Weekend in Wildwood & Cape May with Kids - Day 2

DAY 2: Sunday 6th September 2020

We were up early on our second day as we had booked a boat ride with Thunder Cat Dolphin Watch. The ride took us out along the Jersey shore and we loved the way the dolphins swam and jumped alongside and behind us in the waves created by our catamaran speedboat. The trip was worth the money to see the dolphins but we didn’t appreciate being packed in so tightly during times of Covid. The boat was rammed full of people and masks were not a requirement, even for the crew. I wouldn’t have minded the lack of masks if there had been social distancing but it felt like Covid had never happened.

Following our dolphin experience we headed to the Cape May Winery. We got there not long after the 10.30am opening time and it was already busy. The setting was beautiful and tables were spread throughout the grounds. We were seated between the barn and the vineyard, with ample sunshine and a little shade for the kids. Whilst we waited for our delicious brunch, we sampled the local red wines (which were all really good) and listened to the live music which added to the laid-back Sunday atmosphere.

Feeling like we had been in the sun a little bit too long, we headed to Washington Street Mall in Cape May to check out the local shops and to find out why it was so popular. The quaint high street had charm and the shops were inviting. We checked out the exciting toy shops and the Fudge Kitchen, where you can watch the fudge being made in the window. The numerous fudge flavours were all very tempting but we managed to select four to try. My favourite was the ‘rocky road’ fudge.

One block away was the Cape May beach front. We hadn’t paid for beach passes or packed any swim gear so we peered longingly across at the soft, white sand and glimpsed the tempting sea. The girls cooled off in the beachfront showers and we walked back to our car to drive to the west side of the cape. As we walked, we passed some beautiful little hotels, adorned with flowers and some shops with quirky seaside names, such as ‘Tea by the Sea'.

As we arrived at Cape May Point State Park, we saw people queuing to go up the famous Cape May Lighthouse but we decided to view it from the bottom and to check out the surrounding area. The walkways to our left led to a viewing platform above a large pond. We came across the local ‘Hawk Watch’ group who introduced themselves and told us what birds they had seen that day. I couldn’t help noticing that the lady who spoke to us had an impressive owl tattoo on her thigh.

My parents were supposed to join us on our Cape May weekend, prior to Coronavirus limitations on travel, and they would have loved the local bird spotting opportunities here. We only saw swans in the short time we were there but we saw some large, colourful dragonflies and Monarch butterflies amongst the long grasses that lined the pond.

The walkway ahead of the parking lot led to a beautiful open beach where we could see an old WWII bunker settled in the sand. We took some pictures of the view and headed back to our Motel for some rest and some food before our busy evening of crowds and rides.

As the kids began to get excited about our promised return to Morey’s Pier in Wildwood, Roy and I wondered if we would have preferred to stay on the quieter side of the Cape, nearer to the natural beauty that we had encountered today. Nevertheless, a family holiday has to be about compromise so we headed down the crazy Wildwood boardwalk (again) for some family fun.

Knowing the layout of the pier, we were more efficient at navigating the rides this time and the girls had some idea about what they wanted to do, including a repeat of their favourite rides from yesterday. For Alaina, this was the Pink Elephants & Carousel. Zaria persuaded Lyra to go on her second ever rollercoaster, which she actually loved (-her first rollercoaster was the Cosmic Caterpillar at The Milky Way Adventure Park in Devon, UK)! I did my first ride of the holiday – the kids’ balloon ride, and got a fabulous view of the pier.

We made the mistake of telling the kids that they each had $5 to spend on a game or souvenir. This meant that our return journey along the busy boardwalk involved stopping at numerous tacky gift shops and asking about a whole host of fairground style games, such as hook a duck, where the prize is always a cheap toy that falls apart. (Alaina’s unicorn from yesterday is already splitting at the seam!) As we strolled along the boardwalk, there were many interesting characters to observe. Roy and I were pleased to make it to the other end, having come away with two souvenir t-shirts and a large stuffed giraffe, which Alaina named Pinky Po (even though it is clearly not pink)! I was grateful they hadn't opted for pet hermit crabs, which were also being sold in countless shops along the boardwalk.

We decided to head back home the following morning so that we wouldn’t get stuck in traffic. We also planned to go for one last swim at our local pool before it shut for the season. It actually took us about double the time of the journey down but we made it in time for our swim. We felt slightly sad as we said goodbye to the pool for the last time, knowing that next summer we will be back in the UK. We realised that it may also have been our last trip to the Jersey shore where we have made so many happy memories over the past two summers.

In addition to this blog, you can check out our Instagram feed for more photos and short posts documenting our travels and family adventures @fiveexplore