For many people, Cape May County, NJ is a vacation resort. A place to spend your summer vacation, be it a week, or the entire season. But for those of us who live here, it’s a different world. So even though I didn’t grow up here, I’ve lived her for almost 17 years now. It gives me the insight of both a local, as well as an outsider. Here are the 10 things I like about Cape May County.
1. County Zoo
People who come for the first time are usually shocked at just how good our zoo is. This isn’t a couple of turtles and a parakeet. We have lions, tigers, bears, otters, giraffe, zebras, lots of small monkeys but no large primates, ostrich, buffalo, boa constrictors and alligators, bald eagles, flamingos and of course our famous snow leopards. Throw in that the only cost is whatever you decide to donate (as little as nothing if you can’t afford it), and you’ve got a world class attraction. We go several dozen times a year. Usually with kids or grandkids, but sometimes just to walk around. Sometimes you just need to pet a goat.
2. Seafood
We live in an amazing area for fresh seafood, with some pretty substantial fleets anchored in our area. The Lobster House is still probably the best place to go for a large selection of fresh merchandise. But if you know the right people, you can buy it directly from the fishermen themselves. You’ll never taste anything like it.
3. Surfing
It might not be Jeffries Bay, or Malibu, and it certainly isn’t the North Shore, but South Jersey produces some nice rides. It’s pretty much all beach break, so you’re constantly chasing waves and fighting fickle conditions, but when it’s on, it’s on. Living in the middle of corn fields like I do, but still 15 minutes from surfing is why I live where I do.
4. Birds
Cape May is known as one of the top birding spots in the world. It’s located along the Atlantic flyway, one of the busiest migratory corridors on Earth. Hundreds of species of birds heading south along the East Coast are funneled via westerly winds down the peninsula to Cape May. Many stop among the barrier islands and wetlands to eat and rest before carrying on... others choose not to proceed south across the thirteen mile stretch of the Delaware Bay and opt instead to take up in the local meadows and woodlands. The spring migration brings thousands of songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl through the area. Between the songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies, spring and summer is an especially lively time in our backyard.
5. Ferry
It may not seem like much, but not everyone has a fleet of ferries that travel 13 miles across salt water to another state. Gone are the days when the fancy new ferries that looked like small cruise ships graced our shores. I guess the economy took them. We’re left with simple, yet sturdy, vessels that take you, and your car, from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and back again. It’s great for a day trip and if you ride your bike, it’s only $11/way.
6. Pinelands
Just over 1 million acres of largely undeveloped land, the Pine Barrens is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well. These uncommon conditions enable the Pine Barrens to support a unique and diverse spectrum of plant life, including orchids and carnivorous plants. The area is also notable for its populations of rare pygmy Pitch Pines and other plant species that depend on the frequent fires of the Pine Barrens to reproduce. The sand that composes much of the area's soil is referred to by the locals as sugar sand. There are literally hundreds of miles of trails suitable for hiking; the Batona Trail alone is 50 miles long. It’s a beautiful ecosystem of pine trees, cedar lakes and streams, and the occasional meadow. It’s what most people DON’T think about when they think about New Jersey....despite the single Sopranos episode when Christopher and Paulie get lost in the woods. My favorite part of which was:
Tony Soprano: [over the phone] It's a bad connection so I'm gonna talk fast! The guy you're looking for is an ex-commando! He killed sixteen Chechen rebels single-handed!
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Get the fuck outta here.
Tony Soprano: Yeah. Nice, huh? He was with the Interior Ministry. Guy's like a Russian green beret. He can not come back and tell this story. You understand?
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: I hear you.
[hangs up]
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: You're not gonna believe this. He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.
Christopher Moltisanti: His house looked like shit.
(By the way, every time I read that I literally chuckle. Out loud. "His house looked like shit.")
7. Brendan Borek
One of the best events of the summer is the Brendan Borek Surf Memorial. This year will be it’s 22nd consecutive year. I’ve written pretty extensively about it over the years, and last year I did a short film on it, which you can view here:
8. South Seaville Camp
Tucked deep in the pines, inland of what is now Sea Isle City, settlement of this area dates to the construction of the King's Highway in the early 1800s, Farms and lumbering camps were scattered throughout the region in 1860, when the Cape May and Millville Railroad laid down tracks through the forest. The founding of the camp meeting transformed South Seaville from a prosperous maritime community to a destination of religious pilgrimage. According to tradition, the first camp meetings were held "under the leafy canopy of oak trees." Between 1865 and 1874, Methodist campers gathered at the Cape May County Agricultural Fairgrounds. Common to every meeting was the ephemeral character of the assemblage, a seasonal occasion for the faithful to commune in a natural setting. In 1875 the camp was permanently established as the "South Jersey Camp Meeting Association located at Seaville Station, Cape May County, NJ." The founders drew an ambitious plan, with hundreds of numbered lots grouped in rectangular blocks and arranged around parks. The streets, named for past Methodist bishops, ran parallel to a central park where benches and a platform formed the main meeting ground. These more permanent structures retained much of the camp's earlier transient feeling. Buyers were expected to build a canvas or frame structure on the land within one year. Most of the cottages were simple, two-story, balloon-frame dwellings with open porches and gingerbread trim. Often resembling tents themselves, they offered no protection during the cold winter months. Those who chose not to purchase property usually rented canvas tents, ranging in price from $5 for small "A" tents, to $15 for 12' x 16' wall tents. By 1877, ninety cottages had been built and sixty tents pitched. Many of these still exist today. The first time I came upon the camp I was enthralled. It looked like some kind of cult community. All these tiny, ornate cabins. During the summer you can attend church at 10am in the Tabernacle, a gable roofed structure with screened sides. It’s like stepping back in time.
9. Outdoor Shower
Now this might not necessarily be something that is exclusive to our area, but when I first talked about installing one, the people who I work with just outside of Philadelphia were perplexed. Why, they wanted to know. Why not, was my response. There is simply nothing better than an outdoor shower after a day at the beach. Or a day doing anything. Or even as a way to wake up in the morning. Our shower is rather large and has no roof. The walls start about 2 feet up from the floor and are louvered so that air moves well through. Nothing like being naked and wet with a warm breeze across your body. It's very invigorating. Not to mention you don't bring the sand into the house.
10. Farms Stands
Summertime means being able to eat completely local; from countless farm stands to locally caught seafood. Tomatoes, potatoes, squash, zucchini, lettuces, herbs, fruits, everything you can think of. Deliciously fresh and waiting to be eaten. As Garrison Keillor once said, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.”
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