Five Hours in Wildwood, NJ
I am always encouraging people to go out and explore New Jersey, because New Jersey Isn’t Boring! Even if it’s just for a few hours, there is definitely something for you to do 365 days a year. I had an opportunity to go to Wildwood, NJ recently and even though I could only spend a few hours there I did and saw a lot!
I live about 2 hours away from Wildwood, so to drive all the way there for 5 hours is kind of a big deal. Not to mention I twisted my ankle the day before, so walking around was also a struggle. Despite all of that, I definitely made the most of my trip.
I started the day at 4pm at the Hereford Lighthouse (111 N Central Ave, Wildwood, NJ).
The lighthouse is open every day from 9am to 5pm, with the last tour at 4pm. Due to traffic, we arrived AT 4pm (on the dot) and we were denied access to tour the inside. Considering I was walking around a bum ankle, climbing a lighthouse (albeit a small lighthouse) was probably not a great idea anyway. We made the best of the situation and walked around the beautiful gardens that surround the area. There is also no charge to view the gardens or to park there, so that was an added bonus.
We also made our way onto part of the North Wildwood Seawall by way of the lighthouse, which was beautiful!
After leaving the lighthouse, we drove past the famous Maui’s Dog House in North Wildwood, and declared that we had to stop there. July is National Hot Dog Month after all! Despite an extensive list of many creative hot dogs, my husband and I split a “Naked Dog” to go. It was a really good hot dog with a really good bun. I wish I was hungrier since I kept staring at other people’s “dog bowls” filled with creative dogs and fries. Oh well. Next time!
Our next stop was a trip to Lazy Eye Distillery (135 E Spicer Ave, Wildwood, NJ), a hand crafted vodka distillery which opened up a Wildwood location in addition to their original location in Richland. The distillery is 2 blocks from the beach right in the downtown Wildwood area.
We enjoyed a tasting of their vodka and a tour of their facility. A tour and tasting will cost you $10. Note: Their Wildwood location is only open seasonally. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of this family owned vodka business, which makes their vodka with grapes! Their liquor is fantastic and can easily be drank without mixers. I highly recommend making a stop there, and stocking up on some premium vodka!
Before heading to the boardwalk, we decided to check off a diner from the Cape May County list…the Pink Cadillac Diner! The super cute 50s Retro diner, located 1 block from the beach also has it’s own parking lot (even though it’s super tight). The food and service was great there too.
Next we stopped at Duffer’s (5210 Pacific Ave, Wildwood, NJ) which was PACKED for dinner and mini golf. Luckily, we were there for ice cream! When I started my ice cream quest back in April, Duffer’s was recommended to me several times since they have incredible homemade ice cream. After trying a few samples, we decided to split a “Sticky Bun” ice cream which had actual sticky bun mixed into it. A small ice cream was more than enough for the two of us to share.
After eating and drinking our way in Wildwood, we headed to the boardwalk. I LOVE the Wildwood boardwalk, you easily spend a day just being there. There is plenty of restaurants, shops, bars, an aquarium, a water park, two piers filled with rides etc.
I really enjoyed going to Adventure Pier and watching the crazy people go on rides that would make me puke so fast. I love this video of the launch on the SpringShot ride.
One of the things they had at Adventure Pier that they didn’t have the last time I was there was the Artbox featuring local artist’s art work and products. I loved walking through the gallery of all the art to purchase, especially since some of the artists were on the pier creating art right in front of you.
While I was on the pier, I had the opportunity to ride in a helicopter from East Coast Helicopter Tours. From the sky I could get amazing views of Wildwood and Stone Harbor. It was definitely an experience I will never forget.
After the helicopter tour, we walked around the boardwalk again enjoying a beautiful night on the beach. As New Jerseyans, we can never take advantage of the fact that we live near some of the best beaches in the country.
I thought we were done for the night until a charming sales person outside of Bananas Ice Cream Cafe (400 E Lincoln Ave, Wildwood, NJ) offered us a sample of their homemade ice cream. So much for being done eating for the night!
A photo posted by New Jersey Isn’t Boring (@newjerseyisntboring) on
Wildwood is the only free beach during the Summer season, and with so much to do in the area it should definitely be on your to-do list! Look how much I accomplished in 5 hours! Trust me…I will be back soon.
