Jay Lloyd's Getaway: Cape May Point, N.J. In The Fall

By Jay Lloyd

CAPE MAYPOINT, N.J. (CBS) — Want a relaxing, nature-seeking autumn getaway, close to home?

Here's one I took at the Jersey shore that included diamond hunting!

The air and breeze were crisp and the waves were crashing on the partially sunken hulk of the concrete ship, just offshore.

Meanwhile, beachgoers were sifting carefully through the sand and pebbles for shiny Cape May "diamonds."

(Cape May "diamonds." Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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"Cape May diamonds are quartz crystal, and they wash down from the Delaware Water Gap," explains Jeanette Bartolomeo, who polishes and sells them at the Sunset Beach Gift Shop.

(Jeanette Bartolomeo, in the Sunset Beach Gift Shop. Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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She notes the journey can take thousands of years and these stones smooth to a lustrous sheen along the way.

"It is a semi-precious gem," she says.  "Some people use them for engagement rings."

They are also free for the taking on New Jersey's southernmost beach.

Nearby, you can walk nature trails, climb a 19th-century lighthouse (below), or join the throngs watching the hawk-and-seabird migration.

(Looking up at the Cape May Lighthouse. Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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Cape May Point: an incredibly relaxing autumn getaway!

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