A drive up the Delaware Bay in spring can be one of the most unforgettable local experiences on any scale. The spectacle of Red Knot, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Ruddy Turnstone jammed on a beach feasting and fighting for their caviar, Horseshoe Crab eggs, can be amazing. I say “can […]
While shopping seems to be a love language between many mothers and daughters, Barbara and daughter Leah Kelleher have taken things to a new level. The duo launched Thread and Root, a clothing boutique with locations in Cape May Court House and Cape May, in November 2019. “I graduated college […]
As we enter another leap year in 2024, according to Irish folklore, we ladies are encouraged to pursue a man with urgency and integrity! This anachronic tradition on Leap Day known as “Bachelor’s Day” originally allowed for women to propose to men during a time with much stricter patriarchal social […]
Over the years I always lived in West Cape May, or south of the canal. And I believed people should need a passport to come over either of the two bridges that cross the canal—and that is from an Englishman. Now I live in “north” Jersey, north of the canal […]
As we exit the winter’s cold grip and get ready to move into spring’s warm embrace, love is all around us. In some cases, it has been all along, with birds such as Great-horned Owls already rearing young preparing to fledge the nest. But in most cases, now is the […]
It was a hat-and-gloves kind of day, bright but cold, when I visited The Virginia Hotel on Jackson Street. But just like that, as I walked through the cherry-red front doors, it was all about the warmth. It started at the reception desk, with a warm hello from the staffers […]
No trip to Philadelphia is complete without a stop at the Reading Terminal Market. This grand dame of public bazaars—a Philly stalwart for well over a century—has 76 merchant stands, including butchers, bakers, fishmongers, poulterers, plus a handful of boutiques and specialty shops. Mostly, though, it’s about the food. The […]
The City of Cape May’s reach is greater than we think. This quaint island just short of three square miles was assumed to be a secret treasure during decades of exiguous travel access. These postcards, however, reveal a more global reach and may have gone where the senders never had. […]
I can sum up my stay at Beach Plum Farm in a single word: tranquility. Set among 62 acres of pine forests, marshlands, and formal and informal gardens, this West Cape May retreat has a kicked-back elegance that blends homespun comfort with pure indulgence. It’s virtually guaranteed to slow your […]
Before a TV series, it was a video game. Fungus-infected zombies aside, much of the storyline of The Last of Us takes the main characters across a mostly abandoned America where the signs of humanity persist, yet in a faded state, and the absence of humans has an eerie vibe. […]
Eastern Screech Owls are widespread throughout most of eastern North America, and there are quite a few pairs in the Cape May woodlands. Of course, you would not know it as they only come out after dark and are so rarely seen. About eight inches long, or cardinal-sized, they are […]
Talk about a reality check. The astronomy shows at Rowan University’s Edelman Planetarium feature a cosmic chart, projected on a 40-foot overhead dome inside a darkened theater. It shows Earth as an infinitesimal blip in the Milky Way, which itself is just a dot on a vast universal map. Clearly, […]
Today, with so many shopping options available, both brick and mortar as well as online, customers have the luxury of being choosier about which stores are on the receiving end of their hard-won money. No longer do shoppers simply want dish detergent or a perfect fall sweater—very many of them […]
“Enjoying the cool ocean breeze and salt water – has a definite relaxing effect” wrote Peggy in 1961. Every year people come to Cape May to cool off and they’ve been doing it for generations. The moniker “Cool Cape May” dates back over 100 years into the town’s history. It […]
As a tourist destination, Cape May is home to plenty of retail establishments, from gift and souvenir shops to apparel stores and beach supply venues. And while quite a few of them have some degree of specialization, very few are as categorically distinct as those under the Cape Island Foods […]
In this high-tech, post-pandemic age, many hotels have transitioned to digital check-in, electronic keys, and touchless everything. So imagine my surprise to arrive at the Inn of Cape May and 1.) be greeted by a doorman, 2.) assisted by a porter, and 3.) registered by a front desk clerk, who […]
To succeed in business, you need a good idea, a good plan, and, in the case of Jersey Shore Alpacas, a little divine intervention. In 2005, looking ahead to retirement, Tish and Jim Carpinelli were intrigued by alpaca farming, a cottage industry then at its height. Hoping to spend their […]
I don’t know how it was for you, but this summer seemed to creep up on me, with a cool start that favored spinach and lettuce plantings (which I totally missed because of previous experiences with hot-as-Hades springs of late), followed by the blast furnace of July into August. It […]
I have a problem remembering yesterday, yet I remember the first time coming to Cape May and America like it was yesterday and, yes, it was a long time ago. Bright, sunny, vibrant beaches and the sound of Laughing Gulls are the images that come up right away. There was […]
Cape May has plenty of allure, and much of it has been curated by local shop owners, bed and breakfasts, careful caretakers of historic structures, restaurateurs and more. But its foundational attraction is the great blue salty expanse that hugs the island, drawing people to Cape May for stunning natural […]
In Cape May, there are shops of all varieties. From crystals and soaps to local merchandise, clothing and gifts, there’s a store dedicated to just about every type of product. And while they’re all part of the fabric of Cape May’s shopping district, there are only a few venues that […]
Want to learn more about Cape May history? You’ll find much of it on the walls of the Bedford Inn. The dining room of the Italianate villa features a wraparound mural depicting the original Convention Hall, the lighthouse, and the sunken ship Atlantus (apparently, a lot less sunken when the […]
How would you like to turn back time by, say, 100-plus years? Then visit the Howell Living History Farm, near Lambertville. This isn’t a museum, a reenactment, or a historic tableau, but a working farm, where they do things the old-fashioned way: circa 1900. Visitors don’t so much witness a […]
“Sit quiet by my side in the shade And not the kind that’s thrown I mean, the kind under where a tree has grown” -Taylor Swift, Paris It’s Saturday, and you’ve made it to Cape May for your summer visit. You stop at your B&B or hotel in just enough […]