4 Things To Do At The Jersey Shore On Bad Beach Days
As the annual migration from Philadelphia to all New Jersey shore points south of Atlantic City has begun for the 2023 summer. As the saying goes, “A bad day at the beach is still better than a good day at work”, but some days at the beach aren’t conducive for actually being on the beach. Maybe it’s raining, cold, or even just a bit too grey and windy. There are still things to do when you’re down there. If you’ve got kids and need to hang on to the last bit of sanity some of these might be good for you. If you are childless and looking to get out of the house there is plenty to do, most of these involve drinking.
1. A visit to the Cape May County Zoo
Like the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pa., the Cape May Zoo is the perfect size if you are with children. It’s an easy walk for the kiddos and they can see lions, cheetahs, bears, alligators, giraffes, zebras, etc. There is face painting and you can feed some goats and a cow. Parking and admission are free, but you can (and should) make a donation upon arriving at the gates. Worth the trip to get the kids out of the house on a rainy day.
2. Some shopping in Cape May
No better thing to do on a rainy day than head a few shore towns over and spend some money. Hit up some great little shops on Washington Street, grab a bite to eat, go check out the Cape May Lighthouse and take a peek at the SS Atlantus concrete ship wreckage before she is fully submerged in the coming years.
3. Naval Airstation Wildwood Aviation Museum
We did this for the first time last summer and I was pretty skeptical about how this was going to be. Turns out it was really cool to learn the history at the airfield, to see the different types of planes, and the progress/experimentation from war to war. It’s a really impressive place and definitely a hidden gem for a rainy day. We had a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old with us who loved it. Visitors are able to sit in the cockpit of some of the aircraft they have in the museum.
4. Cape May Brewery
Leave the kids, bring the kids, and get some really good beers inside the tap house, or outside in their Brewtanical Gardens. In the gardens, there are picnic tables, umbrellas, and yard games. Most importantly stop in for the beers on a rainy day, because the shore is made for day drinking, and it is still day drinking in the rain.