A Guide To The Perfect Weekend In New Jersey

New Jersey is renowned for many attention-grabbing headlines. Known as “the Diner Capital of the World,” and home to the first boardwalk in the US, built in Atlantic City in 1870, the state also claims to have invented saltwater taffy. Still, one of its greatest treasures sits at the very southern tip of the state, Cape May. Nicknamed Exit Zero, thanks to its location at the end of the 172-mile Garden State Parkway, Cape May is one of the oldest seaside resort towns in the United States and a National Historic Landmark, packed with Victorian charm, gingerbread-style houses, pristine beaches, and bottlenose dolphins.

It’s also the perfect place to begin a breezy two-and-a-half-day escape, pairing the Victorian seaside town of Cape May with historic Smithville, a charming 18th-century-inspired village filled with shops, footbridges, and nostalgia listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places.

One of the most walkable landmark villages in the state, Smithville began as a modest mill community centered around a gristmill along Nacote Creek. Though the original mill is long gone, a historic mill brought to the village in the 1960s helps preserve an old-world ambiance and frozen-in-time feel that you’ll love, making this duo the perfect weekend in New Jersey.

Cape May: America’s Original Seaside Resort

Jump-start the perfect two-day weekend with a late-afternoon check-in on Friday at the 1881 Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast. The beautifully restored inn comprises three buildings: the Queen Victoria, Prince Albert Hall, and the House of Royals. Altogether, there are 30 suites and rooms named after Gilded Age celebrities like Gilbert and Sullivan, English landmarks like Balmoral, and the children of royalty. The inn serves afternoon tea with sweets and savories on the wide front porch, giving you time to relax and mull over dining options. The Queen Victoria is located two blocks from the Washington Street Mall, an outdoor pedestrian walking mall spanning three blocks with red brick streets, colorful planters, and water fountains full of pennies.

For dinner, dress up and walk along the Beach Avenue seawall to enjoy tomahawk steaks, rib-eyes, and the catch-of-the-day at BYOB Primal, which is located on the Cape May boardwalk, tucked between salt water taffy stores, surf shops, and a small family-friendly arcade. After dinner, play a friendly game of mini-putt at Cape May’s classic old-school Ocean Putt Golf, a mainstay on the beach since 1964.

Explore The Historic District And Victorian Houses

After an early morning walk along Cape May’s 2.2-mile shoreline with fresh-brewed coffee from the Coffee Tyme, enjoy a late breakfast of Belgian waffles at the popular Mad Batter, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. Stroll the streets around the Washington Street Mall to admire one of the largest collections of well-preserved Victorian architecture in the U.S., and visit the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate. The 18-room mansion was built in the Stick Style, with detailed moldings, custom furniture, textured wallpaper, and strange Victorian oddities displayed in glass parlor domes.

Visit Cape May Lighthouse & Cape May Point State Park

Climb the 157-foot Cape May Lighthouse, joining the more than 2.5 million people who have climbed the 199 steps to the top since it was restored and opened to the public in 1989. From the top, enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the surrounding nature of Cape May Point State Park. Explore the trails in the 244-acre state park, one of the top birding destinations in North America. It is also a renowned migration route year-round, for birds during spring and fall, dragonflies and monarch butterflies at the end of summer, and peregrine falcons and hawks during the fall.

Finish the day on the 130-foot-long Grand Banks sailing vessel, the Schooner American, which is moored permanently at The Lobster House, where you can enjoy peel-and-eat shrimp and steamed lobster with cocktails, watching the boats move in and out of the Cape May Harbor.

A Classic Sunday Drive On The Parkway

Before the church bells from the historic 1878 Our Lady Star of the Sea Church on the Washington Street Mall start ringing for Sunday mass, head back up the Garden State Parkway and make the scenic 55-minute drive to Smithville. If you want to break up the drive from Cape May to Smithville, pull into the Bruce Willis Service Area at Milepost 18, one of the Garden State Parkway’s original 1950s roadside plazas. Originally called the Ocean View Service Area, in 2021, Governor Phil Murphy renamed the service areas along the parkway after nine members of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Recipients of dedicated rest stops include Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, and others. While Bruce Willis is not a New Jersey native, he lived there as a teenager.

Smithville: From Stagecoach Stop to Historic Village

Part living history museum, part quirky tourist attraction, the heart of historic Smithville is the Smithville Inn. Initially built in 1787, the inn was a single room on a well-traveled stagecoach route operated by James Baremore. The popular Smithville Inn grew until it was suddenly abandoned in the early part of the 20th century, only to be rediscovered in the 1950s and opened as a 42-seat restaurant. Today, the inn is open for lunch and dinner, with a menu featuring rustic and sophisticated versions of Angus burgers, turkey platters, pan-seared halibut, and crab cakes. For lighter fare, grab a table in the Baremore Tavern for signature cocktails and small plates to share.

Explore The Historic Village And Village Greene

Thanks to the inn-turned-restaurant's popularity, an entire village has grown up around it, restoring its colonial character and old-world charm and appealing to all ages. After lunch, you’ll find lots of old-school attractions to keep you busy in The Village Greene, like an antique arcade, complete with skee-ball, crane machines, and classic pinball machines; seasonal paddle boats; a brightly-colored miniature train that takes you on a six-minute ride along the Smithville Railroad Company line; and a refurbished carousel full of painted ponies.

Wander along the cobblestone walkways, lakeside boardwalks, and charming footbridge, and around the swan-filled lake, discovering surprises around every corner, a covered bridge, and a vintage mill waterwheel. Settle in for some serious retail therapy at the 50+ shops, including the Smithville Candle Company, the Honey Pot, and the Little Egg Harbor Soap Shop. Over 30 weekend events, seasonal festivals, art walks, and holiday light displays add extra magic to the town, making Smithville a place where you can linger, and if you can’t get enough of the pretty village, check out the Colonial Inn Bed and Breakfast for a return visit. The inn features 32 quaint bed and breakfast rooms throughout Smithville, including romantic rooms and family-style rooms.

From Victorian Seaside To Colonial Village

Sometimes, the perfect weekend getaways don’t require you to cross the state line at all. In New Jersey, you just have to get in the car, roll the windows down, and follow the Garden State Parkway all the way to the end, or take a spontaneous exit toward someplace you’ve never bothered to explore. The Garden State has a way of surprising you like that. What starts as a simple drive can turn into the perfect weekend in New Jersey spent wandering historic villages, touring Victorian mansions, or lingering over small-town treasures you’ve sped past a hundred times before.