I took a trip to Cape May in May 2022 as a shared birthday/Mother’s Day trip with my mom and our cousins. She and our cousin have their birthdays one day apart, so we often like to celebrate together when we can. And of course, when we heard an opportunity for a spooky trip, my cousin and I jumped at it.
Hotel Macomber
This family-run boutique hotel sits right across from the beach for easy access to the sea. To anyone into haunted tales and spooky stories, the Hotel Macomber holds great fame. But aside from the possible ghostly sightings (and we do have a story for that!), the hotel’s charm makes for a delightful stay in this resort town.
The employees at the hotel were warm, friendly and super helpful as we found our way around town. And they also showed great patience as they indulged our curiosity about the spiritual activity, even letting us record an episode of a podcast we intended to publish (someday…)
We ate dinner one night at their famous restaurant, and the food is worth the hype. Plus, we had a side dose of flickering lights that are often reported in the dining room.
Please note that if you stay at the Hotel Macomber, you do have to take the stairs to the rooms and there is no elevator, so you will have to carry your luggage.
Cape May Ghost Stories
So, spooky stories abound about the Hotel Macomber, including the sound of heavy furniture sliding across floors and doors getting held shut and then suddenly flying open. My mom experienced the latter, as she headed up to our room by herself on the first night.
As she unlocked and tried to open the door, she found it held strong, as if someone held the door on the other side, keeping her out. She pushed and pushed to no avail, and even tried pulling, thinking she might have had the motion wrong. Eventually, after a few seconds of this, the door let go, and she nearly tumbled into the room from the force she had been using.
Outside of the hotel, we took a walking ghost tour, a great activity to get a lay of the land, as Cape May is very walkable. A local guide gave us the history of many of the buildings close by, weaving in tales of well-known ghosts and spirits that haunt the town. We had the perfect weather for it too, as we arrived for it with the rain and fog, making it a fun night of spooks.
Shopping in Cape May
If you’re looking to pick up some Christmas decorations and ornaments, Winterwood Gift & Christmas Shoppe is the place to go. It feels like you’ve stepped into the North Pole and into a magical experience.
Cape Atlantic Book Co has an array of books, games and souvenirs for the readers. I picked up a collection of ghost stories from the town of course, as I always try to do at every place I visit.
Plenty of candy shops abound throughout the town. I found a local store near the beach where I tried my first-ever saltwater taffy. I bought a bag to take home and enjoy as a reminder of our trip.
Bonus Stop: Princeton
On the drive out to Cape May, we passed through Princeton. Seeing the lush fields all around, I finally understood why New Jersey is known as the Garden State.
We made a stop at the Princeton Battlefield State Park to take in the view. That day, it happened to be just us, so it was eerily quiet as we looked across the expanse of the field. We happened to come by during off hours, so we couldn’t take a tour of anything, but it still made for a good way to stop and stretch our legs on the road trip.
Unfortunately for me, as good as the trip played out, COVID finally hit me. I had powered through the weekend on a fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit. But I still had a great time and wouldn’t mind returning in better health to enjoy it more.
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