Day and Night on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry

We sailed on the MV Delaware last week

I've always toyed with the idea of a job on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, cruising back and forth across the Delaware Bay. By 'always', I really mean 'always', because the ferry has existed since I was one.  The ferry is important to the Cape May region. It lessens that end-of-the-world, southern-tip-of-the-peninsula vibe and it brings travelers through the county as they enjoy a refreshing break from driving along the coast. It's a pleasant ride and the bay is rarely rough enough to inspire seasickness. One does have to remember that the air temperature is much cooler at sea. We noticed the difference as soon as we backed out of the dock! We did not last long on these deck chairs even though the sun was delightful.

We thought we'd relax on these deck chairs until our fingers started to freeze. (That's the terminal in the background.)

As for my ferry career, my skill sets don't match up very well for most of the ferry's positions.
For example, I never did learn how to navigate using the stars and a sextant, so the Captain position is out. They have Able-Bodied Seamen last I checked, and well, I'm not sure how qualified I would be for that position. They have to lift and toss some pretty heavy ropes. And tie knots. I learned the square knot in Girl Scouts, and I can crochet. I don't think either would keep the enormous ferry from drifting away from the dock in hurricane-force winds. I could probably run a cash register at the gift shop or cafe, but then the open sea would be out of view and I wouldn't be able to scan for dolphins or whales.

I suppose I will have to be satisfied with occasional jaunts as a civilian paying passenger, riding just for the sake of an eighty-minute cruise each way, or to hang out in Lewes, Cape Henlopen, Rehoboth, or other Southern Delaware spots for the day. We started our recent Delaware visit with a fast left turn out of the ferry terminal lot and heading for Cape Henlopen State Park. The park is atop a giant sand dune, and gives the effect of being somewhere other than the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Prickly pear cactus grows wild here, and the ground is sand--not sandy, but sand. (Did we get on a plane and fly to the Southwestern U.S.? No, we cruised eighty minutes on the ferry!)

Looking east in Cape Henlopen State Park (that's the Atlantic Ocean back there)

After a long day of exploring the park and some tax-free shopping at the Rehoboth Outlets, it's time to sail back home to Cape May. The ferry at night has its own mystique. The water is black, so there's no whale or dolphin sighting.

Practicing low-light photography on the dark deck.

The skyline of Cape May is visible across the bay, and it's always a thrill to spot the lighthouse with its revolving beacon. Most passengers on our 7:45 cruise looked worn-out, too, from a day of play or travel. Many snoozed, and some read.

Fred read.

The ferries have just been outfitted with snazzy new seats. Some have tables, some have hidden tablets that swing up and across, and some seats even recline. (Props to Fred for figuring out the last two features.)

I have a funny ferry anecdote. I planned to meet a couple of friends last summer who were driving to Cape May for the day. They invited me to cruise back and forth on the ferry with them, and then we'd go to Cape May for lunch. I was on vacation, installed at the Cape May house. (We can hear the ferry honking its various maritime signals from inside our house. One long means get on the boat NOW, and one long followed by four shorts means it's ready to blast off.) I drove over to the terminal but couldn't find them. I took this video of the ferry pulling out and heading to sea for another project before giving up. It turns out they saw a car like mine in the parking lot, and when I wasn't in the terminal they figured I was on the ship already and went aboard. They didn't find me on the ship, either. That was someone else's chili pepper red MINI Cooper in the parking lot, and I arrived right after they did in my MINI. We caught up eventually--they graciously waited for me to sail over on the next departing ferry and we all rode back together. Here's the video I took as I missed the boat:

Cape May Free Photo Opps for Free

I just submitted a new article to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry's magazine, Twin Capes Traveller, about taking photographs in the Cape May County area. Of course I can't spill all the details of the article here, but I can suggest some cool (free) spots for my readers to try taking some great photos.

For great flower shooting, visit North Wildwood's Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and its amazing gardens. I hadn't explored this gem until last year when I read about it on Twitter. The Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Court House is a nifty place to go for animal photos. Many of the exhibits are viewed from above, on cool overhead walkways. Back down south, the Cape May Point State Park is free and the best place to go for close-up views of the lighthouse. And if you are not worn out by now, check out the great sunsets at the (free) Sunset Beach. Technically this beach is in Lower Township, but it is south of the canal and seems like it is a part of Cape May Point, all the way at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

Now you know some of my Cape May photography secrets, but to read the rest and maybe learn some photo tips, head on over to either ferry terminal (Cape May or Lewes) later this summer and look for the little magazine that has my article. Oh, and the magazine is f-r-e-e.

The Cape May Canal

One of my favorite places anywhere, and one that is unique to Cape May, is the Cape May Canal. Some of my earliest memories are at the canal as we used to go swimming there before it was widened and deepened to accommodate bigger boats and more boat traffic. My father prefered swimming in the canal over swimming in the ocean, because he could swim across and back. My swimming skills never advanced that far: I've got a powerful doggie paddle and I can frolic with the best of them, but I never really developed a good crawl stroke. These days, it would be impossible to swim across the canal any day that the water is warm enough because of the increased boat traffic, and there's really no place to hang out since the strip of beach went away when it was widened. This video shows boats in the canal with dredging going on in the background. I love how Beethoven timed the music so that the climax happens when the boats pass each other. Genius.

The canal was dug in less than a year during World War II because of the potential threat of German U-boats going north through the Delaware Bay into the Delaware River and taking over the important ports of Camden and Philadelphia. Fort Miles, strategically placed on Cape May and Cape Henlopen (the Twin Capes), guarded the bay, and the canal was dug to give mosquito boats easy access to the bay from the base on the ocean side. Cape May's part of Fort Miles is now the Coast Guard Training Center, and Cape Henlopen's is now part of Cape Henlopen State Park. This photo was taken from the fire tower in the park looking down at the restored barracks of Fort Miles. If you look closely in the parking lot, you can see my red MINI!

The canal is important today not only because it is part of the Intracoastal Waterway, but because the Cape May-Lewes Ferry docks there. This ferry has always been important to me because it is just a year younger than I am and I have always heard its whistles from our house. During the summer when the ferries make more crossings for summer travelers, the whistle is more frequent. When I walk on the bay as I have all my life with family, friends, dogs, or alone, the canal is the spot where I take a break on the rocks, maybe watch a ferry come in or go out, and then turn around. This routine is fundamental to my existence as it's one of the few things that has stayed constant. This photo was taken on a baywalk, and you can see a ferry off in the distance:

My perception of the ferry, though, has changed over the years. It used to be a rarity that I would be on the ferry. I was usually watching it from the shore. But occasionally, if my parents and I went south on a trip, we would take the ferry to save time and driving. Even my dog, Bambi, could walk around on the ferry, but not in the cabin. It was exciting even though it wasn't much fancier than a bus then. As a child I was familiar with the Staten Island Ferry, and the Cape May-Lewes wasn't even as nice as those! Now the ferries are much nicer and more comfortable.

We never explored Lewes, though. I had a kind of xenophobic picture of Lewes, Delaware, until recent years when curiosity got the best of me. The ferry began running shuttles buses to take ferry passengers to points of interest on either side. My mother and I were curious about the outlet malls in Rehoboth, and ventured onto the ferry as foot passengers to see what this was all about. We had a ball shopping and enjoyed the cruise back home after we had shopped all day. After Mom was gone, I started to explore the historic parts of Lewes and Cape Henlopen State Park, and soon began to write articles for the ferry's free magazine, Twin Capes Traveller. Here's the red Mini on the ferry heading over to Lewes for a research trip.

These days, I've come to know Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park and Rehoboth Beach as extensions of my home base of Cape May, and I love writing about their unique features almost as much as I enjoy sharing Cape May's distinctive personality.

Dog Beach, A Guest Post by Gladys

This is what low tide looks like:

Low tide means there's more room to run around without getting our feet wet. This is Dog Beach, but Mom says it's known to humans as the Delaware Bay beach in North Cape May, NJ, USA. Dogs are allowed on this beach all year 'round which is very unsual. We always see lots of dogs and their owners here.Some dogs like to play in the water, but I don't! I'll maybe get my feet wet like Mom does, but that is all. I prefer the sand.

Our walk is about two miles: from home we walk on a sidewalk for four blocks, then along Dog Beach up to the canal, and back home. Last year, when I was a pup, I walked behind Mom. Now that I'm grown, I walk ahead to show her where to go. There are big rocks by the canal called the getty. People and their dogs gather here to watch the ferries go in and out and to watch the sunset. This me on the rocks:

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry parks near here, and tonight it went right past us. It's huge! People on the ferry wave at me as they go by. People here seem to really like Shelties. This is me watching the ferry pull into its dock:

Dogs are allowed on the ferry as long as they don't go inside where the food is. Mom says we have a trip planned soon: we'll go on the ferry to Delaware, USA, where we'll stay at a hotel that welcomes dogs! While we're in Delaware, we'll go to Cape Henlopen Park and play in the dog run at the hotel. There is a dog boutique in Lewes, Delaware, USA, that Mom says we'll visit if I manage to keep the hotel room clean. Please tell Mom that you want me to guest blog again about our vacation!!