Cape May: A Summer’s Perfect Curtain Call

Travel

Audio By Carbonatix

Summer always seems to slip away too quickly. The long days we wait for all winter suddenly vanish in a blink, and before we know it, September is on the horizon. But in Cape May, New Jersey—the nation’s oldest seaside resort—the season doesn’t end with a thud. It drifts, lingers, and coaxes you into one last embrace of sun, salt air, and slow pleasures. If you’re looking for the perfect wind-down to a summer that escaped far too fast, Cape May is where a few magical beach days and early cocktail evenings still await.

Congress Hall: Where Time Pauses

At the heart of Cape May is Congress Hall, the butter-yellow grand dame of seaside hotels that has been hosting presidents, poets, and sun-seekers since the 1800s. Its wide green lawn is more than just a gathering spot—it’s a stage for summer’s last encore. As the day’s heat softens into a salty evening breeze, guests and locals drift toward the Adirondack chairs dotting the grass. With a cocktail in hand—a chilled rosé, a sharp gin and tonic, or a spritz glowing golden in the fading light—you feel the rhythm of the season slow. Conversation stretches, the Atlantic sighs in the distance, and for a moment, summer feels infinite.

When hunger strikes, you don’t even have to leave the building. Just slip downstairs into The Boiler Room, Congress Hall’s underground pizzeria and lounge. Exposed brick walls and the hum of live music wrap around you as artisan pies emerge from the coal-fired oven. The crust blisters just enough to crunch before melting into chewy warmth, and paired with a cold draft beer, it feels like the most honest kind of indulgence—a late-summer supper that asks for nothing but your appetite.

Sweetness After Sunset

Of course, a Cape May night isn’t complete without ice cream. Along Main Street, Fine Fellows Creamery is the kind of old-fashioned shop that makes you pause and smile before you even step inside. The scent of warm waffle cones drifts out the door, and behind the glass are rows of classic flavors—creamy mint chip, toasted butter pecan, dark chocolate that melts into sinfully rich pools before you can catch it. A cone in hand, you stroll past gaslit lamps and Victorian gingerbread houses, watching the last of the pink sky dissolve into twilight.

A Taco Twist

And then, there are the surprises. Just steps from Congress Hall sits Taco Caballito Tequileria, a modern Mexican spot that brings heat and zest to Cape May’s coastal cool. With a view of the beach across the street, plates of inventive tacos arrive piled with charred fish, tender pork, or crispy cauliflower, paired with artisanal tequila cocktails that sparkle like the ocean itself. It’s playful, lively, and the perfect counterbalance to the town’s historic calm.

Morning Rituals

Cape May is equally magical in the morning, and there’s no better ritual than joining the line at Beach Plum Bakery & Café on West Perry Street. The line forms before the doors open, proof of the treasures waiting inside: buttery scones, flaky hand pies, and mini frittatas, all crafted with produce, herbs, and eggs straight from Beach Plum Farm. The smell alone—a mix of espresso and warm pastry—is enough to make you forget how quickly the season is ending. With La Colombe coffee in hand, you step back into the sunlight, feeling as if the day has already offered you a gift.

And when it’s time for brunch? You circle back to Congress Hall for a table at the Blue Pig Tavern, where farm-to-table flavors make their way into crab benedict, golden pancakes, and stacks of still-warm croissants. Brunch here is never rushed—it’s a celebration, a leisurely feast that invites you to linger. And a stroll through the exclusive Goldie Shop flagship gives you the chance to bring the vibes home.

A Graceful Goodbye

Cape May doesn’t let summer slip away; it teaches you how to let go gently. With cocktails on the lawn, pizza and music underground, ice cream on Main Street, tacos by the sea, coffee in a line worth waiting for, and brunch that feels like a holiday, the town gives you space to savor what’s left. A few more beach days, a few more golden hours, a few more toasts to the season that always leaves too soon.

Here, summer’s curtain call is nothing short of magical.