Good Times in Cape May

Sadly, we have fallen WAY behind with our blog. Luckily, this is due to the fact that we have had busy days, filled with fun and adventure. While this post surely won’t do our time in Cape May justice, I will try to sum up what made our 10 days there pretty great:

1) New friends – Jeff’s parents friends, and now our friends, Chip and Barbara, made us feel at home as they welcomed us to Cape May with an outpouring of hospitality. They opened their home to us and showed us around Cape May, highlighting the fabulous Victorian architecture and Barbara’s family’s long history in the area. We enjoyed some great meals with them at The Red Store and Bella Vida, both of which offered organic and local foods, as well as many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Chip and Barbara also lent us their Jeep so that I could visit the dentist (again!), Jeff could take the outboard engine to be fixed, and we could enjoy a bit of sightseeing. Having wheels really made our experience in Cape May enjoyable. We were able to get some shopping done and trek across town, to Cape May Point, where Chip and Barbara live, for showers. Never underestimate the power of a refreshing shower!

2) Wine and Cheese – If you visit Cape May, you must visit The Cape May Winery and Seaside Cheese Co mpany . The Winery has a beautiful tasting room with knowledgable servers, who will help guide you through a 6 wine tasting of your choice. On the afternoon of our visit, we enjoyed a picnic with Chip and Barbara of delectable cheeses on the outdoor patio.

Seaside Cheese Company is a small slice of heaven in NJ. We had the pleasure of trying about a dozen cheeses while we were in town, and discovered a new guilty pleasure, Triple Cream. Much to my delight, Ellie’s Bakery, which is attached to the cheese shop, creates few gluten-free delights, including brownies, cookies, and cupcakes. Yum!

3) Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May – When Jeff sailed his Catalina 22 to the Chesapeake a few years ago, he anchored in Cape May on the way, and used the dock at Corinthian to get ashore. We are very thankful that CYCCM welcomed us and allowed us to use their beach and docks to work on our dingy engine, take a few showers, and traverse their property with our provisions for 10 days.

4) Brian and Brooke – Jeff’s friend Brian, a former bartender at The Hudson House on LBI, and his soon-to-be-bride, Brooke, joined us for a fun-filled night on the boat. We met them for drinks at The Rusty Nail, a great outdoor surfer bar , with a good selection of beer, and a nice view of the Strip. After a few beers we had a crazy ride out to Bear, during which the dingy, filled with 4 grown adults, 3 coolers of beer, and a few overnight bags, ran out of gas. Jeff graciously offered to row us to safety, despite heckling from a few boats in the anchorage. Brian and Brooke took this opportunity to make a dent in the beer cooler!

Once we made it to Bear, we tied up the dingies, and picked up the hook to go sailing. It was a bumpy ride out as we sailed past Wildwood resort, but the sail back was fast and smooth. Once we reset the hook, we dingied over to The Lobster House for drinks on the barge, and then a delicious meal inside, with plenty of entertainment, compliments of the serving staff!

5) The Boardwalk and Mini Golf – No trip to Cape May, the oldest seaside resort town, would be complete without a trip to the Boardwalk! Our ferociously competitive games of Skeeball, Ms. Pacman, and Pop-a-Shot ended with 57 tickets which we gave to a toddler in need.

The night before we left, we headed out to Cape May Point to play mini golf, despite all of the work we needed to do on the boat to depart early the next morning. Our goal was to catch the tide on Delaware Bay to help propel us to the C&D canal. However, in order to catch this favorable tide, we would need to get underway by 4:30 AM. Yikes!

A few other pics from our time in Cape May: