What’s up fam!

We’re continuing our Chasing Harriet series by visiting beautiful Cape May, New Jersey. Cape May is considered this nation’s oldest seaside resort. In 1976, the entire city was designated a National Historic Landmark. This is why there are no chain stores or hotels in the city.

Day One

We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Absecon, NJ in the evening. This location is an hour away from Cape May and 15 minutes away from Atlantic City. It worked for us since there are no chain hotels in Cape May and the many bed and breakfasts were on the pricier side. The hotel was nice and looked like it had been recently renovated. We were upgraded to a 2 queen suite upon our arrival. In addition to two queen beds, the queen suite had a small sitting area with a pull out couch, coffee table and TV, one of two in the room. This worked out perfectly. In the evenings, I was able to watch TV in the sitting area while my roomie worked. I was a little worried that our room was only a few doors down from the elevator but I honestly can’t recall hearing the elevator or people getting off and on it at all. We settled in, grabbed dinner at Denny’s and got ready for the next day. 

Day Two

On our first full day, we got up bright and early to enjoy the hotel’s free breakfast. Another guest highly recommended the fried potatoes. Roomie concurred that they were delicious! After breakfast, we set out on our hour-long drive to Cape May for the Underground Railroad Trolley Tour. This tour is one of many tours offered by Cape May MAC (Museums Arts Culture), a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the preservation of the greater Cape May Region. The tour is $25 for adults, $15 for children. Tickets can be bought by visiting their website or you can buy them onsite at the ticket booth. The tour is seasonal so check the calendar for availability. There is paid parking available in the shopping center across the street from the ticket booth.

The Cape May MAC Trolley

On this tour, we covered some of the highlights of African American history in the area. The tour guide used terms such as conductor, agent, station and station master to describe the roles of Harriet, Abigail Goodwin, William Still and others involved in the Underground Railroad (UGRR). We learned that while Cape May was not a stop on the UGRR, its lighthouse guided many enslaved to its shores as they made their way to Philadelphia and freedom. While some enslaved Africans chose to stay in Cape May, others moved on to Abigail Goodwin, a Quaker abolitionist whose Salem, NJ home was a stop on the UGRR. She regularly wrote to William Still about those who passed through her home.

The trolley made two stops; one at the Mt. Vernon Avenue Beach within view of the lighthouse so that we could visualize the conditions the enslaved encountered when they arrived and the second at Mount Zion Cemetery, a once neglected cemetery that is the final resting place for many of Cape May’s African American residents.

After the tour, we checked out the Washington Street Mall. This is a great place to get souvenirs, a bite to eat and people watch. Don’t forget to take your photo by the ship’s bell of the historic S.S. Cape May.

The ship’s bell at the Washington Street Mall makes a great photo opp.

For lunch, we walked to the Mad Batter Restaurant in the Carroll Villa Hotel, one of the many restored Victorian homes in the area. This place is pretty popular so be prepared for a wait. Since it was just the two of us, we were quickly seated on the veranda. On a hot day, you may want to request to be seated inside. The verandah was fine that day since it was still early and they had a ceiling fan to cool the area off some. The food was good, the server was warm and attentive. And it was cool to see the inside one of the grand Victorian houses. Overall, it was a good experience. 

Breakfast at Mad Batter.
The place mat at Mad Batter is a map of the area.

One of the things I love about Cape May is that it’s very walkable. Everything is 15-20 minutes away from everything else. The Mad Batter is only a 15-minute walk away from the beach. (A great selling point for staying at the Caroll Villa Hotel if you can swing the price!) The beach is beautiful! You absolutely have to stop by while you’re there. It’s clean, well maintained and not overly crowded. There were facilities every few blocks as well so plenty of places to get cleaned off or use the restroom. Pro tip: when you go to the beach, visit the convention center. It’s air conditioned and has clean restrooms inside. After you use the restroom, make a right and go out the side door to check out the deck that overlooks the beach. It has rocking chairs on it that are perfectly positioned to catch the breeze. It’s also a great spot for photos. 

View of the beach from the Convention Center deck.

We walked from one end of the promenade to the other end, just window shopping and taking in the breeze. We stopped at Madison’s Bakery and Fine Fellows Creamery for a snack. Everything we ate was delicious! 

Our last stop of the day was the Harriet Tubman Museum. The museum is located in the Howell House, the restored parsonage of the Macedonia Baptist Church. You can buy tickets to tour the museum on their website. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. I highly recommend taking the guided tour. The guide, who also sits on the museum’s board, was very informative and passionate about the history here. I really appreciated her enthusiasm.

I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s a museum honoring Harriet Tubman in Cape May, New Jersey. As we learned during our tour, Harriet spent several summers in Cape May, working at hotels to earn money to fund her rescue missions. She was in good company as many Philadelphia abolitionists also spent their summers at Cape May. 

The museum not only honors Harriet Tubman but also the African American community in Cape May. The story of this community is the same sad tale of gentrification in our communities across this country. During the tour, we learned that at one time, African Americans made up 30% of Cape May. But in the 1960s, the city’s urban renewal campaign decimated the homes, churches and businesses that made up the once thriving community. We learned about Charles Wise, who hired a lawyer to fight for his home and Amelia Hampton, who sent an emergency telegram to then President Lyndon Johnson to spare the Stephen Smith house that she resided in.

If you want to learn more about this historic community, buy a copy of Black Voices of Cape May: A Feeling of Community on sale at the front desk. Pro Tip: I recommend doing both the Underground Railroad Trolley Tour and the Harriet Tubman Museum tour. Both cover history in the area. The museum tour provides more in depth information about the events touched on during the trolley tour. 

Day Three

 We spent all of day three in Atlantic City. Our first stop was the African American History Museum of Southern New Jersey. Finding the museum is a little difficult. It’s actually in gallery space inside of the Noyes Arts Garage. Once in the garage, you will see a wall with murals on it and glass double doors with an entrance sign above them. Enter here and go straight. Where the hallway opens up, make a left. The museum is at the end of the hallway. See the picture below.

The entrance to the Noyes Arts Garage.
The entrance to the African American History Museum of Southern New Jersey.

The museum is packed with artwork, branding memorabilia and artifacts from times gone by. The exhibit I found most interesting discussed the contributions of African American New Jerseyans. The exhibit included photos of Margaret Creswell Hiawatha, the first African American policewoman in the U.S and Dr. Albert Forsythe, a New Jersey dentist, who along with Alfred Anderson became the first African Americans to fly across an international border. Personally, I would have liked to see more exhibits like this but I understand that may not be possible due to space constraints. Don’t be put off by the museum’s small size. It is definitely worth a visit. Consider buying something or making a donation to support the work. Also make sure to check out the other art galleries in the space as well. 

From the museum, we walked 10 minutes to the Atlantic City Beach. We walked the boardwalk, then stopped into the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to escape the heat. The portion of the boardwalk on the opposite end was pretty lifeless. It was fine during the day but I wouldn’t recommend walking on that end at night.  

Our last stop of the day was Kelsey’s of Atlantic City. Pro Tip 1: Make a reservation as soon as you know you will be in Atlantic City. We tried to make a reservation the day before but there were no slots available. We went anyway. We arrived about 30 minutes before they opened and there was already a line forming outside. Pro Tip 2: Get in the line and be patient with the process. The vibe, the staff and the amazing food made standing outside in the heat for 45 minutes all worth it. You won’t be disappointed!

Look at that stuffed shrimp!
The crab mac and cheese is a must try!

We enjoyed our time in Cape May. I loved learning about Harriet’s connection to this picturesque little town and about the African American community’s contributions to all the things that make Cape May great. I hope this encourages you to visit and learn more about Harriet’s time here.

If you want to check out the first post in this series, click here.

Happy travels!