The Dormer House

Beach chairs and beach towels are provided for your convenience, so the sand is sorted before you leave the porch.

Beach tags are required for ages 12 and up from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Buy them at beach entrances or City Hall; lifeguards do not sell tags. Lifeguards are on duty 10am to 5pm in season.

Go early in the morning for a quiet beach. After Labor Day the beaches are free, parking eases up, and the water stays warm into late September.

Storytelling on Thursdays at 4pm, mid-June through mid-October. Free to guests of the house.

Dunes, freshwater marsh and marked trails about two miles west of town, a short drive away. Fall brings some of the best bird migration watching on the East Coast. Allow one to two hours.

Climb 199 steps to the gallery inside the state park; the park grounds around it are free. Mornings are calmest; go on a clear day for the view.

On Delaware Bay near Cape May Point. Hunt for Cape May diamonds, smooth quartz pebbles polished by the river, and look offshore for the sunken concrete ship SS Atlantus. Go at sunset and stay for the evening flag-lowering ceremony in season.

The pedestrian-only shopping street in the historic district, lined with boutiques, candy stores and eateries. Best in the late afternoon, when the day-trippers thin out.

Cape May's only Victorian house museum, an 1879 mansion by architect Frank Furness. Guided tours run under an hour and the theme changes each year.

More than 500 animals on 85 acres in Cape May Court House, a short drive up Route 9. Admission and parking are free; donations are accepted. Plan a few hours and go early on summer weekends.

A 17-mile crossing of Delaware Bay to Lewes, Delaware, about 70 to 90 minutes each way. Foot passengers can walk on; reserve ahead if you bring the car. A fine day trip even if you come right back.

Fresh-caught seafood is the local staple. Look to the dockside eateries at Cape May Harbor and the restaurants along the Washington Street Mall.

On summer weekends, book dinner ahead or expect a wait at the popular rooms. Outside summer many kitchens cut hours or close on weekdays, so check opening times before you set out.

Most guests drive the Garden State Parkway to its southern end. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry connects from Lewes, Delaware, for foot passengers and cars. The nearest airports are Atlantic City (ACY) and Philadelphia (PHL).

The Parkway southbound stacks up on summer weekends, so travel early in the day. Beachfront parking meters run April through October, and in-town parking fills fast on Saturdays. The inn includes free on-site parking for one car per room.

Swim near a lifeguarded beach and mind rip-current warnings; ocean conditions change fast. Bring sun protection and water for the beach and the trails.

Summer mosquitoes are real on the marsh trails, so pack repellent. Bike riders share Beach Avenue with cars and pedestrians; ride predictably and lock your bike.