Fun Restaurants & Places to Visit in Cape May, NJ

I was so excited to take my first solo trip in June 2021 and had a list of places to visit in Cape May, NJ! It was a very last-minute trip. I bought tickets and got a hotel only about two weeks before the actual weekend trip in Cape May! I did not spend a lot of time putting together this trip but it was still so much fun!

Here are some of the amazing restaurants and places I visited during my weekend trip to Cape May, NJ. I hope this helps you plan or inspires your trip to Cape May!

I woke up early on Thursday morning to start the trip. Before I got to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal, I was sooo excited when I saw a public library on my drive so, of course, I had to stop and take a picture! I’m a children’s librarian so I love stopping at other libraries, and it’s become a personal project to stop and visit as many local libraries as I can!

The drive was super hot and I was drinking so much water that it was perfect timing to find the public library for a short bathroom break, lol. I walked around the library and it was so cute. The teen room was very nicely decorated with games and books. The children’s section was so much smaller than I’m used to but, dang, their shelves looked so nice because they were all perfectly three-quarters full.

I redid my sunscreen and then got back in the car to keep driving to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal. Once I got to the terminal, it was super quick and easy to get through and I just chilled for about 45 minutes until they started getting us into the terminal!

Cape May-Lewes Ferry

I loved being able to use the Cape May-Lewes Ferry! Since I was traveling from Washington, D.C., I had the option to stay on land the whole trip…but it would’ve added an extra hour. Taking the ferry cut my trip down and kept me on a schedule since I had to arrive to the ferry by a certain time (yay for accountability)! It was so easy to reserve a spot online and then I printed off my ticket to have ready for my trip.

Find more information about the ferry at www.cmlf.com.

Hotel Macomber

I felt so lucky to get this hotel during my weekend in Cape May, NJ, because it was literally across the street from the beach, it had an amazing breakfast spot and a great dinner restaurant! All in one building!

The hotel room was super comfortable. It had a small fridge and a TV with Roku. The only odd thing was that the room did not have A/C, just a heater. During the few days I was there, the weather was pretty cool so I would just open the window when I needed the room to cool down and just kept the heat off.

My favorite part of the hotel was that they had a bookcase full of “take what you need” books and it was right in front of my room. The perfection!

The thing that I DID NOT enjoy was the sheer curtains on the only window in the room. As someone who likes to sleep in, I really should’ve brought an eye mask *insert crying face here*. I ended up waking up super early every day and it was both great and terrible. It woke me up early so I was able to participate in more Cape May activities but I was definitely tired after a few late nights.

Restaurants to Visit in Cape May, NJ

You can’t come to Cape May and not try some of these amazing restaurants! There’s so many more restaurants that I didn’t get to try but, don’t you worry, I’ll be going back to try even more restaurants in Cape May, NJ.

The Merion Inn

My first dinner during my weekend in Cape May was at The Merion Inn. They have live entertainment for inside dinner reservations but I opted for outdoor seating since the spring night was so nice. The outdoor environment was so nicely decorated and softly lit!

Their food was absolutely delicious and I already want to go back to try new dishes! For a starter, I got the Chef’s Soup of the Day and it was so yummy! For the entrée, I got the Pan-seared Cape May Scallops with Bacon-Caramel Sauce, which was absolutely mouth-watering. The mustard vinaigrette made the dish for me. For my side, I got the Merion potato cup and it was the perfect choice for me. It was buttery and fluffy and everything I wanted.

If you love live music during your dinner, I would highly recommend making an indoor reservation for a fun Cape May, NJ, activity, just make sure to check their calendar!

Check out their menu and calendar on their website, The Merion Inn.

Union Park Dining Room

This restaurant is located in the same building as Hotel Macomber. The lobby is part restaurant and part hotel check-in! The main dining area is towards the back of the hotel but there’s also a side dining area with a whole wall of windows.

This was my second dinner during my weekend in Cape May and it was absolutely delicious! Union Park Dining Room does a prix-fixe dinner with several options for each course. Every course was mouth-watering and it was such a great experience. The best part is that you can bring in your own bottle of wine or you can pick one from their menu, which has wines from a local winery.

Check out their menu and offerings on their website, Union Park Dining Room.

Madison’s Bakery

Madison’s Bakery is a necessary visit for a small breakfast in Cape May, NJ. They have some amazing pastry and coffee options for one or a whole family. I loved their chocolate croissant! They also provide milk alternatives for coffee drinks.

Check out their mural for fun picture options!

Find their locations on their website: www.madisonsbakerynj.com.

Places to Visit in Cape May, NJ

There are so many fun places to visit in Cape May, NJ! These are only a few of the many Cape May activities you can participate in or visit.

World War II Lookout Tower

This World War II Tower had some very amazing views! If you’re into WW2 topics, then this is a great place to visit in Cape May. If you’re not into that, it’s still a great place to visit with some cool artifacts and information but the best part will be the cool view at the top of the tower.

Walk around Cape May, NJ

While there’s so many places to visit in Cape May, it’s just as relaxing to walk the streets since there are so many beautiful houses and unique buildings. Depending on when you visit, there’s also so many beautiful flowers planted around the area. Simply walking around is one of those Cape May activities you can do whenever you find yourself with some free time.

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum

I am a big museum lover and this was one of my favorite places to visit in Cape May, NJ. The Aviation Museum had so many interesting exhibits and displays and I wish I had arrived earlier than I did. There were sooo many planes, cars, helicopters, etc. to walk around and explore.

It was also very fun to walk around during my visit because they had decorated for the local high school’s prom night! For example, below, you can see white balloons dotting the entrance of the museum and the photo below that has all the tables laid out.

The Aviation Museum was a really interesting Cape May, NJ, activity to do and I highly recommend adding it to your list of visits! The entrance fee is about $15 for an adult, and I would highly recommend setting aside at least one hour for the visit, but more time if this is a major interest for you!

Learn more and plan your visit by visiting their website: usnasw.org/visit.

More Cape May Activities

As I said, this was a last-minute planned weekend in Cape May, NJ, and, while I enjoyed many of the things I did, there were also many other places I wanted to visit and do that I just didn’t get the chance to! Here’s the list of things I wish I could’ve done (or, more likely, will be doing in a future weekend in Cape May, NJ).

Cape May Brewing Co.

This is right next to the Aviation Museum, so I recommend pairing these two places when you are visiting. That was my plan but the Aviation Museum was so good that I stayed right up until the last minute before I needed to leave for the Ferry!

Part of the reason I wanted to visit the Cape May Brewing Co. was to try the different beers (obviously) but also to see their different environments! Cape May Brewing Co. has a tasting room, beer garden, and brewtanical garden so there’s some fun activity options to explore while trying out different beers and seltzers.

Learn more about the Cape May Brewing Co. at their website: www.capemaybrewery.com.

Harriet Tubman Museum

This is a newer Cape May addition that I didn’t catch in time for my visit. According to their website, this museum opened in 2020. There doesn’t seem to be too much information yet, but it would be an interesting visit to learn more about Harriet Tubman.

Visit their website to learn more: www.harriettubmanmuseum.org.

My solo weekend in Cape May, NJ, was so much fun and I hope this list of restaurants and places to visit helped plan your own trip to Cape May, NJ!

Whether you’re only spending a weekend in Cape May or you have a longer trip planned, let me know if you visit any of these fun places or restaurants in Cape May, NJ!

If you’re interested in weekend travel, then check out these other travel blog posts!

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a Weekend in Cape May, NJ: Restaurants & Places to Visit in Cape May.