Cape May Fall Fest Post-Trip: Oct. 17 & 18 – Delmarva Birding Weekends

Registration is open for Birding the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway in Cape May, NJ (Monday, Oct. 17) and Dorchester County, MD (Tuesday, Oct. 18), as we honor and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s Birth.

Following New Jersey Audubon‘s 76th annual Cape May Fall Festival (Oct. 13 – 16), join Delmarva Birding Weekends and Harriet Tubman Tours for two post-festival field trips to explore the life and times of Harriet Tubman, who was born in March of 1822 in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In the early 1850s, Harriet Tubman lived in Cape May and worked as a cook to help fund her missions to guide enslaved people to freedom.

Each tour is sold separately. Both tours involve driving your own vehicles and some walking. All entrance fees to museums and refuges are included in the cost of the tour. Scroll down for information about each tour, a Google Map of tour stops, information about the Tubman 200 Anniversary, and tips for ensuring that you have a great experience birding with us!

Questions? Please contact Jim Rapp at dmvbirds@gmail.com or 443-614-0261.

Cape May, New Jersey Tour (DRIVING/WALKING)
Date and Time: Monday, October 17, 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Cost: $90/person
Meeting location: the Harriet Tubman Museum of New Jersey, located at 632 Lafayette Street, Cape May, NJ, 08204

We’ll begin the Monday afternoon tour at the Harriet Tubman Museum of New Jersey in Cape May. After the museum tour, we’ll bird and visit several sites, including:

~1.4-mile walking tour of Historic Cape May, including The Stephen Smith House, Congress Hall, and birding the dunes along the Cape May Promenade
Mount Zion Cemetery – Florence Cooper is buried here. Mrs. Cooper is the great-granddaughter of Kessiah Bowley, Harriet Tubman’s niece. Mrs. Bowley was the benefactor of Harriet Tubman’s first documented rescue
David Douglass Sr. Memorial Park on the Delaware Bay

Cape May/Lewes Ferry Info

Guests who wish to travel from Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ for the Monday tour can book the 8:45 – 10:10 am passage on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry.

Following the end of the Monday tour at 5:00 pm, participants will be invited to travel to Lewes, DE aboard the Cape May/Lewes Ferry on the 6:00 – 7:25 pm passage.

Guests who choose to stay in Cape May on Monday night can take the Tuesday 7:00 – 8:25 am ferry to Lewes.

Please note: you must make your own arrangements for travel aboard the Cape May/Lewes Ferry. Click here to book your ferry passage.

Lodging for Monday night

If you choose to travel to Delaware on Monday night and need accommodations, we recommend the Dogfish INN, located at 105 Savannah Rd, Lewes, DE 19958. There are many other hotel accommodations between Lewes, DE and Dorchester County, MD. Our Tuesday tour begins at 12:30 pm, and Lewes is ~1.5 hours from the meeting location.

Dorchester County, Maryland Tour (DRIVING/WALKING)
Date and Time: Tuesday, October 18, 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70/person
Meeting location: small roadside pull-off at the Brodess Farm Site, located near 2881 Greenbrier Road, Bucktown, MD 21613. The GPS Coordinates are: 38.459031,-76.048522

Before the tour begins, we encourage all participants to visit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center on your own. The Visitor Center is located at 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622, just a 10-minute drive to the tour meeting location at the Brodess Site.

We’ll begin the Tuesday afternoon tour at the Brodess Site and Bucktown Store in Dorchester County, MD. After leaving the Bucktown Store, we’ll bird and visit several sites, including:

Blackwater NWR Wildlife Drive
Long Wharf
Dorchester County Courthouse
Bayly House
Take My Hand mural

The tour will end at 5:00 pm. Participants wishing to travel back to Cape May, NJ aboard the Cape May/Lewes Ferry should book the 7:45 – 9:10 pm passage.

Map of sites we will be visiting on Monday, Oct. 17 and Tuesday, Oct. 18

The world will honor Harriet Tubman throughout 2022, marking 200 years since her birth in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. People from far and wide will be sharing and reflecting on her remarkable story. For more than 25 years, Tubman was trapped in the bonds of slavery before escaping – and then returning to Maryland time and again, risking her life to lead her family and friends to freedom. Read more here from our friends at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

On November 18, National Geographic published their 25 amazing journeys for 2022, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland made the list for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge! Click this link to read the article, which features quotes from our friend Alex Green of Harriet Tubman Tours (you will need to enter your email address to read the article).

Some common sense approaches to make your birding and boating trips more enjoyable:

Please make sure you have enough fuel in your vehicle for the tours, as we will not stop at gas stations along the route.
Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for October weather!
Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and/or a hat to protect yourself from the sun. You can still get sunburn in the autumn.
Bring rain gear as all events are rain or shine.
Try to arrive a little before the scheduled trip departs.
Most trips are not appropriate for young children. Please use your discretion when registering.
Be courteous to your fellow birders. Speak quietly and turn off cell phones during trips.
Restroom facilities may be limited during tour stops. Please use the restrooms at the museums and visitor centers. Portable toilets are available at some of our birding locations.

We hope you’ll join us for Birding along the Harriet Tubman Byway!