Ship John Shoals Beacon
This is the demarcation between the Delaware River and Delaware Bay
Bald eagle on Marker
Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse in the Delaware Bay
We got into Cape May, NJ around noon and by early afternoon the sun appeared. Keith and I got on our bikes and rode around town. The homes and hotels are really cool with many retaining their victorian style.
Example of Victorian Style House
By the time we got back to the boat the weather began to change and storms and rain moved in for the remainder of the afternoon and night. We did walk to the Lobster House for dinner and Captain Keith had a 3 pound lobster.
Monday, Memorial Day, was a big day for us. The NJ Mackeys; Scot, Suzanne, Abigail, and Courtenay all came to Cape May to visit. They took us all over town. We first went downtown to the Congress Hotel. This is a historic hotel built in 1816 as a wooden boarding house. It burned to the ground in the Great Cape May Fire of 1878 but was rebuilt within the year, this time in brick. It is a beautiful building overlooking the beach and ocean. Presidents Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Harrison all vacationed at the hotel. Although it suffered some deterioration in the early 20th century, the hotel was renovated and restored in the 1960s and is again a high end resort hotel.
The Congress Hotel and lawn
Back porch area of the hotel
Inside the hotel along one hallway
Keith and Scot having a bloody mary at the outdoor bar of the Congress Hotel
After visiting the Congress Hotel and walking through some of the shopping in downtown Cape May, we drove to the Cape May Lighthouse. The Cape May Lighthouse is the third lighthouse to be built at Cape May Point. The first was built in 1823 and the second in 1847. The current lighthouse was built in 1859. It stands 157 feet tall and there are 199 steps in the tower's spiral staircase. The Coast Guard continues to operate the light as an active aid to navigation and it can be seen 22 miles out to see.
Cape May Lighthouse
Here we are at the top
Left to right (Keith, Abigail, Courtenay, Scot and Suzanne)
View from the lighthouse
Old WWII bunker on the beach as viewed from the lighthouse
Once we had climbed the lighthouse, some of the group also walked out on the beach to view the old WW II bunker. Later, we drove over to the bay where the remains of an old wreck, the SS Atlantus is located. The SS Atlantus is the most famous of the 12 concrete ships built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Brunswhich, GA during WW I. The ship was used to transport American troops back home from Europe and to transport coal to New England. She was purchased for nonmilitary use in 1926 along with 2 of her sister ships. The intent was to use the ships to create a ferry dock in Cape May. She was towed to the area in preparation but a storm in June of that year broke her loose from her moorings and she ran aground 150 feet off the beach. Several attempts to free her were unsuccessful and she was left where she ran aground. Today she is almost completely submerged in the sand and water.
SS Atlantus Wreck (one of only 12 concrete ships built during WW I)
Back on Southern Style, Keith's brother Scot Mackey brought a cooler with fresh oysters, called Cape May Salts. He and Captain Keith commenced with shucking and eating them. Keith used his new oyster knife, a birthday gift from his brother and family. Our oyster shucking friends from NC will now have "oyster knife envy" when they see this one.
Keith and Scot shucking oysters
We had a great day exploring and visiting with everyone. The weather was somewhat cloudy and cool, but at least it did not rain on us, so we think it was a win. Wonderful to see Scot and family again. We thank them for making the trip to Cape May to see us and take us around town.
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