Everyone Has That One Town They Won’t Shut Up About – Mine’s in New Jersey

Cape May, New Jersey

I didn’t expect to become obsessed with a tiny beach town in the Garden State, but here we are.

At just 2.7 square miles, it shouldn’t be this interesting. Here are some things I love about this tiny corner of New Jersey.

The Town Is Literally an Island

Most people don’t know this, but Cape May is technically an island.

During World War II, they built a canal to protect ships from German submarines, accidentally creating an island in the process. Now it’s just a peaceful spot where people fish for striped bass and blue crabs.

Those Wonderful Victorian Houses

I literally stopped in my tracks the first time I turned onto Perry Street. A lot of towns have historic buildings, but the story behind Cape May’s is a bit different.

After a massive fire in 1878, the town rebuilt itself in the style of the era. These ‘painted ladies’ wear up to seven different colors and still show off their original wood trim and stained glass.

The Pink House has original carved wood trim that’s survived since the 1800s.

It’s a Butterfly Superhighway

Every fall, monarch butterflies use Cape May as their rest stop on the way to Mexico. They gather at Cape May Point State Park to fuel up on wildflowers before crossing Delaware Bay.

Scientists have tracked them since 1990, and some can fly 50 miles in a day. In September, you might spot over 100 butterflies per hour floating between wildflowers.

The War History Is Still Visible

The concrete bunkers at Sunset Beach and Cape May Point aren’t recreations – they’re the real deal.

During World War II, local volunteers (too old for military service) watched for German submarines from wooden towers. They spotted three in June 1942 alone.

Every Coast Guard Member Trains Here

The nation’s only Coast Guard training center sits on 352 acres of Cape May coastline.

Every year, over 4,000 recruits complete eight weeks of intense training here. The center’s been creating guardians of our coasts since 1948, taking over an old World War II Navy base. Sometimes you can watch graduation ceremonies as well. And you really should.

Watching 4,000 new guardsmen and women graduate after eight weeks of intense training gave me chills.

Cape May “Diamonds”

They call them ‘Cape May diamonds,’ but they’re actually clear quartz crystals that have tumbled down the Delaware River for thousands of years.

The Kechemeche tribe used them for trading and considered them lucky. While not actual diamonds, you can have them polished into gorgeous jewelry.

It’s Bird-Watching Gold

With over 430 bird species visiting, Cape May ranks among the world’s top bird-watching spots.

The endangered piping plover nests on these beaches and about 20 pairs return each spring. In fall, thousands of hawks soar south, including peregrine falcons that can dive faster than 200 mph.

I’m not big on birdwatching myself, but it’s a phenomenal sight.

Cape May Has Really Nice Wines

A wine trail in New Jersey? I know, I know – but hear me out.

Seven vineyards thrive in Cape May County thanks to a perfect storm of conditions. The ocean-bay microclimate keeps temperatures ideal for grape growing, allowing longer seasons than inland vineyards.

And these aren’t just novelty wines. They’re award-winners made from both traditional grapes and local fruits like beach plums and cranberries.

There’s a Concrete Ship

The SS Atlantus is just vibing off Sunset Beach, slowly sinking for the past 100 years.

It’s one of twelve concrete ships they built during WWI when they couldn’t get steel. Imagine looking at concrete and being like ‘yeah this’ll float.’ It always gets a chuckle out of me.

Harriet Tubman Worked Here

One of my favorite things about Cape May is the role it played for the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman actually worked here as a cook in 1852-53 to fund her rescue missions.

Several houses were safe houses. No biggie, until you realize that at the same time, southern plantation owners were vacationing here.

I recommend dropping by the Harriet Tubman Museum if you’re in town.

It Was America’s First Resort Town

Before Newport got fancy, Cape May was where the powerful played.

Four presidents vacationed here – Benjamin Harrison even ran the country from Congress Hall in 1890. The Mount Vernon Hotel once housed 853 rooms, and in the 1850s, over 3,000 visitors could arrive by boat in a single day.

And like I said, plenty of them were plantation owners.