Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jersey Shore staple pizzeria
Mack & Manco's
on the boardwalk (it has other shore board-
walk locations).
About 250 small motels - no corporate chains here - offer rooms for $50 to $250;
however, it makes sense to narrow your search to the more salubrious area of Wildwood
Atlantic Aves, Wildwood; r $130-310; )
has a soaring profile, lava lamps, boomerang-decor-
ated bedspreads and even two chrome-sided Airstream trailers. If you're here for waters-
lides and roller coasters, book a room at the
Heart of Wildwood
(
609-522-4090;
www.heartofwildwood.com
;
Ocean & Spencer Aves, Wildwood; r $125-245;
)
, facing the amuse-
ment piers. It's not fancy but it gets high marks for cleanliness.
Cape May
Founded in 1620, Cape May - the only place in the state where the sun rises and sets
over the water - is on the state's southern tip and is the country's oldest seashore resort.
Its sweeping beaches get crowded in summer, but the stunning Victorian architecture is
attractive year-round.
In addition to 600 gingerbread-style houses, the city boasts antique shops and the op-
portunity to watch dolphins, whales (May to December) and birds. It's just outside the
Cape May Point State Park
and its 157ft
Cape May Lighthouse
(adult/child $7/3)
;
there's an excellent visitors center and museum with exhibits on wildlife in the area. A
mile-long loop of the nearby
Cape May Bird Observatory
( 609-861-0700,
609-898-2473;
www.birdcapemay.org
; 701 East Lake Dr; 9am-4:30pm)
is a pleasant stroll
through preserved wetlands. The wide sandy
beaches
at the park (free) and in the town
are the main attraction in summer months.
Aqua Trails
( 609-884-5600;
www.aquatrails.com
; single/double from $40/70)
offers kayak tours of the coastal wetlands.
Cape May's B&B options are endless, though the majority lean toward overstuffed and
chintzy; check out
www.capemaytimes.com
for up-to-date listings. The classic, sprawl-
Beach Ave; r $100-465)
has a range of beautiful quarters overlooking the ocean, plus it has
a cool on-site restaurant and bar; the affiliated
Beach Shack
( 877-7422-507;
www.caperesorts.com
; 29 Perry St; r from $150; )
offer a variety of accommodations for
various budgets (look for deep discounts out of summer season).
The flapjacks at
Uncle Bill's Pancake House
(Beach Ave at Perry St; mains $7;
6:30am-2pm)
, which resembles a 1950s high-school cafeteria in its size and decor, have
been drawing in crowds for 50 years. For unarguably fresh seafood - the restaurant's
