High Tide

The CapeMay.com blog

Cape May on Fire

Cape Island, NJ, Nov. 9, 1878 — Fire broke out yesterday morning in the summer city of Cape May around 7 a.m. in the attic of the new wing at Ocean House on Perry Street. By the time the flames could be contained, some 11 hours later, 40 acres of prime property lay in a pile of charred ruins. Arson is suspected. No one was injured.

What if it all burned again?

The fire that started on November 8, 1878 and spread from the Ocean House on Perry Street to engulf 40 acres of hotels, stores and houses in flames was one of the most devastating and furious fires of the era. If the same acreage were destroyed today, what would no longer exist in Cape May?

On Safari…the Cape May Way

The other night, I took a sunset Salt Marsh Safari on “The Skimmer,” a 40 ft. pontoon which skims the waterways just like the bird it was named for. Admittedly, I wouldn’t have thought to go on it if I hadn’t been an assignment. Why, you ask? Because birding is a huge component of the safari and birders intimidate me.

One Lifeguard’s Challenge

Maybe you’re wondering who’s responsible for bringing the United States Lifeguard Association Championships (USLA) to Cape May for a fourth time. Or, maybe you’re wondering who’s behind the Cape May Beach Patrol bringing wheelchairs to the beach so the handicapped can enjoy the sun, sand and water. Or maybe you’re wondering just who it is that organizes all those lifeguards and makes sure the ocean you’re bathing in is safe.

Car-free in Cape May

“Car free / Care free” is the motto of a recent map published by the “West Cape May Citizens for Good Government.” Published in an effort to encourage visitors and residents to park their cars and leave them parked, the map is available at the Visitor and Transportation Center of Cape May at Lafayette Street… Read more »