Rainy days

A bay week gets at least one gray day. The houses are built for it, which is more useful than a list of attractions you will not drive to in a downpour.

Fern has a wood-burning fireplace and central heat. The Delford has an indoor fireplace and central air. Whole-home heating is not listed for The Delford, so if you are booking a cool month, ask before you request. Both have a washer and dryer, which matters more on a wet Tuesday than it does in the photos. Fern has board games and a Roku on the HDTV. The Delford has a TV and a desk. The kitchens in both are full kitchens, not kitchenettes. A rainy day is a good day to cook.

If you do go out, Cape May is fifteen minutes. Washington Street Mall is an outdoor pedestrian street, so it is not a mall you can hide in, but the shops are close together and some have awnings. The museums are the real indoor hour. Cape May MAC, the art museum, is the one to check first for what is on. The Emlen Physick Estate is the Victorian house tour, good if the group likes that and the tour is running. Confirm both. Seasonal hours are the rule here, not the exception.

The ferry is a covered crossing if the boat is running. Weather that makes the beach miserable can also cancel the boat. Look at the day’s schedule before you drive to the terminal.

Do not force the boardwalk in the rain with small children. The Wildwoods are better as a sun day. A storm day at the house, with the fireplace and a puzzle, is the one guests remember as fondly as the beach. The scores on both houses mention comfort and the indoor rooms for a reason.

If the rain is only an hour, the pools are still there when it stops. The Delford’s pool is open April 25 to October 25. Fern’s season is confirmed when you book. For the restaurants that are worth getting wet for, see where to eat.