Sunday, September 21st, 2008
TCCIS
38.947917 -74.906417
At 10 my mother decided it was time for me to learn how to sail. The yacht club was happy to oblige. I do not recall much teaching although I do recall lots of bopping around the harbor. That did get us into some trouble as our bluejays and sunfishes frequently crashed into the big yachts leaving damage. I learned how to sail away quickly. 
Ask anyone who has come to town and they’ll undoubtedly bring up The Lobster House. This landmark is the area’s traditional seafood house. Granted, it does seem to be better than the others. Bill Bergey used to host our football banquets there. There was also the memorable evening with my friend’s parents that raised the roof!
More than the restaurant is the seafood market. This is the finest seafood one will find anywhere. You see, the fishing boats dock at the market and unload the day’s catch. It travels the 100 feet or so to the market where the public buys what they do not sell to the local restaurants. Now that’s fresh!
There is something about the shore and fishing that is magical. I loved walking the docks as a boy. My friend David’s grandparents owned the marinas here. David was given several soda and cigarette machines that were put in the marinas. We would travel around filling them. I recall learning about tobacco taxes at an early age. All that work netted me a cold soda. Yum!
In recent years the town has built a little park (for lack of another word) for one to take in this wonderful area. The Coast Guard base, yacht club, marinas, and harbor all are viewed from here. Enjoy the views!
Before you leave, take a shot of you and your GPS with the fishing boats in the background. Place that shot in with your log. Sunset is beautiful here!
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Sunday, September 21st, 2008
TCCIN
38.9507 -74.95595
Between the ages seven and 12 I spent a lot of time on the beach here with my friend Jess. It wasn’t far from here that I saw my first real boob. ‘Tis true. Some girls had undone their bikini tops to sunbathe and were not particularly modest when they turned over.
Back then the bunker was as off limits as it is today, but it was not as secure. Young boys like to climb as Fritz demonstrates every day. Jess and I used to climb all over this thing. We even entered the darkness. It was scary but oh so much fun. I believe one would be arrested today for doing that.
This is a munitions bunker built during WWII. It was originally 900 feet from the coast. A few years ago it was in the ocean. Some beach replenishment has helped, but the ol’ Atlantic is encroaching again.
There are multiple approaches to this location. Water would be the most fun, but probably the most difficult. Allow me to suggest parking at the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge along Sunset Boulevard (no, not the one starring Gloria Swanson . . . good movie, fwiw) at: 38.939570°, -74.950146°.
Things have changed here since 2002 when I placed a cache here. A mandatory donation is required. I find the fee worth it, but I am not certain there is any enforcement. Entering from the beach to the refuge is free so I do not know how they can mandate the donation. Anyhow, the area is replete with migratory birds. You’ll most likely run into lots of birders along the trail. Take the trail to the beach and then the beach to the bunker. One can also park at the end of Beach Drive (38.929938°, -74.934208°) and hoof it a little further along the beach. It makes for a stunning walk. I have spent any number of moonlight evenings along here.
The Particulars
- Visit the bunker
- Take a photograph of you and your GPS with the bunker in the background
- Post that photograph with your found it log
Given the location of the bunker, this is only available from dawn to dusk.
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Saturday, September 20th, 2008
TCCFE
About a week before you listed this hunt we were on the Wildwood Boardwalk. I had taken some photographs of one of the tramcars. I even have some shots with the GPS. I considered listing this myself. Then came this cache. Of course, I had no photograph with me in view. So . . .
I drove down today. After the Irish festival in Anglesea/North Wildwood, I moved south. The 15th Annual Boardwalk Classic Car Show was on. Once I saw that, I knew I was out of luck. The cars were lined up in the middle of the boardwalk. There were so many people, both sides were jammed. There was no way the tramcar was running today.
What to do? I decided to walk the boards and look at the cars. Fritz and I had attended the car show in Millville this summer. That had far better selection of cars than this show did, as far as I am concerned. I seem to never find a 1970-73 Camero. Plenty of 67-69, but no 1970s. I did see a 1913 Model T Speedster. The owner was very accomodating. This was one gorgeous vehicle. There were also a couple Shelbys that were far better than the Shelby I logged last month. The ’47 Woody was decked out appropriately. It was the most fun of the vehicles I saw.
Anyhow, as I walked north, lo and behold, I heard the familiar pre-recorded voice Watch the tramcar, please. I was going to be able to log this after all. I saw several tramcars from that point forward. I suspect they only began running at that time, although I am not certain. BTW, I love this tramcar video.
If one is looking for something else to do around here, you may be interested in this shutterspot.
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Saturday, September 20th, 2008
TCCEI
39.006833 -74.791567
When I was about 10 I was lost about a block away from here. My buddy David lived in Anglesea. We had spent the day on the boardwalk. David lost his bus token. Our grand plan was for me to take the bus from Wildwood to the 7-11 in Anglesea while he walked. Why we didn’t walk together I haven’t a clue. I had never taken a public bus before and true to form, this plan failed miserably. The bus never came. I decided to hoof it. As I recall, I had a case of beer glasses we had won pitching dimes on Morey’s Pier.
Well, I walked several miles and got to New Jersey Avenue a block up from the lighthouse. I began to cry and shuffled my lost ass to an ice cream stand and asked to use the telephone. I think they were concerned that a young boy was crying. After calling David’s (and thus giving up that he had lost his token), they gave me an ice cream cone while I waited David’s mother to pick me up.
It was a few more decades before I actually visited the lighthouse. Interestingly, that was for another cache that was hidden here. Unfortunately, finding that cache led to some hard feelings with another friend of mine.
Anyhow, today was the Irish festival so parking was tight. I lucked out (and I’m not even Iish) and got close. I took the obligatory photographs as I breezed through the gardens. Afterwards I enjoyed the festival. There were bands, beer, and leprechauns. What more could one ask for?
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Saturday, September 13th, 2008
TCCFI
39.589683 -75.56725
I’ve been to Fort Mott lots yet this is the first time I ever took the ferry to Fort Delaware. As much as I enjoy Fort Mott, Fort Delaware is really kewl.
Beetle and I spent the day bopping around caching. We were hopeful to catch the 10:30 ferry, but her first soccer game ran long and we didn’t make it. We cached instead and got to the ramp for the 12:30 ferry. We were joined by a Boy Scout troop for the short hop over to Pea Patch. We paid our fee and took in the beautiful day on the river.
Once we docked, Beetle wanted to rest on the bench. I kept telling her we had to hurry to catch the tram. She didn’t understand. Once I described it as another ride, she got up. She liked the tram.
The fort is far more fort-like than Fort Mott. I liked that especially the moat that surounds it. Awesome!
We watched the introductory video and spoke with a couple of the Union soldiers. Beetle was scared by the doctor near the infirmary, but was more agreeable with the munitions officer in the ordinance room. There we learned that cannon balls are a naval term. Rather, they called them projectiles.
From there we sought the projectile tosser. Beetle indicated she didn’t like guns, but by the time we left the fort, she was running around pointing out all the cannons. She liked them. She was very observant noting the differences between all the rooms that held (or formerly held) cannons.
We enjoyed our visit to here and glad we made it before the ferry goes into drydock for the winter. As I was to learn later, there was another terracacher at Fort Delaware while we were there.
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