• Cape May Local Scoop
  • Posts
  • Winter’s Hidden Gem: Cape May’s Sandpiper Beach Club Offers Seaside Calm

Winter’s Hidden Gem: Cape May’s Sandpiper Beach Club Offers Seaside Calm

Issue #582

January 20, 2026

In partnership with

Easy setup, easy money

Making money from your content shouldn’t be complicated. With Google AdSense, it isn’t.

Automatic ad placement and optimization ensure the highest-paying, most relevant ads appear on your site. And it literally takes just seconds to set up.

That’s why WikiHow, the world’s most popular how-to site, keeps it simple with Google AdSense: “All you do is drop a little code on your website and Google AdSense immediately starts working.”

The TL;DR? You focus on creating. Google AdSense handles the rest.

Start earning the easy way with AdSense.

In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather

 🌿Winter’s Hidden Gem: Cape May’s Sandpiper Beach Club Offers Seaside Calm

🏖️ Jersey Shore Town Plans to Use Cannabis Revenue for Coastal Defense

 👮Delivery Charges Now Outweigh Gas Costs for South Jersey Residents

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Shop Local

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇  

 January 20

Have an Upcoming Event?

 

Winter’s Hidden Gem: Cape May’s Sandpiper Beach Club Offers Seaside Calm

For many New Jersey residents, winter can feel like a stretch of time best endured indoors. But in Cape May, the slower pace of the off-season turns the cold months into an unexpectedly soothing escape—especially at the Sandpiper Beach Club. Just steps from the ocean, the Sandpiper offers an extended-stay experience that blends the comforts of home with the amenities of a hotel. Through its “HomeAway” program, guests can book anything from a long weekend to a three-month stay, making it an ideal retreat for remote workers, retirees, or anyone needing a change of scenery. Winter in Cape May may be quieter, but it’s far from boring. The historic downtown remains active, with the Washington Street Mall’s boutiques and restaurants open year-round. Dining reservations, often tough to get in summer, are now easier to score at top-tier restaurants like the Ebbitt Room. Off the beaten path, Sunset Beach continues to charm visitors with its postcard-perfect views, especially as the sun dips behind the remains of a sunken ship offshore. Shoppers can explore quaint gift stores nearby while waiting for the evening display. For nature lovers, the Sandpiper partners with local birding expert Michael Pasquarello, who leads guided  wildlife experiences tailored to winter’s unique coastal ecosystem. While the town’s summer energy takes a back seat, the winter season reveals a different kind of magic. A stay at the Sandpiper Beach Club offers a refreshing way to experience it—combining the serenity of the shore with the feel of a mini retreat from daily life.

 Jersey Shore Town Plans to Use Cannabis Revenue for Coastal Defense

In an effort to address worsening beach erosion and a lack of federal aid, Upper Township in Cape May County is moving toward legalizing cannabis dispensaries — with plans to use a portion of the tax revenue for crucial shoreline repairs. Officials estimate the township could collect around $240,000 annually, with roughly $70,000 earmarked specifically for beach replenishment efforts. The proposal comes as Strathmere, Upper Township’s barrier island community, continues to suffer from damaging coastal storms. In just a few months, back-to-back weather events have eroded dunes, triggered emergency declarations, and heightened fears about long-term storm resilience. Township leaders, frustrated with the lack of federal funding, are seeking alternative solutions. The ordinance would impose a 2% local tax on cannabis sales, consistent with New Jersey state law. Dispensaries would also be subject to a $7,500 annual licensing fee. The remaining tax revenue not used for beach repairs would be divided between the township’s recreation donation fund and the general municipal budget. Mayor Curtis Corson recently visited Washington, D.C., in hopes of securing federal support for beach replenishment projects. With no guarantees from federal agencies and the state’s Shore Protection Fund under strain, Upper Township’s leaders believe cannabis revenue may be a vital piece of the puzzle

 

Delivery Charges Now Outweigh Gas Costs for South Jersey Residents

Many South Jersey residents are feeling the pinch this winter after opening their gas bills and discovering that delivery charges are now outpacing the cost of the gas itself. A closer look at a sample South Jersey Gas bill from mid-November to mid-December reveals where the money is going. During that billing cycle, a customer used 133 CCF (Centum Cubic Feet) of natural gas—roughly 137.79 therms after conversion. One therm is equal to 100,000 BTUs (British Thermal Unit) which is the quantity of heat that’s needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Despite this moderate usage, the total bill came to $259.11. Surprisingly, only $60.90 of that total—or about 24%—was for the actual natural gas commodity, listed on the bill as BGSS (Basic Gas Supply Service). The rest of the bill was made up of delivery and fixed charges, which have become a growing share of monthly costs. The biggest contributor to the high cost, however, is the delivery charge base rate. In this case, South Jersey Gas billed $131.81 by charging 137.79 therms at a rate of $0.956601 per therm. This charge funds the ongoing maintenance and upgrade of the gas delivery infrastructure—including pipeline safety, leak detection, and system reliability. Utilities are also investing heavily in safety upgrades and leak mitigation, costs that are passed on to consumers through state-approved rate increases. Additionally, rising demand from growing sectors like data centers—combined with national trends like increased LNG exports and lower domestic reserves—has added further pressure to prices. All of these factors mean that even modest gas use can result in surprisingly high bills for South Jersey customers this winter.

In 1885, an unusual attraction was built in South Cape May—a large 'Lucy type elephant' structure called the "Light of Asia." What was its primary purpose?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

 Answer to the January 19th Trivia Question

What notable distinction does the city of Cape May, New Jersey hold in American history?

A) It was the first city to install electric streetlights in the U.S. B) It is the oldest seaside resort in the United States. C) It was the site of the first American victory in the Revolutionary War. D) It is home to the first lighthouse built in the U.S.

Answer: B) It is the oldest seaside resort in the United States.

Cape May, New Jersey, is recognized as the oldest seaside resort in the nation, with its history as a vacation destination dating back to the mid-18th century. The entire city is also a National Historic Landmark due to its well-preserved Victorian architecture​ (Wikipedia)​​ (Wikipedia)​.

How Did We Do In This Issue?

Cape May Local Scoop Wants To Know Your Thoughts About Our Newsletter...

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

1