Happy Summer, it’s finally here!  I often get asked by clients, where are good places to go during the summer?  That inspired me to do a summer series highlighting different beach towns along the Jersey shore.

IN the first part of my summer series of exploring the beach towns of New Jersey, I am going to cover Cape May.  Despite the fact I have spent nearly my whole life in New Jersey, I never visited Cape May until very recently.

And oh, what a time we had!  First, I should mention it was our first weekend away without the kiddos in a very long time, so it is quite possible that we would have enjoyed it immensely even if we spent the weekend huddled in a darkened bunker (think: peace and quiet).

Luckily, Cape May offers so much to do and see (or not do and just relax, if that’s your angle).  As I mentioned earlier, we ditched entrusted the kids with my intrepid in-laws, and off we journeyed down to Cape May.  It was almost eerie to drive to exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway, and “Road to Nowhere” by the Talking Heads was playing in the back of my mind.  But as we drove in, the town of Cape May began unfolding before us, and it was clear this was a special destination.

Day One

The first order of business was to check into our hotel.  We had agonized over where to stay, and heard many rave reviews about the charming and historic B&B’s.  Ultimately, we chose the Ocean Club Hotel, and from the moment we arrived, cool, modern lobby, the shimmering beach-view pool and festive Tiki bar drew us in.  I’m not the least bit ashamed to admit we spent both afternoons lazing poolside and sampling an assortment of fruity adult beverages.

A beverage such as:

After check-in, it was time for a stroll through the Washington Street outdoor mall.  We ventured over to Tisha’s for lunch, sitting out on the back patio.  I ordered a scrumptious lobster roll wrap with avocado and spinach, divine!  We shopped a bit on the mall, then time to report poolside at our hotel for an afternoon of lounging.  We refreshed with a nap in our gorgeous suite (complete with ocean view deck), then out to dinner.

Dinner was amazing.  On the advice of friends, we booked a reservation at the Peter Shields Inn and Restaurant.  The Restaurant is set inside a spectacular 1907 Georgian Revival mansion, built by Peter Shields at the turn of the century.  He was part of a group of entrepreneurs that wanted to reclaim Cape May’s former glory by creating a grand resort.  The building has served several functions over the years, but currently operates as an Inn and Restaurant.  The Restaurant is a perennial favorite and consistently received top reviews, offering top notch cuisine and a selection of wines from Cape May Winery.  After dining there, it is easy to see why.  I had a delicious Crab Salad appetizer, followed by the heavenly entrée of Pan Roasted Scottish Salmon over Barley Risotto, with Brussels Sprouts, in Apple Smoked Bacon, Red Wine.  We then rolled ourselves back to the hotel.

Peter Shields Inn:

Day Two

We woke up to a sunny, warm morning with a cool breeze, the ideal day for a bike ride.  We decided to load up on breakfast to fuel our ride.  We were lucky enough to have received free breakfast vouchers with our booking. Now, the words “free breakfast voucher” don’t necessarily inspire, but in our case, Ocean Club’s restaurant the Sea Salt Restaurant, provided excellent hearty fare. I ordered the Sea Salt omelet, which was stuffed with jumbo lump crab and spicy sausage, and fresh orange juice and coffee gave me the oomph I needed.

Next, on to rent bikes.  We rented ours at Shields Bike Rental, where we were helped by the super friendly and helpful owner, who wryly noted he was no relation to the “other” Shields family in town.  Off we set on our bikes, pedaling around the Historic District, where we were treated to the view of many gorgeous and lovingly restored Victorian homes.  Here are a few pics I took, more can be seen here.  Then, we biked on to the Lighthouse and WWII lookout tower.  It was a perfect morning excursion, and badly needed exercise in the middle of our bacchanalian dining and drinking weekend.

Historic District:

Speaking of, it was time for lunch!  We lunched at the Mad Batter, sitting in the front porch.  Blackened fish tacos and sweet potato fries were amazing, but it was becoming all too much and I actually found myself uttering the unthinkable, “I’m getting tired of eating”.  We were able to rest up poolside back at the hotel, and it was a good thing I had that lunch to help soak up the rum drinks that somehow kept appearing before me.

One snooze later, it was time to head to Sunset Beach to watch the sunset and 40 year tradition, Evening Flag ceremony.  The sun lit up the sky over the Delaware Bay like fireworks, which would have been spectacular all by itself.  The Evening Flag ceremony was deeply emotional, featuring a flag flown at mast.  The flag is a veteran’s casket flag that their family brings with them from their loved one’s funeral, and the family also attends the ceremony.  Truly inspiring!

View from Sunset Beach:

Last but certainly not least, we headed for a late dinner at the BYOB restaurant 410 Bank Street.  The atmosphere was simply enchanting.  The entrance felt like you were entering a secret garden, and the dining room was cozy and festive.  We dined on Grilled Shrimp with Mango Relish and Caribbean Cole Slaw, Chilean sea bass with pecan crust with shrimp and crawfish creole sauce, and an amazing bread pudding.

Enchanting Entrance:

That night we slept well, and woke up refreshed and rejuvenated for our return home.  We had an incredible and relaxing two days in Cape May, and can’t wait to return!

Have you been to Cape May recently? What did you think?  Add a comment and let us know!