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Cape May County,
New Jersey
Generations of Visitors LOVE Strolling the
Boardwalk
Although more
than a century has passed since the first wooden
planks were laid across the sand, one thing has
remained constant for visitors to resorts on the
Jersey Cape: generation after generation
of visitors love strolling on the boardwalk.
By day,
boardwalks in Cape May County serve a variety of
purposes: a destination to grab a bite during a
break from the sun and fun on the beach, or a
place to shop without the hustle and bustle of
nighttime crowds. In the morning, the
boards are large bicycle paths, often with
families taking a leisurely ride and enjoying
the seaside scenery. Waterparks on the
boardwalks are popular spots every afternoon and
early evening as visitors enjoy slippery and wet
poolside fun as an alternative to the beach and
ocean.
The Ocean
City Boardwalk has Gillian’s Island Waterpark on
the Boardwalk at Plymouth Place with Gillian’s
Island and its twisting, slippery slides, tube
rides and a lazy river. For the little
ones, Li’l Bucs Bay is a water playground with
activities for children.
In the
Wildwoods you’ll find three waterparks along the
Boardwalk. Ocean Oasis on the Boardwalk at
26th Avenue has a tropical atmosphere with
plenty of activity pools and slides for children
of all ages. More like a beach club, Ocean
Oasis has poolside food service and an
adults-only area serving those luscious tropical
libations while the youngsters enjoy the
thrills.
Raging Waters on the Boardwalk at Schellenger
Avenue has some terrific slides and rides
including Shotgun Falls, drop slides, tube
slides, speed slides, an Endless River
and several play areas for younger children.
Splash Zone,
also on the Boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue (on
the west side), features 13 slides and
attractions including Adventure River, speed
slides, raft rides, and enormous buckets of
water that rain down on those daring enough to
stand underneath.
With so much
to do on the Jersey Cape’s boardwalks during the
day, it’s hard to imagine it could get any
better….but it does! When the sun sets the
county’s boardwalks come alive in a sea of
dazzling neon colors complemented with
tantalizing aromas and a cacophony of joy and
excitement.
Ocean City’s
Boardwalk is more than two miles of fun.
Families wander into the shops to browse and buy
or take a in the eateries, but the prime
destination is usually one of the walk’s two
amusement piers, Gillian's Wonderland Pier at
Sixth Street and Playland’s Castaway Cove at
10th Street.
With more than 30 rides, Wonderland Pier is a
pay-as-you-go park that allows visitors to ride
as many – or few – amusements as they like
without having to pay the price of admission.
Playland’s Castaway Cove has been providing fun
for the whole family for nearly half a century.
Today there are more than 30 exciting rides
including the Double Shot, a vertical-drop ride
that will take your breath away. Visitors
will also thrill to the park’s four roller
coasters - something for every age rider.
The Wildwoods Boardwalk, which stretches for two
miles, has more rides than Disney World with the
Morey family operating three amusement piers on
the Boardwalk. At 25th Avenue on the border of
North Wildwood and Wildwood, is the original
Morey’s Pier, still featuring the ride that
started the Morey’s amusement empire, the Wipe
Out giant slide. This pier has no
less than 30 amusements, including the
Nor’Easter, an exhilarating ride on a
custom-designed suspended looping coaster. While
there is an abundance of kiddy rides, there is
no shortage of rides that will provide a nice
kick for adults and teens.
Morey’s second pier, at Schellenger Avenue, has
32 attractions as diverse and
exciting as the rides on the pier to the north.
For coaster aficionados, the Sea Serpent is this
pier’s must-ride amusement, a high-speed looping
coaster with two 120-foot hills that
takes you upside down three times forward, then
does it again in reverse! At 55 miles an hour,
the serpent strikes quickly! Another
must-do on Morey’s Pier is the giant Ferris
wheel, one of the largest such amusement rides
on the East Coast. It stretches 156 feet above
the sand and provides the best view of the
Wildwoods. In the evening, the
Ferris wheel’s state-of-the-art lighting system
is visible from all over the island as it paints
a rainbow of colors against the backdrop of
nighttime.
There are about 20 amusements on the Spencer
Avenue Morey’s Piers, the newest addition to the
Morey group. For roller coaster purists,
this pier has the crème de la crème of roller
coasters: the wooden Great White coaster.
The
boardwalks also anchor other special events:
Ocean City’s Boardwalk is home to the Music Pier
which serves as that resort’s entertainment
center. The Wildwoods Convention Center,
home to a plethora of shows, gatherings and
entertainment offerings, has its address right
on the Boardwalk.
No matter
where your travels take you throughout the
Jersey Cape, be sure to spend some days and
nights on the county’s boardwalks. They’re
the places where millions of children of every
generation for the past century have made
everlasting memories.
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