Sometimes a vacation should be about nothing but pure relaxation.

Very often, we get so excited about our vacations that we over-plan and cram our time with things to do. We want to see all the sights, do all the shopping, get involved with everything and we forget to simply relax. Sea Isle City in Cape May County, New Jersey, is a perfect place to remember to relax. With a mile and a half of straight, deep beachfront, almost everything is right on the beach. And Sea Isle City caters to vacationers, with plenty of restaurants and bars close to the promenade, so that you can sit back and soak in the sun and spend less time traveling from place to place.

But if you want, a Sea Isle City vacation doesn't have to be all about the promenade, the beach, the relaxing. Cape May County is at the southern tip of New Jersey, easily accessible to the vibrant attractions of Atlantic City; it's just a few miles away. Whether you're into the sparkling nightlife and gambling of the house that Trump built or you prefer the pampering at one of the world-famous spas here, you can spend the day in Atlantic City and return to your comfortable vacation home retreat on the beach in Sea Isle City.

Vacationing With Kids

If you have kids, you've fallen prey to it: the idea that the only great vacation with your children is one that involves a man in a mouse suit, or water slides, or video games and roller coasters. We don't seem to remember the simple pleasures anymore, or how simple children really are. When was the last time you had fun with an empty cardboard box? When you were a kid or when you were playing with your kids, of course.

We put our kids under far too much stress these days. A Cape May County vacation on the beach will remind you that your children can entertain themselves. You can watch your kids racing the waves on the beach while you relax in the sun, or you can help them build a sand castle or bury their father in the sand.

Beachcombing is a popular pastime in Sea Isle City; the wide flat beach is a magnet for shells and ocean debris of all sorts. What do you think about exploring the beaches in the morning with your kids, finding shells and ocean-weathered wood?

Or you can take them down to see the lighthouse at Cape May Point, a classic tall white monument to life on the sea. In June, July, and August, festivals and dozens of kid-friendly events take place throughout Cape May County and on the promenade at Sea Isle City. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out who your kids are once they come out from behind the Gameboys and Ipods.