersey that’s not far away: Cape May County. Site of the city of Cape May, founded in 1690 and America’s oldest seaside resort, the county is located on the Cape May Peninsula, bordered by the Delaware Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. In fact, the beaches of Wildwood Crest’s Sunset Lake and Cape May Point boast the most spectacular places to watch the sunset in New Jersey.
In a county where tourism is the single largest industry, there are plenty of things for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, Morey’s Piers and Water Parks offers rejuvenating facilities in Wildwood (Mariner’s Amusement Pier and Adventure Amusement Pier) and North Wildwood (Surfside Amusement Pier), as well as the Ocean Oasis and Raging Waters water parks, both in Wildwood. New for this season, the Runaway Tram ride, inspired by the famed Wildwood Sightseer Tramcar, is described as a family-friendly coaster.
Open to visitors year-round, the Cape May County Park & Zoo, located in Cape May Court House, is not only free to the general public, it also offers a range of events and hosts field trips, parties and summer camp. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums since 1989, the zoo is home to a range of creatures including African lions, alpacas, American bison, American black bears, a bald eagle, a cheetah, a dromedary camel, a giraffe, a zebra, a snow leopard, a red panda and much more. The facility also includes Tree-to-Tree Adventure Park — an aerial obstacle course that features a zipline, Tarzan swings and more — picnic pavilions, a fishing pond, a wedding gazebo, playgrounds and a photo booth.
The Cape May Bird Observatory, according to its website, is a leader in research, environmental education, bird conservation and recreational birding activities. The observatory fulfills New Jersey Audubon’s “twofold mission of connecting people to nature and stewarding the nature of today for the people of tomorrow.” Its Cape May School of Birding workshops are a fun way to visit this all-season birding destination. Wind and geography conspire to direct millions of migrating hawks, seabirds, shorebirds, songbirds, butterflies, and dragonflies here every autumn.
Browse VisitNJ.org for more ideas to spend a memorable Cape May County family vacation. Plus, download a free NJ travel guide or sign up for e-news from New Jersey Travel and Tourism.
