2 days of Victorian streets, lighthouses and beach time

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   Morning

   Cape May Historic District

   The old heart of Cape May, over 600 buildings in Victorian styles, many with gingerbread trim and deep porches. The town says it is the first seaside resort in America. Walk the side streets, look at the porches and colors, and keep to the pavement in front of private homes.

   Go when Morning, when the streets are calm and the porches catch the light.

   Local tip Walk the side streets, not just the main ones, and look up at the trim and the colors. The houses are private homes and inns, so stay on the pavement and keep your voice down near porches.

   

   About 24 min by car or transit6.4 mi
2. 2
   Morning

   Wildwood Boardwalk

   A boardwalk of about 1.8 miles with amusement piers, shops and a tram car that runs along it. Walk it end to end at a slow pace, share a funnel cake or a slice, and keep the beach for the afternoon. Check ahead on the tram and on what is open.

   Go when Morning, before the heat and the crowds build.

   Local tip Walk it end to end for the full stretch, then sit with a slice or a funnel cake, which is fried batter dusted with sugar and heavy for one. The tram car runs along it, so check ahead on that.

   

3. Lunch

   A boardwalk slice and funnel cake

   A hot slice of pizza, then funnel cake, which is batter fried in a swirl and dusted with sugar. It is rich and fried, so share one.

   Local tip Eat the savory first and share the sweet, and keep a napkin for the sugar.

   About 24 min by car or transit6.4 mi
4. 3
   MiddayIndoor

   Emlen Physick Estate

   A Victorian house museum in the district, a short walk from the old streets. Go in for the rooms and the porch, or just walk the grounds. Check ahead on tours and on what is open.

   Go when Midday, as an indoor stop out of the sun.

   Local tip A house museum of the Victorian years, with rooms to walk through and a porch to look at. Check ahead on tours and on what is open, and wear shoes you can stand in.

   

5. Dinner

   Steamed crabs and sweet corn

   Blue crabs steamed with spice and piled on paper, with a buttered ear of corn when it is in season, the kind of messy supper the shore is known for.

   Local tip Wear something you do not mind getting messy, and ask for a mallet and a stack of napkins.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Emlen Physick EstateAbout 13 min by car or transit2.5 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   Morning

   Cape May Lighthouse

   A lighthouse built in 1859 at the tip of the cape, still working today. You can climb the 199 steps for a view over the town, the bay and the sea. It is a tight stair, so check ahead on climbing and on the weather.

   Go when Morning, when the air is clear and the climb is cooler.

   Local tip The stair is tight and there are 199 steps, with people coming down as you go up. Take your time, and check ahead on climbing, on the wind and on the weather.

   

   About 11 min by car or transit2.0 mi
3. 2
   Afternoon

   Washington Street Mall

   A pedestrian street of three blocks in the middle of town, with shops, cafes and benches, and the beach a few steps away. Stroll it slowly, buy a sweet to take home, and then give the rest of the afternoon to the sand.

   Go when Afternoon, for a stroll and a sweet before the beach.

   Local tip A pedestrian street, so there is no traffic to dodge. Look at the shop windows, buy a box of saltwater taffy or fudge if you like, and sit on a bench for a few minutes.

   

4. Lunch

   A Jersey tomato sandwich

   In late summer, a thick slice of a locally grown tomato on bread with a little salt and mayonnaise, as simple and fresh as a lunch gets. Out of season, ask for a salad or a crab roll instead.

   Local tip Ask whether the tomatoes are local, and eat it with a napkin close by.

   About 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi
5. 3
   Afternoon

   SS Atlantus

   A concrete ship of the First World War era. The hulk was towed here in 1926 to be a ferry pier, the plan failed, and the wreck lies just off the shore. How much shows depends on the tide and the sea, so look from the beach and keep out of the water around it.

   Go when Afternoon, at a lower tide if you can check one.

   Local tip Look for the dark shape of the hull from the sand. How much shows changes with the tide and the sea, and it is not a place to climb or swim around, so look from the beach.

   

6. Dinner

   Grilled fish and sweet corn

   A fillet of local fish grilled with lemon and butter, with sweet corn on the cob in season and a slice of tomato, an easy supper after a day outside.

   Local tip Ask what came in that day, and let the fish arrive plain with the sauce on the side.