ON THE WAY TO CAPE MAY

We left Absecon Island for the Somers Point Dinner. Old juke-boxes are still on tables where Ed and his brother had earned "Clean Plate Badges." The bridge leading to the Dinner, once known as the rickety-rackety bridge has been replaced by one high enough for the QB II to sail under, by my estimation.

We traveled along coastal roads passing through one seashore town after another. In Ocean City, I pointed out the home of the late Jean Fuschillo who I worked with along with Ruth Fisher and others to create awareness of the worth of wetlands and the natural environment.

Jean's home faces the Ocean behind the dunes. Ed and I walked out on the beach in something of a tribute to her memory and to Ruth Fisher, too ill to see us on this visit.

We passed the little known Carson's Inlet with its almost pristine hidden beach and the towns of Strathford, Sea Ilse City, Avalon and Wildwood, all similar but each with its own special identity. McMansions in Avalon seemed out of place even with with the City's well-tended bird sanctuary for egrets.

As we traveled, we were entertained by a profusion of birds as they left their nests in the brush. Red winged blackbirds came zipping across the road.

When we came into Cape May, we were pleased to find our accommodations had a backyard with eight purple martin apartment houses. The martins were constantly busy building their nests and chirping loudly to let us know this was their territory.

Cape May Point is the very Southern tip of New Jersey. It's State Park was established because of the efforts of local citizens. The Light House, built in 1859, is still used by The Coast Guard as a navigational beacon.

The hull of a concrete Merchant Ship which sank is visible from the beach. A concrete Bunker built in the event of an enemy invasion during World War II was equipped with living quarters and long range howitzer guns. The Bunker once stood off shore in the Ocean, today it is beached.

While we were there a group of Amish teenagers set up a volley ball net on the beach and played in teams of mixed gender. In addition, they brought thermal food containers and large beach blankets. All of them reminded me of simpler times and summer-time excursions to the Ocean.

Before we left for Philadelphia, we had breakfast in Congressional Hall a restored hotel built in the 1800s. From 1968 to 1995, Congress Hall was operated by the Cape May Bible Conference under the infamous Reverend Carl McIntire. Our server was a Russian exchange student working for the third summer at the hotel. Other guests in the dining room represented different nationalities and ethnic groups. I had the feeling McIntire must be turning over in his grave.

From there we headed for the Atlantic City Expressway and Philadelphia.