Port Cape Charles has one of the East Coast's largest concentration of turn-of-the-century and late Victorian buildings. Most of the structures were built from 1885 to 1920, and the town is a Historic District on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Port Cape Charles has a beautiful beach for picnicking and family fun. In July, Port Cape Charles hosts the Blue Crab Music Festival on Strawberry Street in Central Park.
Port Cape Charles has a humid subtropical climate with hot humid summers and mild winters. Temperatures in Port Cape Charles range from an average high of 31°C (88°F) in July to an average low of -1°C (31°F) in January. Precipitation is relatively even throughout the year, although it is heaviest in July and August (over centimeters). Humidity levels in Port Cape Charles range from mid-70% from December through April to almost 85% in from August to early October. Snowfall comes to Port Cape Charles from late November through early April, peaking in late January and early February at just over 7.5 centimeters (three inches).
Located in an old power plant, the Port Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center offers information on the town's history and on the ferry and railroad service. The newly-renovated Town Harbor is a great place to enjoy the Port Cape Charles waterfront.
Facing the Chesapeake Bay, Port Cape Charles has a sandy beachfront park where people enjoy wonderful sunset. Visitors will find several great shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts in Port Cape Charles. The town's Historic Palace Theatre presents special movie screenings, art shows, and live performances.
Located about 14 kilometers (nine miles) southeast of Port Cape Charles on the Delmara Peninsula, the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge is a great place for observing wildlife, and it has a 4.2-kilometer (2.6-mile) hiking and biking trail. In addition to observing wildlife and photography, visitors to the refuge will enjoy boating and hunting. The Visitor Center offers information on the waterfowl and wildlife there as well as the habitats that support them.
The Wise Point Boat Ramp at the refuge offers access to Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It has 41 trailer parking spaces, 21 vehicle parking spaces, two 4.9-meter (16-foot) wide boat ramps, a floating courtesy pier, and restrooms. The Wise Point Boat Ramp is managed to provide recreation that includes fishing and hunting. Opening one-half hour after sunrise and closing on-half hour before sunset, the ramp is closed during the deer hunt and may be closed at other times for maintenance or to protect the public or natural resources. Visitors can tour Fisherman Island Tours on Saturdays from October until mid-March.
Located just north of the refuge about 11 kilometers (nearly seven miles) south of Port Cape Charles is Kiptopeke State Park. Covering over 227 hectares, the park has been the site for studies of the bird population when volunteers capture, examine, and observe resident and migratory birds from mid-August through November. Kiptopeke has one of the nation's 15 top hawk observatories.
Kiptopeke has a yurt (an adaptation of ancient nomadic shelters) available to visitors. The yurt has a large wooden deck, a picnic table, and a fire ring with cooking grate. Cooking, smoking, and pets are not allowed inside the yurt. The yurt sleeps six and uses a heat pump for heat and air. The tent campground bathhouse is about 75 yards away. Kiptopeke also offers RV trailers with sleeping space for six and a camping lodge, or bunkhouse with space for 14 people. There are several campgrounds at Kiptopeke with fire-ring grills. There is a full-service campground as well as a tents-only camp area with no hookups.
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