May 31, 2008: Back to Cape May

Coming back from New York, I picked up Julie Anna and Ben at the airport in Philadelphia. We made a quick mini tour of the Independence National Park and saw the Liberty Bell and the Continental Congress Building in the twilight. We reminisced about US history as we had dinner on the patio at the historic City Tavern before driving south to spend the night at the South Jersey Marina in Cape May.

On Saturday morning we drove through the 235 acre Cape May Point State Park. There we saw the point lighthouse built in 1859. It was originally operated by oil lamps and prisms and lenses and Tom and Julie Anna and Ben climbed the 199 steps to the top. Right in front of it there was a multistory birdhouse fully occupied by tenants. There was also a World War II bunker on the beach built of poured concrete but supported by wooden pilings just like the houses at Emerald Isle. It was built 900 feet from the water in 1942, but now is in the water at high tide because of beach erosion (sound familiar?) Cape May began as a whaling village, and you can still take a cruise for whale sighting. It grew into a resort as the inland cities grew, and the wealthy came looking for a place for quiet and beauty. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a trip through Cape May oohing and ahhing over all the Victorian mansions nestled in neighborhoods just off the beach. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed strolling through the little shops on the outside Washington Street mall. Tom had planned a special dinner at the 5 star Union Park restaurant where we had a wonderful meal finished by a dessert sampler of 9 different delicious treats. After dinner we come home to the boat and I showed Julie Anna some of my knitting and gave her a lesson. It was so much fun to have them here with us.