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Sandy & Vincent Messina of Indian Mills, NJ and Cape May

It was for my fortieth birthday and my husband wanted to plan a perfect "getaway" for our family as my present. I had just given birth six weeks prior to my youngest son and we desperately wanted to find a location where we could spend a quiet, relaxing time with our three boys.

I remember thinking, "Are we crazy?"

First stop was the Cape May Zoo. We thought, wow - no charge (except donations) - what are the chances of it being worth the stop. Turns out - it was the nicest zoo we had ever encountered. Beautiful, serene and down out fun. The grounds are beautiful and not-too smelly as many zoos are. The swing sets, the outdoor grills for picnicking all add to the welcoming of families. After that everything was magical!

We had dinner at the Lobster House where we enjoyed watching the boats come and go. My oldest son (age 9) was very impressed with "yacht watching" and the occasional whimpering of my newborn was barely noticeable. Beaching was perfect with a cross wind that soothed all. September was a perfect choice for our trek to the most beautiful town in America.

We started from that point on looking for a piece of heaven that ultimately ended with us buying a Victorian house on Washington Street some six years later.

Sixteen years later, my husband and I are daydreaming about the day we'll retire and share this beautiful town with grandchildren.

Peggy Lozauskas of Rockaway, NJ writes

We have been visiting Cape May for the past 30 years (owned a Cape Roc condo for almost 5 years), and plan to return periodically forever. There are so many memories of places that no longer exists. Peaches, Water's Edge, The Shire, Keltie News, Tradewinds and so many more. But there is so much to draw us back year after year. The wonderful architecture, breakfast at the Lemon Tree, shows at Cape May Stage, flat terrain for bicycle-riding (much appreciated after the hilly, winding roads in our area), walking on the beach collecting shells, the variety of birds, Cape May Point and Sunset Beach.

We began by coming to Cape May for Easter weekend every year and then gradually tried Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week. It amazes us to see how the shoreline changes, and how there are now wide beaches where years ago there was no beach on the ocean side of the rocky extension of the Promenade at high tide.

We always feel the same exhilaration as we leave the Parkway, cross the bridges into Cape May and smell the ocean air, and we love that feeling of "coming home".

Sinead Hahessy of Ireland writes

I have so many memories of Cape May, it will be difficult to put the best ones in here. I first arrived there in 1996 from Ireland on a J1 visa, allowing me to work for the summer. I returned every year until 1999. I miss it so much. Cape May has an allure that is magical.

I remember my first real American breakfast in a diner near Windsor Beach, can’t remember the name of the diner, but they had lovely muffins. I lived on Windsor, Sewell Ave., Bayshore Rd. and Seagrove Avenue!

I remember sunrises, sunsets, rare birds, the mall and The Lemon Tree. Hale Bop Comet by Moonlight and porridge at 5am. The Shire was there too as well as Vance's, which became an Irish Bar one summer. I remember Hidden Valley, walking on a summers day, home by the beach, and back to the crazy house on Windsor Ave with the Birders. I remember John from the Lumber Yard, because I worked next door with Sue in Flying Fish Studios! I love Cape May and all the people I met there. It will never leave my Heart!

XXXX to all, and I will see you soon.
Love Sinead Hahessy

Kathy Krych of Cape May Court House writes

I miss the Cape May where I grew up. I remember going to Peg's Market or the E-Z Market before school at Cape May Elementary, and buying candy! I miss selling the Star and Wave newspaper for a dime on the mall or in front of the Acme each Thursday! I miss jumping from the back of Convention Hall into the ocean! I miss the Liberty Theatre on the mall. I miss flying my kite behind "Harry's Hut" and riding my bike on the open field behind Coachman's Motor Inn. We thought there was nothing to do in that town, but wow there was a lot to do now that I think back! Old Cape May was the best!

Shirlane Cole of New Jersey writes

We visited Cape May a few years ago while staying in a nearby town. We fell in love and have been vacationing in Cape May ever since. It is always very lovely vacation.

We rent a spacious apartment about a block from the beach and never go near the car. If we need to go anywhere, we ride our bikes.

We have enjoyed the theater and the music at the Gazebo. The night-time lighthouse tour has become our favorite activity, which we plan on repeating often.

Kim Krieger of Sussex County, New Jersey writes

My mother brought me to Cape May for the first time when I was two years old. I have been bringing my children and now my daughter brings her family every year.

The sights and sounds of the ocean are such a comfort for me. In my teens I even had a job there working for the Lorentz family (Cook's Villa), now the King's Cottage.

It was such a great time in my life. Every time I arrive in Cape May I feel like I have just come home. Who knows, maybe I lived there in another life and time.

Eileen and Shannon of Salisbury, Maryland writes

I use to take the ferry to New Jersey to spend the summer with my grandmother in Wildwood, New Jersey. This was in the late 60's. I never saw Cape May, New Jersey.  Then one summer three years ago, my daughter and I went to Cape May. We fell in love with the atmosphere and people. My daughter saw the advertisement for Oma's Doll shop and that was the first place that we stopped.

And, now three years later, that is the first place we stop whenever we come. We also learn more of the history of Cape May with each visit. We either take a horse and buggy tour or one of the trolley tours.

We have several favorite restaurants but I have to admit - on a warm summer night Henry's on the Beach is our favorite.

What is our favorite part of Cape May? The feeling of Cape May is our favorite part. It makes us feel warm, relaxed, friendly, calm, and just wonderful inside and out.

When we leave, we can't wait to return again. Oh - my daughter says that there is no homemade ice cream anywhere that tastes as good as the ice cream in Cape May.

Your friends from Salisbury, Maryland.

Lori & Scott Fenton of Bay Shore, Long Island, NY write

We've been coming to Cape May for the past 11 years. We stopped there with some friends while visiting Atlantic City. I remember I was pregnant with our daughter at the time. We've been hooked ever since.

Every year since then, we visit Cape May once or twice a year. Our daughter, Melissa, who is now 11 years old, says it is her favorite place and will never get tired of visiting Cape May. There seems to something magical about the town!

We love walking around the neighborhood, admiring all the beautiful architecture, visiting the mall area, going through the shops, and so much more.

Our visit would not be complete without a taste of fudge at the Fudge Kitchen. We still enjoy the trolley tours and the horse & buggy rides.

We love staying at the Inn of Cape May. Aleathea's Restaurant is wonderful! We love being right across from the beach. We always take our nightly walk on the beach after dinner. Other favorite dining places are the Lobster House and the Mad Batter. We recently ate at the Blue Pig (Congress Hall) and we thought it was great!

Our daughter also loves our yearly climb to the top of the lighthouse! The last time we were at the top, we saw a family of dolphins in the ocean. It was spectacular! We will be returning again this summer for an extended weekend.  I love the feeling as you cross over the bridge and drive into the town. As soon as you see the first Victorian House with the candle in the window, it feels like you're home.

Anna-Denise of Sweden writes

In spring of 2002 I was staying near Cape May. At the time I had a boyfriend in the U.S. Coast Guard. I really liked Cape May, the beach, the nice people and the Lobster House Restaurant. They had lovely lobster.

I'll always remember it as a really nice town. And part of me is missing Cape May.

I'll recommend to all my friends that if they ever go over to the states that they have to visit Cape May.

Allan and Janet Weierbach of Daniesville,Pa writes

We have a very special story. Allan and had not seen each other since high school. His wife passed away and so did my husband.

I went to the races to watch my son, with family and friends and it started to rain. We were all on our way out and my brother said look there's Allan. So, as the weeks went on we started talking.

One evening he called me to go out for dinner and from then on we started dating. Then he took his first trip to Cape May with me. He fell in love with it just like I did the first time I saw it. I had no clue what was about to happen. He asked me to marry him as we were watching the sunset on Sunset Beach.

On May 17, 2003 we were married on top of the Cape May Lighthouse at 8:15 AM. We had 17 family members, Malcolm the Mayor of Cape May Point and Rich the lighthouse keeper, present for our special day.

Every year we come back for our anniversary. We are about to celebrate our 3rd anniversary next month, we always look forward to returning to our special place of love and memories.

D. Nelson of Lumberton, New Jersey writes

Cape May is a place where you can take a step back into time. A place where the streets come alive. Where the Victorian homes have many secrets to hide of days gone by.

Ghost tours, shopping, tea for two, horse carriage rides, bird watching, kayaking, walking tours galore, the lighthouse and searching for Cape May diamonds at the Point. Cape May has all that and much, much more.

My family and I have been to Cape May many times over the past few years as it is one of my personal favorite places to go. My husband and I stayed at the Victorian Lace Inn on Stockton Avenue twice and was greeted by friendly inn keepers and a warm, cozy room after a day of adventure. We are going there again in May to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary and are again staying at the Victorian Lace Inn. I cannot wait to get back!

Susan Quinn of Pittsburgh, PA writes

I have been vacationing in Cape May since 1980. Many of the Victorian homes were condemned and scheduled for the wrecking ball back then. I have returned every year, during three of the seasons with friends, my husband, my son, and alone. Over the years I have seen the tremendous, beautiful restoration of Cape May, staying in a number of the hotels and now sampling the B&B's, since my son is grown

Recently it was my delight to stay at the Gingerbread House. For many years I have wanted to stay in one of the Stockton Row cottages after touring one several years ago. Fortunately, this time, the Gingerbread House was available. I found the information by searching the internet and was excited when the host Joan called me back in response to my e-mail.

Not only was the weather beautiful, the hosts, Joan and Fred were warm and welcoming. The living room, dining room, and porch were open for our enjoyment, filled with beautiful antiques. Whenever we returned to the Gingerbread House, we felt like we were coming to our home, since the hosts were not intrusive, although readily available if needed. The breakfasts were delicious, with a selection that would satisfy anyone's appetite.

Our room was beautifully decorated in period pieces and I felt that I had gone back in time. I noticed that the Vacancy sign was displayed only for a few hours one morning, so it indicates that the word has spread about the Gingerbread House. Joan and Fred can expect a call from us on our return to Cape May!

Rebecca Singer of Camp Hill, PA writes

I first learned of Cape May in 1999 when I was on business trip with clients with disabilities. Unfortunately, we stayed in Wildwood and did not make it to Cape May. In 2001, I returned to Wildwood with my now husband and visited Cape May. We fell in love with it, especially Sunset Beach.

My husband and I first stayed at Summer Station in Cape May for our honeymoon in October 2002.  We could not have had a better time. The zoo is incredible as is everything else that Cape May has to offer.

Although we may be homesick for our kitty and dog, we make friends with the local kitties and dogs. In fact, we know many of them by names and look forward to seeing them each year.

We have been fortunate to return to Cape May at least once a year.  This past year, we were down the week before Christmas and what a time we had. The beautiful lights and tours of the inns.

This year we look forward to returning for our 4th anniversary in October. Many say we are "crazy" for vacationing in the cooler and cold months but our reply is "why, there is so much to do year round!"

Neither my husband nor I like the heat so we look forward to a late spring trip after I complete my Master's degree. Overall, we highly recommend to everyone to go to Cape May anytime of the year because there is so much to do and enjoy. I find myself counting down the days and months till I can return. The memories are too numerous to share all of them. Some of the greatest include falling into the frigid water at Sunset Beach while waiting for the sunset and as I was collecting the great Cape May diamonds. I still laugh about that today and wish I could feel the frigid water now.

Thanks for all the great experiences and memories. I look forward to many more trips, experiences, and memories. We will never tire of Cape May, our true love!

Amanda Bailey of Flemington, NJ writes

My family have been coming to Cape May since before I was born.

Friends of my parents recommended in the 80s to come to a "nice Victorian seaside town" and they loved it!

We make sure to come back each and every year, otherwise my brother and I get mad at them. We have actually been in the same room at Reagent Beach Condominiums for at least 5 years in a row! Whenever we come to Cape May, we listen a Cape May sing-a-long cassette and sing "On the Way to Cape May". One of our favorite restaurants is the Mad Batter.  They have the best crab cakes!

Cape May is definitely home to me, and it always will be!
COME TO CAPE MAY....YOU'LL LOVE IT!

Michael Kessler of New York writes

My family and I come to Cape May every year. We always stay at Cape Roc and we always have a good time. Since my dad is always working, it's our time to spend alone with him and there is no better place to do it then in Cape May. There are plenty family activities to do. We go to the beach every day that it is nice. We go to Wildwood at least three times out of a week. We go to town and shop and go out to Diner when we are there. Its our family vacation we enjoy every minute of it. There is no other place I would want to go to then Cape May. When it is time to go everyone is upset but we always think about how we will be back next year.

Sandy & Jerry of Medford, Massachusetts write

By chance, some 10 plus years ago, we attended a vacation show in the middle of January in Boston and picked up brochures from many different vacation spots.  During the following week I was getting ready to trash everything that I had picked up and decided to take a quick look through the materials. I found a Cape May brochure in the pile and was intrigued by how beautiful it was.  My husband and I had not made our vacation plans for the next summer so we decided that we would go to Cape May and give it a try. Well, guess what, it has been our only vacation destination since. We now travel down at the very end of the summer when it gets very quiet and the water is at it's warmest and the weather is just beautiful. We can never get enough of the beaches and the great restaurants and shopping and just sitting on the porch on the rocking chair watching the world go by. We are always so sad when our two weeks have come to an end and we have to travel back home but always have next year to plan and dream about. We are making our trip in 3 weeks and 2 days, but who's counting. We have never been anyplace in out lives that we enjoy more and we'll keep going back year after year. Maybe some day soon we'll be spending the entire summer season.

Kathleen Gallagher of New Jersey writes

The first time I vacationed in Cape May was 12 years ago. I was, at that time, a single mother of three. My youngest was 12. I had planned on taking a trip to Florida when at  the last minute I changed my mind. I decided to visit Cape May.

We stayed at the Sandpiper, which was a bed and breakfast at the time. It was a magical week. The serenity and wonder of Cape May was mystical. I felt like I had traveled back in time and loved every minute of it.

The inn keepers were friendly and treated their guests like family. The many places we toured were beautiful. I especially enjoyed the innkeepers tour and Physick Estate. Sunset Beach had the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen.

I have been back to Cape May every year since I introduced my husband to Cape May and my daughter who are now also hooked .We have enjoyed the Victorian Fair yearly and look forward to the fine restaurants especially The Washington Inn and 410 Bank Street. We are looking forward to trying a few of the newer restaurants this time.

We have been visiting two times a year now and are planning to return this September for four days.

Cape May is our favorite place to visit. I even turned down a cruise. I would rather go to the Jersey shore and step back in time to a place where the world was a less hurried and frantic place. I always recommend Cape May to our friends and co-workers and they are never disappointed.

Nydia Moreno of Long Beach, NY writes

Wow, where would I start. Cape May its such a romantic place with beautiful Victorian houses. My husband and I were there several years ago and we stayed at the Linda Lee bed & breakfast, which was awesome!

This year I went just for the day. We went with our kids this time and rented the four person bike. What a great experience that was pedaling down the breezy streets of Cape May. Every time we go, we bring back a warm memory with us. I am planning to visit during Christmas time which is awesome. I love the parade and the houses are so beautifully decorated.

Thanks,
Nydia

Danielle of Villas, NJ writes

I was born and raised in Cape May and I absolutely love it here. I never want to leave.

I just wanted to say Thank You to all these awesome people who come to Cape May for their vacations.

I work on the Promenade, and have for the past 10 years. I meet so many amazing people from all over the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I even see some of the same people year after year and it's funny because they actually recognize me. I really hope I get to see you all again and again! Thank you so much!