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Cape May Victorian Cape May. The nation’s
largest concentration of Victorian gingerbread structures – some 670,
ranging from tiny cottages to sprawling hotels – is on display in the
historic district. The best way to see them is on foot or bicycle or,
better, through a variety of tours offered by the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts, (800) 275-4278. MAC offers two distinct guided trolley
tours: the East End (the best if you only have time for one) and the
West End. Each takes about half an hour. MAC guides also lead several walking
tours, each 90 minutes. MAC sponsors boat cruises, moonlight trolley
rides, gourmet brunch walks, kitchen tours, an Inns and Outs of Cape May
tour and Cape May INNteriors Tours and Teas. Individual inns are opened
for tours under their own auspices as well as through Mansions by
Gaslight, Victorian Sampler and Christmas Inns tours. Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. The four-acre property where Cape May’s restoration effort started is now a Victorian house museum and the headquarters of MAC, the group whose arts offerings funded its restoration. The eighteen-room house was designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness in 1879 for a young physician (an eminent surgeon’s grandson, who never practiced and never married) and his mother. Many of the original furnishings have been retrieved and returned to the house. The family parlor has the original fireplace, sofabed and pipe organ. The upstairs library bears striking Japanese wallpaper, even on the ceiling. Tapestry curtains, porcelain lamp fixtures and chandeliers are all around. We liked best the owner’s bachelor bedroom beside a sunken marble bathroom; right next door is Mother’s bedroom, her fan collection framed over the fireplace. Don’t miss the costume collection across the hall. The tours take 45 minutes or longer, our informant advised, if you get “a long-winded tour guide.” The newly restored Carriage House Gallery has changing art exhibitions. It also offers The Twinings Tearoom, where tea luncheons and afternoon tea are available daily amidst restored horse stables and outside on a canopied patio. (609) 884-5404 or (800) 275-4278. Tours daily,
every half hour from 10 to 4. Adults $8, children $4. Birding and Wildlife. Cape May lies on the heavily populated Atlantic Flyway and more than 400 species of birds head north and south through Cape May Point. Good areas for nature-watching are South Cape May Meadow, Cape May Point State Park, Higbee’s Beach Wildlife Management Area and the Cape May Bird Observatory. Shopping. Despite its Victorian charm and influx of tourists, Cape May’s forte is not shopping, although the situation has improved lately. The Washington Street Mall is where most of the action is. Our favorite here is The Whale’s Tale, a ramble of rooms containing everything from shell magnets to an extraordinary collection of cards. Another good gift shop is McDowell’s Gallery of Gifts. For the Birds carries excellent things for nature lovers and Swede Things speaks for itself. Check out the wallpaper borders and elegant fixtures at Fralinger’s original saltwater taffy emporium, even if you’re not into taffy. Cape May artists and craftsmen show at High Tide: A Gallery by the Sea. The Cape May Linen Outlet offers good bargains, especially in placemats. Cape May Diamonds, Cape May Point. A lot of fuss is made over the quartz pebbles found only locally and known as Cape May Diamonds. The semi-precious stones of diverse colors vary from the size of little peas to marbles and walnuts. They’re bright and clear when found in the wet sand, but, alas, they become dull as they dry. When cut and polished, they can be set in gold or silver to make attractive jewelry such as rings, bracelets and necklaces. One of the best places to find Cape May diamonds is at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point, where you’ll also see the shell of the USS Atlantis, a World War I concrete ship that ran aground in a storm and has been trapped here ever since. We burrowed into the sand here looking for “diamonds” and finally latched onto someone who seemed to know what he was doing. He demonstrated how to separate the good stones from the bad, or we’d never have known. Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places / Mid-Atlantic, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth, copyright 2003. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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