A

t the southern 

tip of New Jer-

sey, between 

the Atlantic 

Ocean and Delaware Bay, is 

Cape May, the grande dame 

of shore communities. Often 

described as the oldest sea-

side resort in the United 

States, Cape May is a quieter, 

gentler version of the Jersey 

Shore, with a Victorian char-

acter and charm. Historical 

preservation is a priority, and 

Cape May claims the largest 

collection of Victorian homes 

outside of San Francisco, 

with the entire town desig-

nated as a National Historic 

Landmark—the only city in 

the United States to be so 

defined. While the resident 

population hovers at about 

4,000, it can swell to 40,000 in 

summer—but without chain 

hotels or chain restaurants.

And all the Cape May 

sights are easily managed on 

foot or by bicycle, with trol-

ley cars to hop on and off as 

well. I started my visit with 

an escorted trolley tour to get 

the lay of the land and found 

it quite helpful. Here is just 

some of what made the visit 

so relaxing and enjoyable. 

BEACH. BEACH. 

BEACH. TripAdvisor’s Trav-
eler’s Choice Awards ranked   

Cape May as the No. 2 beach 

destination in the U.S. and No. 

9 in the world for 2011. Noth-

ing has changed. The sands 

hold unique treasures as well: 

“Cape May diamonds,” clear 

quartz pebbles, wash down 

from the Delaware River 

and land on Sunset Beach. 

Take them home to tumble 

and polish or (my choice) 

buy some jewelry made with 

them at one of the three Sun-

set Beach shops. Come out 

one evening for the Sunset 

Ceremony, held every night 

from Memorial Day to Labor 

Day. The flag is lowered, and 

kids are taught how to fold 

the flag, while a recording 

of Kate Smith singing “God 

Bless America” plays along 

with the national anthem and 

“Taps.” With sky and surf as 

backdrop, even a cynic like 

me felt moved. 

Beaches 

are one of 

the region’s 

attractions.

Photography credit: Shutterstock

PremiumCabinets.com

785.806.6837  |  4547 SW Topeka Blvd

Call us today for a free consultation to see how we can save you money. 

Best Value in 

ALL-WOOD CABINETS

SEAMLESS 

CUSTOM 

COUNTER 

TOPS

CABINETS 

C

CA

CA

CA

CA

A

A

B

B

BI

BI

BI

BI

NE

NE

NE

NE

TS

S

TS

T

CABINETS

CA

CA

CA

A

A

BI

BI

BI

BI

BI

BI

BI

BI

NE

NE

NE

NE

NE

NE

NE

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

AN

A

A

AN

AN

AN

N

N

A

A

A

AN

AN

AN

AN

AN

AN

N

D 

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

CC

C

C

C

C

C

C

CC

C

C

C

C

C

OU

OU

OU

OU

U

U

OU

O

O

O

O

OU

OU

OU

OU

OU

OU

OU

U

NTE

NT

NT

NT

NT

E

E

E

E

E

U

U

U

U

U

U

NTE

NT

NT

NT

NT

NT

NT

N

E

E

E

E

E

E

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

R 

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

T

O

OP

O

O

OP

OP

P

P

OP

O

O

O

O

OP

OP

OP

OP

OP

OP

OP

P

P

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

43

Fall 2015  |  TOPEKA MAGAZINE