For the Labor Day holiday in 2021, I decided to spend the weekend at the Jersey Shore in Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey. This destination is a popular tourist spot for Summer. TV travel show host Samantha Brown even filmed an episode here. It was an eight hour drive for me with the traffic. Instead of driving through the George Washington bridge traffic in NYC, I took a detour to Tarrytown, New York for a breakfast stop.
My breakfast at Muddy Water Coffee and Cafe in Tarrytown, was an herbal tea and a yummy vegan raspberry square.
Upon arrival in Wildwood, NJ, I headed to the main boulevard to see one of the infamous Jersey Shore beaches! Colorful beach ball sculptures lined the brick path leading to the beach .
I strolled along the path and further down the main strip, checking out the ocean views, the shops, and beach town signs and landmarks. Lunchtime had arrived. I headed to Epicure Restaurant for a tasty veggie burger in a pita bread.
After lunch, I drove back to the beach to stroll along its boardwalk and peruse its shops. Amusement park rides are located nearby.
I walked along the lengthy, white sand beach as the sun was starting to set. The view was stunning!
Strolling along the beach gave me a nice appetite for dinner. I opted to dine at The Wild Burrito. My evening meal was a vegan jackfruit burrito. The quality of the ingredients was wonderful and the price was reasonable.
Of course, after dinner on a Summer evening, an ice cream is a must-have! The Chilln Pineapple ice cream shop offered a flavorful watermelon dole whip.
Night had arrived. Walking along the Wildwood beach boardwalk and its side streets was a delight to the eyes. Buildings and lamp posts were lit up in a variety of colors, which added to the fun, vacation vibe atmosphere!
The next day, I woke up bright and early, since I was about to leave Wildwood and make my way down to Cape May. For Breakfast, I went to Goodness on the Go in Wildwood. I opted for the vegan breakfast sandwich with vegan sausage, avocado, vegan cheddar cheese, vegan egg on an English muffin. (no pic)
Sunday morning, I arrived at the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum in Cape May, NJ to attend their air show event.
One of the main speakers was a Tuskegee airman from WWII era in the 1940s.
Aircraft from WWII & later are on display, as well as pilot memorabilia & medals! Visitors can sit in an actual WWII fighter jet, Coast Guard rescue ship, or army jeep!
On the museum grounds, several characters from action films can be seen walking about, looking to greet visitors.
The main event had arrived.. Airfest! An air show displayed a variety of fighter jets such as F-14s, performing aerial acrobats, while flying through the skies at a supersonic speeds!
I appreciated learning about our military and aviation history, listening to a Tuskegee airman’s emotional stories, and watching an incredible air show!
After my afternoon at Airfest, I decided to visit Fine Fellows Creamery before doing some sightseeing in the town center of Cape May. My selection was the vegan, chocolate ice cream. It had a good chocolatey taste.
I parked my car and started to walk around town to see the landscape and the historic buildings and Victorian residences for which Cape May is known. The town can boast of having the oldest seaside resort in the United States.
I decide to stroll around the Cape May neighborhoods, looking up in awe at the gorgeous Victorian homes and inns. Even the main boulevard by the beach, was lined with picturesque, Victorian residences and inns.
I spent some time at the spectacular Ocean Street Beach. The lengthy, soft white sand beach is a pleasure for sitting on a towel and enjoying the views or taking a dip in its refreshing ocean waters.
My time at the beach was relaxing. Next on my agenda, was to peruse the various boutiques and shops in the square. From ice cream shops to diners to specialty boutiques, this shopping plaza has it all!
For lunch, I ate at Althea’s restaurant. My meal consisted of tofu tacos in a flour tortilla with pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, and salsa verde. The quality of the food was superb and the price was reasonable.
After my filling meal, I went on another walk to see more of the local Victorian homes. They were painted in a variety of colors and ranging from small residences to fancy large mansions, some even designed with sprawling porches having awnings.
Along my walk, I noticed the Memucan Hughes House Museum. It was first a tavern, and then became the family home of Revolutionary War patriot Memucan Hughes. I also strolled by the Cape May Fireman’s Museum, containing an original 1928 American La France antique firetruck.
It was time for dinner. The Washington Inn offers a wonderful vegan option. I enjoyed the roasted harvest vegetables with black lentil hash, cauliflower, oyster mushrooms, garlic sautéed spinach,
pickled fennel & carrots, with a curry vinaigrette.
My first day in Cape May was filled with some fascinating and beautiful sightseeing. It was time to catch some sleep before the next day’s sightseeing began.
I awoke early on my third and final day of my New Jersey vacation. For my morning meal, I ate at Aloha Smoothie in Cape May, close to the ocean. My breakfast was a wonderful acai bowl.
The morning consisted of another walk around the neighborhood to see more Victorian homes.
One of the Victorian mansions offered a tour , so I decided to participate. Emlen Physick House is Cape May’s only official Victorian House Museum. Our guide led us through the exquisite rooms, including dining room, bedrooms, kitchen, and library. Dr. Physick was president of the local medical society and was a strong influence of local health practices at the time. His 18 room residence built in 1879, is considered to be one of the finest examples of Victorian stick style architecture in this country.
Lunch was an amazing, veggie crab cake sandwich at The Mad Batter, near the beach.
I spent the next couple of hours basking in the sunshine and warmth of the beach.
Next up for the day was a visit to the Cape May lighthouse for another seaside excursion. The lighthouse is located in Cape May Point State Park. I climbed the 199 steps up the spiral staircase, to gain an amazing panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean, the adjoining nature trails of Cape May Point State Park, and the Cape May Point Borough. Interpretive panels displayed during the climb, reveal the lighthouse’s story as well as the surrounding area’s history.
Upon completing the lighthouse stair climb, I headed outside and walked over to the Cape May Point State Park. I went for an invigorating hike on the nature trails with views of ponds, dunes, marshes, and forest.
My final stop for the day was at the Cape May Marina. Yachts of various sizes adorned the picturesque harbor.
Before my long, seven hour drive heading home, I decided to have dinner at the Exit Zero Filling Station diner in Cape May. I devoured their delectable buffalo cauliflower bites for my evening meal.
I truly enjoyed my long holiday weekend in Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey!! From spectacular beaches to elegant Victorian mansions to a multitude of shops and museums to stunning outdoor attractions, there is plenty to see and do and there is also a decent amount of vegan food offerings to relish in this region!