Delaware & New Jersey, Including Atlantic City Boardwalk

We left Washington, D.C. area and traveled to Delaware. We took I-95 to I-695 West and went around Baltimore. There are some pretty strict tunnel rules for carrying propane gas, even if it is turned off. The traffic was pretty light, this being a Sunday. We got to the Harvest Host at 5:00 p.m. It is in an industrial area; as we pulled up in front of the business to check in, a lady worker met us outside and told us where to park. We parked right in front, along several parking stalls. It was great. We were hungry and went right inside to eat. We didn’t even need to unhook HOWE (footnote 1). Well, this place doesn’t serve food; they just brew stuff and have soda pop. We laughed. But, you can bring food in. After we bought Diet Cokes, Kevin asked the guy where a good pizza place is. He handed us a menu and said they deliver. Sure enough, the pizza was delivered right to us inside the doors. So cool! And, delicious. It was a stuffed meat pizza; crust on the top and bottom. We enjoyed eating and watching highlights of baseball on the TV. Rated: Have It Again If In The Area Again. Soon we walked outside and set up our camping chairs and read our books. The owners of the business said we could stay as long as we wanted. They would open up the next day at 2:00 p.m.

Farms, Cows, & Cowboys In New Jersey! Carneys Point, NJ 06/24

We left the Harvest Host at 10:00 a.m. It was another short day, 88 miles to our campground in Ocean View, New Jersey. We were so surprised to see a lot of farms here in New Jersey! Being so close to big cities we thought it would be all metro areas. But no, lots of grain fields, corn, and cattle! We even saw real cowboy supply stores. There are still a lot of trees but pushed back from farms, towns, and houses. Gently rolling hills. We mostly were on two lane roads through farms and communities. The campground says it is 5 miles from the Jersey shore. This place, of course, is all sand with tall trees around. The sites are nice and wide with wooden picnic table and round metal fire pit. We got backed in and then Kevin said he had to move over. Why? Because the power pedestal is at the back of the site and our cord wouldn’t reach. So I helped him move over and back. We were are at a funny angle but it works. Plus, I saw a lot of other 5th wheels like that.

After we got set up, we got in the truck and went to Sea Isle City, 5 miles away, to look around. The area around is marsh on one side and the ocean on the other. It reminds us of Outer Banks, NC. but the houses here look newer. We saw very few people and traffic. (Campground lady said school isn’t out here until next week.) I only saw one sign on a house saying it was a rental; not like Outer Banks where most every one did.

Another time, we drove from Sea Isle City south through the main streets along the coast on one side and water on the other. The water on the other side meanders through marshes. The houses look very cookie-cutterish and are mostly light tan in color. Most all have white railings on balconies and stairs. You can’t see the ocean because of the sand berms. Very little grass around the houses, mostly rock or shells. They all have siding on them. We drove all the way to Cape May.

Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May, NJ 06/24

Cape May Lighthouse. There have been 3 lighthouses here; the current one was built in 1859 and stands 157 1/2 ft. It is still used today. A sign tells how the slave states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are due west. Some enslaved people used this lighthouse light to get across the bay to the free state of New Jersey.

Cold Ocean, Atlantic City Boardwalk, NJ 06/24

We like driving through the towns along the coast. In the town of Longport, I saw a huge sign on a church. It read “Voted best place to worship.”  I never knew that was even a category to vote in. HA We went to Atlantic City Boardwalk. The area around, coming from the south, looks pretty run down. We found public parking easily on the southern part next to the Boardwalk and paid $10.00. The sign said that was good for 8 hours but we knew we wouldn’t be here that long. The day was sunny with temps in low 80s and high humidity. There wasn’t a lot of people around, just tourists and homeless people. 

Atlantic City Boardwalk, NJ 06/24

We saw Johnny Rockets there on the boardwalk. It gave us great remembrance of Royal Carribean’s big ships and how they have Johnny Rockets eating place on their boardwalk. Fun! 

There is a Korean War memorial. Nice displays of people from around this area who received Purple Hearts. James’ Salt Water Taffy place had signs “Cut to fit the mouth.” Sad it was no longer there because I really like taffy and, what was the size for the mouth…mine…Kevins?! Just sayin! 

We saw the pier with the ferris wheel and other rides. I got myself all talked into riding, not knowing what it would do with my ear pain. Sadly, the whole pier is only open on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Atlantic City Boardwalk, NJ 06/24

We didn’t go into any buildings. One looked neat on the outside and I think it is called Ocean. Anyway, it is glass and blended in with the sky so much that I first thought it was clouds. 

Under The Pier, Atlantic City Boardwalk NJ 06/24

We walked to the water and it was very cold. A few people on the beach and only one person in the water. We saw a lifesaving boat next to lifeguard little huts. We only walked about 2.5 miles. I read the boardwalk is 5 miles long and was built when the businesses were tired of all the sand blowing in. The boardwalk is very wide and well taken care of. We were there about 2 hours and then headed out.

We stopped for fuel at a gas station and Kevin got out and pumped it. When he got in, he said he wondered if New Jersey has a law, like Oregon used to, that it is illegal to pump your own fuel because he saw a worker there at the pumps, but the worker didn’t say anything to him. As he went inside and got us drinks, I looked it up and yep, totally illegal to pump your own fuel here! The place can get a fine of $250.00 the first time and after that $500.00. Yikes! 

1. “HOWE” is what we named our Alliance Avenue 36-ft 5th wheel. See: Home On WhEels and we pronounce it Howie. We live and travel in it full-time around the country.