Traveling into New Jersey turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Other than a quick, hectic drive through a small stretch of I‑95 years ago, we had never spent time in the state. Our impressions—busy cities, Atlantic City, and the stereotypical “Jersey Shore”—left us with a completely misguided picture. What we found instead were beautiful shorelines, charming coastal towns, friendly people, and far more natural beauty than we expected.
Driving south on Routes 55 and 47 toward Cape May, my first thought was how rural the landscape felt. Sandy soil stretched surprisingly far inland, and the entire route made for a peaceful, scenic drive.
We stayed at Thousand Trails Sea Pines, located between Avalon and Wildwood and just a short drive from Cape May. Although we were there for two weeks, the weather didn’t cooperate—cold, wind, and rain dominated many days. We could have handled the cold, but the gusty winds made it tough to enjoy being outdoors. Still, we ventured out whenever we could: a rainy‑day drive to Avalon (along with everyone else, judging by the traffic), a few loops through Wildwood, and a couple of trips down to Cape May.
One highlight was touring the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and browsing the used bookstore Hooked on Books in Wildwood. We also explored residential streets and walked a section of the boardwalk near the lighthouse.
On a quieter day, we returned to Avalon to see the beach and drive around town. We walked out onto the 8th Street Jetty, a popular spot for surfers and fishermen, and enjoyed watching the waves roll in.
A sunny Thursday finally gave us the perfect excuse to visit Cape May Point State Park on the Delaware Bay. The park offers free parking, easy beach access, nature trails, a small museum, and a visitor center staffed by friendly, knowledgeable people. We walked the beach, watched someone pull in two horseshoe crabs that had latched onto each other on her fishing line, wandered a nature trail, and explored the museum.
Driving through Cape May to and from the state park, we noticed an abundance of Victorian homes. A couple of days later, we returned, parked for free near a dog park at the edge of town, and spent the afternoon walking the residential streets, admiring the architecture and gardens.
Cape May is wonderfully walkable. We strolled to the boardwalk—skipping the beach because of the wind—and enjoyed the wide walkway, plentiful benches, and beautiful views. From there, we wandered over to the Washington Street Mall, passing historic hotels and colorful homes. We stepped into the historic fire station and learned that the original building once housed horses, feed, hay, and fire equipment before everything became motorized.
Our campground connected directly to the Middle Township Bike Path (a rails‑to‑trails project), which we explored several times. One ride took us three miles to the Cape May County Park & Zoo—where admission is FREE. We spent a few hours visiting peacocks, owls, capybaras, bison, giraffes, monkeys, goats, kangaroos, and more.
Throughout the area, we noticed a surprising amount of solar—on older homes, new builds, and businesses alike. Everything felt well‑maintained, inviting, and thoughtfully cared for. I’d love to return, stay in a historic bed & breakfast, tour a few Victorian homes, and spend some relaxing time on the beach.
Cape May County has definitely earned a spot on our list of East Coast favorites.
[Our East Coast journey started in Williamsburg and then took us to Washington, D.C.—check out our Highlights of Washington, D.C. post for more from the road.]
