Riding the Cape May-Lewes Ferry

More than 11 million vehicles and 34 million passengers have crossed the 17-mile mouth of Delaware Bay via vessels of Cape May-Lewes Ferry during its interesting 40-year history of operations that began July 1, 1964. Between 6 to 7 million visitors come to our Delaware beaches. This year, there are 10% more visitors, and they are staying longer. Why? Not just because the gas isn't as expensive, but because the cool spring and rainy weather lasted longer this year. In other words, we are just finally getting to that perfect beach weather.

Matt and I decided to drive down this past Saturday in the late afternoon because we had heard the traffic was crazy this summer. We weren't looking to swim or sunbathe. No, we just wanted to have fun on the boardwalk and smell the salty air. Apparently, everyone in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New York had the same idea! We were only 20 miles into our drive, when traffic was at a dead stop. We were determined to have a weekend adventure. As an hour turned into 75 minutes, and still another 45 minutes to get to Rehoboth Beach (only 20 miles) we decided to take a detour to Lewes, DE where we could take the ferry over to Cape May, NJ. We were determined to have an adventure no matter what! Instead of taking the car, we parked and went as a foot passenger. We made the 4:00 pm ferry. We were out only a mile, when we could feel the temperature change. The ride was only 80 minutes. The wind was chilly so we went inside for refreshments and some arcade games. The boat was a little rocky but it was fun trying to make our sea legs cooperate. When we arrived at the terminal at Cape May we decided to stay and have a nice evening meal. The view was wonderful as we overlooked the beach and watched the boats coming in and out. Matt enjoyed playing the video games and the view too! We stayed for two hours just talking, walking, and enjoying the breeze. It was 20 degrees cooler in Cape May, NJ than in Lewes, DE just across the bay. We caught the next to last boat, and to our surprise it was much larger than the boat the brought us over. We had fun exploring the boat. There were 5 levels counting the top (employees only) level where the captain obviously steered the boat. Our cruise became a night cruise as we spotted the lights of both shores midway. The lighthouses were doing their job, and the winds were steady at 40 mph. The steady rocking of the boat made us feel relaxed. Before we landed, Matt and I went out to the bridge to feel the rush of the air on our bodies and in our lungs. We were ready to get home. It was a nice close the evening as the ship approached the landing with only 73F 5mph light Lewes winds . Matt exclaimed, "Now that's what I call an adventure!"