The Washington Street pedestrian street in the center of town evokes what a beach town might have been like in the 1890s. The many outdoor benches, cafés, and quaint shops decked out in their Victorian finery reflect an earlier, more simple time. And the presence of individualized "mom-and-pop" shops is such a welcome antidote to the sameness and banality of suburban malls. Though the ubiquitous Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor has also found a home here, it, too, sports a turn-of-the-century façade. There are a handful exceptions to the historical ambiance, of course, such as the sign on the Great White Shark tee-shirt shop proclaiming it "A Cape May Tradition since 1988."

Read more in Tripatini contributor Fyllis Hockman´s post Sea, Sun, Fun - and Victoriana: Escape to Another Era in Cape May, New Jersey.

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