<p>DH and I are thinking of playing hookey for a few days next week. I am wondering about Cape May, where we have never been. (We have always gone to the Outer Banks for beach vacations.) It is close to peak season for the leaves which would make it pleasant for driving. The weather forecast looks good, sunny with highs around seventy (in Cape May). Thinking about bringing the bikes and maybe the canoe (or renting kayaks?). Are restaurants (and outfitters) still open? Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>If the weather forecast is that good, I would definitely head to Cape May. Lots will be open and it will be gorgeous. Would not be as fun on a cold, rainy weekend!</p>
<p>Thanks, MoWC. Are you familiar enough with the area to recommend a scenic run or two, maybe seven or eight miles?</p>
<p>Cape May would be lovely. Another choice is across the Delaware River to Lewes, Delaware. You can easily take the ferry there from Cape May if you’d like. And if the weather turns cool there are some alternatives. [Welcome</a> to Lewes.com | Lewes.com](<a href=“http://www.lewes.com/]Welcome”>http://www.lewes.com/)</p>
<p>I really haven’t been there in years (grew up going there, though). Last time I ran there I ran along the boardwalk/seawall as far as I could then just along the road by the beach. If you get out early (before traffic) you can run towards Cape May Point and back. Google Cape May running routes for more info.</p>
<p>I happen to live in Cape May County ( northern part ) It’s lovely this time of year ! There happen to be some really good restaurants down there too…much better than anywhere in the area IMO. It’s very bike friendly and if you don’t want to bring your own , you can rent them still ( feel free to pm me if you need any help with that )
There is a restaurant just over the bridge that is open year round called Lucky Bones…that is a don’t miss. Some of the others are spotty with their hours and one that we just discovered this summer, has closed for the season…it is called YB . There is another restaurant that is affiliated with that place called George’s Place. It was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. If you can get there, it is well worth it. I would not recommend eating anywhere on the Washington St Mall ( walking street with shops and eateries , not actual mall ) They are convenient , look like fun but the food is mediocre at best and service too. Again , feel free to pm me if I can help at all</p>
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<p>Where are you starting from?</p>
<p>Central PA.</p>
<p>i dont’ know if they are still doing them or not but I’ve gone on dolphin watching tours down that way… also, i’m not sure if the horses are stillt here or not but assateaque island isn’t too far away and that’s always neat… i remember driving in to the beach and all the horses walking up to us…</p>
<p>We were down on Chincoteague just a few weeks ago. We happened to see the most amazing “dolphin show”. A school was playing in the waves off shore and at one point we saw four lined up in a breaking wave, looking a little like the June Taylor Dancers. I wondered if they would be migrating now.</p>
<p>Cape May is very nice.
Another suggestion -Annapolis and the Eastern Shore of Maryland (St. Michaels,Easton).</p>
<p>I spend weekends in the Cape May area–it is gorgeous this time of year–we went swimming around the corner on the Bay side two weeks ago.</p>
<p>I second Lucky Bones–it’s our go-to, much less expensive than the restaurants in the heart of town. It’s across the street from the Lobster House–a huge emporium on the water, also very popular. You can watch the fishing boats come in and out.</p>
<p>I’m not a runner, but I bike all over. I second the Promenade (the sea wall) and then out Sunset Boulevard to Cape May Point and/or Sunset Beach (btw–the sunsets are gorgeous–we live a couple miles farther up, near the bay, and each evening it’s more spectacular than the last.)</p>
<p>It’s an outstanding biking area. If you want a longer trip, you can bike out across the West Cape May bridge (google the map), turn towards the Ferry terminal (left, or west) and then bike up along the Delaware Bay.</p>
<p>There are a number of kayak renting places. The Miss Chris marina (near Lucky Bones) may still be renting. From there, you could go back into the meadowlands up a creek, or out into the Cape May Harbor–some of our favorite kayaking places.</p>
<p>they also run Dolphin and Whale Watching trips. </p>
<p>Additionally, there are often some kind of festivals going on in CM every weekend in the fall. And there are some wineries if you want to do a tasting; our favorite is Cape May Winery which is actually outside of CM about two miles north, again, across the West CM bridge, on Townbank road–5/10 minute drive, 20 minute bike ride.</p>
<p>Be glad to answer more questions–there’s a million things to do there.</p>
<p>OK, from Central PA:</p>
<p>I’ve been to Cape May and the Jersey Shore (and OBX) but I’ve never been to the shore during non-summer months so I can’t speak to that. (I was born by the beach and have always wanted to see what it is like in the winter.)</p>
<p>As far as leaves color change, I think the Poconos might be better than the drive to Cape May. (I was once drove from Penn State to Cape May the entire way in the rain to visit a former girlfriend. Took me forever.)</p>
<p>Ever been to Philly or Wash DC?</p>
<p>Rocky Gap Lodge in Cumberland, MD.</p>
<p>Amish / Lancaster, PA.</p>
<p>I’d pitch for Philly. We have a huge public park system with hiking and cycling trails. I don’t know whether you actually can row on the Schuylkill, but you certainly can watch the club boats row.</p>
<p>Restaurants are convenient at all price levels and kinds of food.</p>
<p>A film festival just started and will run until next weekend. Museums offer an amazing variety of exhibits and programs. Theaters, musical groups, and dance companies have started their seasons, and half-price tickets are available for a number of events.</p>
<p>Athletics? I don’t follow them, but zillions of people can tell you about games and teams, both pro and college.</p>
<p>If shopping appeals, there are large chains and one-of-a-kind boutiques.</p>
<p>If you don’t want a traditional hotel, my neighborhood has some nice bed-and-breakfasts. They’re just across the Schuylkill from center city and in the neighborhood near Penn, Drexel, and University of the Sciences.</p>
<p>Oops, almost forgot about that great big bell downtown. People line up to see it. But it’s cracked…</p>
<p>Cape May is gorgeous all year round and has some of the best restaurants in NJ. Given it’s off season, you shouldn’t have much wait. Until we bought a house at the Shore 3 years ago, we rented a house for 1-2 weeks each summer for 10+ years. </p>
<p>Agree a good run/bike is down Sunset & back or out Broadway, over the bridge, to the ferry & along the Delaware Bay.</p>
<p>I know that this isn’t exactly what you are looking for, but my three best women friends and I traditionally spend a long weekend in Rehoboth Beach the weekend before the Super Bowl. This will be our 10th trip, and we decided to stay in Lewes, DE instead. WE ARE NOT ATHLETIC. But we do love the area during the off season, and have been known to watch chick flicks (even watching Shall We Dance in Japanese before we realized that it was filmed in Japanese and couldn’t be changed to English. ROTFL! This has been a standing joke of ours for years, but I digress.)</p>
<p>The weather always seems to be conducive to walking on the beach, and we never have any trouble finding good restaurants in Rehoboth or Lewis. More recently, we have taken to bringing our own food and staying in so we have more time to play games and talk. Yes, we are getting older. Two years ago we were snowed in on Saturday night by a storm that took us completely by surprise. Our families back in PA had only a dusting. That was so much fun making do with the food we happened to have on hand, and watching some political reruns on TV that we could make jokes about.</p>
<p>There’s always the outlets, but they have lost their appeal to us as we get older, and I sense that they would not be a top priority to you either.</p>
<p>I just love the whole laid back atmosphere of the shore in the off season. If you can come up with enough things to do in case of inclement weather, I think you will have a wonderful time, and I am jealous. Once my husband and I rented a entire season of the TV show 24, when we were stuck in our hotel room.</p>
<p>Let us know what you decide, because this sounds like so much fun.</p>
<p>Isn’t Lewes just the loveliest little shore town? In the fall the traffic is quite reasonable. Might be a bit closer then Cape May from Central PA.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. We decided to take advantage of the weather and headed to Cape May. We stayed at a B&B a block off the beach and at night could hear the ocean (and the clip clop of the passing carriage horses). Arrived Monday afternoon and headed down to the beach for a long walk. We had dinner at Lucky Bones- fabulous mussels with gorgonzola, tomato basil sauce and focaccia to mop up the plate. On Tuesday we did the Cape May Shoreline Ride, 48 miles at a leisurely pace.There was little traffic and few parked cars so we were able to ride abreast much of the time. It was warm enough to use the outdoor shower afterwards. 
Dinner at George’s (thanks, lje62, for those two recs). Wednesday we went to a couple of popular birding sites as this is peak time for migrating raptors and butterflies. </p>
<p>As it turned out S2 had an interview in Philly Wednesday afternoon so we headed back a day early and met up with him. All in all, a great getaway.</p>
<p>I am glad you got to enjoy your trip ! It really is such a nice little town</p>
<p>Also glad to hear about how nice your trip was. I have had those mussels at Lucky Bones–they are out of this world! Glad you got in a good ride, too! bicycling down here is just wonderful. Hope your S’s interview went well ,and I also hope you’re able to get back soon!</p>