Cape May, a real gem of a destination

CAPE MAY, N.J. -- We find diamonds on Sunset Beach. They are Cape May Diamonds, the smooth quartz crystals that land on the sandy shore along Delaware Bay. The pebbles originate in Pennsylvania and wash down the Delaware River into the bay.

"They've been polished by the ocean," says Janet Hunnicutt of Cape May Point State Park, a wetlands area near Sunset Beach. "Ocean currents push one way. Currents from the bay push the other way."

Many diamonds are clear, others are dark red, light orange, soft yellow or tan.

With buckets in hand, beachcombers collect Cape May Diamonds. It's a favorite pastime at this beach on Cape May Peninsula's west side. At twilight, pink and pewter sunsets reflect on bay waters and the glistening shore.

Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet at the tip of the peninsula. People gather on the beach of Cape May Point State Park to watch cavorting Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins. They calve in Delaware Bay and follow the tides in search of food.

"The dolphins are some of the best entertainment in the park," says Hunnicutt. She describes how dolphins teach their babies how to fish. "Parents leap out of the water and land on their sides and slap their tails. This stuns the fish, and they are easy to grab," she says.

Cape May Point State Park has a diverse birdlife population because of its location on the Atlantic Flyway.

"Hawks and other raptors come in September, October and November because Cape May is the narrowest land bridge across Delaware Bay. It is only 17 miles from the tip to the other side, so they funnel through here," she explains.

On some days a dozen golden eagles might be seen at once. Autumn migration may include 50,000 hawks, according to counts conducted at the Cape May Bird Observatory. Every spring warblers migrate through in large numbers.

The 235-acre state park is an attractive breeding area for many bird species, including piping plovers, least terns and oystercatchers. Boardwalks and trails with viewing platforms lace freshwater marshes and ponds. An environmental center features exhibits about wildlife, shore erosion and marine habitats.

The Cape May Lighthouse towers over the state park and the beach communities of Cape May Point and Sunset Beach. "The lighthouse is still an aid to navigation and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard," says Hunnicutt. The light is visible for 24 miles and flashes every 15 seconds. Visitors climb the 199 steps to take in views of Cape May's coastline and perhaps catch a glimpse of the ferryboat that connects Cape May with Lewes, Del. The 157-foot beacon was built in 1859. The oilhouse features a pagoda-shaped roof designed to vent kerosene fumes through its peak.

Here on the southern end of Cape May, life moves at a leisurely pace. Surf fishing is excellent. The beaches aren't crowded. Vacation homes and landmarks are few. The boardwalks are for birdwatching, not for cotton candy and carnival games.

The tempo picks up a notch in the City of Cape May two miles to the east. There's a little more traffic and a few more umbrellas on the beach. Steeped in Victorian architecture, this fashionable resort is different from the neon-lit destinations of the Jersey Shore.

"Cape May is a National Historic Landmark City. It is the nation's first seaside resort," says Margo Harvey of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, a not-for-profit cultural agency.

Historical records indicate that leisure travelers came here as soon as roads were built in the 1700s. A hotel advertisement in a Philadelphia newspaper dates to 1801. By the 1850s, 20 large resort hotels operated during the high season. Year-round residents earned their living by farming and fishing, just as they had for hundreds of years. This stretch of the Jersey Shore takes its name from Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, a Dutch sea captain who sailed along the coast in 1620. (The name was anglicized to "May.")

Over the centuries, pirate ships and British men-of-war wreaked havoc, along with fierce storms and fires. When fire destroyed a third of downtown, residents rebuilt in the style of the time.

"Victorian architecture is what we are famous for," says Penny Auch, a guide on a trolley tour through the historic district. We pass a parade of colorfully painted residences, including Buttercup Cottage, a flourish of lattice and brackets. Cupolas, dormers, mansard roofs, gingerbread woodwork and wraparound porches adorn many houses.

"Victorians lived on their porches in the summertime," she explains.

Luxurious cottages were built during the Gilded Age, and for a time Cape May rivaled Newport, R.I., as a playground for well-to-do families. They came here to shake off the pressures of city life. They strolled or took carriage rides on the sandy beach.

"Red flags signaled 'gentlemen on the beach.' White flags allowed the ladies," says Auch. The resort offered ice-cream parlors, cafes, smoke shops and gentlemen's gambling clubs.

The showplace of Cape May is an 18-room mansion built in 1877 for Dr. Emlen Physick. Though he completed his medical training, he never practiced as a physician.

"He preferred the life of a gentleman farmer and founded the Cape May Country Club," says house guide Carol MacMillan. Philadelphia architect Frank Furness designed the residence in the late-Victorian Stick style.

"The Stick style was a reaction to ornate gingerbread," she explains, calling attention to the gridlike pattern of exposed timbers on the front of the house. The exterior has steep-gabled, overhanging roof planes, hooded dormers and a broad verandah. The interior has a blending of Furness-designed furnishings and French-revival-style pieces. Eastlake-design bookcases line the billiard room.

Many of these Victorian treasures were nearly lost when a horrendous storm blew into Cape May in 1962. Residents decided to rehabilitate rather than tear down the historic district. Every year, more than 300,000 people take historic tours offered by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts. Civic leaders do not view preservation as a way of casting the past in amber, unaltered. Vintage hotels are equipped with modern conveniences while retaining the charms of the Victorian era. We have plasma television and wireless high-speed Internet access while staying at The Virginia. The 24-room boutique inn with its chocolate-and-lipstick-red lobby traces its heritage to a hotel built in 1879.

We have a relaxing lunch on the patio of the Blue Pig Tavern, a popular gathering spot at the Congress Hall hotel. The hostess tells us the name comes from a gambling parlor operating here in the mid-1800s. Later, we have an easy walk to the breezy promenade that follows the shoreline. Vacationers prefer to keep their cars parked and move about downtown on foot or by bicycle. Shops, restaurants and hotels are sprinkled among residences in the tightly packed downtown. The Washington Street Mall is a pedestrian area in the center.

Attractions beyond the historic district include whale- and dolphin-watching cruises, the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May Country Zoo, Historic Cold Spring Village, Leaming's Run Gardens and Cape May Winery.

For more information, visit www.capemaycountychamber.com and www.visitnj.org.

(Linda Lange is travel editor of the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel.)