Victorian Cape May New Jersey

VICTORIAN CAPE MAY

It was a beautiful November weekend. My cousins were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and invited us along on a camping adventure. For the last four years we have been trying to plan to get down to Cape May and for one reason or another had not made it yet. We were staying at the Lake and Shore Outdoor World campground. Wanting to get an earlier start to the long weekend, we drove down to their house Wednesday night after work and parked in their driveway. It's great to have relatives and friends whose driveway can accomodate a 32 ft motorhome. People in NJ drive crazy, but people in Northern NJ drive even crazier. Before we had even gotten to the Raritan Bridge we saw two cars spun out. One in the Bloomfield area in the fast lane and one down in Edison off the shoulder. Other than that, the drive to Toms River was uneventful and DARK.

Thursday morning we continued to South Jersey to the campground. Lake and Shore is a beautiful campground which I'm certain we will be returning to again. The sights are large, there is a large lake that has a beach area and boating area. The water park was closed for the season, but from the looks of it seems very inviting.

The nights were cold and blustery. Thursday evening we put the awning back in because wind gusts were forecasted to be about 25-30 mph. It got extremely cold. We went thru about 1/3 of our propane even with the electric heater running. Thursday, after setting up our camp, we drove out to Margate to see Lucy the Margate Elephant. What a sight. That evening we enjoyed a seafood dinner in Ocean View, NJ.

Friday, we were going to go on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, but it was too windy and thought the ocean would be too choppy to enjoy the 80 minute ferry ride. We would forgo that trip till the following day. Still wanting to enjoy the day, we drove to Cape May to take in the scenery. The architecture is fascinating. All the bed and breakfasts so eloquently designed. Some with vibrant colors of pinks and purples, others more subdued in beige's and soft greens. We went shopping at a pedestrian mall lined with shops selling everything from knick knacks to fudge.

We saw lighthouses, boats, a six story elephant, quaint victorian houses. We did alot this weekend but felt relaxed and refreshed by Sunday morning when we would leave the shore and return to reality.

There is something to be said about stepping back in time to another era. A life on the sea, the sound of the waves hitting the beach, the smell of salt water. I can't wait to go back.

With winter soon approaching, it's time to put "Aggie", our trusted motorhome to sleep for awhile. We are not sure when we will be out again. If it is a mild winter, I'm sure we'll do some travelling, but if it's a wet and cold winter we'll be staying right here in Clifton. So until then,

Thanks for riding along with us on The Thomas' Trails.