If you are on a budget, I recommend Galveston. You can catch some free dinners occasionally too. That's best I got around here. LOL!!

Just because you encountered one idiot doesn't mean a place is bad for cycling.

I've visited Wildwood/Cape May annually for 3 years and bring my bike every time because it's great riding. I've done multiple 80 milers up to Ocean City (thru Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City) and back to Cape May, via both inland and coastal routes. And it's a great great ride. For shorter rides, cruising around the back roads of cape may (near the ferry terminal, lighthouse, and vineyards, that type of area) is excellent. Couple spots of bumpy roads but overall I think Cape may is a great answer to this question. Dead-ass flat roads, wind can be an issue but that's what you get near the coast. Also, the beaches there are among the best. Great spot for chillin' after a long ride in the morning. Don't let "Jersey Shore" fool you - sure, Wildwood proper is sorta like that with the boardwalks and is full of annoying people starting at 10am, but Cape May has a totally different vibe. Reminds me of Nantucket and Cape Cod. We stay in Wildwood Crest because the beaches are all free, more accessible, and lodging is more affordable (and my wife prefers the beach access), but Wildwood Crest is further south of Wildwood proper. It's near southern end of the Wildwood "island" - very close to the bridge to Cape May. We go to the beach in Wildwood Crest then hang out in Cape May if we want to go somewhere.

Another benny ...

I’m ready for my next move on. I never road a car in Melbourne ,Australia, for 25 years, bike and public transport was awesome. Just finishing up on 35 years in San Diego. Fantastic rides, fantastic riders, but as someone who values time, and doesn’t believe in driving a car to ride a bike, the magic has gone. My suburb never gets repaving92117, while next door 92122 has been done 4 times, regardless of condition. So there are constantly crappy roads, a growing angry constituency in pick up trucks, irony, all I drive, that resents and insults me, and more and more traffic, and traffic lights. The only plus is the Tri Club, and Koz races.

So, I found the town for my next 3 decades. Los Osos. Building moratorium, due to water, I can see the ocean, the bay, good by swimming, hello kayaking, and I can go out my door gravel, dirt, or road, for endless miles. Hope you find your magic place.

I think maybe Maiorca is what you are looking for.

I currently live in Raleigh, NC and am considering a move to the Morehead City/Emerald Isle area this summer. I would like to switch to more Swim/Run races and keep the bike for more occasional rides and cross training.

Is there something particularly not desirable about the ocean swims in that area?

Where did you do most of your gravel rides?

Thanks in advance!

"Bennies" are in North Jersey; in South Jersey we have "shoobies"

I can tell you the WORST

We were in Cape May one Summer day [actually a LOT of days, but I'm only going to talk about this one particular day] and some AirBNB-ing tourist was slow-pedaling his beefy cruiser down Beach Avenue. He was wearing a floral shirt, cargo shorts, Teva-like sandals, and a straw hat [NOT a helmet, mind you].

He was making 8 mph or so [less than 2/3 as fast as a Kenyan runs, to put in perspective] down the middle of the street. Yeah, right in front of me, and the parade of cars that was forming behind me. Ok, not the MIDDLE of the street, but far enough into the lane that I couldn't get around. As a cyclist, I could see that he was over that much, so he wouldn't get doored. Still, I laid on my horn and advised that he pick up the pace, and yield somewhat to the vehicles behind

I believe that my exact words were "Hurry the fuck up, or move the fuck over"

He gently glided to his right with just barely enough room for me to go past, without crossing into opposing lane.

When we came to the light, he asked, in his most condescending and entitled tone possible "You have a problem?"
"Look asshole, I'm a cyclist myself, and can appreciate your position, but I will GLADLY run you the fuck over if you get in my way one more fucking time. And if *I* don't someone else will. And put a fucking helmet on. That luau hat looks stupid as shit"

I'm not the slightest bit proud of myself for that one. I even went to Confession for it the following Saturday afternoon