Cape May or Wildwood? archived

The beaches at Cape May are very similar to those Wildwood and the boardwalk is much tamer than Wildwood's. Lots of young families enjoy the beach at Cape May.

We stayed in Wildwood Crest at Seapoint condo complex a few years back. Seapoint has 4 pools and a huge private beach. We only went to the boardwalk once. It was great!

We did visit Cape May while we were there and it was lovely. I appreciated the amenities of the complex we stayed at with the convenience of being close to both the boardwalk and cape may.

Why don't you go to Ocean Grove instead, and you have the asbury and point pleasant boardwalks nearby. The beach is flat and wide and beautiful.

Well, actually, Cape May does not have the very gradual flat into the water. There are big beaches there, but not the gradual flat into the water that Wildwood has. On the other hand, I don't like the WIldwood boardwalk at all. A bit further north, Avalon has the large beaches with gradual flat like Wildwood.

But if between Cape may and Wildwood, I choose Cape may. There is a bit of boardwalk at Cape may at Howard Street, but does not compare in any way shape or form to Wildwood.

I've heard that the Periwinkle Inn in Cape May is a reasonable place to stay in Cape May for families. The rooms are suites with little kitchenettes and it's across from the beach. You don't have to stay for a week there either. It's kid oriented and not overpriced (considering the location).

Cape May. 'Nuff said!

a couple of the beaches in cape may have the gradual walk in-the cove beach and lifeguard beach (especially at low tide). btw, I have not been to all the beaches but you need to be careful at any of them around high tides. see you there!

ps the beaches are not nearly as wide as the ones in wildwood -which is quite a hoof to the water.

oots

If you're looking for a beach like Wildwood but without the crazy boardwalk then go to Stone Harbor or Avalon. Our kids loved it as tots and still love it as tweens.

We liked Stone Harbor for the peacefulness and the fact that you could drive into Wildwood in 15 minutes and do the amusement park/boardwalk scene without having to be in the middle of it all vacation.

Ocean City, NJ, also has a quieter vibe than Wildwood, with a more active boardwalk than Avalon (Stone Harbor doesn't have a boardwalk, and Avalon's has no rides). The beaches are gentle, but it can be a bit crowded at times.

Stone Harbor has a movie theater, lots of dining choices and is very much a family place - no large crowds of partying college-age or early twenties, which makes it quieter and more enjoyable with youngsters.

Wherever you go, you might want to take a ride on a nature cruise called the "Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari" - it's a very stable catamaran that sails from the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor some days and from a Marina down by Two Mile Landing (just over the bridge from Wildwood Crest) on other days. Excellent for birding, they go right up on the marsh and talk about the ecology of the area, they have a touch tank of live animals from the marsh to show the kids on the cruise - one day they rescued an injured osprey, another day a dolphin cruised by the boat - we've been taking their tours for years and always enjoy it and there's always something new. Your kids might really like it. Plus, it doesn't go out on the ocean, so there are no swells and you don't have to worry about motion sickness.

shoxie said:

Still, the beach there - we were right at the start of Wildwood Crest - was beyond compare. For little ones, you couldn't ask for more as it was flat for such a long way that it was quite safe for them to play in shallow water.

I'd really love to try Cape May, but I'm wondering about the beaches there. Are they comparable to the beach at Wildwood (level, flat, fine sand)?

I have never been a fan of loud and crazy and crowded like you find at Wildwood. At least not staying there. I don't mind a visit every now and then, but a couple of hours is all I can handle. For a quiet and relaxing family friendly vacation, for the last 5 years (leaving for our 6th annual visit this weekend) we have very much enjoyed Cape May Point. There are no hotels there but there are many different kinds of "home" rentals. From smallish condo apartments, to huge pricey houses that can accommodate a large family party of 15 or 20 people. The beaches on the Delaware Bay side are huge and flat with generally calm water, and hardly ever crowded (as opposed to just about every other beach in every other shore town I've ever been too--including a day trip we made to Avalon a couple years back, what a friggin' zoo).

Cape May Point is a charming little neighborhood with it's own little churches, post office and a newly renovated general store/restaurant. No matter where you stay, the beaches are probably within walking distance (except maybe some houses on Lighthouse Road). Our kids see the same kids every year, and hang out on the beach or ride bikes around the neighborhood. On Saturday evenings the community association sponsors "Circle Games" for kids--sack races and all kinds of other old timey fun games--in the Pavilion Circle Park right in the center of everything. The games are open to everyone. Sunset Beach and the Lighthouse are right there. It's an easy bike ride or quick car ride in to "downtown" historic Cape May and all the amenities it has to offer. Charm is off the charts in Cape May. Nothing "honky tonk" about it. There is a boardwalk, a few arcades, a couple of mini-golf places--a nice small scale for young kids. And it's also not too bad a ride to Wildwood, if you're interested in an evening there.

See also http://forum.maplewoodonline.com/vc/discussion/86014/cape-may-accommodations-for-a-long-weekend-in-september

When our kids were young we used to rent a house in Cape May and loved the 'cove' beach. It's the western most beach in Cape May (realize the beach actually faces south) with a great view of the lighthouse. We found the waves were calmer and at low tide there were lots of tidal pools to play in. There were some hotels at that end of the beach - don't know the names, look around Broadway. In general that area was much quieter than the rest of Cape May, but just a few blocks to the Washington Square Mall.

We would head to Wildwood for a day to the water park. Splash Zone when they were younger, then Morey's Pier when older.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful ideas and suggestions. I wish I could transplant the Wildwood Crest beach to Cape May, as it would be ideal then! I'm going to look into Seapointe to get an idea, although I like the idea of renting close to a 'main street' area, and Seapointe is much quieter. We prefer to walk rather than drive so that's a down-side to us, but obviously, something's got to give!

Thanks for linking to that thread, sac; I'd been monitoring it, also.

Meand - thanks for the Point suggestion. I think we'll try it when the kiddos are a bit older. My husband remembers staying there and it being quite peaceful which is wonderful!

To the PPs who reco'd the cove, the condo we're looking at in Cape May is right near Grant St. so near that beach; condo has a 1-week min. and is on the ground floor, both of which are holding me back.

Nan, I am also looking into the Periwinkle. I'd seen it but no recommendations, so I appreciate that!
Boomie, we'd like to go somewhere a bit further for our vacation. OG is great, but it's definitely an easy day-trip so, to us, doesn't feel as 'vacation-like'.

Stone Harbor looks interesting also...hmmm.

Thank you all for your thoughts - I truly appreciate it. I have a feeling that wherever we end up, it'll all work out. We don't get any time away or to relax, so this is it for the year, and we want to make it as great as possible!! Thank you!! MOL rocks!!

A friend goes to Avalon a lot and loves it, very Ocean Beach Md vibe.

Our first year on The Point our kids were 3, 5 and 7. Lots of folks with infants and toddlers and such. Just sayin'. :-D

The hotel closest to the Cove Beach is the Jetty Motel http://www.jettymotel.com/

We usually rent a house, so I haven't stayed at the Jetty myself, although have walked past it for years and the place seems well kept up and friendly.

One thing about the Cove is that the beach changes, sometimes dramatically, over the winter depending on winter storms. Ten or so years ago it there was a sand bar not far off the beach, and the whole place was a huge tidal pool. Little kids loved it! It has been a bit more exposed recently, rougher waves but still more calm water than other Cape May beaches.

When are you going? After Labor Day you should have no problem finding a weekend or partial week rental in Cape May. If you are going before Labor Day, you're lucky there are still vacancies.

looks like the jetty motel has some availability-don't need to stay a week.

Comparing Wildwood with Cape May? That's easy.

I found Wildwood disgusting. Ick!

Cape May is nice and quaint. Maybe it's canned quaint, but you could do a lot worse.

"canned?"

Oh never mind. I didn't mean any offense.

I just don't get what you mean. Disney World is "canned" quaint. Cape May is the real deal--historically designated and all. And lots of people worked hard for lots of years to bring Cape May back from the brink.

I see what you mean.

Another shout out for the periwinkle. Definitely would suit your family just as well as a condo.

Yes, we're aiming for the last week of August. We always do last minute due to our schedules - can't be helped, unfortunately. We've been alright, thus far, and, thankfully, there are quite a few vacancies.

Because we have three, that's where we're running into issues a bit. We need some room. Found another condo in the same building that's a 3rd-floor walk-up. I'd prefer that to the bottom floor one, so maybe that'll work out

Tom, I know the whole boardwalk thing at Wildwood is icky (though my kids LOVED it), but the beach, truly, can't be beat (at least at the Crest). It's gorgeous and so safe and fun for the little ones. The sand is also very fine and without all the bigger broken shell pieces that hurt little feet. It reminds me of Caribbean beaches in the very, very gradual water entry. You can walk out 20-30 feet, and the water is barely past your ankles.

Meand, with my kids, I'd rather be a bit closer to restaurants and that kind of stuff as we like to walk a lot and stay away from the car. I will definitely keep the Point in mind in a couple of years when we can get away with relying on the car more. It's also easier for us to have the option to walk out and grab a quick bite to eat rather than cooking dinner. Nothing fancy, of course, but something quick.

Jetty doesn't have any of their efficiency suites available; the other rooms are too small. We definitely need a two-room unit otherwise we'll be going to bed at 8pm! Periwinkle may work; there's a bi-level suite available, though it's $$$. I remember how easy it was when we were planning vacations for only two adults - kids certainly complicate matters!!

shoxie said:

Tom, I know the whole boardwalk thing at Wildwood is icky (though my kids LOVED it), but the beach, truly, can't be beat (at least at the Crest). It's gorgeous and so safe and fun for the little ones. The sand is also very fine and without all the bigger broken shell pieces that hurt little feet. It reminds me of Caribbean beaches in the very, very gradual water entry. You can walk out 20-30 feet, and the water is barely past your ankles.

Not so sure you can count on that beach -- any ocean beach, actually-- always being like that; storms, tides, currents etc move sand around all the time, both above the water line (fine sand vs shells) and below. In my experience all the jersey shore beaches are pretty awesome from a sand-and-water perspective, you should make your choice based on the town vibe/conveniences that suit you best.

amandacat said:

shoxie said:

Tom, I know the whole boardwalk thing at Wildwood is icky (though my kids LOVED it), but the beach, truly, can't be beat (at least at the Crest). It's gorgeous and so safe and fun for the little ones. The sand is also very fine and without all the bigger broken shell pieces that hurt little feet. It reminds me of Caribbean beaches in the very, very gradual water entry. You can walk out 20-30 feet, and the water is barely past your ankles.

Not so sure you can count on that beach -- any ocean beach, actually-- always being like that; storms, tides, currents etc move sand around all the time, both above the water line (fine sand vs shells) and below. In my experience all the jersey shore beaches are pretty awesome from a sand-and-water perspective, you should make your choice based on the town vibe/conveniences that suit you best.

Thx, amandacat. My husband used to go to Wildwood when he was much younger, and it was that way as long as he can remember. I have a feeling because it's so crazy wide, it's buffered a bit as far as the gradual entry and fine sand issues go. It was just so nice and relaxing having the kids play in the shallow water and the tidal pools last year. We still watch them closely, of course, but there was definitely a more easy-going vibe which let us relax a bit.

I agree about the beach at Wildwood. I think in that category, it's the best I've ever been to in this country. I camped out there at the Girl Scout and Boy Scout Jamboree when I was a Girl Scout.

But the town. I just think of cinder block shacks and people going there just to get drunk.

Tom, you were a Girl Scout?