Cape May Point, NJ

A Front Row Seat to an Unbelievable Migration!

It's not birds doing the migrating, or even snowbirds (New Jerseyans who head south for the winter), it's an insect...It's the Monarch Butterfly, and they're on the move!

They're gathering by the thousands and building up roost sites now at Cape May Point. The Monarchs are just waiting for favorable winds to carry them across the Delaware River for their long migration south, and winter in the warmer climes of Mexico.

Scientists too have gathered at the Cape May Point State Park to tag Monarchs to study their migration. Biologists know where they go, but they're still studying the migration route.

It seems they gather in New Jersey, wait for just the right wind to cross the Delaware River, then the Monarchs travel down the coast and cross over through Florida and Georgia and then on to Mexico.

If you'd like to check out this spectacular event, and watch a free tagging demonstration be at the Cape May Point State Park at 2pm Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

If you'd like to see pictures of the Monarch Butterfly roosting and the butterfly tagging, check out these photos from the Press of Atlantic City.

Cape May Point, NJ - Sunset Beach

I recently drove down to Cape May Point, NJ – Sunset Beach. It is located on the southern tip of NJ with the Delaware to the right and the Atlantic Ocean to the Left. The beach is dotted with “Cape May Diamonds” or quartz crystal. These crystals break off of quartz veins along the northern areas of the Delaware River. After thousands of years and 200 mile they settle on the beach of Cape May Point, NJ – Sunset Beach. When polished, these stones are beautiful and can be used to make jewelry.

Just off the Shore, you’ll see what is left of the World War I experimental concrete ship “Atlantus”. She was launch in 1919 and served a year as a coal transport. At the time there were 12 concrete ships built but at the end of the war, steel was readily available again to use in ship construction. She was de-commissioned and made her way to Cape May. The original plan was to use her as part of a ferry operation but during a severe storm in 1926 she broke free of her moorings and ran aground. Several attempts to free her were unsuccessful. Each year she sinks a little more into the bay.

Sunset Beach got its mane from the amazing, brilliant sets. Each evening hundreds of people arrive at the beach to sit and watch the sunset and turn the sky into an incredible show of colors.

As lovely as the sunset is, the thing that I found more powerful was The Evening Flag Ceremony. Each day a flag donated from a family of a deceased veteran is flown at The Point. Each evening twenty minutes or so before sunset the 90 year old owner talks over the loud speaker. He tells the story of the veteran who’s flag is being flown. He asks for any veterans in the crowd to gather at the flag pole. He then asks for a moment of silence. As that moment ends Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America” is played followed by the National Anthem. The flag is lowered and folded by the Vets in the crowd. This service is real very special and moving. They have been doing this for over 40 years.

Go to http://www.sunsetbeachnj.com/to-do.html for more info in Cape May Point, NJ – Sunset Beach

This blog entry isn't about real estate specifically, but about the fact that the longer you live, the more frequently you recognize how life keeps circling back. Then again, maybe this *IS* about real estate because life centers on where we live (or have lived), yes?

A headline in the Philly Inquirer today caught my attention: "Destroyer Radford to become reef of Cape May Point" --Wow--I grew up in Cape May and I served for a short stint on Radford when it was the newest ship in the US Navy - commissioned in 1977.

The Radford had a very successful 26 years of service and is about to become "the home of marine life, including bluefin tuna and mako sharks, a playground for humans and marine life. ...It is expected to become a premier attraction for divers and a magnet for recreational fishermen."

Some of those fishermen will be old friends of mine. Some may be family members who still live in Cape May. Maybe my stepfather Carl Woehlcke, who used to be in charge of maintaining all the parking meters in Cape May, and in fishing all those quarters from those machines when he couldn't get a lure into the water. Wow. How kewl for me.

Maybe it will help my sister (RealtorLindaLambert) sell another home in North Cape May or Cape May Point. Maybe others will be inclined to buy a home in Cool Cape May Island (cool because there is almost always a moderate ocean breeze blowing...it is surrounded by water).

Cape May Point was founded in the 1800's and is located below South Cape May. You would never know that South Cape May existed since it is now underwater. That is another story. Presently, I think you would consider it south of The Cove.

If you are interested in coming to Cape May Point, there is a fabulous museum and Lighthouse that gives the rich and detailed history of the Point. You are able to walk up the Lighthouse to the top. It is breathtaking once you get there.

This is the view from the beach of the Lighthouse.

A photo of the museum....

The musuem has examples of the types of things you would find on the beach. There are razor clams, mermaid purses, and seahorses, to name a few. They also go into detail about the migration of the Monarch butterfly.

If you are on the beach, you may be able to see just what comes out of our oceans if people are fishing.

This is a sand shark.

If you are coming to Cape May Point, I would recommend stopping by and taking one of their tours to learn about what makes our ecosystem so special.