Help with Wildwood NJ

[sbouncer]

Hey all,

I could use some help......My family has decided that they all want to go to Wildwood NJ for summer vacation this year and I am at a loss since I have never been. Can you give me some advice on places to stay and things not to be missed while we are there? Is it a safe/clean beach? Are the restaraunts good? Any advice would be greatly appreciated...Thanks!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Well Wildwood is a tourist town. I'm sure there are a lot of websites that can help you. We go camping in Cape May (right next door) so I'll give you a couple of things you can do.

1) Wildwood boardwalk - huge, lots of rides, games and I think a waterpark. Haven't been in a while.

2) Cape May County Zoo - It's small but FREE. Its a fun half day trip if you have small ones. We did it last year and probably won't do it this year.

3) Lucy the Elephant - This is in Margate. Its got an interesting history and where else could you walk through a 6 story elephant. We did this the same day as the zoo. Zoo in the morning, Lucy in the afternoon.

4) Beaches are fine. I prefer the quieter area of Cape May but I'm not a typical Jersey girl when it comes to beaches.

5) Whale watching trips - lots of boats do whale watching, dolphin watching excursions. They do get pricey though depending on family size.

6) Cape May - Its a beautiful town for walking around and shopping. This is definitely worth a trip for the adult women in the family. They even have carriage rides as well.

I can't help you on where to stay and eat but I'm sure some one on here can help. We camp so we eat at the campsite. Wildwood is crawling with restaurants and hotels of all sorts though so you won't have a problem. Enjoy!

 

[eliza61]

Wildwood has the loooongest beach known to man. It's a mile from the broadwalk until you actually hit water LOL.
I'll dig up the information where we stayed 2 years ago.

 

[mjkacmom]

I prefer the crest - more family oriented. Keep in mind the beaches are wide - like a 5 minute walk from the boardwalk to the ocean! Since you are going with family, I'd suggest renting condos - there are a lot of oceanfront condos in the crest.

 

[Philagoofy]

A good restaurant for lunch or dinner is Harpoon Henry's, in Cape May. Google it for directions. We always get "Henry's Fish Sandwich", fried grouper with onions, tomato, cheddar cheese & red bell pepper sauce. UMMMMM, delicious. The restaurant sits across the street from the beach & there is indoor, covered & outdoor seating. There is a bar & in the evening live music but it's also a family place. You can walk across the street & down to the beach or sit on benches overlooking the water. Very pretty sunset views too.

 

[Disney Ella]

We have stayed in both Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood before and prefer North Wildwood because it is a little quieter. The place we stayed at in North Wildwood is condos now, so I don't have any recommendations. I'm sure your kids will be interested in one of the amusement piers on the boardwalk and there are plenty of miniature golf courses and arcades. A day trip to Cape May is nice depending on the ages of your kids. The Cape May Zoo is actually located in Cape May Courthouse about 20 minutes away from Wildwood.

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

Word of advice, take a beach taxi! They take you from the boardwalk to the ocean. The sand can get really hot and you may end up running otherwise.

 

[rotlex]

Good input on this thread, so I'll ad just a bit. Check out the Wildwood Chamber of commerce etc. and send for a vacation guide. There is a lot to do in the area, and a ton of places to stay.

We are from PA, near Philly, and used to visit Wildwood every year. Recently, maybe it is just me, but it has gotten overly expensive. $250 a night for something not much better than a Red Roof Inn is not uncommon, especially if you want to be close to the boardwalk. Food is in the same category.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice "beach, boardwalk" vacation, but last year, we actually took a 2nd trip to Disney, and other than the flight, it cost us about the same as a week in Jersey.

 

[sbouncer]

Thanks all for the input so far.......Since it seems that the planning for the trip will fall to me it is great information.

 

[mlynn]

As other have said Stay in North Wildwood or the Crest. The center is really busy!!!!!!
When going to the beach I find it easier to park at a pier and walk as far as you can back so you don't have to walk in the sand. There is steps to the beaches by the water parks. The beaches are safe and clean.

I would look into a condo also. There are some really nice Motels. But then there are some BAD motels.

I grew up in Wildwood. So places I have to go when I'm there are.
MACKS pizza (2 locations on the board walk)I go down sometime just for pizza
Sea Shell ice cream right on Rio Grande
Uries (little expensive)but enjoyed sitting outside to eat.
There is an Irish Pub in North Wildwood(can't remember the name)had really good food.

Cape May is so pretty(you have to buy a pass for their beaches except for the one by the ferry to Del.)This is a nice trip too. It goes to the outlets in Del
Washington Square Mall is nice. The ugly mug has good food.
CapeMay Zoo is great. I take my kids at least 2x's a year.
\
Call the Wildwood Commerce and have them send the info. I'm counting the day until it is warm enough to go down for the day.

If your a member of face book there is a fan club on there for people who love Wildwood.

 

[mackymaddyconnorsmom]

Mack's Pizza is the best in Wildwood. James has great salt water taffies. They even have ones that are chocolate covered. You can get a pass that is good for the rides for one day and the water park for the next. You can use it all in one day, but we split it up to get a better deal. The beaches are huge. This is one reason why we stay in Ocean City and visit Wildwood for the day and night. You can rent surreys in Ocean City in the morning to ride on the boardwalk. I am sure Wildwood has them too. You can rent kayaks, jet skis and go parasailing along the Jersey shore. Have a good vacation.

 

[pjm-guy]

We stayed at the Montego Bay Resort last summer for 4 days (14th & the boardwalk I think). The rooms were great, the indoor pool was kinda yucky though. And the distance from the boards to the water was NOT far like it can be in some places. We were at the end of the boards which was nice, but we needed the tram to get around. The water parks were very nice too & clean.

 

[Kim&Chris]

The water park on Morey's Pier is a lot of fun. We try to get there at least once a year - the kids always have a ton of fun.

We haven't stayed in Wildwood for many years, though. The last time we stayed there, they still had all the 50's style motels up & running.

Does anyone know if Alfie's Restaurant is still there?