THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300040
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RUTH FANTASIA, VIRGINIAN-PILOT/LEDGER-STAR STAFF
LENGTH: Long : 253 lines
EVEN IN the rain Cape May, N.J., seems painted with ice cream sherbet and decorated with sugar candy. Three-story homes of pink, blue, lavender and orange with lacy gingerbread trim and delicate wrought-iron fences line the streets. It's a town locked in the Victorian era.
Like other Jersey shore communities, Cape May has had its economic ups and downs. But today, the town beckons tourists with a host of activities that continue through autumn.
Cape May was founded in 1621 by Dutch sailor Cornelius Jacobsen Mey (English settlers later changed the spelling). An 1878 fire destroyed much of Cape May, and the town was rebuilt in the style of the time, creating the largest collection of Victorian architecture in the United States.
Trolley tours explaining the intricacies of mansard roofs and cupolas leave Cape May's Washington Street pedestrian mall several times a day. You can combine the trolley with a tour of one of the town's largest homes, the Physick Estate. The estate was built in 1879 by Emlen Physick, a doctor who never practiced medicine but decided to be a gentleman farmer instead.
In 1976 when the grand old house was threatened by a wrecking ball, a group of citizens formed the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and saved the house from destruction. Since then the group has restored the estate and Cape May Lighthouse, conducted tours and events and contributed much to Cape May's resurgence. BY CARRIAGE
Mid-Atlantic's tours are filled with historical fact, but for a lighter view of the town take a ride in one of the horse-drawn carriages.
Our driver, Kerry Becker, was a delightful woman who pointed out which houses were formerly brothels and the inn that is rumored to be Oprah Winfrey's favorite.
Public carriages cost $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 2 to 11. Private carriages are also available, starting at $25 per couple. Drivers will skip the chatter if you prefer to make romance on an evening ride.
In the predawn moments, few people are up along Cape May's oceanfront. But just after sunrise walkers and joggers make good use of the 1 1/2-mile boardwalk along the Atlantic.
Rental bikes are available at several places around town although most visitors seem to prefer walking in the 2 1/2-square-mile historic district.
Should you decide to take the car, be prepared with plenty of quarters. Parking meters are one of the few changes to the scene since Victorian times and are almost everywhere.
The three-block Washington Street Mall is a shopping and dining mecca for tourists but it also attracts locals, such as Albert O'Kinsky, a retired accountant from Philadelphia. He sat on a bench feeding cracked corn to pigeons perched on his fingers and shoes.
``I always dreamed about moving to a small town. Now, I sit over here on this bench and watch all these children go by. I get a kick out of every one of them. They think they can catch the birds,'' INNS GALORE
Along the town's gas-lighted streets, it seems every other building is an inn. In fact, there are between 65 and 80 guest houses in Cape May, depending on whom you talk to. Most businesses have signs, but so do some private homes, so to tell a guest house from a residence look for a basket of brochures hanging near the entryway.
Unlike homey bed and breakfasts, Cape May's guest houses are businesslike. The cost of a night's lodging usually includes a hearty breakfast and afternoon tea as well as a securely locking door. Private baths depend on which guest house you choose.
Lace curtains adorn most windows but, according to tour guides, it's not because Victorian women thought them pretty. Finely woven lace was inexpensive at the time, and it was nailed to the window frames to keep out the bugs.
You may also notice the porches on most houses are the same height and width. That was so the Victorian people could sit on their verandas and converse easily. EYE TO THE SKY
A few miles from the historic district, Cape May Point is a choice destination for birders each fall.
At a hawk-counting station at the Cape May Point Lighthouse and State Park we found about 20 birders, both amateur and professional. Vince Elia, a local expert, said the area is as much a social gathering place as a spectacular viewing area for migrating bird and butterfly populations.
To avoid looking like a tourist, bring your binoculars and don't comment on the pretty swans wading in nearby Bunker Pond.
``The mute swans aren't native and they tend to be very aggressive,'' Elia said.
Bunker Pond is so named because a World War II ammunition bunker rises out of the Atlantic just beyond the breakers a few hundred feet from the pond.
Across the parking lot from the hawk station, a small but fact-filled nature museum awaits inspection and the newly restored Cape May Lighthouse is open for climbing. A climb up the 199 stairs costs $3.50 per adult, but the view of the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic at the top is worth it.
Sunset Beach on the bay side of Cape May Point is covered in quartz pebbles that are as colorful as the homes in town. Children search for the clearest rocks to polish into Cape May Diamonds. Beach side souvenir shops sell the polished and cut stone in jewelry.
The single day we had to tour Cape May wasn't enough. We missed the whale watching cruises, tours of Fisherman's Wharf and the nude beaches (although we didn't expect anyone to be out in the cool autumn air). You'll need a long weekend to take in all of Cape May and still still have time for that charming Victorian custom, afternoon tea. ILLUSTRATION: JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI/Staff color photos
From the lighthouse, visitors can look out over the town. Rebuilt
after an 1878 fire, Cape May is hte largest collection of Victorian
architecture in the United States.
Tourists get a close look at the Emlen Physick Estate, one of the
largest homes in Cape May. It was saved from demolition in 1976.
Kenneth Russell of Sarasota, Fla., left, and Jim Ristow of
Indianapolis watch hawks at Cape May Point.
Guests enjoy a sunny breakfast at the Mooring, one of Cape May's
many guest houses.
MID-ATLANTIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS/photos
Historic-house tours are among the attractions of Victorian Week,
Oct. 7-16, in Cape May.
Victorian Holmes Weekend, Nov. 4-6, promises plenty of mystery, in
honor of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Graphics
Map
STAFF
TRAVELER'S ADVISORY
When the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel opened in 1964, the ferries
it replaced were moved to the mouth of the Delaware Bay and began
providing service between Lewes, Del., and Cape May. Today, the most
expedient route to Cape May includes both means of travel, providing
the weather is good and your timing is right.
Take the Bridge-Tunnel ($10 toll) from Virginia Beach to Cape
Charles and continue north on U.S. Route 13.
Turn right in Laurel, Del., onto U.S. Route 9 North and proceed
to the ferry terminal at Cape Henlopen. Tolls cost $18 for car and
driver, $4.50 for each additional adult, $2.25 for passengers 6 to
12 years old.
Ferries depart on an irregular schedule, but you can call ahead
for reservations: (800) 643-3779.
Signs along the way direct traffic around Salisbury, Md., via
U.S. Route 113 North. If you're not in a hurry, it's a pleasant side
trip through the Maryland and Delaware countryside.
Pick up Route 113 in Pocomoke City, Md., and continue to
Selbyville, Del.
In Selbyville we discovered the Doyle Family Restaurant. The food
is mediocre, but the restaurant is built around an original
chrome-and-tile diner. It's a thrill just to sit on the pink
upholstered benches and listen to the vintage juke box. Stop for a
soda at least.
You can pick up Delaware Route 24 East at Millsboro and then take
Delaware Route 1 to U.S. Route 9 and onto the ferry. The route is
well marked.
On a nice day the ferry is a pleasant 90-minute trip across the
bay. (They advertise 70 minutes, but locals say it never happens.
From our experience the locals are right.)
If the weather is frightful, as it was the day we left, avoid the
ferry at all costs. Hurricane-force winds and 20-foot waves make
plastic bags and fervent prayer a requirement for crossing. We
caught the last boat before service was suspended and wished we
hadn't.
To bypass the ferry, take U.S. Route 13 up to the Delaware
Memorial Bridge and cross into New Jersey. Take New Jersey Route 49
South to Millville then pick up N.J. Route 55/47 South to U.S. Route
9 and follow into Cape May.
Cape May's guest houses range from small to expansive. Most offer
afternoon tea as well as a bed and breakfast. Some, such as the
bright and airy Mooring on Stockton Avenue, (609) 884-5425, offer
private baths in each room. (Mine had a grand claw-foot tub that
cried for a bubble bath). Off-season rates range from $75 to $120
per night.
Poor Richard's Inn on Jackson Street, (609) 884-3536, is less
expensive with a unique country Victorian decor featuring handmade
quilts and deep wood paneling. Richard's off-season rooms cost from
$60 to $110 with a private bath, $45 to $75 with a shared bath.
Since most inns are furnished in antiques, young children are
less than welcome. But Cape May has a number of hotels with modern
amenities such as pools and televisions to keep the youngsters
entertained.
Contact A Shore Reservation, Inc., (800) 977-4673; the Chamber of
Commerce of Greater Cape May, (609) 884-5508; Cape May Reservation
Service, (800) 729-7778 or the Cape May County Department of
Tourism, (800) 227-2297 for information on lodging.
For a truly Victorian experience, reserve a room at the
118-year-old Chalfonte Hotel on Howard Street, (609) 884-8409. (See
story, Page F1.) There's no heat, air conditioning or elevators.
Rooms are small and without phones or televisions. Except for a few
rooms, bathrooms are down the hall.
Tea on the large veranda each afternoon is delightful and the
Magnolia Dining Room is known for its Southern cuisine.
The Chalfonte has one thing that's hard to come by in Cape May -
a bar. With liquor laws that date back to Prohibition, the town has
only a handful of drinking establishments. But you're welcome to
bring your own bottle to most restaurants.
Dining in the area is mostly typical tourist fare from Buffalo
wings to submarine sandwiches. But we did find a couple of notable
exceptions.
The grilled tuna with maple vinaigrette at the Mad Batter on
Jackson Street, (609) 884-5970, was excellent and came with rice and
spaghetti squash. At $18.95 it was a bit pricey, but the portions
were twice as large as we expected. The Mad Batter offers a
refreshing array of ``mocktails'' and specialty coffees. The
desserts were generous as well.
If you can't wait for breakfast at the guest house, stop in at
Bodacious Bagels on the corner of Beach and Howard streets. For
about $4 you can grab a fresh bagel with flavored cream cheese and
medium coffee. The best part is they open at 7 a.m.
COMING UP IN CAPE MAY
For more information contact the Mid-Atlantic Center for the
Arts, (609) 884-5404.
Victorian Week - Oct. 7-16. Arts and crafts workshop, tours,
sing-alongs, John Philip Sousa-style band concerts, vaudeville
shows, fashion shows and more.
Antique Show - next Sunday. Convention Hall, Beach Street.
Fisherman's Wharf Tours - 11:30 a.m. Oct. 10, 14 and Saturdays
through Oct. 15. Learn how seafood gets from dock to dish. Lobster
House Dock. Fee: $4 adults, $2 children ages 3 to 12.
Gourmet Brunch Walk - 9 a.m. Oct. 12, 23 and 30. A walking tour
of Cape May's historic district followed by brunch at The Mad Batter
Restaurant. Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean
Street. Fee: $15 adults, $7.50 children ages 3 to 12.
Champagne Brunch Walk - 9 a.m. Sundays through Oct. 16. A walking
tour of Cape May followed by a hearty Southern breakfast and Mimosas
at the Chalfonte. Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean
Street. Fee: $15 adults, $7.50 children ages 3 to 12.
Halloween Party - 4 p.m. Oct. 23. Physick Estate, Washington
Street.
Victorian Holmes Weekend - Nov. 4-6. A weekend of mystery, tours,
clues, searches and live performances in honor of the works of
Arthur Conan Doyle. Co-sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the
Arts and Historic Accommodations of Cape May. Fee: $87.50 not
including weekend accommodations at a participating inn.
November Arts and Crafts Festival - Nov. 5. Hand-made goods,
seasonal decorations and gift items. Convention Hall, Beach Drive at
Stockton Place. Fee: $1.
Inn Deep Seminar - Nov. 7-10. How to purchase, restore and
operate a bed and breakfast, led by Cape May innkeepers. Fees: $70
for one class to $150 for the full workshop. Cape Island Baptist
Church, Columbia Avenue and Gurney Street.
by CNB