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!    

Beach Plum Farm

     Thursday, July 6, 2023: After seeing Cape May, New Jersey in all if its Victorian glory with its beach and other seaside delights, I traveled to another Cape May County town: West Cape May. Unlike Cape May, West Cape May was a mostly farming community that included different farm markets, but the one I visited looked the most interesting: the Beach Plum Farm, 140 Stevens Street (609-459-0121). While this place rented cottages for a steep price for those who wanted a “farming vacation,” they also catered to day trippers. I chose the latter option. Here the owners wanted to help the public to learn more about the foods they were eating, especially the produce and eggs from this farm. They have a restaurant with a limited menu, or one could browse and buy at their farm market. I decided to browse and shop. On two floors, I noticed their selection of housewares & gifts, and for edible merchandise, their produce, eggs, and meats. This place also sold plenty of packaged foods in the form of boxed, bagged, and jarred foods grown and made at other farms as well as at this farm. After I bought a few items, I did a self-tour of the grounds with its gardens of flowers, produce, and herbs & spices. I also saw some chickens running freely. Some people signed up for the guided tours for a price. Nevertheless, it made for a nice contrast to Cape May! Overall, there is room for both kinds of daytrips near the NJ Shore.

Cape May

      Thursday, July 6, 2023: I have visited the town of Cape May in Cape May County, New Jersey for much of my life! As a child in the 1960s, my parents would take my brothers and me to the beach, and in the ‘70s, my parents and I would visit my aunt who owned a bed & breakfast house there. During those years, I would walk along the Promenade (the former boardwalk) and browse at the shops on Beach Avenue that ran parallel to the Promenade-- and sometimes buy a few things, as well as play at the arcades and sometimes get a snack. As America’s oldest seaside resort, Cape May didn’t have amusement rides or games of chance like Wildwood, but into the 1980s and ‘90s, when I visited as an adult, I did get to see more of what made Cape May unique: the Victorian-Gothic buildings in all their bright pastel colors. One of the best ways to get a better look has been to take the trolley tours. For more information, contact the following: Cape May MAC (Museums, Arts, and Culture), 1048 Washington Street (609-884-5404). In addition to its Victorian buildings, promenade, and beach, Cape May also has had a few museums, a nature center, and chances to go fishing & crabbing, as well as a convention center, some nightlife, and a few theaters. On the date above, I visited the Sunset Pavilion located at either the beginning or end of the Promenade on Beach Avenue in the southern-most part of Cape May for some great views of the beach and ocean. Throughout the year, the town has played host to different events for the whole family. Before Atlantic City replaced it as the number one attraction in NJ, as far back as the early 1800s, Cape May was the place to visit in NJ.    

Naval Air Station Museum

     Monday, June 19, 2023: So far, I’ve been to a lighthouse and rode a tramcar at two other places in Cape May County, New Jersey on the date above. Finally, I headed to a third place in this county: the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, 500 Forrestal Road at Cape May Airport, Rio Grande (609-886-8787). In an air hanger that the navy built in 1942, I first saw an introduction film showing the history about this place as a training facility for dive bomber airmen from 1943 to ’45 and of how dangerous this training had been because out of 129 crashes, 42 airmen died. After World War II, different airline companies used this hanger before they abandoned it. In the 1990s, Joseph & Patricia Salvatore bought the building and with the help of the Naval Air Station Wildwood Foundation (NASW), they restored it. Inside, I looked at over two-dozen military aircraft from WWII to the Korean War and the Viet Nam War. Most of the aircraft were airplanes, jets, and helicopters, and nearby were some of the engines that were once in some of these aircrafts. I also noticed some autos and boats along with plenty of texts, pictures, videos, and exhibit items on different themes. Some of the subjects covered a memorial to those airmen who died both in training and others who died in combat, blacks who served in the military as well as women in the military. Additional areas were about those who helped out with boats during 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center, the Coast Guard, a room showing everyday items from the 1940s, and plenty of “hands-on” areas that have been popular with children. Of the three places that I visited on the date above, this proved to be one of the most interesting! This would be a good place to visit in addition to the nearby NJ Shore towns, and I’m sure you will learn something new.     

Wildwood Tramcar

      Monday, June 19, 2023: After seeing a lighthouse in North Wildwood, I traveled south in Cape May County, New Jersey to Wildwood itself to ride the tramcar from one end of its two-and-a-half mile journey on the boardwalk, where it met the border with Wildwood Crest, to heading north into a few blocks of North Wildwood—and back! Off-and-on, as I rode the tramcar, I heard the announcement coming from this tramcar to the people on the boardwalk: “Watch the tramcar, please.” Along the way and back, on one side, I looked at the views of the beach & ocean; the convention center; amusement piers with its share of rides, games of chance, and miniature golf, as well as water parks, arcades, shops, and places to eat; and a few other buildings. On the other side, I saw what the boardwalk had to offer. In addition to the attractions that the piers offered, the boardwalk also included an aquarium, a chapel, and bars. For more information contact the following: Sightseer Tramcars Office, 5308 Boardwalk (609-523-1602). These tramcars had been made for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and they have been on the Wildwood Boardwalk since 1949.  Meanwhile, other sections of the town had downtown shopping, other places to eat, bars & nightclubs, and a few museums. One of those museums was called the Doo Wop Museum, and inside, it exhibited items from Wildwood’s heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s. In fact, one on the things that set Wildwood apart from other NJ Shore resort towns was its several buildings dating from the 1950s and ‘60s in all its bright colors and retro-futuristic look. Other activities offered people chances to go fishing & crabbing, and of course, there has been the beach and ocean. In other words, there has been something for almost everybody. I could see why my parents used to take me here when I was a child in the 1960s.   

Hereford Lighthouse

      Monday, June 19, 2023: On yet another trip to Cape May County, New Jersey, my first stop was at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, 111 North Central Avenue, North Wildwood (609-600-1561). This 1874 lighthouse could easily be missed because it did not look like a typical long-column lighthouse. Instead, it resembled one of those Victorian-Gothic houses with a tower added to it. What made this place different was the top of that tower contained a light to be visible to ships off the coast. Inside, I saw a few rooms on both the main floor and on the upper floor decorated in a Victorian style. On some of the walls, I noticed pictures of the former lighthouse keepers, other prominent people from the area, and past photos of how the lighthouse looked, especially how it looked before restoration. Outside, the grounds displayed a very colorful garden of different flowers, and a path from there led to the beach. Overall, this would make a nice quiet stop or detour before heading south to visit its noisier neighbor: Wildwood!     

Wetlands Institute

      Tuesday, June 13, 2023: After going to mini-museums in Sea Isle City and Avalon each, and visiting a quaint-looking shopping area, I went to one more attraction on the above date in Cape May County, New Jersey: Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Boulevard, Stone Harbor (609-368-1211). In contrast to the other three places, this place educated others about the natural history of the coastal communities and of how those nature areas have been important to the environment! Starting with a 40-minute video in the lecture hall, I saw for myself how crucial these marshlands have been in several ways as I became informed about the everyday life of the flora and fauna of this area—and how it benefitted humans. Another section of this room provided a live closed-circuit camera view of an osprey nest outside in the marshes. In addition, I also noticed mobiles of wood-carved birds hanging above me. In fact, in different parts of the building, I glanced at both taxidermy and wood-carved animals, especially birds, which lived in the marshlands. Another room was the Terrapin Station where I looked at texts, pictures, and models of turtles native to here along with tanks of live turtles. The small aquarium also had its share of texts, pictures, and models of fish and other creatures that lived nearby, plus I saw tanks of live fish, reptiles, amphibians, and even an octopus. My favorite exhibit included a diorama about sex and gluttony at the shore showing models of horseshoe crabs and seagulls & other seabirds. As the female horseshoe crabs lay their eggs, the gulls and other birds eat those eggs. It has been estimated that on an average, out of 1,000 eggs laid, only one of them would be hatched. Once outside, wooden walkways through this property offered a closer look at some of what I saw displayed inside. If nothing else, you can get to know how these places looked before some areas around the shore got developed and why these places should be preserved.          

Woodland Village

     Tuesday, June 13, 2023: For a change of pace from seeing small museums in Sea Isle City and Avalon, New Jersey, I headed toward another place in Cape May County, north on Route 9: Woodland Village, 1943 Route 9, Clermont (609-624-1350). Here in a quaint-looking setting of some lovely landscaping of trees, plants, flowers, and brick walkways, I noticed over a dozen or more shops in different small cottage-styled buildings painted in some very bright colors! Each store sold different merchandise: clothing & accessories for men, women, and children; toys; and items for pets; as well as candles & soaps; an art gallery displaying and selling art by local artists; a travel agency; and places selling edible things. Included in all this was a place where I had lunch that sold sandwiches, bagels, baked goods, and candy (sweets). I ate upstairs in their small dining room, and the décor on the walls and shelves reminded me of my childhood because I saw pictures and items from the 1950s and ‘60s. Meanwhile, the food proved to be good, and afterward, I walked around this village that looked like it was bigger than Village on High in Millville, NJ, but smaller than Smithville in Atlantic County, NJ. Overall, it will only take an hour or two to see this place and have something to eat here, but it’s only a short drive from the shore resorts in Cape May County.    

Avalon History Center

     Tuesday, June 13, 2023: After visiting Sea Isle City, New Jersey, I traveled south to the next Cape May County town: Avalon. This beach town too, has had amenities similar to Sea Isle City: beach, outdoor activities, dining, nightlife, and downtown shopping, but Avalon also has had a non-commercial boardwalk and the following place: Avalon History Center, 215 39th Street (609-967-0090). Like Sea Isle City’s museum, this was also a small museum, but unlike the Sea Isle museum with its open-floor plan located within the town’s library, the Avalon museum was in its own building—even though it has been owned by Avalon’s library—and it divided its theme areas into different small rooms. Each room included pictures, texts, and exhibit items. Inside the reception area, I saw a painting from 1889 called “Stormy Weather” by Joseph Wells of Avalon as it looked before the founding of the town in 1892. Other rooms displayed these themes: Beach Patrol, Early Avalon from its days as a fishing village for the Lenape to a modern resort, and Shop Talk that covered former businesses in Avalon. As I said in the article about Sea Isle City’s museum: This could be a good place for a rainy day or to learn more about the town this museum was in before heading outside again! (Yes, there is a library in Avalon that I assume has plenty of books and other resources in case the weather doesn’t get better soon.)  

Sea Isle City Historical Museum

     Tuesday, June 13, 2023: I’ve never been to Sea Isle City in Cape May County, New Jersey before, but from what I read, this town had the usual outdoor beach resort activities, a promenade (a former boardwalk), and a downtown shopping area, as well as dining, nightlife, and this place: The Sea Isle City Historical Museum in the Sea Isle City Library, 4800 Central Avenue (609-263-2992). As I said about the last two places I visited in Cape May County: This would be a good place to visit on a rainy day. This small open-floor museum allowed you to go to different sections that covered certain themes in Sea Isle City’s 130+ year history. Therefore, via texts, pictures, and exhibit items, I looked at the following areas: Military and Emergency Services, Old Time Kitchen and Laundry, and Stained Glass Windows, as well as other historical objects, flip chart displays, and chances to do research here. I especially remembered one section that showed pictures and newspaper articles about the two major storms that hit Sea Isle City: The March 1963 Storm and Super Storm Sandy from October 2012. Another area displayed a temporary exhibit theme, and when I was there, I noticed wedding gowns from 1880 to 2007 of brides from Sea Isle City. Then there is the library itself with its resources and events year round, including book sales! Thus, you could learn more about this resort town, and then head outside again.   

Schiavo Library

      Saturday, June 10, 2023: After visiting Ocean City (OC), I decided to go farther south in Cape May County, New Jersey and see Strathmere, NJ. I’ve never been here before, but I learned that it was a very quiet beach town compared to its neighbor to the north, OC. Also, unlike OC, NJ, Strathmere has been allowed to sell alcoholic drinks, and I noticed a few places that sold drinks and food. Otherwise, the big attractions in this town were the beach and chances to go fishing & crabbing. Anyway, the best part about this beach was that it was free—no beach tags required. (I did hear a rumor, however, that those in power may be thinking of changing this policy.) This also sounded like a good place to bring children if you wanted them to strictly enjoy the beach without the distractions of boardwalk amusement rides, carnival games, and other similar attractions. (There’s room for both kinds of beach towns!) Anyway, if the weather took a turn for the worst, I could recommend the following place: Dr. Rita C. Schiavo Library, 801 South Commonwealth Avenue, Strathmere (609-486-6265). Dr. Schiavo (1921-2005) was a highly regarded lawyer who did much for her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and she was a summer resident of Strathmere for over 80 years. Before she died, she put in her will to have her former summer home become a library. Inside, I first entered a “micro-museum”—compared to Ocean City’s “mini-museum”. It was really a showcase of exhibits. While I was there, the place presented “Boatbuilding 1940-1946” that displayed equipment the boat builders used in making boats back then. Of course, the rest of this place was a library of many books and other library resources. At certain times of the year, they hold special events, including book sales.     

Ocean City Historical Museum

 

     Saturday, June 10, 2023: Most people came to Ocean City in Cape May County, New Jersey to go to the boardwalk, beach, and to the attractions along the boardwalk. During my childhood, my parents first took me here for the same reasons, and the last time I was at this resort was in 2008. I have a report about my visit in The State I’m In, issue #3, available for a free download from my website. This time, I came to Ocean City (OC) for a different reason. I decided to visit the Ocean City Historical Museum, located in the Ocean City Community Center & Library, 1735 Simpson Avenue, #3 (609-399-1801). One of the reasons I visited was because not every day in OC, NJ would be a perfect day weather-wise! Therefore, if the weather was less than perfect, a visit to this museum, and later, the library, could be fulfilling. In a mid-sized room, this museum covered the history of OC, NJ from the time of the Lenni-Lenapes to the current time via texts, pictures, and exhibit items in five different theme areas: 1. From Hunting Ground to Modern Resort, 2. The Founders & The Early Years, 3. The Boardwalk, 4. The Sindia, and 5. Grace Kelly. Because this museum wouldn’t take up too much of your time, you could also check out the library with its vast collections of books, magazines, videos, and other resources. This library also had a children’s section, and on certain days they played host to book sales and other special events. If nothing else, you will learn more about OC, NJ, and you might appreciate it better when the weather becomes clearer and you are back on the boardwalk & beach.     

DDTSII03

 

THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

⤓ Issue #3:
1. ATLANTIC CITY-This seaside-resort city is the first place most people think of when they hear about New Jersey. I, a non-gambler, had as much fun (maybe more so) than most people who came to gamble.
2. BRANCH BROOK PARK, Newark-This was a day of surprises for me as I walked through a park that looked like an enchanted land during cherry blossom time.
3. DEY MANSION, Wayne-George Washington slept here in 1780. Here, he used this solidly built, Georgian house as his headquarters.
4. OCEAN CITY-This family oriented, shore-resort town offered a more relaxing atmosphere along its boardwalk compared to Atlantic City.
5. KEYPORT-Located along New Jersey’s third coast, the Raritan Bay, Keyport included a downtown with retail stores and restaurants in different price ranges—not just upscale.
6. MOUNTAIN CREEK WATER PARK, Vernon-Between the water slides and tube rides as well as the wave pool and other water amusements, there is something for almost everybody to feel refreshed about here.
7. SPACE FARMS ZOO & MUSEUM, Beemerville-Although the combination of a zoo and museum of old-time Americana sounds unorthodox, it does work to entertain and enlighten visitors of several ages from toddler to elderly.
8. BATSTO-Because of its somewhat isolated location in a wooded area, this former iron- and glass-making town made me feel like I traveled past a few centuries.
9. EDISON NATIONAL HISTORIC SIGHT, West Orange-Despite the park officials closing the labs and the Black Maria replica for restoration, I could still tour the 19th-century mansion of Thomas Edison and get a look at how he lived.
10.JANE VOORHEES ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM, New Brunswick-Here, located on the campus of Rutgers University, this mid-sized museum included art from around the world from ancient times through the 21st century. It is most famous for displaying non-conformist art from the former Soviet Union.
11. JERSEY GARDENS OUTLET MALL, Elizabeth-The state’s largest outlet mall, located off Exit 13A of the NJ Turnpike, included stores that offered discounts of around 20 to 50% off the ticketed prices.
12. NEW JERSEY NAVAL MUSEUM, Hackensack-Once you tour the main feature of this museum, the submarine USS Ling, you will wonder how the naval personnel served in such a claustrophobic area. Then, you can look at the exhibits both outside on the museum grounds and inside the main building.

DDTSII02

THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.

 ⤓ Issue #2:
1. GOLDEN NUGGET ANTIQUE MARKET-around 60 indoor dealers and nearly 200 outdoor dealers sell their merchandise of antiques, collectables, and other items just south of Lambertville.
2. FORD MANSION-learn more about how the Ford family, George and Martha Washington, and Washington’s officers endured one of the worst winters during the American Revolution in Morristown.
3. WALT WHITMAN HOUSE-how the author of Leaves of Grass spent his final days in Camden.
4. RED MILL MUSEUM VILLAGE-find out how this mill operated from 1810 to 1928, and learn about the lives of the people who lived in the adjoining village in Clinton during that time.
5. MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM-view Native-American art and American art from the 18th century to the present in this mid-sized museum.
6. HURRICANE HARBOR-this water park is the third park to open in this theme-park complex in Jackson.
7. BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE STATE PARK-observe the views from the top of the lighthouse, fish nearby, or just enjoy the local flora and fauna on this northern tip of Long Beach Island.
8. LEAMING’S RUN GARDENS-walk through colorful gardens and woodland trails, and see an early 18th-century farm in Cape May County.
9. CAPE MAY COUNTY ZOO-along winding woodland trails, meet the other creatures who share this planet with us.
10. APPALACHIAN HOTEL-whether you want a quiet weekend in the mountains, or take part in winter sports, this hotel in Mountain Creek will cater to both kinds of persons.
11. HARMON COVE OUTLET CENTER-you can save from 10% to over 60% in merchandise at this largest enclosed-outlet mall in Secaucus.
12. BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY-learn about life onboard this ship, now docked in Camden, which saw action in World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, and the Persian Gulf.

DDV04I04

 

DOTTY'S DIMENSIONS - A travelog of science fiction conventions, sight-seeing attractions, and other things.
I published these newsletters from the years 2000 to 2006.

VOLUME 4    

⤓ ISSUE 4 will report on a comic book/animation convention (loosely related to science fiction) called AnimeNext 2003; a weekend in Washington, DC; a day-trip in New Jersey; a science fiction convention, Capclave 2003;
a short trip in Pennsylvania; and another science fiction convention, Philcon 2003.

01 - ANIMENEXT 2003
02 - NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM
03 - NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK
04 - CAPE MAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
05 - CAPCLAVE 2003
06 - HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD
07 - PHILCON 2003