NPSNJ @ Cape May Point Overnight Getaway

JOIN NPSNJ ON OUR FIRST-EVER WEEKEND OVERNIGHT GETAWAY!

Please join fellow members of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey on September 27 – 29 for a unique getaway weekend in Cape May Point during peak fall avian and invertebrate migration. We will be staying at the recently-opened Cape May Point Science Center, formerly St. Mary’s by the Sea Retreat House, an iconic 38,000-square-foot Victorian structure built in 1889 as the Shoreham Hotel. Members staying elsewhere can participate in any of the events and attend dinners, but dinners need to be pre-paid in advance.

Within a few square miles, you can experience the beauty and wonder of one of the world’s major butterfly migration routes, the world’s largest spawning population of horseshoe crabs, evolutionary survivors and living links to prehistoric times, and critical habitat for migratory and predatory birds, including hawks, owls, and eagles. Devoted to environmental protection, restoration, and conservation throughout the region, The Science Center builds on Cape May Point’s century-and-a-half-long legacy of providing a restorative backdrop for recreational, spiritual, and educational retreats. 

The weekend will begin Friday, September 27th, with a welcome reception and orientation to all things local – suggested hiking and biking routes, birding opportunities, garden walks and more. Saturday will start with a Continental breakfast followed by a day of exploration and learning and dinner Saturday evening for attendees and local guests. Check out is Sunday morning, September 29, and the weekend will end with visits to the outstanding native gardens of Pat Sutton and Jesse Conner each just a short drive up the parkway.

Reservations for rooms at the Cape May Point Science Center are available for the first 30 individuals. Lodging at the Cape May Point Science Center is a communal experience; private bedrooms are located on the second floor with shared bathrooms along the hallways. Most rooms have one queen-size bed, but there are rooms with full-size or twin beds. The Science Center sits yards from the Atlantic Ocean and a block away from the Cape May Point State Park. The Cape May Bird Observatory, NJ Audubon Center, and native plantings around Lake Lily are all within a short walking distance. The Cape May Point Science Center is a recent recipient of a mini-grant from the NPSNJ, to support its on-going transition to a native pollinator garden located in the heart of the migratory path of monarch butterflies (think lots of milkweed!) and the Atlantic flyway.

We had an incredible response. Rooms and tickets for Saturday meals have sold out. Tickets for wine and cheese on Friday are still available. To send an email to get on the waitlist or get tickets for meals, members should log in and come back to this page.

Questions? Email

LODGING AND DINING OPTIONS

2 nights – Single Occupancy

$375.00

This includes a two night stay at the Cape May Point Science Center in a private room, Friday night wine and cheese welcome reception, Saturday night dinner, as well as a continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

2 nights – Double Occupancy

$550.00

This includes a two night stay at the Cape May Point Science Center in a private room for two people, Friday night wine and cheese welcome reception, Saturday night dinner, as well as a continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

1 night – Single Occupancy

$225.00

This includes one night stay on Saturday the 28th at the Cape May Point Science Center in a private room, Saturday night dinner, as well as a continental breakfast on Sunday.

1 night – Double Occupancy

$300.00

This includes one night stay on Saturday the 28th at the Cape May Point Science Center in a private room for two, Saturday night dinner, as well as a continental breakfast on Sunday.

Friday Wine and Cheese

$40.00

This gets your entry to the wine and cheese welcome reception on Friday night for members who are not staying at the Cape May Point Science Center.

Saturday Night Dinner

$40.00

This will get you entry to the Saturday night dinner at the Cape May Point Science Center for members who are not staying at the Cape May Point Science Center.

/ The first two photographs are courtesy of the Cape May Point Science Center, the above photograph is courtesy of John Evangelista, http://evangelistaphotography.net