Childhood memories of Cape May, New Jersey

25 Photos

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.

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