Cape May, NJ with Dogs - Travel Edition

Cape May, New Jersey is a charming Victorian seaside retreat that can be found at the southern most point in the Garden State.  It's quite different than the Jersey Shore towns made famous by the awful MTV show of the same name. There are no cookie cutter blocks of shore houses, night clubs or tired amusement parks. Instead Cape May is a historically rich town with trolley tours, jazz festivals, enchanting and unique bars, clean beaches and awesome foodie spots. It's the beach gem of New Jersey and it's also dog friendly. You will know you have graced its threshold when the Garden State Parkway dwindles down the miles and deposits you at Exit Zero.

Sunset off my parents back deck

After driving across the country last summer with Sage and planning an exciting upcoming summer full of road trips I am quickly realizing that it's a challenge traveling with dog(s). Even with websites like Bring Fido there is limited information on activities outside of hotels. The things I especially want to know when looking at a destination is where can I find off leash places to run my batsy pointer pup in addition to spaces that we can hang out together as a family. So moving forward when Wyatt and I take trips with the pup(s) I'm going to pass along our detailed experiences so others can hopefully benefit if they plan on traveling with their pooches to these spots. I've decided to use Cape May, NJ as my first Travel Edition of blog posts for two reasons. Number one: I have been blessed that my parents have a beautiful shore house in Cape May just a couple of blocks from Broadway beach. It's been a family sanctuary not only for us humans but for my families pets as well. Number two: Wyatt was born and raised in West Cape May about 7 blocks from where I have vacationed my entire life. Theres nothing like moving 2,200 miles to meet a guy from your pseudo home town. Did you just hear that? Someone started playing its a small world after all.

Where's da beach?

It's this way!

Cape may has a diverse selection of beaches and shoreline. Some of these areas are off limits to dogs leashed or not, at all times due to nesting areas of some endangered bird species (Cape May Point State Park and Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge). Some beaches have specific seasons in which dogs are only permitted at select times. But there are a few areas that you can officially and unofficially enjoy your dogs on/off leash at all times of the year.

Cape May City Beaches run from the Cove to the Poverty Beach

Cape May City beaches (as pictured above) only allow dogs on the beach and promenade from November 1st to March 31st. I will say that you will see people in the evenings or early morning running with or walking their dogs on the promenade outside of that specified time. I'm by no means telling anyone that they should do that, rather I'm just letting you know that I've yet to see someone get ticketed or thrown off the promenade for walking their dogs…..me included. With that said don't even try to sneak them on the city beaches in season. You'll get bounced pretty fast.

There are two spots that you can officially and unofficially run your dogs. The first place is Higbee Beach which is a 1.5 mile strip on the Delaware Bay. This section of beach has very small waves and on calm mornings looks more like a lake than a bay that leads to the ocean. Beach tags are not required and their are no life guards. In fact once you past the jettys there are basically no people at all.  The three photos of Cleo and Luna posted so far were all taken on Higbee beach at the height of the season and you'll see there is no one there. Officially Higbee is open to dogs from September 1st to April 30th. Unofficially people run their dogs there all year round. In fact early in the morning when strolling down the beach the only other people you will see other than the occasional surf fisherman is another person walking or running their dog. When I used to own Cleo and Luna they found Higbee to be a beachy sanctuary. Sagey only got to visit once when she was 10 weeks old or so.

Higbee Beach

How to get there

Red dot marks the spot! Take New England Rd until it dead ends in a small sandy parking lot. You have two options at this point. Pull straight into that parking lot and take a path through some woods, over some dunes and onto the beach about halfway down. Or before entering the parking lot make a right and follow the sandy road until it deposits you in another parking area across from the Cape May Ferry. Walk out towards the water and follow the path to the left that leads out to the jetty. When I was an official east coaster and would go here on a regular basis I would typically leave the pointer pack on leash and walk them at heel until we were past the temptations of the surf fisherman near the jetty and then I would cut them loose. Please remember to bring plenty of water for your dogs, a ball to play fetch with and bags for their poop. Letting your dog poop on the beach just means your a jerk. Don't be a jerk. And keep in mind in high season you will see a ton of birders in this area. Please be respectful of them and do not allow your dogs to run in the dunes....only on the beach or you will end up being the person that makes this unofficial spot off limits for everyone else.

Lower Township Beaches

The next place you can run your dogs on the beach "officially" all year round are the lower township beaches highlighted above in brown. Your dogs have to be leashed on this beach at all times. There is also a rumor that there is a woman who pretty much watches and waits for you to take your dog off its leash and calls the cops on you. I guess some people have nothing else better to do with their time. But if your OK with your dog being on leash then its definitely worth checking out. To get to the Lower Township Beaches follow directions to the Cape May - Lewes Ferry terminal and before turning into the complex make a right. Drive north and parking for the beaches will be on your left.  

Cape May Dog Park

How to get there

There is also a Cape May Dog Park but in my humble opinion it's not worth the time and effort to visit. It's very small, there is no shade, parking can be hassle in peak season and the City of Cape May makes you jump through some serious hoops to be eligible to use it. Dog owners must apply for a dog park tag that costs $20 seasonally or $10 weekly and you must have the tag visible at all times while using the park. To apply for a tag you must fill out an application at the Cape May City Clerks Office on Washington Street. You will have to present current vaccination documents, your dog license, and sign a acceptance of risk and liability form to be considered. This is probably why no one is ever at the dog park. For the record I'm not thumbing my nose at the city requirements. They make perfect sense from a responsibility standpoint but if your commandoing in for a quick weekend getaway it just seems like an awful lot to ask of people who only want to drop in to the park for 30 minutes. The dog park is located at 705 Lafayette Street if you want to check it out.

Throwing beers back at the Nail

My Cape May days used to begin with a hearty run down Higbee beach complete with sand romping, ball retrieving and a good amount of swimming because this of course makes for tired GSP's. We all know tired GSP's are happy GSP's. But other than beach excursions there is plenty to get out and do around town with your pups. Here is a quick list of places your welcome to bring your dogs and also where you probably shouldn't go.

Places you can and should go:

The Beach Shack at the Rusty Nail: The photo above was taken here. I used to love to cruise in with Cleo and Luna and order some brewskies and kick back around a fire pit with my toes in the sand and listen to some sweet live music. You can head up to the bar to order your own drinks or munchies or wait for a waitress to swing by and grab your order. They even cater to your pooch by making dog food and dog beer available for purchase. My only warning is that in high season as you can see above it can be hectic and can be loud. People love to pet your dogs especially kids so if your dog is aggressive, gets social anxiety or isn't confident in situations like these then this is not the place for them. Luna always had a blast here never holding back from treating herself to a little sand digging. It was always my favorite place to take them in Cape May and its located at 205 Beach Ave. In addition, Wyatt also loves the Rusty Nail and we have appropriately dubbed our favorite watering hole in Bozeman the Nail West in honor of its magnificence.

There are several other restaurants that have either sidewalk or patio seating available where your dog is welcome to join you. There are several places in town but these are the ones I would recommend:

The Mad Batter - located at 19 Jackson Street (Get the fresh squeezed lemonade it's off the chain)
The Blue Pig Tavern - located in the corner of Congress Hall on the corner of Congress Place and Perry streets. Good breakfast spot. Get the mimosas. Mimosas make any morning better.
Zoe's Beachfront Eatery - located at the corner of Beach and Stockton Place across from Convention Hall on the Promenade. Another good breakfast spot.
Lobster House (raw bar) - located behind the Lobster House restaurant which is at 906 Schellengers Landing Rd. Wyatt and I agree that its a gem of a spot on the Cape. So bring your pooch (on leash) and sit out on the dock by the schooner and watch the fishing boats come in and out while enjoying some refreshing adult beverages. My favorites here are the New England Clam Chowder, crab claws with spicy mustard and clams casino.

Sage Pups only trip to Cape May in January of 2014

Cape May is pretty welcoming when it come to places to rest you and your pets head. Here are some recommendations for overnight accommodations:

Billmae Cottages and Billmae Cottage Too - Owners Bob and Linda Steenrod have several offerings for pet friendly cottages. There website even says, "Periodically we have Yappy Hour on the wrap-around porch, where dogs and owners get to meet and have treats". There locations are on Washington Street and also on Lafayette Street.
The Highland House - Located at 131 North Broadway is actually in West Cape May not far from my parents house. They have a fenced in play area for four legged guests.
Palace Hotel - Located at 1101 Beach Ave this hotel sits right across from the beach. My brother and Sister in-law stayed here several times with their Bassett Mr. Fisher while my parents were rebuilding their house this past year. There is a $25 fee per night per pet.
Marquis de Lafayette Hotel - Located at 501 Beach Ave this hotel sits right across the street from the beach and is a couple block walk from the outdoor mall. Pets are welcome on the first floor only in special pet suites.
The Beach Shack Hotel - This is the hotel portion of the Beach Shack that I described above when discussing the Rusty Nail. They are located at 205 Beach Ave right across from the beach. They have a limited number of pet friendly rooms.

And be sure to check out VRBO for pet friendly vacation homes and condos for rent.

Horseshoe Crabs

I decided to write this post and put it out now because it's one week before Memorial Day weekend. In my family we always celebrate this weekend in Cape May together. It's our tradition and it's something I have looked forward to for the last 20 years. This Memorial Day will be the first year that I will be in MT forging new traditions. Next weekend we take off for a camping, hiking and fly fishing extravaganza with Sage. Check back for a blog update on those adventures.

So that should for the most part cover it! Activities, beaches, bars and accommodations. All you need for a bang up weekend with your best dog friend in Cape May. Enjoy and let me know how you make out!

Be sure to follow our shenanigans on Facebook at Adventures of a German Shorthaired Pointer.

 

Say Good Bye to Summer Recap

Even hell puppy needs her beauty sleep

I've been a real bum the last few weeks with my blogging. This is the biggest layoff I've had since I started it more than a year and half ago. My work recently moved and Jim's father passed away making keeping up with this nearly impossible. So I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed with a recap of the last couple of weeks.

We  ended the summer like we always do at my parents shore house in Cape May, NJ. Click here to read about past shore shenanigans. We ate too much, drank too much, partied too much with the rowdy neighbors and slept too much. It was a phenomenal time. We also celebrated as Cleo turned 3 on September 1st. She spent the day running the beach, napping and chewing on fresh marrow bones with her pesky little sister in tow. What a life they have. When I die I want to come back as one of my GSP's.

Nothing like a 50 pound lap puppy to make chilling at the shore a little better.

Cleo and Luna partied like rock stars all night for Cleo's 3rd.  She originally demanded flasher beads but we think she's a little young for that so she settled for Hawaiian lei's. She drives a hard bargain that dog. She waved her paw at me and barked something about what happens in Cape May stays in Cape May!? I tried to no avail to explain to her that was Vegas. Sheesh...kids these days. Anyway below are some post party early morning hangover pics. Luna showed her youth by drinking the hangover off. Cleo not so much.

Someone check that puppy's I.D. Don't believe her if she says its in the car and she'll get it later.

**Disclaimer: The dogs didn't have any booze. Those are our and the rowdy neighbors empties. Don't get riled people. I'm not a jerk.**

But of course no hangover could stop hell puppy from working her magic. She was so well behaved all weekend until I returned early from the neighbors house to find that she had infiltrated the cat litter box and feasted on three days worth of kitty turds. I'm pretty sure her farts smelled like litter for two days. Jim says that only happened in my head. Glad were not voting on it Jim cause they did.

Luna's face full of litter. I wouldn't let her kiss me for a week. Barf.

To top things off we had a 5 1/2 hour ride home in shore traffic which was just enough to stir Luna(tic) into a tornado of destruction. And upon arrival home she managed to eat my favorite hat and destroy her dog bed in about 5 minutes. During the destruction Jim sat about 5 feet away immersed into fantasy football (which he is totally going to loose at by the way because I have the best team in our league, just saying).

Bye bye cute Mossy Oak hat. We had a great two years together. I will lament your loss. Rest in Peace.

Ugh!! WTF Luna!!! Really?

Even with all that has been going on we've been managing to squeeze time in working with the girls getting them ready for their upcoming NAVHDA Utility (UT) and Natural Ability (NA) tests. Cleo is looking great in the field and her duck searches have really come around. She's come a long way since we started training in the spring. Fingers crossed we do well with the UT otherwise I have a feeling it will be a long and quiet ride home with Jimbo. Luna on the other hand were not really worried about. She's 6 months old and impresses us every time we take her out. And she is so young we will be happy with whatever she does. 

Cleo returning from a duck drag

Luna's first track on a live pheasant. 

Brought it right back to Daddy!

So summer is officially over. For most people that probably bums them out. Not me. Aside from not having daily tomato sandwiches from the garden I can't wait for chilly weather, hunting, photographing dogs at field trials and hunt tests, drunken pumpkin carving, venison chili and copious amounts of fantasy football trash talk. This is my favorite time of the year. I'm looking forward to taking Luna hunting for her first time and watching as the leaves change and fall.  Hope you stick around for the ride and find us and like us on facebook. Adventures of a German Shorthaired Pointer. 

Luna's first trip to Cape May!

Running the beach!

I'm super lucky that my parents own a shore house in Cape May, NJ which is in my humble opinion one of the nicest beaches in the Garden State. A few times a year I manage to escape and get down to enjoy the beach and charm of the small Victorian town. This weekend I crashed my parents planned weekend getaway with Cleo and 6 month old Luna in tow. Cleo is a veteran of the Cape (you can read about prior shore shenanigans here) but this was Lu's first time on the beach.

Yay!! Stinky dead crabs! Should we death roll on them or eat them? What will make mom more crazy? 

 
Cleo and Luna got plenty of beach action this weekend. Cape May has one beach that is dog friendly during season called Higbee Beach. Each morning the girls would get me up at 7am and off we'd go to run the beach. The first day Luna didn't know what to make of the waves. She lumbered in after Cleo and had a wave break right into her face. That's was enough for her and she was done with all that nonsense. She spent the rest of the morning like one of those little birds that runs from the surf as it ebbs in and out. It wasn't until Sunday morning when the surf was placid that she ventured up to 20 or 30 feet out.

Waiting to steal Cleo's bumper as soon as she gets to shore. I mean why do all the work when you can just cherry pick?

Jockeying for the bumper

Luna loved the whole experience. The new smells, the sand dunes, playing with a 120lb Rhodesian Ridgeback, digging random holes and trying to constantly steal Cleo's bumper. It's not actually Cleo's bumper per say but Cleo thinks everything is hers. Luna was on way more than one occasion being a total little sister jerk about stealing the bumper and biting her ears and then finally Cleo had it and tumble weeded her from one edge of the beach to the other. Through a pile of driftwood into oncoming waves. Documentation of this event can be found below.

Cleo: "Go ahead....bite my flippin ears one more time and see what happens!!" 

Cleo: "Were done when I say were done!" 

**Please note Luna's tongue and the fact that Cleo wrapped her in that 

lead....hilarious and well played**

Jim couldn't make it to the shore this weekend so considering I was on my own with the Pointer Sister's they did pretty well for me. We only had one awkward outburst on my part when Cleo blatantly blew me off after being warned and rolled on some disgusting smelly dead horseshoe crab. I remember me screaming something like,"(Insert favorite expletive here), I'll shock the (insert next favorite expletive here) out of you!! What the hell Cleo!!! Ugh! Your a jerk!" Which by the way is a total bluff threat cause I'm not going to shock her, just like when I threaten to sell Luna to the Gypsy's for eating my underwear. I'll never actually sell her to the Gypsy's but they don't need to know that. I just want them to think I'm half crazy when it comes to rolling on dead things.  Unfortunately, for me the only people who think I'm half crazy are the other humans on the beach who actually now what the words I yelled mean. This is just another reminder to use the inside my head voice more often. And whatever....my dogs love me even if they do smell like dead stuff.

The best part about long dog excursions on the beach is the after effects which is copious amounts of doggie sleep and bone chewing time. Which I actually think they enjoy as much as the actual excursion itself. Cleo is a pro at sleepy time and Luna is a pro at bone chewing. And I am a pro at drinking wine while they are in a sedated state. Epic win for all!

Cleo rocking the full cocoon

Luna hoarding bones again

Cleo: "What? Did you want to lay on the couch too?"

Oh Snuggly tired shore pup!

So not only was this Luna's first time to the beach but it was her first time sleeping away from home. For whatever reason, maybe it was Jim's absence but both the pups slept extra snuggly with me at night. Luna kept her head planted in the middle of my chest while Cleo's head rested on my hip. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of our snuggles. I love my girls so much. So we're back at the Cape in two weeks for an extended Labor Day weekend. With some help by Jim I'll be able to bring my Nikon and get some good pics to share. In the meantime, check us out and like us on facebook if you haven't already: Adventures of a German Shorthaired Pointer.

End of Summer Blues

Sunset off my parents deck in Cape May, NJ

Ahhh Labor Day weekend...its sadly the last weekend of summer, for those with kids its the signal of another long school year. For me and my family its the last long weekend every year we get to act like immature drunkin fools together down the Jersey Shore. We partake in this ridiculousness each year at my parents shore house in Cape May, NJ. We never miss it, always look forward to it and need it to cap off the beach season.

It's not just us humans who love the beach. Cleo looks forward to the different smells and salt water bliss. She spends each morning running down Higbee beach chasing balls and playing with other dogs. She spends most afternoons crashed out in a dog coma while we lounge on the beach drinking cocktails. At night she gets to run down Broadway beach stirring up a dust cloud. She loves Cape May every bit as much as us.

Beach Time Cleo

Cleo passed out on the screen porch with a ball still her mouth

My brother's Bassest Mr. Fisher taking a nap

Cleo also gets to go on jeep rides and enjoys drunkin wrestling time with her Uncle Matt (My Brother). 

She also gets to watch the ducks off our kayak dock.

And enjoy sunsets

The end of summer is sad. Luckily we get to come down here for weeks after most folks do. But for us the end of summer marks the beginning of a new hunting season. So soon enough we will be focused on pheasants, grouse and hopefully some woodcock. With the end of one season another begins. I know I feel thankful for the past summer and the time spent with family. 

Cape May Shenanigans

Last weekend Cleo was in Western Maryland at Deep Creek Lake. This weekend she got to spend a few days beaching it at Cape May, NJ. What this really equates to is that she is spoiled....plain and simple.

Cape May is a quiet beach town located at the most southern tip of New Jersey. It really stands out amongst other Jersey shore destinations because it has such a Victorian flair. The Cape lacks the drama, clubs, and boardwalk scene made famous by the train wreck of a show Jersey Shore. What it does have is clean beaches, fun bars, architectural character and woodcock hunting. Cape May, NJ came in second on Trip Advisor's "Best Beaches" in the United States list as well as a highly respectable ninth in their Best Beaches in the world. Click here to see an article on that.

I'm very lucky in the fact that my parents own a shore house in West Cape May and we get to go down on a regular basis. During season you can't take dogs on the regular beaches. However, Cape May does allow you to take your four legged friends to Higbee Beach.

Plenty of birds to chase

Jelly Fish

Higbee Beach is a cool place. It's approximately 1 1/2 miles long and it's located in a 1,100 acre Wildlife Management area where County Hwy 641 dead ends. It's home to some of the best bird watching in the Northeast and there is an abundance of wildlife here. 

Since horseshoe crabs are hard to roll on they make for good barking

Jim and I have heard from more than one person that Higbee Beach is a great spot to hunt woodcock. However, getting information on where and when to go has been tough. We did find out that you can hunt there but only in certain areas and the season is apparently only a few days. I'm gonna have to do a little more research but we would love to get her down there for at least a day or two of hunting this coming fall. 

But as far as the summer goes in Cape May, if you have a dog it's the place to be. 

Higbee Beach is located across from the Cape May Lewes Ferry Dock

Cleo also had a blast chilling at my parents house. Below is a pic of her locking up on point at a rabbit while she is on the back deck of my parents house.

Hunting Rabbits!

The Chase!!

  

Also these have nothing to do with Cleo but here are pics from the back deck of my parents house as a storm rolls in. It never rained where we were but it looked beautiful.

The lighthouse is in the lower left