Located on the southernmost tip of the Jersey Shore, Cape May is proof that the longer the journey, the sweeter the reward. The native secret, although, is that the reward’s even sweeter in case you wait until the fall, when these iconic, gingerbread-trimmed Victorian houses get bathed in autumnal mild. Unlike most shore towns, which turn into crowded in the summer season months and a bit abandoned post-Labor Day, Cape May stays calm, but a lot vigorous this time of yr. There’s a lot to see and do, whether or not you’re a ghost-hunter obsessive about all things paranormal, or a birder on the lookout on your subsequent lifer. Climb the cast-iron spiral stairway up the 1859 Cape May Lighthouse to see the shoreline enveloped in fall foliage, or pay a go to to Willow Creek Winery to get pleasure from a glass of wine alongside a firepit and crisp breeze. Ready to plan a visit to Jersey’s favourite shoulder season seaside city? Read on for the place to eat, keep, and play in Cape May this fall.
What to do in Cape May
There’s no higher time of yr to take a stroll—or trolley ride—round the Nineteenth-century Victorian houses that lend Cape May its historic attraction. During the annual Victorian Weekend (falling October 10–13, this yr), you may get a uncommon peek inside the triple-decker beauties and participate in different actions, like craft gala’s and baseball video games as they had been performed in 1864 (suppose classic uniforms). If it’s the supernatural that sways you, ensure to take a ghost tour of the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate. The Victorian home museum, designed by famed architect Frank Furness, is alleged to be teeming with spirit residents and a bunch of “rogue taxidermy.”
Cape May is taken into account considered one of the finest birding locations in North America, with the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean appearing as pure funnels. Things get particularly thrilling in the fall, when raptors migrate throughout the 200-acre wetland space generally known as South Cape May Meadows. If you’re interested by birding however don’t know the place to start, contemplate trying out the Cape May Bird Observatory at Cape May Point State Park (additionally dwelling to the iconic lighthouse), which provides common programming with skilled naturalists. But maybe the hottest birding hotspot is Higbee Beach, the place you possibly can watch warblers, raptors, and shorebirds take flight.
Celebrate fall bounty at Beach Plum Farm: Hop on a hayride, sip mulled cider, and choose the good pumpkin. The charming coastal farm, which can also be dwelling to a market and some cozy cottages, hosts Autumn Harvest Dinners—seasonal feasts served family-style round lengthy, communal tables. For a little bit of purchasing, pop into West End Garage, a Forties garage-turned-antique market (it’s additionally dwelling to the Beach Plum Bakery and Café). When day turns to evening, head to Sunset Beach for, you guessed it, superb sundown views, and hunt for Cape May “diamonds” (tiny items of quartz crystal that wash up on the shore.)