We all have favorite places to visit again and again. We come to these spots to relax, to find solitude (or the warm embrace of friends), and to recharge. But no matter how many times we might return to a cherished destination, there is always something new to see, someone new to meet, or a new experience to be had. Such was the case when my wife and I recently returned to Cape May, my favorite beach town, and spent an evening sitting beneath the stars. We stared up at the night sky, gazed at the constellations, and learned about the heavens above us.
For as many times as I have been to Cape May, I’m amazed that there is always something new to discover. The Cape May Point Science Center recently opened in a magnificent building that was once a seaside luxury hotel. The Center was hosting a special event, led by a local astronomy professor – it was an evening of guided stargazing, learning about the planets and the stars in the night sky.
So come along, then, on another journey to the New Jersey shore. Along the way we’ll stop at a favorite winery, grab some food at local restaurants, and spend an evening beneath the stars.
Let’s begin:
Stargazing in Cape May
A new destination in a much-visited town: the Cape May Point Science Center is located a block from the Cape May Lighthouse, at the southern tip of New Jersey.We set off for the shore on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. After requiring a few different repairs, Grace, my wife’s 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, got the call to be our road trip vehicle of choice once again. The Accord was taking a well-deserved rest in the garage.Our first stop was to one of our favorite New Jersey wineries: Hawk Haven Vineyard, in Rio Grande. We discovered Hawk Haven several years ago, and have become loyal customers.On the weekends, Hawk Haven frequently invites different food trucks to the winery. On this day, food was provided by Hit the Road Jack’s, a truck specializing in pub-style comfort food. We shared two orders of tacos – one with carnitas, and the other with fish. Both were absolutely sublime. Filled and refreshed, we set off for our next destination.Neither my wife’s Jeep nor my Honda look right without sea spray on the paint and sand in the floor mats.Before heading into downtown Cape May, we enjoyed some views of the beach. No matter how many times I come to the shore, watching the waves lap against the sand never gets old. The sights and sounds of the of ocean never fail to relax me, and my worries and concerns move to the back of my mind. The beach is good for the soul.Given the beautiful weather, I was surprised that the Washington Street Mall, the primary shopping and dining destination within Cape May, wasn’t more crowded.Our dinner destination of choice? The Cape May Fish Market! I know that we come here a lot, but what can I say? We’re hooked.When coming to the Cape May Fish Market, go to the lobster roll. Go directly to the lobster roll. It’s the best lobster roll I’ve had outside of New England, and a gluten-free option is available.After dinner, we did some window shopping (and also indulged in dessert from Kohr Bros. custard) before setting off to the Cape May Point Science Center for an 8:00 pm reservation.The Cape May Point Science Center was founded in 2022 to promote environmental education and advocacy for the New Jersey shore. The building first opened in 1889 as a luxury hotel. It then operated as a hospital for people of color, before becoming a hotel again, and then was converted into a summer retreat for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia. The Science Center is just the lastest chapter in the history of this storied building!The event began with a talk by Dr. Frank Toriello from nearby Atlantic Cape Community College, who led the audience on a virtual tour of eight major nebulas. He also discussed the stars and planets we would be seeing in the night sky.After the talk, we relocated outside to look up at the night sky. The special event cost $10 per person (or $25 for groups of three or more), and it was well-worth the money!The evening also became a test of my new iPhone 14 Pro, which brought back incredibly clear shots of the evening sky. The fact that I was taking star photos with my PHONE was astonishing. The level of detail was impressive – the gray band in the sky is part of the Milky Way.I also downloaded an incredibly cool app for my phone: Sky Guide. With the app, I was able to point it at the sky and it showed me exactly what I was seeing in the sky. This is a screen shot of the Aquarius constellation, which we could view to the east.This is another screenshot from the app……and this is where my phone was pointed, allowing me to precisely match what my eyes were seeing to what the app was showing. We had a fantastic evening, and after checking out the planet Saturn in one of the telescopes set up for the event, we thanked the event organizers and departed.We parked at the Cape May Lighthouse, so I grabbed a shot of it as we walked back to the Jeep. The low-light capabilities of this iPhone continue to amaze me. Even five years ago, such a photo would have required me to set up my “real” camera on a tripod and laboriously take test photos until I dialed in the correct exposure. With the new iPhone, it was simply a matter of aiming and then clicking the shutter.The next morning, you can probably guess where we got breakfast… Uncle Bill’s Pancake House!We got our meal to-go: pecan pancakes for me, and gluten-free pecan pancakes for my wife. As always, it was excellent! After a lazy morning around the house, we packed up the Jeep and began our drive home.Or, at least, we tried to. Traffic on the Garden State Parkway was at levels typically seen only at the height of summer. We crawled our way northward before making a lunch detour.Our original plan was to be home by lunchtime, but traffic made a mockery of our agenda. Instead, we decided to make the best of it and stopped for lunch at Lucille’s Luncheonette, a Pine Barrens institution that has been featured on this blog several times.Is this the healthiest meal ever featured on this blog? Not even close. But is the grilled cheese from Lucille’s an AMAZING lunch? Absolutely.After lunch, we took a more leisurely drive home, pulling into the garage mid-afternoon. Along the way, the Jeep crossed the 102,000-mile mark… onward!
Updates
Before closing, I wanted to share a few updates from our garage, along with a cool fact about this blog:
Sacre bleu! Grace recently lost a piece of plastic trim while traveling at highway speeds on I-287. As I was driving down the road, I saw it fly off and land on the shoulder…After a quick trip to the Jeep dealer, I fit a new piece of trim to the fender. It was a pretty easy installation – the biggest issue was removing one of the old retaining clips, which required a pair of needle-nose pliers and some sweat. With the replacement piece fitted, Grace looks good as new.Finally, I wanted to share a note of thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this blog over the years. It recently hit a milestone of its own – 30,000 all-time views, and 12,200 unique visitors. Those are pretty cool stats for something that has been a part-time hobby over the past seven years. Thanks for reading, and I’ll keep writing up our adventures!
Wrapping Up
With a little research, even an old, familiar destination can be the source of new adventures and experiences! For as long as I have been coming down to Cape May (i.e., most of my life), I still find new locations to discover with each trip. The Cape May Point Science Center is open every Thursday through Saturday at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, and 11:00 am until the end of October (you will need to make reservations through the center’s website). If you’re at the Jersey shore, the Center is definitely worth the trip!
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead!
What a cool experience at Cape May. I really enjoyed the stars pics! The picture of the lighthouse in the dark came out really good too! I’ve been wanting to get to the Ladd Observatory on Brown’s campus to do some star and planet watching myself. Maybe I’ll check out that Skymap app!
Ladd Observatory – I’m going to add that to The Open Road Ahead’s to-do list! The app is really cool – if you can get to anywhere with minimal light pollution where the skies are more visible, it really adds another dimension to what you’re seeing. Thanks for reading!!
The Open Road Ahead 
What a cool experience at Cape May. I really enjoyed the stars pics! The picture of the lighthouse in the dark came out really good too! I’ve been wanting to get to the Ladd Observatory on Brown’s campus to do some star and planet watching myself. Maybe I’ll check out that Skymap app!
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Ladd Observatory – I’m going to add that to The Open Road Ahead’s to-do list! The app is really cool – if you can get to anywhere with minimal light pollution where the skies are more visible, it really adds another dimension to what you’re seeing. Thanks for reading!!
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