What Cape May is known for

Cape May, which is located within the Cape May Destination, is a city situated on an island at the southern tip of New Jersey. It is named after a Dutch explorer named Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, a man who was working for the Dutch East India Company. Cape May is home to the oldest seaside resort in America. The city is designated as a National Historic Landmark. It was established on May 11, 1976. Since then, many of the historical buildings in Cape May have been preserved and attended to. While Cape May is known for its historical buildings, it is also known for the many birding sites located within the city limits. Many of these birding sites are located within nature preserves and wildlife refuges. Also located within Cape May is the primary training camp for the United States Coast Guard, where recruits go through eight weeks of training before being assigned to different areas.[1] 

Cape May has been a tourist spot since 1766, when resident homes, taverns, and public houses were built within the city. In the early 19th century, many music pavilions and ballrooms were built to accommodate parties and performances.[2] Since the city first welcomes tourists, many attractions have been created and continue to function today. Activities within Cape May include the Cape May Historic District, beaches, birding sites, the Cape May Point State Park, the Cape May Harbor, the Colonial House, and the Underground Railroad Trolly Tour.[3] 

North of Cape May is the city of Vineland, which is home to a variety of ventures such as the Delsea Drive-In Theater, Landis Theater, and various restaurants. The Deslea Drive-In Theater was first opened in 1949 to the local community. It was later closed in 1987 but reopened in 2004. It is the only drive-in theater in New Jersey, and it has become a popular feature for tourists to visit the area.[4] 

The Cape May Destination is home to the Wharton State Forest. Within the state forest, tourists can go to Batsto Village, swim at the Atsion Recreation Area, hike on various trails, go camping, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hunting, and fishing, go to the Carranza Memorial, and can visit the Batsto Natural Area or Oswego River Natural Area. The price to get into the park ranges from five to twenty dollars depending on the day of the week or whether visitors are residents of New Jersey or not. There are a few regulations concerning protection and safety, including the be bear aware policy and the tick protection policy. These policies suggest that visitors to the Wharton State Forest wear bright clothing, use insect repellent, stay on the trails, avoid feeding the wildlife, and report issues. No smoking is allowed within the park, and pets must be kept on a leash.[7]

Geography

The Cape May Destination, named after the city of Cape May, is located in New Jersey, specifically the southern end. The destination wraps around the south tip of New Jersey and has multiple towns within it, including Toms River, Vineland, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Lakewood, and Cape May. Also within the region is the Wharton State Forest, which includes the Batsto Natural Area and Oswego River Natural Area.[7] The general landscape type of the destination is flat with multiple forests, lakes, and rivers. Islands are located along the south and east part of the sector, most of which are of a smaller size. Cape May itself is a peninsula and island.[1]

The temperatures in Cape May fluctuate throughout the year, with an average low of around 30 degrees Fahrenheit and an average high of about 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The city does not receive any snow during the year and instead experiences rain throughout the year. The most likely time of year for the rain to fall is the month of June. The most popular times to visit the region are from June to August. April is another relatively busy month in Cape May when it comes to visitors and tourists. Based on the weather, the reported "best time" to visit Cape May is from the middle of April to the beginning of July or from the middle of August to the middle of November.[6] 

The Cape May Destination has a wide variety of species that inhabit the area. Because it is close to the ocean, and because it has lakes and rivers, a variety of those animals dwell in the water. Some of these animals include common bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, harbor seals, grey seals, fin whales, harbor porpoises, orcas, grey whales, Risso's dolphins, sperm whales, and spinner dolphins. Animals that dwell on land in the area are often animals such as white-tailed deer, red foxes, and coyotes, along with various species of rabbits, bats, squirrels, and weasels. Also within the region are various plants, some of which are found in certain places while they can't be found in other places. Some of these plants are shining sumacs, spotted horsemint, sassafras, partridge peas, beach plums, and blue toadflaxes.[5]

History

The Cape May Destination is an area that has been inhabited for years. Before the city of Cape May was created, Kechemeche Indians, who were a part of the Lenni-Lenape tribe, lived in the area. The locality was first sighted by Sir Henry Hudson in 1609 and later explored by Cornelius Jacobsen Mey in 1621. After these events occurred, sections of land were bought from the Kechemeche Indians in the 1630s. A whaling and fishing industry started up in the territory. People came from Connecticut and Massachusetts to buy land and improve the whaling industry. By the late 17th century, the area became known as Cape May.[2] 

During the 18th century, Cape May became a tourist destination for people from Philadelphia. Public houses, residential homes, and taverns were built in Cape May to satisfy the visitors. Cape May became known as a place with beaches and seafood to enjoy. In the early 19th century, more hotels were built to accommodate a larger amount of people. One of the more popular hotels at the time was the New Atlantic, which was built in 1842 and could accommodate up to 300 guests. Ballroom and music pavilions began being constructed to host performances and parties.[2] 

The Mt. Vermont Hotel, a well-known motel in the Cape May Destination, was first built on the oceanfront in 1852. It was intended to hold 3,500 guests but before that could happen the hotel was caught in a fire incident and burned down in 1856. At the time, it could only accommodate 2,100 patrons and was unfinished. During that same time period, there was a fire in the Mansion House in 1857, a new lighthouse was constructed in 1859, and two different presidents visited the island during the 1850s.[2] 

During World War I, a popular hotel in the area was used to act as a hospital. The hotel, called the Newport-like Hotel Cape May, reopened after the war in 1920. Since then, many hotels have been built in Cape May, many of which are considered to be historical structures.[2] 

During WWII, multiple United States Navy facilities were built in Cape May because of the submarine threat off of the east coast of the U.S. Some of these facilities include the Naval Air Station, Cape May, the Naval Base, Cape May, the Inshore Patrol, Cape May, and the Naval Frontier Base, Cape May.[8]