Out of all my friends, I slather on sunscreen the most since I burn easily and so I avoid the beach as much as I can. Last week, I chanced upon Tina’s post on kite festivals around the world and found there’s a kite festival in Wildwood, New Jersey during Memorial Day Weekend. The Wildwood Kite Festival is the largest in North America, so there’s an incentive for me to go. I weighed the pros (kite festival that’s in the tri-state area) and the cons (beach, sun, driving; did I mention the sun?) of going but off I went during Memorial Day Weekend.
Here’s how you do Wildwood when you’re not a beach person:
Wyland Whale Mural
What a whale of a time. Dad jokes aside, I chanced upon this giant whale mural by internationally known whale mural artist Wyland on my first try heading towards the beach for the Kite Festival. Surprising considering how many times I’ve walked around in circles accidentally while exploring cities with friends. It was disappointing to find a local news article about how the Wyland mural in Wildwood is in need of repair and that some of the original artwork has been washed away. It explains how some of the mural had more detail in shading than others.
Wildwood Kite Festival
The only reason why I was on the beach in the first place. While some of these would not look out of place during Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, the kites were still a sight to marvel at. Most of the kites were unmanned and just floating in the wind.
Mack’s
I love thin crust pizza and Mack’s Pizza on the boardwalk does thin crust well. It’s a cash only establishment but their plain cheese pizza is so good.
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
I enjoy history and the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse has a lot of it. Built in 1874, it still functions as a lighthouse, though the original lens was decommissioned in 1984. You can walk through the house, see vintage furniture, including a pram, and view the original light that was used in the lighthouse. In addition, learn about the history of the local area as well as the keepers who lived in the house. Best of all? Free admission. There’s also a garden, which you can walk through as well.
