Childhood memories of Cape May, New Jersey
My favorite place as a child was splashing in the ocean with my siblings in Cape May, New Jersey in the 1950’s, making sandcastles and burying each other in the sand.
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- Morning sunlight illuminates spider weavings among cattails and swamp rose mallow plants -commonly know as hibiscus- along a path at Cape May Point State Park which encompasses 235 acres. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Cape May State Park comprises 235 acres including the shoreline, dunes and wetlands, and provides habitat for several plant and animal species. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Canadian geese fly at the break of dawn over Cape May State Park on the southern tip of New Jersey. According to a brochure from State Park Service of New Jersey, “Cape May Point is considered one of the premier spots in North America to view the fall migration.” (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- A white-tailed fawn stops in the middle of a walking trail in Cape May State Park looking for its mother who bounded through the brush moments earlier. In addition to shorebirds, other wildlife includes rabbits, raccoons and red fox. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Swamp rose mallows, commonly known as hibiscus, proliferate alongside ponds in Cape May Point State Park. In the background is the Cape May Lighthouse. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- A juvenile Laughing Gull appears to pose for a picture on the beach at Cape May Point State Park. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Look closely and you might spot Cape May “Diamonds,” quartz crystals that have been smoothed from their travels through water. Some stones are cut and polished to look like the real thing. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Three miles of hiking trails weave through fields of swamp rose mallows (more commonly known as Hibiscus), Eastern red cedars, beach habitats and wetlands. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- The setting sun is frames by waves splashing over a jetty in Cape May Point. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- A swamp rose mallow bloom in Cape May Point State Park opens its petals to the morning sun. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- A gull tests the ocean water at Cape May Point State Park. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Three miles of paths within Cape May Point State Park wind along the woods, wetlands, ponds, and the ocean beach. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Sea grass on the crest of a sand dune frames the sun at Cape May Point State Park. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Honeysuckle fills the ocean air with a sweet scent along the paths of Cape May Point State Park. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Short-billed dowitchers search for food in one of several ponds at Cape May Point State Park. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- At sunrise, Canada geese congregate on one of the several ponds dotting Cape May Point State Park where three miles of trails wind through bird and other wildlife habitats. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Purple Loosestrife, an invasive flowering species originally from Europe and Asia found in Cape May Point State Park, “…was introduced to the east coast of North America in the 1800’s,” according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ website. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- As the sun sets, an adult fishes while children play on the jetty at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point. Every evening in the summer months, a sunset ceremony is held to honor veterans. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- St. Mary by the Sea Retreat Center run by the School Sisters of St. Joseph faces the ocean in Cape May Point. Built originally as a hotel in 1889, the sisters bought the property in 1909 for $9,000. In 1991, the sisters opened the retreat home to lay women. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Built in 1942 with walls six feet thick, this WWII bunker was part of the Harbor Defense Project. Years later, the Navy used it as a radio transmitter station during the Korean War. Now defunct, the massive structure serves as a monument to an earlier era. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- A gull soars above the jetty along the beach at Cape May Point State Park. The park is home to several plant and animal species. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- The Cape May Lighthouse, pictured in the early morning light, is built with an interior wall and an exterior wall to withstand strong winds. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- Perry F. Buckley, Cape May Lighthouse keeper, is pictured in the doorway on the top floor of the lighthouse. Prior to 1938 when the lighthouse became fully electric, Buckley says that every night, three keepers would carry 5-gallon buckets of whale oil to keep the flame lit. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- There are 199 steps to the top of the lighthouse, and six landings with views of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
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- The Cape May Lighthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, stands 157 feet tall and is still active, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Situated at the southern tip of Cape May in Cape May Point State Park, it was built in 1859, and replaces two others: one built in 1823 and the second in 1847. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)
At the southern tip of New Jersey -a three-hour car ride from Baltimore- Cape May has a storied past that dates back over 400 years. The Kechemeche Indians, a peaceful tribe, inhabited the seashore when Dutch and English settlers landed in the 1600’s.
On a recent trip to Cape May Point, I happily discovered the 235-acre Cape May Point State Park -created in 1974, which comprises three miles of picturesque walking trails teeming with wildlife along a shore region of sand dunes, ponds, wetlands and woods. The Point is home to several plant and animal species including Eastern red cedars; swamp rose mallows commonly known as “hibiscus;” shorebirds, and white-tailed deer. The Park includes the 199-step Cape May Lighthouse built in 1859, which still guides captains on their sea voyages.
Walking the trails, touring the lighthouse, sunning on the beach, and reliving childhood memories makes Cape May Point one of my favorite places as an adult.
By Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
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Lisa Simeone
Aug 22, 2015 @ 10:30:28
Loved this photo essay and love Cape May. It’s one of my favorite spots in the country. I’ve been going there, at all times of year, for 30 years. It’s so beautiful, I never tire of it.