A Day in Cape May

The Inn of Cape May, circa 1894 is located at Beach Avenue and Ocean Street in Cape May.

Cape May has the distinction of being one of the oldest seashore resorts in the country. The scenic area with the laid-back vibe is a perfect place to spend a few days.

Due to my schedule, staying overnight wasn't quite feasible this summer, so I had to be content to make the most of just a few hours. One-day trips to Cape May are common in the area where I live and I soon found a Lowees tour at a price that trumped their major competitor, so my friend and I booked a trip and fortunately the weather cooperated. On a sunny, early morning in mid-June we groggily boarded the bus and by lunchtime we were at our destination.

We may have been limited to a period of about eight hours, but we managed to squeeze in a lot during that time. We rode a trolly, learning tidbits about the area along the way, strolled around the town to admire Cape May's charming architecture, shopped and dined downtown, explored the Emlen Physick Estate, stuck our toes in the sand and poked our heads into a few places where we probably didn't belong.

First Stop - Downtown

The bus dropped us off at the Cape May Welcome Center located just a few blocks away from the Washington Street Mall. The sprawling outdoor center, which opened to the public in 1971, spans several blocks and features dozens of independent boutique shops offering everything from saltwater taffy, to art, accessories and apparel and is a popular meeting place that is open year round.

Convenient benches are provided for shoppers to take the occasional rest in between shopping.

Shoppers enjoy a stroll on a sunny June day.

Horse-drawn carriage carries tourists around the Washington Street Mall. 

We had to make a pit stop for expensive sunblock at Dellas 5 & 10. 
I'll bet they sell a lot of it. 

Restaurants are plentiful in Cape May, with about a dozen in the Washington Mall alone, from pizza shops, to casual eateries. Those seeking an elegant white-tablecloth experience may enjoy Tisha's Fine Dining, which ranks high on TripAdvisor for stellar service and dishes like Filet au Poivre, Thai Salmon and Seafood Risotto. We decided to take a more casual approach to lunch by dining al fresco at the Ugly Mug, where I thoroughly enjoyed a half pound of rock crab served with a tangy mustard sauce and a side of meaty chili. My friend gave her tuna salad bowl a thumbs up, as well.

My lifelong friend and I enjoyed our lunch at the Ugly Mug. Hi Jen!
 

After lunch, we decided to do a bit of shopping and I spotted several reasonably priced pieces at the Cape May Art Gallery.  I had to pass them by since I'm running out of wall space, but my friend ended up with a winter pastoral scene. Manager Karen Bianco was kind enough to hold her painting until we were ready to board the bus. I especially liked these two below.

No trip to the shore is complete without salt water taffy and you can purchase some at the candy shop located at 324 Washington Street Mall. Fralinger's salt water taffy, which dates back to 1885, is the legacy of an entrepreneur whose creative ingenuity sparked a successful business and a tradition that continues to this day. When glass blower and fish merchant Joseph Fralinger decided to leave Philadelphia to return to his native town of Atlantic City, he had a goal in mind. He would take a job as a bricklayer to earn enough money to start a concession stand on the boardwalk where he sold fruit, soda and lemonade until another door opened and he was offered a taffy stand on Applegate Pier. Fralinger decided to try to improve the recipe and tinkered with the ingredients, turning out his first batch of molasses taffy in 1885. The success inspired him to create 24 more flavors and a bulb went on in his head, thanks to his experience in the fish merchant business. He would pack the taffey in oyster boxes for tourists to take home as souvenirs. The idea was a hit and lasted all these years. Today few leave the shore without at least one of the little white boxes tucked under their arms.

Fralinger's sells a variety of merchandise to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Admiring the "Painted Ladies"

Cape May touts one of the largest existing collections of late 19th Century frame buildings in the country. A good way to get an overview of the plethora of beautiful Victorian structures is to take a one-hour, guided trolley tour. The tours, which are priced at $12 per person, run year round thanks to the  Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities, a non-profit that is committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors.

This is just one of the cute houses you'll see on the Trolly tour. The above is an example of "Gingerbread style" architecture.

Tickets for the Trolly Tour can be purchased at the Washington Mall Information Booth. To combine the historic tour with a one-hour tour of the Emlen Physick House costs an additional $10. Active military and veterans are offered a 20 percent discount.

A Tour of the Emlen Physick House

Despite knowing a little about architecture, I was surprised to hear a few terms with which I was unfamiliar while on the Cape May Tour. For example, the term "drunken architecture" refers to the use of a combination of styles. One example of drunken architecture can be seen at the Cape May Inn (the first picture in this blog post). Another is "Stick Architecture," a style used by architect Frank Furness for the Physick estate. Furness designed more than 600 buildings in the greater Philadelphia area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.The "Stick" style was considered avant-garde at the time and attracted its share of attention because it stood out from other Cape May styles, which generally ranged from Italianate, to Mansard and Gothic.

Emlen Physick, Jr. came from a wealthy Philadelphia family. His grandfather, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, was considered the father of American surgery and invented numerous surgical procedures and medical instruments that are used today.

Emlen graduated from medical school, but preferred instead to live the life of a farmer. He also bought and sold real estate and was known for being a vocal presence at city council meetings.
A life-long bachelor, Emlen lived with his widowed mother Frances Ralston and his aunt Emilie Parmentier at the house, which was completed in 1879. Today the estate attracts approximately 30,000 visitors per year and is maintained by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities.

The Physick Estate--exterior.

Wealthy individuals of the era were fascinated with Moorish fretwork, a
common form of decoration.

Rooms in the Physick estate.

The Hallway of the Physick House

A Capidomonte vase from Italy.

Celery was a big deal back in the day--it even had its own serving dish.

Old coal stove for cooking

A Walk around Town
After we finished our tour, we took a walk around the area to snap a few more shots of the incredible buildings for which Cape May is known.

The Chalfonte Hotel, built in 1875, is an example of the Italianate Style.

This is Bill's Pancake House, which was a cocktail bar in the swinging '50s.

The cute little Cape May Library.

Below is an Episcopal Church

The impressive Congress Hall hotel loomed large in my mind during our trolley tour, particularly because I hadn't recalled seeing it on prior trips, so I made it a point to return on foot to check it out.  I learned later that the business celebrated its bicentennial in 2016 and has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top hotels in the Northeast. Although I wasn't a hotel guest, I managed to sneak in for a few shots.

Check-in area at Congress Hall.

The bar at Congress Hall.

Congress Hall celebrated its bicentennial in 2016.

Below an employee delivers "room service" to a beach guest.

Our last stop was to spend a few minutes walking the 2.1 mile stretch of beach before we concluded our visit with a meal and a cocktail at Fins Bar & Grille located at 142 Decatur Street. 

Cape May Beach 

We admired the huge saltwater aquarium at Fins before taking a seat outside on the comfortable porch and indulging in a carb-heavy, but oh-so-good dinner. I can't believe that I'm raving over flatbread, but it really was delicious. I ordered the four-cheese and my friend ordered "Fins Pie," made with jumbo lump crab, three types of cheese, arugula, avocado and lemon thyme aioli--delish!

Before we knew it, the time had come to re-board the bus. There is something to be said for having the luxury of staying overnight, but I am just glad that I had the opportunity to visit the area this summer and, of course, there is always next year. I also hear that the area is beautifully decorated during the Christmas season, so that is a possibility as well.

Activities for a Future Visit - Cape May Lighthouse and Birding

One of the things we missed during our visit due to lack of time was the Cape May Lighthouse, where guests can climb 199 steps to reach the top for a spectacular view of the area. The structure dates back to 1859 and is still working today. Since being restored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities in 1986, more than 2.5 million visitors have climbed to the top. That's a lot of huffing and puffing. I better start working out.

Birders, in particular, may be interested to learn that Cape May is one of the East Coast's premier birding areas, attracting approximately 428 species throughout the year, with some 50,000 hawks passing through annually. Tweet! Even National Geographic gives Cape May its due in this area, listing it as one of the World's Best Destinations for Birding. The Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO), founded in 1976 by the New Jersey Audubon, plans plenty of birding events throughout the year, including free, one-hour morning walks led by a naturalist. Coming up in October is the annual fall festival held at the Inn of Cape May (October 18-21). Learn more about the festival and the many other events held by the CMBO by visiting their website here.

Additional Cape May events can be found by clicking here. This website does a good job of keeping everyone abreast of everything Cape May, from musical events, festivals, parades, tours and more.

These are just a few suggestions for making the most of your time in Cape May, a charming area, with plenty of history and an array of activities to appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Kayaking among the Ghost Ships of Mallows Bay

I never knew kayaking could be so much fun until I tried it. Now I’m hooked and am looking forward to my next excursion, thanks to my enjoyable experience learning about an important era in history while paddling through Mallows Bay on the Potomac River. The 14-square mile area, located in Charles County Maryland, is well within sight of Quantico Marine Base and located in Nanjemoy.

My friends warned me that I’d get wet and cautioned against taking along a camera. For once, I wished I hadn’t listened. But for a small splash from the paddles, I emerged dry thanks to the soft launch located onsite. My seasoned kayak buddy knew better and carted his camera along to capture at a few moments of the memorable trip.

Egrets build huge nests amidst the rotting remains of WWI warships. (Photo: Courtesy of Reed Hellman) 

From April through October, Atlantic Kayak guides join other kayakers to lead the way and share the story of “The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay.” Guests glide among the decaying detritus of wooden steamships and learn that the structures were once part of a national effort dating back to WWI when Woodrow Wilson approved one of the largest and most expensive shipbuilding programs in history. Because time was of the essence, the hastily and shoddily constructed ships were rendered almost obsolete from the onset, yet work continued well after the war ended to fulfill already agreed-upon contracts.

Years later, the government sold what was left of an outmoded fleet to Western Marine and Salvage Company of Alexandria, Virginia for a grand total of $750,000—the cost of one boat. The company proceeded to extract the valuable metal and burn the hulls to the waterline to assist in the process. Before work was complete, the company claimed bankruptcy and today visitors can safely kayak through the rotting remains.

Reed Hellman, who first visited the Bay in the 1970s as part of his job as field technician for the then-named Maryland Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs, said that time has taken its toll. “When I first visited, many of the hulls were still intact and above the waterline.” Hellman, who returned to the site recently, said, “It was much easier to get into the heart of the fleet this time.”

Hellman highly recommends the trip. “Experiencing it from the vantage of a tiny kayak opens wide a window into the history of one of our nation’s first attempts to function as a global power. We undertook building the ships that now molder in Mallows Bay as an effort to answer our allies desperate call for help in wartime. That the effort failed was a result of circumstances, not our country’s will to succeed. For me, Mallows Bay stands as a monument to our nation’s evolving role in the world.”

A photo taken during my kayak trip. (Photo: Courtesy, Reed Helman)

Don Shomette, author of “The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay,” has been hard at work to ensure that the site gets the recognition it deserves.  The marine historian has been taking steps help the area achieve designation as a national marine sanctuary.

In 2014, NOAA invited communities across the nation to nominate their most treasured places in the country's marine and Great Lakes waters for consideration as national marine sanctuaries. "With my colleagues, I was able to assemble a team to reach out to public and private institutions, individuals, historians, colleges and museums to complete a proposal. The major step was to get organized, then engage the public,” said Shomette. Shomette said another step included generating hundreds of pages of documentation to prove that the site deserved a listing on the National Register as an historic and archeological district.

World War I Warships as they once appeared in Mallow's Bay in 1925. (Photo credit: Don Shomette) 

An aerial photo of Mallow's Bay (Photo credit: Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing, Duke University)

Kayakers paddle along in Mallow's Bay. (Photo credit: Kimberly Hernandez, MDNR, Chesapeake and Coast Service) 

Today Shomette is confident that the site will soon gain the sought-after recognition. He describes the reaction of Dr. Jim Delgado, former Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Maritime Heritage Program. “When I handed him my archeological report, he was speechless.”

All I know is that this first-time kayaker was plunked down into a very special experience, from the history of the area, to the beauty of the wildlife. More than 100 species of birds nest there and cohabit with other creatures like river otter and beavers. I felt fortunate to witness eagles soaring overhead and osprey constructing huge nests on the peaceful wreckage that was once intended for an entirely different purpose.

An eagle surveys its surroundings. (Photo credit: Paula Shiller, courtesy of MDNR)

An Osprey pair nest atop a ship. (Photo credit: Daryl Byrd, courtesy of MDNR) 

Jody Hedeman Couser, Director of the Chesapeake Conservancy, is hoping that more people will take an interest in visiting the area as it continues the journey towards national recognition.

“Mallows Bay has the largest collection of historic shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere and they are full of wildlife. The Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to be a lead partner in the steering committee seeking the designation and we’re thrilled that Mallows Bay is just a step closer towards becoming the first National Marine Sanctuary designated in more than 20 years and the first ever in the Chesapeake,” she said.

At D.C.'s Newseum, the Media is the Message

If you’re interested in the world as seen through the eyes of a reporter, the Newseum is a must-visit destination on any trip to Washington, D.C.
Located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, (within viewing distance of the Capitol), the seven-level news museum features 15 theaters, as many galleries and is a treasure trove of all things news related. History buffs, in particular, will spend hours poring over the artifacts which span five centuries and tell the story the press plays in shaping our perceptions.
Tickets cost $21.21 for adults and $16.96 for seniors and tickets are good for two consecutive days, so you can take your time to view everything there is to see. If you’re taking children, you can take advantage of their summer special which gains them free entrance from July 1 through Labor Day.

The outside of the Newseum in Washington, D.C. 

Navigating the Space
The education begins before guests set foot inside the front doors of the Newseum. Carved into the front of the building are the five freedoms of the First Amendment to remind visitors of the limited powers of the U.S. government. Located just outside the entrance is an ever-changing exhibit of the daily front pages of more than 80 newspapers worldwide.
Beyond the front doors is the Hearst Orientation Theater where visitors can view a four-minute video for tips on how to make the best use of their time to prioritize the topics that interest them most.

Learn about Law Enforcement and One Country’s Struggle for Freedom
The Berlin Wall Gallery, located on the concourse level, is where most visitors navigate first upon arrival. There guests can view 12-foot-high segments of the Berlin Wall, which museum officials brought back after making a deal with Berlin’s Check-Point Charlie museum. The western side of the wall contains vivid political graffiti with messages like “Act Up,” and contrasts starkly against the bare eastern side, symbolizing the fight between freedom and oppression. “One of most oft-taken photographs at the Newseum is the Berlin Wall,” said R. Scott Williams, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. Guests will also view an imposing guard tower brought back from Berlin at the same time the segments of the wall were acquired. According to museum officials, when purchased in 1993, each 2.5-ton segment cost the museum $5,000, with the guard tower costing $15,000. When the wall came down there was celebration in the streets. Today, it’s a grim reminder of the nearly 200 people who died trying to escape and the 30,000 political prisoners who were jailed at the hands of a tyrannical regime.

Berlin Wall exhibit

Western side of the Berlin Wall

Also located on the concourse level is the FBI Exhibit, containing 200 artifacts from the biggest cases in the past 100 years. Among them are the Unabomber’s cabin, a sawed-off rifle used by Patty Hearst and the electric chair used to execute the kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby. “The items you’ll see here are related to big moments in history that it’s one of the exhibits that most people remark on after they leave,” said Williams.

Bomb-damaged car belonging to investigative reporter Don Bolles.

Pulitzer Prize Photographs and a 4-D Theater
Photographers, in particular, will enjoy the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery located on level one, where every winning photo is on display, some with interactive kiosks featuring interviews with photographers and the stories behind the compelling images.
Level one also features a 4-D theater, where guests will view a 13-minute film which takes them on a journey through some of the most dramatic events in journalism history, including the story of ground-breaking, female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, who adopted the pen name of “Nellie Bly.” Cochrane is notorious for blowing the lid off brutality and neglect at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum at New York’s Blackwell’s Island by feigning insanity to gain entrance. Learn of her struggles at the asylum and how her investigative efforts effected change in the late 1800s.

Remembering 9-11
One of the most moving exhibits is located on the fourth level. On the wall of the 9/11 Gallery, are framed newspapers showing journalists’ reaction to events that occurred that fateful day.
Located in the middle of the gallery guests will view the mangled antenna from the North Tower of the World Trade Center and artifacts salvaged from the scene. They will learn how journalists ran towards disaster to bring a story to the masses, and view a tribute to photojournalist William Biggart who lost his life that day. 

Headlines after 9/11

Piece of the North Tower of the World Trade Center

Civil Rights at 50
Visitors can view the "1968: Civil Rights at 50" exhibit located on Level 4 now through January 2, 2019. Historic images and artifacts highlight events that shaped history after the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The exhibit explores political and social upheaval during a tumultuous time and juxtaposes political violence against Martin Luther King's advocacy for non-violence.

Journalists Memorial
On Monday, June 4, 2018, the Newseum rededicated its Journalists Memorial.  The two-story, glass structure, located on Level 3, currently commemorates 2,323 reporters, broadcasters, photographers and editors who lost their lives while reporting the news. Their names are etched in glass and kiosks provide visitor with information related to each individual, how they served their profession and sadly how they lost their lives while doing so. The searchable database can be accessed here. 

Journalists Memorial Credit: Maria Bryk/Newseum

Take a Picture with the Capitol as a Backdrop
Don’t end your visit without taking the elevator to the sixth floor to the Greenspun Terrace which overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue and provides spectacular views of the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Washington Monument.

View from the Terrace. Credit: Sam Kittner/Newseum

Welcoming Thousands of Visitors Each Year
Nearly 810,000 guests visit the Newseum each year and the destination now ranks #19 on TripAdvisor’s list of “things to do in Washington, D.C.”  Krista Canfield McNish traveled from San Francisco to visit the museum. “As a former journalist, I was a bit worried that the Newseum might let me down, but I absolutely loved it. I found everything there to be compelling and interesting. For me, the highlights were the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery (some of the images will bring tears to your eyes) and the 9/11 Gallery. I also loved the Today's Front Pages Gallery. The newspapers of the day that they put out are pretty awesome.”

These are but a few of the many exhibits that can take hours to navigate, which is why I suggest splitting your visit in to two separate days if you can fit it into your schedule. You’ll discover that it’s certainly time well spent.

Learn more at: www.newseum.org

Ephrata Cloister Tells Tale of One of America's Earliest Religious Communities

The Ephrata Cloister

The small borough of Ephrata located in northern Lancaster County is home to one of America's earliest religious communities known as the Ephrata Cloister.

This carefully preserved gem, founded in 1732 by German settlers led by a man by the name of Conrad Beissel, tells a tale of Pennsylvania's role in the quest for freedom of religion.

Beissel, who was born in Eberbach, Germany, took issue with his country's state-run churches, believing, instead, that citizens should be free to worship as they pleased. When he set sail for North America, he decided to settle in the only colony at the time to offer freedom of religion. By choosing Pennsylvania, Beissel had shaken the shackles of his native country's demands for obeisance to the religion of the rulers.

After arriving in the colonies, Beissel initially settled in Germantown before moving to Lancaster County, where he led a Brethren congregation. His quest for inner peace and his desire to escape the distractions of the world eventually led him to Ephrata to create a religious retreat. 

Soon others were joining the charismatic Beissel and by 1750 approximately 80 men and women comprised the "Community of the Solitary" at Ephrata. All agreed to live a regimented, celibate life to better worship God.

Today the Ephrata Cloister is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Tours are conducted seven days a week until December and several days a week thereafter.

Taking the Tour
Parking is plentiful at the Cloister and a short walk takes guests to a Visitor's Center where they will be greeted by a guide in a simple, long, hooded, white robe, the traditional garb that residents were required to wear at the time.

After viewing a short film on Beissel and his pursuit of religious freedom, visitors are led to outside benches. There, in the midst of historic buildings that have been described as some of the most significant, surviving examples of pre-colonial architecture in America, guests learn more about the unique community.

Guide gives insight into the community that lived onsite.

Members of the sect led a life of discipline and celibacy, indulging in only one meager meal a day and sleeping six hours a night. The purpose of such self-restraint, according to Beissel, was to prepare his followers for heaven through earthly denial. Sleeping accommodations were comprised of a bench and a wooden pillow and the six hours of sleep were broken into two three-hour periods, interrupted for a time of worship in the onsite meeting house.

Bed with wooden block pillow.

Bible in the Meeting House

Members spent the remaining hours of their days engaging in a variety of jobs ranging from gardening, to milling, mending, cooking and other tasks related to the upkeep of the compound. The brothers and sisters even purchased a printing press and were responsible for printing the largest book in the colonies at the time. "The Martyr's Mirror" spans 1,500 pages and describes the early persecution of the Anabaptists. To this day, it is treasured by the Amish.

The Meetinghouse

Dining area

Spinning Area

Squirrel Tail oven

Guest cottage

After a short introduction to the life of the people who lived in the Cloister, guests are guided to the Saron, otherwise known as the Sister's House, where members ate, slept, cooked and worked. The second stop is the Saal, or meeting house, known as one of the oldest places of worship in Pennsylvania--where residents listened to sermons conducted by Beissel. Song, penned both by Beissel and his followers, sometimes contained an astonishing 300 verses.

At the end of the tour, guests are given the opportunity to explore the grounds and outbuildings, sometimes with the help of modern technology. Guests can dial phone numbers listed on buildings to learn more about each structure.

Within the Cloister is also a cemetery, where visitors can see the headstones of those who have been laid to rest, including leader Conrad Beissel, whose passing in 1768 led to the slow demise of the community, after the takeover by Peter Miller, who believe that the monastic life was no longer attractive to new generations.

The Cemetery

By 1777, a third of the members died of typhoid and by 1814, the Community of the Solitary at Ephrata dissolved as the last four followers joined the Seventh Day Baptist Church, marking an end to the "holy experiment."

To learn more, visit: www.ephratacloster.org.