Cape May County is a treasure trove of thrills, games, specialty seafood, happy hour specials, traditional family-style restaurants, beach gear, breakfast favorites, and relaxing rituals. Yet with its six hundred and twenty square-mile span, this Jersey shore county can be quite daunting. With all this ground to cover, where should you even begin? “Blast” is here with our fifth edition of Complete Island Hopping, our map of suggestions for a great week of Cape May County fun.
Start your day the Cape May way and enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet at 501 Beach @ the Marquis. Indulge in a large variety of foods to give you fuel for you day! Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and much more, 501 Beach offers items for the whole family including adult beverages! If you aren’t in the mood for breakfast, the restaurant is open all day for lunch and dinner. Stop by the outdoor Gazebo Bar after the beach to cool down with a refreshing cocktail.
After filling up on breakfast goodies, stop by the Ocean Street Trolley stop or Emlen Physick Estate to get a full list of tours by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) and learn about the history of Cape May! Choose from a variety of trolley or walking tours, see the inside of the historic Emlen Physick Estate and learn about the lifestyles of those who lived in Cape May in the 1800s. MAC also offers boat tours and festivals throughout the summer. Check out their website for a full list of activities and events for the whole family. capemaymac.org
For lunch, head up the road to the Country Club Tavern (CCT) located on Route 9 in Cape May Court House. CCT is home to a delicious menu packed full of burgers, steaks and numerous sides. Begin your meal with one of many starters like Fried Mushrooms, Potato Skins or Steamers. Next choose from one of CCT’s array of sandwiches such as a BLT, Sausage Pepper and Onions or the CCT Reuben with Hot Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Russian Dressing, and Sauerkraut on Grilled Rye Bread. CCT is also home to delicious wings and for those looking for a healthy option, a large list of tasty salads.
Work off your meal with a bike ride around the Wildwoods. Smitty’s Parking & Bike Rentals, with many locations throughout the Wildwoods offers a great day of family fun! Beat the summer traffic and choose from a standard beach cruiser with rates starting as low as $8 an hour. Find a buddy and peddle on a tandem bike or choose a family friendly surrey – a four wheeled bike! Smitty’s ensures that all of their guests have a safe and pleasurable experience, and they do so by keeping their inventory current and innovated. Here, no bike is over two years old. Enjoy the beach view in a new way!
Want to hit the beach for an afternoon? Visit Hoy’s 5 & 10 first! A family favorite for over 75 years, you can get your pick of the perfect beach accessories. Choose from a large variety of beach chairs, umbrellas, hats, bags, carts and boogie boards. Hoy’s also has a big selection of children’s toys, clothing and accessories, gifts and souvenirs, houseware and so much more! Discover what you need at Hoy’s!
Dinner time in Cape May County produces endless options for every taste. Fin’s Bar and Grill in Cape May opened in June and has been accumulating rave reviews. The “under the sea” theme of the restaurant is represented well with its giant aquarium and invigorating bar top which changes colors. Fin’s offers a great Raw Bar offering Clams on the Half Shell and Tuna Tartare. Other starters include Jersey Steamers, Buffalo Popcorn Shrimp and Local Crispy Calamari. For entrees choose from Flat Bread Pizzas, Pan Roasted Crab Cakes, Steak Frites and much more! Don’t forget to pair your meal with one of their signature cocktails.
If you are in the mood for a Southwestern and Mexican Meal try the Red Sky Café. This colorful building situated on Route 9 is well worth the stop. Serving lunch & dinner 7 days a week from 11:30am, guests can build their own taco, burrito or quesadilla, or munch on a delicious wrap such as a Grilled Steak Fajita wrap, among others. A large variety of sandwiches and salads are offered as well. Call ahead to order your meal to go! Be sure to bring your appetite!
If you are looking to have dinner at home, ShopRite, conveniently located in Rio Grande is THE place to go. Offering deals and discounts on countless food items you are sure to save big! ShopRite offers the freshest produce, meats, bake shop and much more! Check out their ad in this week’s Herald or log on to their website for the most up to date deals; Shoprite.com.
You cannot leave the shore without stopping at Hankin’s Fudge! For over 90 years, Hankin’s has been producing top quality, delicious fudge, delighting all who stop. Located on Pacific Avenue in Wildwood, customers have the opportunity to choose from many different flavors of creamy fudge. They also offer salt water taffy and other candies.