WEEKEND & Beyond: Cape May Offers Entertaining Ways to Beat the Heat

CAPE MAY – The sun, heat and humidity are kicking it up a notch this summer. Take refuge from the scorching sun, put away your SPF 50 and forget frying that egg on the sidewalk, because Cape May’s Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is offering plenty of cool summer activities to beat the heat.
Step back in time and into air conditioning with a visit to the Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May’s only Victorian house museum at 1048 Washington St. Built in 1879, the 18-room Physick Estate provides an in-depth glimpse of the period, reflecting the Victorian lifestyle through the way the Physick family and their servants lived, worked, and played. Enjoy daily entertaining and educational guided tours of the Emlen Physick Estate with its new tour theme for 2011 “Victorian Health and Fitness.” Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12).
The air conditioned Carriage House Tearoom & Café located on the grounds of the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., is serving up a cool dining experience. Iced tea is a great way to cool off, and it’s only one of the things to love about lunch or afternoon tea at the Carriage House Tearoom & Café. Dine indoors in the Carriage House’s original, air conditioned horse stalls and enjoy a traditional Tea Luncheon, Elegant Afternoon Tea, or heartier fare from the cafe menu. The Carriage House Tearoom & Café is open daily from 11:30 a.m.
Immerse yourself in style and stay cool on a tour of Cape May’s air conditioned seventh annual Designer Show House, Osprey Landing at Cape May Marine. This $2.2 million four-story luxury townhome with deep-water dockage overlooks the harbor and wetlands and showcases the talents and products of some of the area’s best-known designers and vendors. The Designer Show House at Osprey Landing coincides with Cape May Harbor’s centennial and this celebration, as well as the home’s unique character, is reflected and interpreted by well-known area designers. Cape May’s Designer Show House is open for tours through Oct. 30. Self-guided tours are offered daily from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and guided evening tours are offered at 7 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. Each visitor will receive a full-color program book with information about the designers, products and vendors. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3-12). Osprey Landing is conveniently located at 109 Rosemans Lane at the end of the Garden State Parkway off of Lafayette Street when you enter Cape May. There is free off-street parking available and an elevator with access to all four floors. Tours of the Designer Show House can also be combined with daily luncheon, dinner (Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays) and Happy Hour packages (Mondays through Fridays).
Tour the air conditioned Cherry House, a beautiful private home, built in 1849 in the Federal style, situated on one of Cape May’s oldest residential streets, Hughes Street. Owners Frank and Beth Acker welcome visitors to their historic home filled with cherished family mementos, antiques, and country décor. Hand-painted murals in several rooms reflect the home’s seashore heritage. Offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person ($8 for children ages 3-12) and are available at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.
Curtains? No. Drama and air-conditioning? Yes! Join the Actors Offstage, Cape May’s newest theatrical troupe, as they take over the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate and transform it into an intimate theater when Murder at the Physick Estate presents “Bearcat Bootleggers” and “Hunting for Hope,” new productions for summer 2011 written and directed by Ray Crew. “Bearcat Bootleggers” is set in 1925 in the most notorious speakeasy in Cape May. The consequences of a visit to this illicit establishment could be a lot worse than a hangover. Performances take place at 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sept. 7 (not offered on Saturday, Aug. 13). “Hunting for Hope” is a mystery comedy that breaks down the boundaries between fantasy, reality, the past and the present. Performances take place at 6:45 p.m. on Saturdays and at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Mondays through Sept. 3. Both performances feature a meet and greet with your evening’s performers over coffee and dessert in the Carriage House Tearoom & Café. Admission is $25 for adults and $20 for children (ages 3-12).
Travel back to 1863 with the Actors Offstage during Cape May in Blue & Gray, a new tour offering for 2011, written and directed by Ray Crew. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, MAC is transporting audiences to a time when the allegiances of Cape May’s residents were divided between Union and Confederate causes, to witness first-hand the war’s effect on a local family. The drama begins on the trolley and finishes at the air conditioned historic 1876 Chalfonte Hotel where you may complete your experience with a visit to the Chalfonte Collection, a unique assembly of Civil War artifacts with a Chalfonte connection and traditional Southern fried chicken dinner (optional). Offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sept. 1 at 5:15 p.m. Adults: $35 for performance and dinner, $15 for performance only. Children (ages 3-12): $27 for performance and dinner, $12 for performance only.
Enjoy the best breeze in town at the top of the Cape May Lighthouse. You may warm up as you climb the 199 steps to the top of the Cape May Lighthouse, but it’s worth it for the cool breezes and one-of-a-kind view of Cape May. For those who choose not to climb, the Oil House contains a fully-accessible Visitors’ Orientation Center and a Museum Shop stocked with maritime accessories and lighthouse memorabilia. The Cape May Lighthouse is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sept. 4. On Saturday, Aug. 13 it is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the Lighthouse Full Moon Climb. The Lighthouse is located in Cape May Point State Park, Lower Township. Admission to the Visitors’ Orientation Center and the ground floor of the Lighthouse is free. Admission to climb is $7 for adults and $3 for children (ages 3-12).
Another great view and cooling breezes (with fewer steps) can be found at the World War II Lookout Tower (Fire Control Tower No. 23). Fire Control Tower No. 23 on Sunset Boulevard is New Jersey’s last freestanding World War II tower, part of the immense Harbor Defense of the Delaware system known as Fort Miles. After the award-winning restoration, visitors can climb to the 6th floor spotting gallery while reliving the homeland defense efforts during World War II. The ground floor of the tower is fully accessible. The Tower is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sept. 4. Admission to climb is $5 for adults and $3 for children (ages 3-12).
Visit the Cape May Point State Park’s air-conditioned Education Center for two free programs, The Keeper’s On Duty and Lighthouse Storytime. Learn about the Lighthouse from the keeper and listen to lighthouse and nautical tales, perfect for younger children. The Keeper’s on Duty is offered on Sundays through Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. Lighthouse Storytime is offered on Sundays through Sept. 4 at 12 p.m.
See Cape May’s gas-lit streets and experience the town’s cool evening breezes aboard one of MAC’s many evening trolley tours. Get chills up your spine with a ghost trolley tour, listen to a tale of Victorian terror, or take ride by the light of the moon. For a full schedule of evening trolley tours visit MAC’s website at www.capemaymac.org or pick up a “This Week in Cape May” when you are in town.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.