Cape May Point State Park

     Thursday, July 6, 2023: Earlier on this date, I had visited two other Cape May County, New Jersey towns: Cape May and West Cape May. The first town was a fancy Victorian-styled shore-resort town, and the second was a farming community. Cape May Point, however, was lower keyed, but my favorite place here was Cape May Point State Park, Lighthouse Avenue (609-884-2159). This time I experienced nature, but first, I noticed the nearby lighthouse, the Cape May Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse has been opened to the public, but I chose not to climb the 199 stairs to the top—even if the views were great. Instead, I entered the park’s visitor center and nature center/museum. Inside, I learned a bit about the human history of the area via pictures, texts, and some exhibits—especially about the local Native Americans, the Lenni-Lenapes. Anyway, I became more informed about the natural history of the area as I saw more texts, pictures, and exhibits of the local flora and fauna. Another area had an exhibit about the “Cape May Diamonds.” These clear quartz stones could be found on the beaches around here, and some jewelers cut them into diamond settings for rings, earrings, and pins, as well as necklaces, bracelets, etc. Overall, this place was a good introduction to going outside and seeing the nearby nature yourself as you could walk the walkways & trails and the beaches. This place also offered chances to go surf fishing and picnicking at the southern-most place in NJ!