Re: cape may. There are several kayak places that leave from the causeway heading into Wildwood. You kayak in the salt water marshes in that area. It’s been a while since we were there, so I can’t recommend one, but I would research on trip advisor. (There also used to be a great seafood place there - order at the shack and sit family style at picnic tables until your order number is called. For many people not familiar w NJ dining - most restaurants are BYOB. Liquor licenses are regulated by the local municipality’s population and are very expensive to acquire, which is why most let you bring your own wine or beer and they provide glasses. It really saves on dinner bills and you can bring some great wine from home. Unfortunately the liquor store in downtown cape may has a lousy selection of wine, so look elsewhere).
The pedestrian mall is great at night. We would spend all day outside, go out/grill out dinner, then walk over for ice cream and browsing. The shops stay open until 10ish.
Kayaking in Delaware Bay, Cape May Harbor, Salt Creek which runs behind the city itself, and the back wetlands between Wildwood and Cape May. Since we’re down there a lot, we also explore behind West Wildwood, North Wildwood, Stone Harbor, and Avalon, but someone on a single vacation wouldn’t probably go that far afield. Last summer, on the Bay off Sunset beach, we were surrounded by dolphins at one point. T hat was pretty special.
The biking is mostly roads, but once you get out of the city itself (which is tiny), the roads are fairly clear, have wide shoulders, and in general are very bike friendly. On the island, there are pretty routes to Sunset Beach and back farmlands, and if you cross one of the bridges, you can bike all the way up the Delaware Bay if you want.
As nj2011mom says, there are kayak rental places on the back creek and on both sides of the Harbor.
I love Delaware and New Jersey beaches but you should take into account the summer traffic. I grew up in Delaware and have many relatives in South Jersey, most of them in Wildwood/Cape May area. Whenever you leave your beach town whether it’s Lewes, Cape May, Rehoboth or Bethany, you are going to hit massive traffic, which to me negates a lot of the positives of a vacation. Lately, we’ve been vacationing in the Outer Banks in Corolla. I’ve enjoyed kayaking, gone on a wild horse tour, yoga, and a nature walk. There’s a lot more to do in the Delaware/New Jersey area but there’s a lot more people and traffic too.
Love NJ beaches, as I grew up on them every summer as a kid. When our kids were young, we went to Cape Cod every summer. Lots of great places to stay there but it’s likely that many of the most desirable places will already be booked.
Kiawah Island is beautiful but there is not a lot, other than the beach, to do there. The Sanctuary is a gorgeous resort, though, if you decide on Kiawah. There are rooms, villas, all beachfront, and a lovely spa.
Hilton Head is wonderful year round and very popular in the summer. Beautiful beaches, hundreds of restaurants of all kinds, shopping galore, antiques, art, a great theatre for live productions. movie theatres, 55 miles of bike trails, boating, kayaking, nature preserves, dozens of golf courses, tennis, fishing, zip lines, outdoor concerts. Lovely historic towns close by - Beaufort and Savannah. Charleston is 1 1/2 - 2 hours away, an easy day trip, where there’s a terrific aquarium, in addition to all the beautiful architecture and other things to do there. Lots of homes, villas, condos to rent, and lots of nice beachfront resorts.
We solved the crowd issue in OC, NJ by going the week of May 30-June 6. It’s after Memorial Day week, so everything is open…but it’s before school is out so there are no weekday crowds. AND the prices of rentals are a third of the cost of the peak summer season. The ocean water is always cold…but the beaches are just as nice in June (if the air temps are warm enough).
We did a day trip to Cape May last year, and this year we will go back with our bikes.
I lived for years at the beach and still visit the Outer Banks quite often. They would be #2 on my list with everything from deserted beaches to old timey cottages.
1 on my list though is Hilton Head. You can be going down the main highway and not even realize that there are businesses next to you because of the strict zoning (eg low wooden signs, all natural colors, stands of trees etc). Lots to do and great beaches
New Jersey schools don’t get out until after June 20. (S1s graduation is June 24!). So mid-June is a good time to go to the shore. I would avoid the last week of June, as that’s beach week, especially in places like Belmar and Seaside Heights, but could be others where the kids takeover the family shore house.
Ps - ocean water temps are still around 32, so it will be a long time before they warm up this year to anything tolerable unless we get a heat wave. I’m thinking By mid-july it will be tolerable.
In Ocean City, we don’t have the senior week nonsense that a lot of other beach towns have . Not that it doesn’t happen at all , but it is rather limited. I know of a couple of problem houses ( and the town in Pa that seem to think OC is a good place to mess with our city…
Last June, my husband and I went to Ocean City Maryland for a business trip…now THAT is a place I would steer clear of when the teens take over. I don’t know what is wrong with the parents that let their little darlings indulge in this .
Ocean City , NJ is a dry town ( can’t buy alcohol , no bars , no liquor stores on the island ) That doesn’t mean that it is impossible to have it, but it isn’t as easy as other beach towns. Most of our tourists are from Pa , not NJ , so I am hoping that our season won’t be delayed a week. Realtors are saying the season is looking good and houses are renting better than last summer
My very favorite time to go to an East Coast beach is September after the kids are all in school. Enough places are still open that you can go out to eat but don’t have to worry about reservations, the water is warm enough to swim in and the traffic is just not there. I’ve also been down in October, but that’s trickier weather wise - more chance of cold weather and hurricanes.
Spent my senior week after HS graduation in Ocean City, MD!
We were a fairly subdued group. Just spent the day on the beach and started drinking beer around 5pm. (Drinking age was 18). We were in a condos and I don’t think the neighbors knew we were a Hs group.
nj2011mom, I was shocked at what we saw there last year…especially with the girls….we crossed the bridge and stayed at a hotel off island, but before we got the room, I made sure none of the rooms were occupied by teens.
When our kids were little, we met other families at Topsail Island, NC, a little out of the way town not far from Wilmington. My beach philosophy was (still is, really)–just give me the ocean, some sand and the people I love. The whole boardwalk thing just didn’t work for me and wanted my kids to enjoy the ocean/beach, their cousins and close family friends. We did crafts and the kids played on the beach. Always had beachfront houses; more affordable there. The dads took kids to a movie one afternoon which was, at that time, a bit of a drive but they always had a great time and, occasionally, got to see a movie the moms would have nixed!! We moms went shopping that day. Only went out to eat a time or two during our week there because we pooled resources and took turns cooking, etc. Created the best beach memories for our kids!! Worked for us; might not work for others…
rutgersmamma, I hear you on the no boardwalk part…it isn’t for me either but thankfully it is for the people we earn our living from. I grew up on Cape Cod so while I like the area I live in now ( just outside of OC, NJ ) I truly do not understand the way it is so cramped with the houses so close to each other and same for the beach…I like some space.
When our kids were little, we had a motor home and we spent a lot of time in Assateague, Md. That to me is the most beautiful beach on the east coast. We loved the ponies and deer hanging out with us . Though we heeded the warnings to not feed the ponies, we may or may not have hand fed the deer
