Quer durch New Jersey zum südlichsten Ende: Cape May

Sunday 13.06. Philadelphia - Cape May

Next to the hotel is a Starbucks, which - despite this godforsaken area - is open and I build myself up with coffee and a sandwich and roll southwards over the Delware River once again to New Jersey. Today with daylight. In Marlton I go to L.L. Bean, my favorite store for outdoor clothes and next door to another store and shop away my frustration from yesterday.

I want to drive to the south towards the sea on side roads. I pass a place called Berlin, which consists of about 30 houses, but was founded in 1714. Otherwise, the route doesn't offer much and only 2 motels over 100 miles, which gives me an uneasy feeling and also explains why I couldn't find anything here last night. I don't think I've ever been in such an under-motelized corner of the USA. Instead, there are endless auto repair shops and campsites, but no hotels or motels. I get myself another coffee in between and deviate from my route towards the sea at full speed. There I reach the place Avalon first. One holiday home is next to the next, but there are no motels, only holiday homes and apartments in large quantities. The streets are empty, wide and there are no real places. Everything very clinical...

I arrive at Stone Harbor and see 3 motels next to each other - that'll do! But I wouldn't even hang over the fence dead here. It's a purely residential area and I'm not sure if I want to dry up here for five days. Just to be on the safe side, I ask and take a look at the offered dark room for which I am supposed to pay 560 dollars. I keep going.

There must be more, I think to myself. So back on the main road, which can only be reached after 6-7 miles inland and then turn south again. The landscape is marshland and there are long bridges that lead from the main road to the shore areas where these holiday resorts are, which, however, are not really built in the form of places, but rather as streets with holiday apartments. Very strange.

Around 5:00 p.m. I probably reach Cape May. I still don't have a proper map and the signs are lousy. But I drive towards the sea, see two motels right across from the beach, and take the first opportunity. For 99 dollars + 14% taxes I get a 2-room apartment here with a kitchen, refrigerator, and seating area in front of the room with a view of the beach. Hallelujah!

There is a real place here, the road that separates me from the beach ends in the sea after about 200 meters, so you can hardly hear any traffic.

I lug my things up to the room and slowly start to doubt how I'm going to get all of this home...

But first I walk along the promenade running in front of the hotel, but after a short time it starts to drizzle. The day was already super humid with 95°F (35°C) and already during the drive to Cape May a thick thundercloud hung over me. I retreat to a restaurant where only senior citizens sit, as everyone over 55 gets some kind of discount until 5:30 p.m. I didn't look at the clock - it's pouring outside. I'm missing 6 years, so I order eggplant with Parmesan. An unbelievable portion of four huge slices of eggplant that are breaded and gratinated (both!) and overwhelmed by tomato sauce reaches me. The side dish is spaghetti with tomato sauce. I manage to eat one slice, which disintegrates into mush after exposing it from the breading, and eat the spaghetti. After that, I have to take a walk for an hour.

Cape May is fantastic and totally compensates for yesterday and today's search! It is a place with countless Victorian wooden houses in colorful colors and beautiful terraces, where people sit in rocking chairs and enjoy their after-work beer.

Some houses are (unaffordable) bed and breakfasts, but many are just private residential or holiday homes. In 1878, there was a fire here and of the many hotels (even then Cape May was a popular vacation spot for the rich people from the cities), only three remained. Today, the hotels/motels are located in new buildings or in the Victorian wooden houses as bed and breakfasts.

I reach a very small pedestrian zone with restaurants and small shops. At the end there is a sales pavilion for trolley rides and I take one directly. It lasts 45 minutes and costs only 10 dollars. There are explanations about the origin of Cape May and a view of countless beautiful wooden houses. The light is a bit gloomy after the showers earlier, but I'm here for a few more days.

I walk back to the hotel, grab the car and drive to the supermarket to buy some fruit and salad for tomorrow.

With the car, I drive down Sunset Boulevard and end up at the Flag Ceremony. The flag on the flagpole standing here - like others in Cape May - is one of those that lay on the coffins of fallen Americans. Macabre, but presumably more towards World War II or the Korean or Vietnam War. During the ceremony, it gets windy and when I drive to the lighthouse, sea fog rolls in. I drive around a bit in search of evening photo motifs. Without success.

At 9:00 p.m. I sit in front of my room, have a great sky in front of me, the sea is roaring and I have a glass of wine and just look at nature.

The hotel seems to be quite empty, it is fantastically quiet - at 10:30 p.m. I'm in bed.