Cape May is one of the most popular, and certainly historic, beaches in all of New Jersey.  It is also just a short drive from the Avalon Golden Inn!  While you are staying in Avalon, you can enjoy many of the great attractions available in Cape May.  Here are some of my “must-do” activities:

The Lighthouse & Cape May Point – If you head on down to check out the Cape May Lighthouse, also plan to spend a day at the Cape May Point beach.  Not only is the beach free, but there’s a little nature center and historical information about the World War II military installations in Cape May.  Expect to pay $7 admission for adults and $3 for children to climb the lighthouse.  There’s 199 steps to the spiral staircase, so as far as lighthouses go it’s not too high of a climb, but if you’re afraid of heights the way down can be a little scary!

Downtown shopping – Downtown Cape May has tons of beautiful shops carrying everything from hardware and home furnishings, to books, clothes, popcorn and desserts.  There is definitely a store for everyone on your list.  The Washington Street Mall is 3 blocks of shops in the heart of town, but you’re sure to find many stores across from the beach and throughout town as well.

Elaine’s Dinner Theater – Elaine’s Dinner Theater & Haunted Mansion Restaurant are a popular Cape May attraction, playing off the many ghosts said to inhabit the town.  The Dinner Theater includes a full course dinner and a mysterious themed show.  This season check out the show “Cy Specter’s Spectacular Circus” — a musical roller-coaster!  At the Haunted Mansion restaurant, you never know what funny ghosts are going to pop up and entertain you during dinner.  Click here to visit Elaine’s site.

Visit a winery – South Jersey is home to many spectacular wineries, and Cape May is no exception.  Turdo Vineyards is a small family-owned and operated winery that has a tasting room where guests can try 5-7 wines for only $5.  The Cape May Winery offers a 6 for $6 tasting and tours every day at 3 PM.  Both allow picnics and touring of the grounds.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry – One of Cape May’s most popular offerings is the historic Ferry.  If you are looking for a full day excursion, The Cape May-Lewes Ferry takes visitors from Cape May to Lewes, DE where you are just a quick bus ride to the Delaware beaches, Downtown Lewes, and the Outlets, all while leaving your car parked in Cape May!  Click here to learn more about the Ferry.

Photo credit: InAweofGod’sCreation

The Golden Inn is conveniently located to many great New Jersey beach towns and Ocean City is no exception.  Ocean City is called “America’s Greatest Family Resort” because there’s so much for families to do.  Here is a sampling of some of my favorites:

The Boardwalk – Obviously, the famous Boardwalk is a huge attraction in and of itself.  In my last post, I mentioned how family-friendly the boardwalk is–there’s no alcohol in all of Ocean City and smoking is only permitted on the boardwalk in designated areas.  There’s lots of great kiddie rides available at Gillian’s, as well as thrill rides, arcades and all of the classic boardwalk games.

Shopping – In addition to the boardwalk shops, there are tons of great shopping venues downtown along Asbury Avenue.  Downtown Ocean City is open year-round, and the stores include surf shops, upscale clothing boutiques, home furnishings and much more.

Nature Walks – Of course you can go on your own impromptu nature walk along the beach or bay whenever you choose, but for only $1 per person ($0.50 for children) you can enjoy an educational walk to learn more about the island and the native plants and animals.  You can tour the North end of the island at the Longport Bridge parking lot on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM and Wednesdays at 9 AM.  If you’d like to check out the South end of the island, visit 59th & Central at the entrance to Corson’s Inlet State Park on Tuesdays at 9 AM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

Rainy Day Fun for the Kids – One of my daughter’s favorite stores on Asbury Ave. is the Butterfly Boutique.  Not only does the Butterfly Boutique carry tons of unique toys, but they offer walk-in arts and crafts any day they are open, and storytime every Saturday at 11 AM (all year!).  For another rainy day option, stop in the Discovery Seashell Museum to check out over 10,000 different species of shells and purchase some of your favorites to take home!

Music and Theater – The Ocean City Music Pier hosts some fabulous musical guests including the Ocean City Pops.  For a listing of upcoming shows, you can check out their site here.  Also at the Music Pier, the Children’s Summer Playhouse puts on unique children’s concert events.  Check out this summer’s line-up here.

Photo credit: wfyurasko

A common question from new visitors to Avalon, NJ is “does Avalon have a boardwalk?”  The answer is yes, Avalon does have a half mile boardwalk, but it is not the type with amusements, restaurants and shops.  Avalon’s boardwalk is a newly renovated boardwalk perfect for leisurely walks and early morning bike rides (bicycles are only permitted on the boardwalk from 5 AM to 10 AM).  There are no skateboards, rollerskates, etc. allowed on the boardwalk at any time.

If you’re looking for a nearby boardwalk that is full of amusements though, you don’t have to look far!  Wildwood and Ocean City are both very close to the Golden Inn and will satisfy every family’s boardwalk need.  The Wildwoods’ boardwalk is 2 miles long and has more rides than Disneyland!  There are kiddie rides all the way to scary, “adult” roller-coasters.  Wildwood is home to the world-famous Morey’s Piers which are several themed piers packed with amusements and even two waterparks.  For more information on Morey’s Piers click here to explore their website.

The 2 1/2 mile long Ocean City, NJ boardwalk is another option with plenty of games and fun for the whole family, especially the little ones.  In my opinion, the Ocean City boardwalk is a better choice for families with very young children.  My toddler loves the rides at Gillian’s Wonderland (6th & Boardwalk) and every Thursday in July & August is “family night.”  Family night offers free entertainment such as a strolling barbershop quartet, live bands and face painting.  Also of note, Ocean City is a “dry” town, so while you are welcome to byob in the restaurants, there is no alcohol consumed on the boardwalk.

Wildwood & Ocean City are two nearby boardwalks worth checking out to get your ferris wheel fix.  The next island over, in Sea Isle City, is home to another small “ride-less” boardwalk with some shops (a clothing and book store come to mind) and restaurants (pizza, ice cream).  Whichever type of boardwalk you’d like to explore, the Golden Inn is a great location for all of the excitement!

Photo credit:  kjarrett

About the author:  Bay prefers quiet beaches over noisy boardwalks, but gets dragged often enough to the Ocean City boardwalk.  You can check out her personal site, Queen Mother Blog.

Is there a better combination than baseball & the beach?  The Golden Inn is proud to host the Baseball Insiders Show with John Brazer and Ricky Bottalico!  Every Phillies Sunday away game, join Bottalico (former Phillies All-Star reliever) and Brazer (director of publicity for the Phillies) for their one-hour radio show, broadcasting live from the Beach Club at the Golden Inn!

The Phanatic on-hand serving drinks to Beach Club guests!

Sometimes the Phillie’s “best friend” even makes an appearance!  Bring the whole family for a great day of baseball at the Golden Inn and the kids can have fun in the pool while you enjoy a drink and listen to the show.

I recently stopped in for one of the Insider Show broadcasts and though I was so late I missed the Phanatic (boo!) I got to meet the show hosts and take my picture with them   That was on Memorial Day, and the Beach Club at the Golden Inn was hopping with excitement and summer fun.  Don’t miss this exciting show before the season ends!  The next broadcast from the Golden Inn is Sunday June 27th from 12 noon to 1 PM.

Images courtesy of Elizabeth Norton

About the author:  Bay is usually on time (usually) for events and is still kicking herself for missing the Phillie Phanatic.  She writes for the Golden Inn blog as a “summer local” and writes full-time at her site Queen Mother Blog.