As I sit here typing, I’m still bundled in flannel pajama pants and thick merino wool socks. The thermometer reads just above freezing, and the wind outside cuts through my light sweater with ease. It’s still winter, but there are signs of spring. The Baltimore Orioles visiting my jelly feeder […]
In winter they form small flocks, often hanging out in grassy or bare earth fields, marshes, or even car parks. They are tough, handling the coldest weather, huddled up in loose groups always facing into the wind. In summer, they separate into pairs, breeding in lots of places that you […]
The Windsor Hotel was built in 1879 and earned a reputation as the “Queen of the Cape May hotels,” because of its quintessential Cape May look. Most of these cards are stamped from over a century ago, when the establishment was very active. This queen had been visited by Hollywood […]
In the heart of Cape May, situated among the historic storefronts of the Washington Street Mall, you’ll find something unexpected: an 18-foot great white shark suspended from the ceiling. It looms over customers, silently observing as they browse through t-shirts that range from quirky to clever, shot glasses with local […]
Isaiah Zagar once described his art as “a spider web,” designed to “trap people and change how they look, feel and dream.” His web—his masterwork—can be found at Philly’s Magic Gardens, a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, indoor-outdoor labyrinth of mosaic art in the heart of Philadelphia. The attraction, created over several decades, […]
What a wild fall and winter we had in late 2024 and early 2025! Moths and butterflies held on longer than I can ever remember, with nighttime lows only dipping into the 40s for most of November and December. It was downright weird to see Monarch butterflies even hanging on […]
One of my favorite birds is the Great Northern Diver, or as it is called in America, the Common Loon. Both names of this species are quite informative. As Great Northern Diver suggests, it is a big bird that is found in the north, and it dives for food. This […]
Cold Water Immersion has been a thing throughout our human history, and depending on who you ask, it can be traced back to ancient Egypt, Greece, or, honestly, just throw a dart at a map. In modern history it has seen a lot of attention with online storefronts offering many […]
In most cases, a jewelry store is just that—a jewelry store (not that we’re knocking them!). But in the case of Payton Jewelry, in the heart of Cape May, it’s a little bit of a destination unto itself. Founded by Kristi Payton, Payton Jewelry has grown from humble beginnings—think crafting […]
At the north end of the county, Jakes Landing Road, part of the Dennis Creek Wildlife Management Area, meets Route 47 just south of the turning to Woodbine (Washington Avenue). About a mile and a half long, this road has been famous among birders, fishermen, and hunters for decades. A […]
The charming Chalfonte Hotel dates back to 1876, when Colonel Henry Sawyer, a war hero who escaped imprisonment and execution, paired his vigor and passion with a second chance at life and new beginnings to build what is recognized today as the oldest hotel in Cape May. The word “old” […]
File this one under, “That’s incredible!” From the street, Northlandz in Flemington looks like a big, nondescript banquet hall. Inside, it’s no less than the culmination of one man’s unlikely dream: to construct the world’s largest model train exhibit. According to Northlandz lore, starting in the early 1990s, computer entrepreneur […]
The Inn at the Park is more than a charming retreat in a picturesque setting. It’s also a glimpse of a bygone era, beyond the Victorian caricature of ladies in bustles and gentlemen in frock coats. The property was built in 1893 for sea captain Henry Walker Hand, of the […]
Washington Street Mall has long been home to some of the most eclectic, swoon-worthy boutiques in the area. From specialty stores like The Cheese Shop and Bath Time to beloved gift shops and whimsical candy stores, to jewelry, to shoes, to clothing, Washington Street Mall is a dream shopping destination […]
For an easy-breezy resort stay, it’s hard to beat the Sandpiper Beach Club, at Beach Avenue and Grant Street in Cape May. The condominium hotel is home to 51 individually owned residences that double as hotel suites. As a result, guests can expect all the comforts of home—not just beautifully […]
In summer and fall it’s not uncommon to come to work and find a large mesh cage set up in the middle of the building, with one or more specimens of some special creature crawling around inside. Most of the time these are moths, and sometimes they’re something entirely different, […]
For more than a century, members of the Reed family worked a modest farm in rural Atlantic County. In the mid-2010s, the last generation of farmers passed on, and the next generation declined to follow in their footsteps. The 80-acre tract in Egg Harbor Township might have been sold for […]
The movement of sand down the shoreline, known as longshore drift, creates an ever-changing landscape at Stone Harbor Point and the North Wildwood inlet. Every year both these places get closer; perhaps they will meet one day! While the steady southward movement of sand is obvious, one big storm could […]
Correspondence via postcards sent to Sandy and Orville Miller from different members of their family, including her brother Bob and sister-in-law Marta, were kept safe by Sandy in her comprehensive collection of historic Cape May postcards. Coincidentally, the first three cards came annually in the month of August, all featured […]
In a small community, it’s not unusual to see family-run businesses. After all, it’s how communities were built, long before big box stores entered our collective consciousness. From pet stores and restaurants to gift shops and ice cream parlors, Cape May Magazine is no stranger to featuring locally owned, often […]
It took a little arm-twisting to get Philadelphian Dave Ripoli to Cape May. But once he came, he never wanted to leave. Many times over the years a childhood friend urged Ripoli to visit the island, saying, “’Cape May, Cape May, Cape May, it’s the best.’ But I didn’t go.” […]
Exploring Cape May’s open seas is always an exquisite sight, from broad daylight to sunset to midnight, as illustrated on the following cards. Many floating vessels have cruised across Cape May’s waters, by methods like luxurious yachting, a humble pleasure boat hobby, shipping, fishing, and more. Regardless of the objective, […]
Historic Smithville, in this case, refers not to the quaint shopping village in Atlantic County, but a bygone industrial town in Burlington County, named for New England business magnate and inventor Hezekiah Bradley “H.B.” Smith. In the post-Civil War era, Hezekiah bought the former textile town of Shreveville, New Jersey, […]
When most people go to buy a home, they look for a general area, a nice house, often somewhat near work, and where amenities are good for their life. For me, it is a Google Earth pick. Where is the best place for birds and migration? Then I look for […]