Southern New Jersey – a great place to be in the fall
From Anne Linton –
Hello, everyone! Most of you know me as someone from DC. However, I grew up in the Philadelphia area and headed to the “Jersey shore” every summer—still do. So I thought that I might share some of the reasons why southern New Jersey is a great place to be in the fall—and none of my reasons have to do with gambling!
First and foremost, southern New Jersey is beautiful in the fall. The beaches are wide and empty; the water is still warm; and the sun should be shining. If you drive up via Route 40, you will pass plenty of green fields, local farm markets, and Richman’s dairy—where I always stop with my kids for the home-made ice cream no matter what the time of day!
Route 9, which runs north and south parallel to the coast, is full of crafts and antique stores. Once you reach Atlantic City, you are close to a number of fun sites such as the Boardwalk and boating activities. Beyond Atlantic City are some of my favorite places to visit. Start with Lucy the Elephant, built as a gimmick by a real estate developer to promote his elephant hotel, and always worth a visit. Also try nearby historic Smithville for some fun shopping and dining in a colonial atmosphere. Further afield are some of my family’s favorite destinations—Cold Spring Village, the town of Cape May and the Cape May County Zoo. Historic Cold Spring Village is a living history museum of early settlers to the area. The exhibits really bring home how colonial families lived. The town of Cape May is a must for anyone who likes Victoriana and good restaurants. The Cape May County Park and Zoo is one of the best zoos I have ever visited for seeing animals up close and it is free! We go all of the time!
This brings me to the last and best reason to visit southern New Jersey in the fall—nature. Southern New Jersey is full of great parks and nature walks . And October is the time for the bird and butterfly migration through Cape May Point. You can stand on the viewing platform and watch thousands of birds fly overhead.
So come to “3 by the Sea” for a great meeting and take in some of the great sites. I highly recommend them. And please post your own ideas for sightseeing or other fun opportunities in the comments section.