EXIT ZERO may 2013 « $4.95
Secrets of the Chalfonte Hotel and other great Cape May stories
PS: THE ULTIMATE TO-DO GUIDE STARTS ON PAGE 115
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the big events guide 7
inside this issue
The events and happenings you need to know about
a taste of honey 16 Meet Doug and Andi Marandino, owners of a sweet new business.
the new wine country 22 The Cape May wine trail is something you need to experience.
the ultimate food and drink chart 27 Everything you need to know about indulging in Cape May.
the art of clamshell pitching 36 The fascinating history of a sport that originated on the island.
a day in the life of... mark jacopec 52 From 19-mile bike rides to night-long bongo sessions.
secrets of the chalfonte 62 Twenty-five things you need to know about this amazing old hotel.
the ultimate cape may bargain 68 How to spend $25 and save $460 while having a blast!
country, classical, jigs and jazz 76 A handy guide to this year’s Cape May Music Festival.
cape may through the artists’ eyes 84 Beautiful new paintings feature at SOMA NewArt Gallery.
world-class theater in cape may 90 Lynn Cohen heads up a trio of actors in Cape May Stage’s new show.
sneak preview of a fascinating new book 98 The Cape is a compelling tale set in 17th-century Cape May.
the ultimate cape may to-do guide 115 All the recreational activities you need to know about.
the definitive cape may trolley guide 126 From ghosts to fighting the Germans... it’s all here!
experience a natural wonderland 136 Have you tried birding in Cape May? Maybe you should.
cape count 144 A page of quirky statistics about your favorite island...
cover painting by marie natale
about us editor/publisher/designer Jack Wright jack@exitzero.us advertising manager Jason Black jason@exitzero.us
Modern American cuisine with a cool and casual vibe...
staff writer Diane Stopyra diane@exitzero.us staff artist Mike DeMusz mike@exitzero.us creative consultant Victor Grasso historical editor Ben Miller photographers Aleksey Moryakov, Sandy Maloney, Gabi Urda
1 Sunset Boulevard, Cape May (609) 898-0100 • www.blackduckonsunset.com
A family place A first-date place A dinner-and-a-movie place A perfect place for any occasion.
graphic artist Doree Bardes contributing writers Kate Chadwick, Mark Chamberlain, Catherine Dugan, Jack Fichter, David Gray, Terry O’Brien, Tom Sims distribution Ashley Larson labeler Mary Smith exit zero store & gallery manager Michele Mulligan exit zero store & gallery team Diane Carson, Martha Kesler, Sharon Holden, Beth Olivero exit zero color magazine is published six times a year. Annual subscription is $25. Or $50 for these AND our 47 black-and-white issues. It’s a great deal! To subscribe call (609) 770-8479 or visit ezstore.us Published by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc. 109 Sunset Boulevard, Suite D, Cape May, NJ 08204 Telephone: (609) 770-8479 Fax: (609) 770-8481
godmother’s
broadway & west perry street cape may (609) 884-4543 .godmothersrestaurant.com
E-mail: info@exitzero.us Website: exitzero.us Online store: ezstore.us president Jack Wright vice-president Jason Black
If you really want to experience Cape May, show your mug at ours.
A local institution for more than half a century. Classic traditional bar meets full-service family-friendly restaurant. Live entertainment nightly! 426 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, cape may • (609) 884-3459
A Little Slice of the Caribbean
ISLAND GRILL’S FRESH FISH PREPARED GRILLED, SAUTÉED, OR BLACKENED WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAUCE. LEMON NAGE, TROPICAL FRUIT SALSA, OR MANGO BEURRE BLANC... AND TRY OUR CHEF’S JERK SEASONING
ISLAND GRILL does catering! PROVIDING FULL SERVICES FOR ALL OCCASIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE • CREATIVITY INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS • DETAIL ORIENTED CAROL HERFORTH - 609.408.0612
311 MANSION STREET, CAPE MAY RESERVATIONS 609.884.0200 * CASH ONLY
editor’s letter
The clamshells used by pitcher extraordinaire, the late Rich Reinhart. See our story on page 36 — it’s all you ever needed to know about the sport.
T
Victor Grasso has been doing our color covers since 2006. Victor is busy preparing for a major solo show at the Noyes Museum later this year, so we are excited to welcome another great artist into our fold, Marie Natale, whose brilliant watercolor of the Chalfonte Hotel graces this cover. See our interview with Marie on page 86. Then there’s our chat with the artisanal-minded owners of Cape May Honey Farm, the newest business on the Sunset Boulevard block, which lends just one more example of why Cape Island is the sweetest place to be… as if you needed more (see page 16). And our roving correspondent Jon Roth did a great job previewing the upcoming Cape May Music Festival, which we feel flies a little under the radar given how much musical talent the event brings to our neck of the woods (see page 76). And don’t miss a great story by Staff Writer Diane Stopyra, who delivers everything you could possibly want to know about... clamshell pitching, a simple game with a fanatical following, a history that might surprise you, and a future that’s looking bright. Whether you’re a seasoned visitor or you’re just discovering our fair city (and magazine) for the first time, we think your future is looking bright, too. If you’re lucky enough to be here this time of year then, as they say, you’re lucky enough. Enjoy your time in Cool Cape May, and enjoy the issue.
he bikes are back on the streets, the shops are open (along with our windows), and the local farms are sprouting all sorts of leafy greens… all signs that a new summer is almost upon us. And with the upcoming season comes what you’ve got in your hands right now, the first in a new series of color issues from Exit Zero, each of them bringing something, well, new. We’re especially excited for you to read the excerpt on page 98 from our latest book project, The Cape. This fascinating story, which follows the first white man to land on a Lenni-Lenape inhabited cape in the 1600s, was pecked out on a typewriter (held together with fishing wire) more than 70 years ago. It was authored by a south Jersey-based chicken farmer/carpenter called Charles Miskelly, who refused an offer of publication from Philadelphia’s J.B. Lippincott & Co. in the 1940s because they wanted to make some minor changes to the manuscript. (He was a proud man, and perhaps a little naive about the publishing industry. The manuscript lay in a box until last year, when the writer’s grandson, George Carlisle, brought it to us. “It should be read,” George told us, and we think so, too… the narrative’s beautiful descriptions of the natural world make it worth your time. Throw in a love story, battles between the white and the red men, plus a couple shipwrecks and pirates, and you have a compelling read. As for whether or not the tale is based on true events… your guess is as good as ours. Speaking of something new, loyal readers will know that artist
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JACK WRIGHT Editor/Publisher
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Open daily from 11:30
609-884-8296 thelobsterhouse.com facebook.com/TheLobsterHouseRestaurant
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The big May-June events guide
April 26 - November 10 CAPE MAY’S CHALFONTE HOTEL: A LIVING NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Built by Civil War hero Henry Sawyer, taken prisoner and then dramatically freed, the Chalfonte is the oldest continuously operated hotel in Cape May (beating Congress Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1878, by a year). Home to heroes, heroines, heartaches, legends, love affairs, unforgettable characters and nationally famous cooks, the hotel’s intriguing history comes alive in the Carriage House Gallery at the Physick Estate. Author Karen Fox adapts her book, The Chalfonte (published by Exit Zero!), into an intriguing museum exhibit showcasing life and legends at the hotel, from Henry Sawyer’s handwritten battlefield diaries and prison letters to more than a century of vintage photos, watercolors, architectural drawings, kitchen diaries, first person narratives and memorabilia of guests who return to the hotel over five and six generations.
Dot and Lucille Burton, who have been cooking in the kitchen of The Chalfonte Hotel for more than 60 years, following in the footsteps of their mother, Helen. The ladies are featured in the exhibition “Cape May’s Chalfonte Hotel: A Living National Historic Landmark”, which is running at the Emlen Physick Estate until November. The exhibition is based on Karen Fox’s wonderful hardcover, full-color book, The Chalfonte.
May 3-5 FIFTH ANNUAL STRICTLY BOATERS BOAT SHOW At South Jersey Marina — situated at the entrance to Cape May, on the harbor — is a boat show for people who actually, well, boat. Contact South Jersey Marina at 609-898-9500.
May 4 chocolate championship tour and tasting Inns, B&Bs and restaurants are vying for Cape May’s Chocolate Champion title and you’re the judge. 1pm to 3pm. Call 609-884-5404. May 4 spring festival crafts and antiques show The Emlen Physick Estate becomes an outdoor marketplace as vendors from throughout the Northeast display their wares. Free admission. Free parking. 10am to 4pm. Call 609-884-5404. May 4 murder mystery dinner Join the Impromptu Players who will set the scene for a new original mystery, Foul Weather Fiend, at Carriage House Café and Tearoom, 1048 Washington Street. Enjoy a four-course dinner as you contemplate the clues. $45 per person. 7pm. Call 609-884-5404. May 4 private homes tour Step inside Cape May’s private residences — ranging from the Victorian era to the 21st century — which are not normally open to the public. Adults
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“BEST AMERICAN” and “TOP 25 RESTAURANTS IN THE STATE” New Jersey Monthly
Serving Dinner
from
5:30
pm
oceanfront porch dining available
Beach Avenue & Howard Street at the
H o t e l M a c o mb e r
609 884 8811 www.unionparkdiningroom.com
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$15; children (ages 3-12) $10. 11am to 1pm. Call 609-884-5404. May 5 murder mystery luncheon Join the Impromptu Players who will set the scene for a new original mystery, Foul Weather Fiend, at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street. Enjoy a three-course luncheon as you contemplate the clues. $30 per person. 1pm. Call 609-884-5404. May 8 EXPLORE THE SHORE From 11am to 12:30pm, explore the secrets of Cape May’s harbor by discovering the marsh with an expert naturalist from the Nature Center of Cape May. Call 609898-8848. May 10 30TH ANNUAL WORLD SERIES OF BIRDING It was in 1984 that the New Jersey Audubon Society first challenged birders to “cross the Jersey line” for a 24-hour birding competition. Since the first year, thousands of birders have taken up the challenge.
The 30th annual World Series of Birding will be held in Cape May from May 10, when some very serious birders will be out to spot as many species in one day — and we’re talking more than 400!
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May 11 FAMILY HIKE: BIRDS, BUGS AND MORE From 1-2pm, join an expert naturalist in identifying butterflies, birds, mammals and more. Cost is $5, at the Nature Center of Cape May. Call 609-898-8848.
May 11 Cape may lighthouse 25/20 celebration Help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) reopening the Cape May Lighthouse for climbs to the top, and the release after 20 years of the digitally remastered CD by Cape May guitarist Geno White, Music From Inside the Lighthouse. The event runs from 2pm to 5pm. Call 609884-5404. May 11 delaware bay lighthouse adventure Come aboard the Cape May Whale Watcher or the Spirit of Cape May to view and photograph historic lighthouses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 10 am to 5pm. Tickets are $99. Call 609-884-5404. May 11 EXPLORE THE SHORE From 11am to 12:30pm, explore the secrets of Cape May’s harbor by discovering the marsh with an expert naturalist from the Nature Center of Cape May. Call 609898-8848.
May 11 34TH ANNUAL GREAT CAPE MAY FOOT RACE The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May will transform the Cape May beachfront into a certified 5k and 10k race course. May 15-18 37TH ANNUAL CAPE MAYGRATION SPRING BIRDING FESTIVAL Did you know that Cape May is the birding capital of the universe? Learn all about it during this important festival. Call 609884-2736. June 16 FATHER’S DAY FISHING TRIP From 1-5pm, take this special fishing trip, just for you and dad, sailing from South Jersey Marina. Cost is $35 for adults and $25 for children. Call the boat directly — 609-780-7900. May 16-19 Washington street mall sidewalk sale Hit the Washington Street Mall from 9am to 7pm, and browse a variety of affordable
“100 Most Romantic Restaurant” in America — 2013 open table #1 “Best Overall Restaurant” Atlantic City Region — april 2013 open table
1 3 0 1 B E A C H AV E N U E , C A P E M AY • 6 0 9 . 8 8 4 . 9 0 9 0
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merchandise. Visit washingtonstreetmall. com. May 17 GABLES AUCTION This art auction at the Inn of Cape May will benefit local food banks. Begins at 6pm, and admission is $10. May 18 armed forces day ceremony at the world war II lookout tower The restored World War II Lookout Tower is the perfect setting to pay tribute to the dedicated men and women who have helped preserve our freedom. Free admission. Call 609-884-5404. May 18 and 25 EXPLORE THE SHORE From 11am to 12:30pm, explore the secrets of the harbor by discovering the marsh with an expert naturalist from the Nature Center of Cape May. Call 609-898-8848. May 26 - June 13 24th annual Cape may music festival Enjoy world-class orchestral and cham-
The 34th annual Great Cape May Foot Race will be held May 11. Pictured is last year’s event — looking good, Rick Hubbs, in #258!
Oyster Bay
Coffees • Smoothies Breakfast Sandwiches Specialty Sandwiches Bagels • Baked Goods Cappuccinos • Lattes Gourmet Cream Cheeses
STEAKS SEAFOOD
Dinner Nightly from 5pm Happy Hour Daily • 4:00-6:30pm Check Out Our Fabulous New Bar featuring a New Bar Menu!
7 Gurney Street Cape May (609) 898-8088 3704 Bayshore Road North Cape May (609) 846-0040
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(609) 884-2111 • 615 Lafayette St, Cape May
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ber music, a world traditions series and Bach’s Lunches at the 24th annual Cape May Music Festival. For ticket information, visit capemaymac.org, and see our preview starting on page 76. May 26 crafts and antiques for memorial day Browse country crafts, folk art, customdesigned jewelry, antiques and a choice selection of Victorian items at Cape May Convention Hall. Admission is $2. 10am to 4pm. May 27 cape may city’s memorial day ceremony Amidst all the barbequing and beachplaying of a long weekend, it’s important to remember the reason for the holiday. Honor America’s fallen heroes at the Columbia Avenue Monument at 11am. Visit capemayrecreation.org. May 27 - September 30 ORIGINAL SALT MARSH SAFARI Welcome aboard the Jersey Cape’s original wildlife tour boat, the Skimmer, and
and
explore Cape May’s beatuiful coastal wetlands with experienced naturalists. Call 609-884-3100. May 29 bach’s lunch Enjoy a mini-concert by members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and an elegant Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Café and Tearoom located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. 12:30pm; $30 per person. Call 609884-5404. June 1 WEST CAPE MAY STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL It’s held every year on the first Saturday of June in Wilbraham Park, and it features all things strawberry plus unique vendors. 9am to 5pm. Call 609-884-9325. June 1 and 8 EXPLORE THE SHORE From 11am to 12:30pm, explore the secrets of Cape May’s harbor by discovering the marsh with an expert naturalist from the Nature Center of Cape May. Call 609898-8848.
CLIPPER SHIP PUB
Dinner from 5-9pm Early Dinner Specials 5-6pm Lite Fare Pub Menu 5-10pm 1/2 Price Raw Bar Items 5-6pm in the Pub Reservations: 609-884-5878 991 Ocean Drive, Cape May www.blueclawrestaurant.com
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June 5 Bach’s Lunch Enjoy a mini-concert by members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and an elegant Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Café and Tearoom located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. 12:30pm; $30 per person. Call 609884-5404. June 2-9 RESTAURANT WEEK Known for its variety of fine dining experiences, from casual sit-down to formal dining, Cape May will showcase its best restaurants. Visit cmrestaurantweek.com. June 4-27 FAMILY FISHING TRIPS It’s fun for the whole gang, every Tuesday and Thursday, on the Cape May Lady. Call 609-780-7900. June 5 Dr. Physick’s 158th birthday party Celebrate the birthday of Dr. Emlen Physick, Cape May’s illustrious Victorian citizen, on the grounds of the 1879 Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. And
Beautifully decorated cakes for every special occasion. 100% vegetarian. Vegan and gluten-free recipes available. 482 West Perry Street Cape May 609.884.7454 capemaybakers.com
T U R I S
Turdo Vineyards & Winery 3911 Bayshore Rd., North Cape May, NJ 08204 609-884-5591 - www.turdovineyards.com Open Daily Memorial Day - Labor Day Off Season - Call for Hours
* Wine Tasting - Retail Shop - Private Parties & Tastings Available
Nero D’Avola Sangiovese Barbera Dolcetto Nebbiolo Pinot Noir Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec Persara Rubino Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio Rosato Moscato
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watch a croquet match... wear your summer whites and root for your favorite players. The event starts at 10am. Call 609884-5404. June 6-9 33RD SOUTH JERSEY SHARK TOURNAMENT It’s the richest shark tournament in New Jersey.Contact South Jersey Marina at 609-884-2400. June 8 SISTER CAPE BIKE TOUR Get familiar with our sister cape, Cape Henlopen State Park. Expect to cover about 20 miles while exploring natural and cultural gems. Starts at 8:30am. Call 609-898-8848. June 8-9 boardwalk craft show This is the 21st craft show of its kind, but only the second to take place at Cape May’s Convention Hall, which opened last year. It’s the perfect time for a treasure hunt. For details, visit capemayrecreation. org.
June 12 bach’s lunch Enjoy a mini-concert by members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and an elegant Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Café and Tearoom located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. 12:30pm; $30 per person. Call 609-884-5404. June 14-16 HARBOR FEST Check out the Blessings of the Waters ceremony on the 14th, and then enjoy an oldfashioned street festival at the harbor, featuring water activities and demonstrations, the popular scallop cook-off, a beer garden and vendors, ending with a Coast Guard SAR demonstration. Water taxi includes stops at South Jersey Marina and Canyon Club Resort Marina. Call 609-884-2400. June 16 SCAVENGER HUNT BIKE: FATHER’S DAY It’s not a race; it’s an adventure! Call the Nature Center of Cape May for details of this fun family event on 609-898-8848.
Uncle Bill’s
June 18-27 HARBOR SAFARI Tuesdays and Thursdays, pull a 20-foot seine net through the shallows of Cape May’s harbor. Call 609-898-8848. June 18 CRABBING 101 Come aboard the 40-foot Skimmer for a hands-on crabbing experience and demonstration. Call 609-889-8848. June 20 SISTER CAPE BIKE TOUR Get familiar with the “other side:” our sister cape, Cape Henlopen State Park. Expect to cover about 20 miles while exploring natural and cultural gems. Meet at the Cape May Lewes Ferry at 8:30am. Call 609-898-8848.
Green Street Market
& FAMILY RESTAURANT
Natural Health & Gourmet 0rganic produce Grass fed organic meats Organic poultry Gluten Free Vegan Vitamins and Herbal Supplements
Open every day!
open 7 days
Outdoor seating!
3167 RT. 9 South Rio Grande NJ 08242 (next to Avalon Coffee) 609-463-0606 www.greenstreetmarket.com email: info@greenstreetmarket.com
BEACH AVENUE & PERRY STREET, CAPE MAY (609) 884-7199
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June 17 - September 9 CAPE MAY HARBOR AND SALT MARSH SUNSET CRUISE Explore the scenic and historic harbor. You’ll see quaint boathouses, the commerial fishing fleet, and Sewell Point. Call 609-898-3500.
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Aleathea’s Restaurant
AT 7 OCEAN
Superb food, elegant bar, antique store, dining room with ocean views... it’s all here! Breakfast - Daily 8-10am Lunch - Saturday & Sunday 11:30am-2pm Dinner - Daily Starting at 5pm
HAPPY HOUR Sunday through Friday 3-5pm 7 Ocean Street at the Inn of Cape May 609.884.5555 | www.innofcapemay.com exit zero
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FEATURE STORY
a taste of honey in cape may Forget those little bearshaped plastic bottles at the grocery market. Chances are they’re filled with adulterated honey from China, minus the goodies that make this one of nature’s superfoods. Enter Doug and Andi Marandino, whose 25 local hives are producing the purest product you can get. Sweet!
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Serving fine food since 1988
Open Daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (609) 884-9119 322 Washington Street Mall, Cape May www.tishasfinedining.com Pet Friendly Back Patio!
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Previous page: Doug Marandino chooses not to wear a full-body suit when tending to his bees. “They don’t really want to sting,” he says. Above: A look at some of the products carried by Cape May Honey Farm, including air-purifying beeswax candles.
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W
E met up with Doug and Andriana (Andi) Marandino at their new Cape May Honey Farm, on Sunset. Here, next to blueberry and cranberry-infused honies stocked on the store’s handmade shelves, which Doug concocted out of his own hive boxes, we got the skinny on the superfood that’s being harvested by one of Cape Island’s supercouples, and why there’s so much more to the sweet stuff than you might think…
How did you two meet? andi: I’m from Bulgaria, and I came to Cape May in 2002 with three friends as part of an exchange program. I don’t remember how we chose Cape May… I think we looked at a map and thought: This will work, there’s a beach! We made great friends, and kept coming back. I started working for the Craig family, first at the Pelican Club and later at the
Washington Inn, where Doug was — and still is — sous chef. I had a lot of jobs at that restaurant — server, hostess, bartender, and catering consultant, but on my first night, in 2006, I was cleaning menus, and I noticed Doug’s name on the bottom… Doug Marandino. I thought: Oh God, how beautiful the name Andriana Marandino would be; it sounds just like a song! I guess when you wish for something, when you put it out there, the universe works with you. We met, started dating, and were married in 2008. Is there anything about your Washington Inn jobs that has informed your work in the honey business? doug: I love anything artisanal that’s handmade or crafted locally — it’s part of the reason I also enjoy doing the roasting for Cape May Roasters — and my work at the restaurant has helped feed this passion; there, we make pastas and raviolis by hand, cure our fish by hand, and lots of artisanal things. How did you learn the business? andi:
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My family harvests honey in Bulgaria; my grandfather has always had hives, and I’ve always been around it, but because I spent so many summers in Cape May, I didn’t help much with the honey extraction. Really, I learned everything from Doug. doug: When I was a kid, my cousins had beehives, and my dad would take me to a gourmet health food market that had hives in the back that I would sit and watch. But shortly after we got married we took a trip to Bulgaria. Seeing Andi’s family and friends do it was the turning point. I took a class at the Rutgers co-op, I’ve watched all the videos I can find and read all the books. I talk with as many local beekeepers as possible, and I Skype with a friend in Bulgaria who has over 100 hives. So how many bees do you have now? doug: We started out with two hives, now we have about 25, at four locations around Cape May. In the peak of the season, each hive will have between 40,000 and 50,000
Miss Mary and HotDog Tommy say “Hey” and welcome you to the start of their second decade doing ‘dogs, salads, and mashed potatoes at the beach. They’re getting old, but their food isn’t!
jackson at beach avenue, cape may
(609) 884-8388 • hotdogtommys.com
UKAI
A s ia n r e s tau r a n t Japanese, chinese, Thai, malaysian CUISINE Lunch | Dinner | Take-out | Reservations Available
We Serve Sushi Too!
www.sushiukai.com OPEN 7 DAYS: Mon-Thur 11am-10:30pm Fri & Sat 11am-11pm | Sun 12noon-10pm
PH 609-770-7773 1500 Route 47 South, #E1E2 (next to Dollar Tree) Rio Grande NJ 08242
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bees. The queen lays 2,000 eggs a day. And is she really queen of the hive? doug: Oh, yes. One bee controls the whole colony. Is it true that bees communicate through dance? doug: When the forager bees find a good source — a field of apple blossoms or sunflowers or whatever it may be — they communicate the distance of it to the rest of the hive through what’s called a waggle, a figure-eight type of dance. However many times they waggle, that tells the others how far away it is. Give me another piece of little-known bee trivia that people find fascinating. doug: It’s pitch black inside the hive. Everything that’s done there — wax production, honey production — it’s all done in the dark, by feel only. andi: And yet, the cells of the honeycomb, they’re all perfect. Now for the question everyone must ask… don’t you get stung? doug: I’ve only been stung about eight times in total, and every time it’s because I’ve accidentally grabbed a bee or squished a bee… it’s never because they want to sting me. I don’t wear a fullbody suit; only a face veil, and that’s only because I don’t want to have a lip out to here. How do you balance work, family, and more work? doug: There’s not enough hours in the day, really. andi: It is hard, because we’re new parents. Our son Marcus is two, so we’re still getting the hang of it. Doug is already in the restaurant 12 hours a day; now he’ll be even busier. But we’re kind of used to the summer rhythm. We’re lucky to have a lot of help. Doug’s parents are close by, my mother has stayed with us the last two summers, and my sister will be our babysitter this summer. We’ll be sure to do all of our labeling, bottling, and packaging after Marcus goes to bed, so he doesn’t feel neglected. So, how do you spend what little free time you have? andi: We go to the beach when we can. We try to tire Marcus out by going to the zoo or the playground, or by taking bikes to Belleplain. When you opened in March, you told Exit Zero that if it comes from a hive, you’ll be carrying it. What are some of these products, and what are the benefits of them? doug: We are featuring honey from a wide variety of sources., not just ours but international honey, and really nice artisanal honey from all over New Jersey. All of them will be from beekeepers — nothing commercial. andi: Wildflower honey is great for allergies. Linden helps with anxiety, so it’s great before bed. Buckwheat is great for bronchitis or a sore throat. Manuca from New Zealand is high in antiseptic qualities, so it’s used in gels and patches for exposed wounds. All honey is loaded with amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. A lot of athletes have started taking it instead of energy drinks, because it does have sugar, but a natural kind, so it breaks down quicker. The pollen lowers cholesterol, and has b12, which helps with the nervous system and the production of red blood cells. Then you have royal jelly, which rejuvenates the body. I put it on my hair and skin. We also carry beeswax candles, which purify the air by collecting particles of dead skin and dust and pulling them toward the ground. Nothing the bees make goes to waste. What does it mean when people say that honey is an “adulterated” food? doug: When you buy grocery store honey, you don’t
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While her husband Doug harvests honey, Andi Marandino mans the Cape May Honey Farm shop, where the bottling and labeling is done by hand.
know what you’re getting… possibly Chinese honey that’s been laundered through different countries. I saw a picture the other day of imitation honey. It was in the little bear-shaped container, and in the real fine print, the label read ‘imitation honey’. Also, the stuff in the grocery store has been pasteurized, so that all of the fine particles — all the stuff that’s good for you — has been taken out. Is it ever difficult working with your spouse? andi: We complement one another. He’s good at certain things; I’m good at other things. We did it with our wedding — 120 guests, a big production — and we pulled it off in three months. And this year, we did the same with this store. Together, we do make things happen. There are plenty of places that would appreciate what you’re doing. Why Cape May? doug: It’s a great town, full of great people. andi: We live in Rio Grande, but when we want to do anything, like take a walk, or go out for a nice meal, we come to Cape May. Everyone has been so welcoming and receptive. We love it here. Do your bees become at all like pets to you? doug: Not so much pet-like, but it’s so peaceful and relaxing when I’m out there working the hives, away from the hustle and bustle of restaurants. It’s a lot of hard work, but to me it’s relaxing. andi: Before, I’d be scared when I saw a bee, but now I don’t want to disturb what the bee is doing. It’s not like I’d go out of my way to squish it before, but I just have more appreciation for them now. I’ve come to understand how really important they are.
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The ONLY place for Southwestern cuisine. At the heart of the Historic District.
Open Daily for Lunch and Dinner!
carpenter’s square mall cape may • (609) 898-7750
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FEATURE STORY
welcome to the new wine country “The New York Times” is lauding this region as the perfect place to grow wine. We visited the six local vineyards that have created a wine trail you need to experience.
ARTICLE BY MARK CHAMBERLAIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEKSEY MORYAKOV exit zero
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“The Outer Coastal Plain might be the perfect place to make fine wine in America. The region, which has nearly the same sandy soil composition as Bordeaux, experiences a warm growing season; spring frosts are rare; and the breezes from the Atlantic Ocean and a local bay are ideal for winemaking.” — New York Times, March 12
T
he way a sailor comes to know the sea, reading the sky and the winds for coming weather that will alter currents and tides, a winemaker knows the soil. How to reads the vines, coaxing and nurturing them until they produce just the right grape with just the right sweetness. Every detail is critical: cutting in winter, budding in spring, watering in summer (too much can ruin the grape), harvesting in fall. And watching, always watching. Are the vines being attacked by bacteria? Or bugs? Is the nutrient balance right? This is a passion that begins in the field and culminates in the glass. Cape May County, being a land mass surrounded by water and blessed with sandy, mineral-rich soil, is particularly
well suited to grape growing. As The New York Times reported this spring, the Outer Coastal Plain (which includes Cape May) is an underappreciated winemaking region. The area has received a coveted AVA designation, making it an official American Viticultural Area. So... what gives? After summer, the sun-warmed ocean and bay continue acting as a heater, warming the air through the fall and extending the wine-growing season. Meanwhile, those heavenly offthe-water breezes — you know, the ones we’ve enjoyed from the porches of fine restaurants throughout town — serve to keep the vine canopy dry, creating a more hostile environment for would-be bacteria and reducing the need to control such
Harbor View RESTAURANT, BAR & MARINA
outbreaks with chemical sprays. Perhaps not so surprisingly, then, recent legislation has opened up the New Jersey wine market to the rest of the country. Wineries can now ship out of state, a huge boon for a young, still-developing industry. So how should you go about enjoying a little slice of Napa while in Cape May this year? We visited the area vineyards, to give an idea of what you can expect. So grab a glass of your favorite vino, and enjoy. It’s going to be one fruitful summer... Willow Creek Winery A short bike ride from the center of town, through the rustic, rural streets of West Cape May will land you in the middle of a stunning plantation estate. (Appro-
Waterfront Bar, Restaurant and Marina, 2nd floor dining view of the entire harbor, and an Outside Bar that’s Classic Key West!
954 ocean drive, cape may • (609) 884-5444 • harborviewcapemay.com exit zero
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priately, Willow Creek’s owner, Barbara Wilde, also owns the Southern Mansion on Lafayette Street.) The only on-theisland winery, this place is creating quite the buzz, both for its aesthetic qualities, and for what its trying to acheive. Show up to Willow Creek and you’ll be met at the entrance by a 10-person golf cart. As our own tour began, Operations Director Kevin Celli (a dead ringer for the actor who plays Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire), let us know that his sole intention is education. “If our guests know more about wine for having spent time with us, then I feel I’ve done my job,” he said. As we moved from field to garden to chicken coop, we learned a great deal from Kevin about our “terroire” — our geographical position, our soil, and our climate. But even he acknowledged that, when it comes to wine, no one is ever done learning. “Knowing which vines are best suited for the area is a process that takes years of experimentation,” he said. After an hour taking in the vistas
Previous page: Willow Creek Winery now allows you to adopt a vine, so you can get a front-row seat to the growing process. Above: Visitors to Willow Creek get an education while they sip.
of the vineyard, it was off to the tasting room, although “room” doesn’t really do this spot justice. The space — one of dark wood walls and ceilings, chandeliers, leather couches and ornately tiled floors —is enormous. We made our way to the large bar where visitors are invited to try the Willow Creek Estate wines, made from grapes grown on site, as well as the Wild Cock line, made from purchased fruits and grapes. The snacks offered here are equally enticing... think cheese from Seaside Cheese and breads by Rea’s Farm. No matter where on the property we meandered, we couldn’t help but grow excited for the breezy, sun-dappled afternoon when we can take advantage of the winery’s spacious red brick patio, an ideal place for savoring the sights and sounds of nearby wetlands and woods... glass in hand, of course. Willow Creek Winery is located at 160 Ste-
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vens Street in West Cape May. Visit willowcreekwinerycapemay.com, or call 609-770-8782. Cape May Winery The Craig family is already well-known among south Jersey foodies... they’re the folks who brought The Pelican Club, Lucky Bones and The Washington Inn to this island. Now, they’re building a reputation within the wine world. Toby Craig is a gentleman farmer if ever there was one. “You might see him riding by on a tractor or in the office,” said winery manager Randall Segal. “He’s everywhere.” It is owing to such hands-on effort, perhaps, that the operation — 150 acres strong — has grown so quickly over the past two decades. The tasting room, a mere shed in the beginning, has been transformed into a large, year-round, multi-purpose building with meeting rooms for small parties, a second floor deck overlooking the vineyard, a barrel room, and a number of tasting bars. The newest addition? A cedarpaneled great room with 20-foot ceilings and a beautiful fireplace to enjoy while
indulging in good drink and good conversation with friends. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the patio at the edge of the vineyard — a serene place to sip a glass of, say, Cape May Winery’s Isac Smith Coffin or Isac Smith Reserve. Smith, a coffin-maker and leader of the Temperance Movement in the 1820s, is buried in Cold Spring Cemetery right around the corner... just in case you’d like a piece of trivia to contemplate while you decompress. Be sure to check out Grill Night, happening every Wednesday between June 26 and September 11. Beginning at 6:30pm, the event includes a buffet profided by the Washington Inn. Tickets are $32, and available now. Cape May Winery is located on 711 Townbank Road in North Cape May. Visit capemaywinery.com, or call 609-884-1169. Turdo Winery Turdo is a boutique winery run by Sal Turdo, his wife Sara and their son, Luca. Sal worked in a vineyard in Sicily from age 11
The goal at Cape May Winery is to help find a wine for every preference. Why not taste-test from the 20 different styles they produce in front of their new fireplace in the cozy Barrel Tasting Room?
Down-home cooking... with a terrific view!
LITTLE ITALY II RISTORANTE
Home-cooked food that will satisfy you, your family, AND your wallet.
PIZZA • VONGOLE ALLA CASINO • PENNE ALLA GIOVANNI SHRIMP FRA DIAVOLO • FLOUNDER MEDITERRANEAN VEAL ALLA VINCENZO • CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA
3704 Bayshore Road, North Cape May (Cape Plaza Shopping Center) • 889-6610
Beach Avenue & Grant Street, Cape May • 884-3772
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The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart What you need to know about the food and the vibe Aleathea’s 7 Ocean Street, Cape May (609) 884-5555, Ext. 226 www.innofcapemay.com
Offers superb food in a graceful setting at the glorious old Inn of Cape May, plus a cozy-butelegant bar with access to the oceanfront patio. Check out the antique-filled lobby first.
Avalon coffee 7 Gurney St, Cape May, 898-8088 & 3823 Bayshore Road, North Cape May (609) 846-0040
Superior coffee that’s always fresh, and healthy food that’s perfect for breakfast and lunch. First-class wraps, sandwiches and bagels, along with a good range of smoothies and cold drinks.
Axelsson’s Blue Claw 991 Ocean Drive, Cape May (609) 884-5878 www.blueclawrestaurant.com
Enjoy fine dining near the harbor – just go over the quaint old drawbridge. There is an elegant dining room, a cozy fireplace, and the classic Clipper Ship Pub.
backstreet 600 Park Boulevard (609) 884-7660 www.backstreetcapemaynj.com
Downhome cooking, a laidback vibe and superior desserts in this gem of a place, a few minutes from Cape May. They have plenty of free parking and delicious nightly specials.
BELLA VIDA CAFÉ 406 N. Broadway, West Cape May (609) 884-6322 www.bellavidacafe.com
“The local café with a wholesome aroma” is what they call it... and that’s how we describe it. You can tell that everything is home cooked here. Always fresh, always delicious.
ben and jerry’s 414 Washington St. Mall, Cape May (609) 884-3040 www.benjerry.com
There’s ice cream, and then there’s Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Centrally-located on the mall, it’s a great spot to take a break from shopping and people-watch for a spell.
The Black Duck 1 Sunset Boulevard (609) 898-0100 www.blackduckonsunset.com
A chic interior and stylish Modern American cuisine from acclaimed chef (and owner) Chris Hubert, but the ambience is anything but pretentious. There’s a nice laidback vibe.
The Blue Pig Tavern 251 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-8422 www.congresshall.com
Congress Hall’s restaurant is better than ever, as evidenced by its usually filled dining rooms. The Pig serves classic tavern food with quite a a twist or two along the way.
cape may bakers 482 W. Perry Street, Cape May (609) 884-7454 www.capemaybakers.com
At the same location since 1979, Cape May Bakers serves fresh coffee, fine pastries, gourmet desserts and cakes for all occasions. Plus great daily specials too!
Cape May brewing co. 1288 Hornet Road, Rio Grande (609) 849-9933 www.capemaybrewery.com
It’s the first microbrewery at ther Jersey shore, and it’s creating quite the buzz... they won Best IPA at the 2012 Atlantic City Beer Fest. Check out the new tasting room.
Cape May olive oil co. 324 Carpenter’s Lane Cape May 800-584-1887
This spot features 20 different varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars, pastas, spreads, jams, mustards, infused salts and sugars, and much more.
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$15-$45 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
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Takeout available
Great food, great drinks and great music...
Turdo, which has been featured as best Wine Shop in Philadelphia magazine’s Best of The Shore, is now the only vineyard and winery in New Jersey to be run 100 percent on solar power.
and, after years as an electrical contractor in north Jersey, wanted to get back to his passion. He purchased a six-acre plot in North Cape May and on weekends, after planting four-and-a-half acres of European varietals, built his home and tasting room. He planted grapes such as Nero D’Avola (making him one of only two growers in the US), Nebbiolo, Rubino, Rosato, Barbera and Sangiovese (Sal’s favorite). Like many of our area wineries, Turdo has won a batch of awards, but Sal is proudest of the Silver Award given to his Nebbiolo at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It’s a very special product... they only bottle 25 cases per year. So what’s their secret? “We get a very high sugar content in our grapes by growing only one vine per plant, where usually it’s two,” Sal said. Meaning? When there’s less grapes on a plant, the plant can take better care of the ones it does have. Also, the Turdos keep their vines hydrated. “We took the time to dig down deep below the hard pan of the soil to break open the clay to allow for optimal drainage,” says Sal, “and if there is a drought, our vines have longer tap roots below the clay to enable them to find water.” The property includes a modest but attractive tasting room, retail shop, and small patio. Luca, who could easily moonlight as an Italian clothing model, and will one day be running the business, has started his own line of wine in the past few years. Turdo Winery is located at 3911 Bayshore Road in North Cape May. Visit turdovineyards.com, or call 609-884-5591.
...are always guaranteed.
Hawk Haven Railroad Avenue, where Hawk Haven is located, starts out as Seashore Road and then, inexplicably, changes names. You’ll want to know this because you don’t want to be late for Sangria Sunday (which is exactly what it sounds like — a lazy day of drinking sangria in a beautiful setting, complete with catering by The Cape May Fish Market). Hawk Haven sits on a third generation, former dairy farm
106 Decatur Street @ Columbia Avenue Cape May (609) 884-8363 www.merioninn.com
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The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart What you need to know about the food and the vibe Cape may winery 711 Townbank Road, Cape May (609) 884-1169 www.capemaywinery.com
This beautiful winery is open daily. Make a reservation to take an informative tour ofthe winery – just call for more information and their current tour hours.
THE Carriage House 1048 Washington Street At the Emlen Physick Estate (609) 884-5111
The Carriage House offers everything from hearty wraps, salads, quiche and paninis to classic teas. Best of all maybe is the location – the gorgeous Emlen Physick Estate.
cocktails at the cape (609) 898-7390 cocktailsatthecape.com
This is the culinary capital of south Jersey, but the drinks here are equally tantalizing. Cocktails at the Cape provides customized dining tours, pub crawls, and signature cocktail sampling tours, to take out all the guesswork!
corinthian yacht club 1819 Delaware Avenue (609) 884-8000 www.cyccm.com
For a truly unforgettable wedding experience — or any big event, for that matter, check out the Corinthian Yacht Club. Harbor view plus excellent cuisine equals obvious choice.
Cucina Rosa 301 Washington Street Mall (609) 898-9800 www.cucinarosa.com
Nicely located at the beginning of the mall, on the Congress Hall side, this Italian restaurant is a must-visit. Simply superb food in classy-butcasual surroundings.
C-View inn Texas & Washington Avenues Cape May (609) 884-4712
A locals’ favorite, the oldest and friendliest tavern in town with great wings, excellent pub fare and cold beer. And these days they accept credit cards, too!
depot market cafÉ 409 Elmira Street Cape May (609) 884-8030
Owners Chris and Lisa Shriver are keeping the old favorites at this much-loved café AND adding new specials. Cape May’s movers and shakers often eat lunch here.
The Ebbitt Room 25 Jackson Street, (609) 884-5700 www. virginiahotel.com
Enjoy your mealon the Ebbitt Room porch, overlooking tree-lined Jackson Street, or enjoy the simple elegance of this dining room.
fish and fancy 2406 Bayshore Road, Villas (609) 886-8760 www.fishandfancy.com
Superb seafood however you like it – fried, broiled, grilled, blackened or sautéed. That’s choice for you. Also great salads. Eat in (there’s an outdoor patio) or take away.
410 Bank Street 410 Bank Street, Cape May (609) 884-2127 www.410bankstreet.com
After more than 25 years, 410 still one of Cape May’s finest restaurants, serving food that’s as brilliant and creative as ever.
Gecko’S Carpenter’s Square Mall Cape May (609) 898-7750
On a balmy summer night there’s nothing quite like Gecko’s in Cape May. Serving superb southwestern food, including great vegeterian fodder, on a tropical-vibed patio.
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Takeout available
owned and operated for the last 15 years by Todd and Kenna Wuerker. Contributing to the transformation of the nine-acre space — from milk to pino, cabernet, and chardonnay over the last 15 years — is a European-style cedar and stone tasting room, complete with Italian tile floors. Right now, a renovation of one of the property’s older buildings is taking place in order to allow for more fermenting tanks and, ultimately, more production. “We plan to add about two to four planted acres per year for the next several years,” Kenna told us. Although the operation is very 21st century, much of the architecture lends a distinctive going-back-in-time feel. And an outdoor crash pad — the area where grapes would literally have been “crushed” underfoot to release juices in days gone by — is now a site for eating, drinking, being merry, and enjoying live music. Saturday on the Crush Pad is a popular event which features the sweet and savory offerings of Crespella Gourmet Crepes. Or, you can always opt to picnic on the large area of of soft grasswhere families
Hawk Haven owner Todd Wuerker planted his first grapevines, cabernet sauvignon, in 1997, before he was even of the legal drinking age. Now, he consults for two other local vineyards.
often reconnect and couples can be seen stealing kisses (even the ones who are normally at each other’s throats). Don’t forget, a wine cocktail menu is always available. And as for that name... we didn’t see any hawks here, but there was
a bald eagle soaring above the vineyards during our most recent visit... just to make it even more idyllic. Hawk Haven is located at 600 South Railroad Avenue. Visit hawkhavenvineyard.com, or call 609-846-7347.
cold beer in frosted mugs, great Tavern food and great value! eight flat-screen HDTVs kids welcome!
A Local Café with ... a Wholesome Aroma 7-2:30 Saturday & Sunday 7:30-2:30 Monday-Friday Dinners from 5pm
Monday - Rib Night Tuesday - Tavern Pizza Night Wednesday - Wing Night
“Best Crab Soup on the East Coast” Family Affordable G Vegetarian & Gluten-Free Friendly Outdoor Doggie-Friendly Dining
Thursday - $2 Slider Night
Costa Rican Coffee G Fresh Pressed Carrot Juice Breakfast Burritos G Hottest Hotcakes Sweet Potato Pancakes G Multigrain Waffles Homemade Soups G Sensational Salads Bella ½-pound Burgers G Signature Sandwiches Veggie Delights G Dynamic Dinners
C-View Inn Texas Avenue & Washington Street Cape May • (609) 884-4712
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The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart What you need to know about the food and the vibe GODMOTHER’S Broadway & Sunset (609) 884-4543 www.godmothersrestaurant.com
Excellent downhome Italian food, just like your mama, or your grandma, or your aunt would make. Reasonably priced and great for a family dinner.
green street market 3167 Route 9 South, Rio Grande (609) 463-0606 www.greenstreetmarket.com
A family-owned and operated organic market, committed to providing healthy and fair trade cerftified foods and products. Check out their rewards program.
harbor view 954 Ocean Drive (609) 884-5444 www.harborviewcapemay.com
A locals’ favorite for a reason. There’s a Key West vibe, good food, regular entertainment, and the views are spectacular. Spend the day – or night.
HARPooN HENRY’S Beach Drive and Browning (609) 886-5529 www.harpoonhenrys.net
It’s become famous for its sunsets. There is no better place to sip on a cold beer or a funky iced cocktail, listening to fun live music, and watching a beautiful day slip away.
harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille Madison & Beach Avenue (609) 884-6113 www.harryscapemay.com
The Hirsch family relaunched their restaurant at the Montreal Inn. It successfully mixes a friendly, family feel with a stylish oceanfront vibe. And there is an indoor AND outdoor bar.
hemingway’s 1045 Beach Avenue (609) 884-5611 www.hemingwayscapemay.com
Casual & family-friendly, Hemingway’s offers great seafood, prime beef and nightly specials. Enjoy their happy hours daily from 4-7pm and DJ/Dancing every weekend.
hotdog Tommy’S Jackson Street @ Beach (609) 884-8388 www.hotdogtommys.com
If there are better dogs at the Shore, we’ve yet to hear. Tommy and Mary Snyder are hot dog jedi warriors. Their menu is creative and as healthy as hot dogs get!
Island Grill 311 Mansion Street Cape May (609) 884-0200
The interior design and menu concoctions are similar – Caribbean-influenced and very, very colorful. The sauces and combinations are creative and delectable.
the lobster house Fisherman’s Wharf, (609) 884-8296 www.thelobsterhouse.com
Take-out, fish market, restaurant, raw bar, breakfast, dinner... The Lobster House has it all. Drinks on the Schooner American before dinner is a lovely experience.
louisa’s chocolate bar 108 Jackson Street Cape May (609) 884-5519
Have a sweet tooth? This is the place for you. The chocolate is of the highest quality... in both familiar and adventurous flavors. Plus chcocolate is good for your soul!
mad batter 19 Jackson Street (609) 884-5970 www.madbatter.com
The original fine dining restaurant in Cape May and still one of the best. The food is always creative and the breakfasts and brunches are very hard to beat – hence the lines.
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Health Food Store
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Takeout available
Jessie Creek Winery and Inn The vines are babies, only having been planted in 2002, but Jesse Creek Winery shares property with an 1800s bed and breakfast and a wedding/event space, all overseen by the watchful eye of owner Art Reale. The hall/tasting room is an Amish-built pole barn that sits behind the residence on 10 acres of green lawn and old shade trees. There are four acres of vines just to the side of which Art, a one-time deep sea rescue diver with the US Navy, speaks proudly. During our visit, Art’s all-business demeanor softened as he told us about his space. “We want an upscale yet family friendly place where people feel at home,” he said, before explaining that he built the tasting bar himself and turns the grapes by hand during the fermenting process. “It gives the wine an unbelievabley deep red color.” Art also cooks all of the food that is served in the bed and breakfast, as well as the snacks served with tastings.(Italian, of course.) Best of all, there’s a fire burning every
night outdoors, so bring your favorite person and share a bottle under the stars. And don’t forget about Fridays from June 21 to Labor Day, when sunsets over the vineyard are the main event, and live entertainment plays from 5-9pm. Jesse Creek Winery is located at 1 N orth Route 47, Cape May Court House. Visit jessiecreekwinery.com, or call 609-536-2092. Natali’s Al Natali is one of the most educated men in the area when it comes to the chemistry of winemaking. He planted his first vines in 2001 and he produced his first vintage in 2004. Since then, Natali’s has grown to seven acres under planting. Natali’s is known fondly in the community for its festive atmosphere. Located on Route 47 at mile marker 12.9, the 22-acre winery is only a 35-minute ride from downtown Cape May, and just a mile inland from the Delaware Bay... it’s worth the trip. In addition to more traditional varietals (cabernet, merlot, sauvignon blanc) Natali’s has a robust selection of not-too-sweet,
Freshest Ingredients Fantastic Specials Friendly Atmosphere Reservations Recommended
600 Park Blvd West Cape May
609-884-7660 backstreetcapemaynj.com
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perfectly balanced fruit wines, including blueberry and banana and cranberry flavors. Tours are offered every day, and don’t be surprised if you come across Al or his partner Ray Pensari working hard in the vineyard. And bring your favorite mutt along... he’s welcome, too. For the bocce lovers in the family, there’s a court on site... and we hear some players actually get better after a few glasses of vino. Finally, be on the lookout for... Monday Music in the Vines, from 5-8pm. Wine it Down Wednesdays, from 5-8pm, with live entertainment. Tastings and educational sessions are held on Saturdays from 11am-1pm, in the oh-so-cozy tasting room. Never worry about a little rain... there are several tented areas on site. Natali’s is located at 221 North Delsea Drive in Cape May Court House. Visit nataliwines. com, or visit 609-465-0075. Happy sipping!
The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart What you need to know about the food and the vibe
maRIE NICOLE’S 9510 Pacific, Wildwood Crest (609) 522-5425 www.marienicoles.com
This classy-but-casual restaurant serves modern American cuisine with a European ambiance in a relaxed atmosphere, just a short drive from Cape May, in Wildwood Crest.
martini beach 429 Beach Avenue Cape May (609) 884-1925
A lively nightspot with a friendly vibe, great Mediterranean dishes, and a panoramic oceanfront view. It’s also the place that brough tapas to Cape May – go ahead and share!
merion inn 106 Decatur Street, (609) 884-8363 www.merion inn.com
The dim, amber lighting, dark wooden bar, period fittings and classy staff give this place a special ambience. Great food, great cocktails, and great music!
Montreal Liquor Store Beach Ave and Madison Cape May (609) 884-6114
Grab a bottle of your favorite vino on your way to a BYOB, or stock up on beer and spirits for your next party.
north end american grill 206 Olde New Jersey Avenue North Wildwood, (609) 435-5691 northendamericangrill.com
This is casual family dining at its best — meaning tasty, unpretentious food and attentive service.. It’s the perfect menu for that after-the-beach hunger.
ocean view Beach & Grant Avenues (609) 884-3772 www.oceanviewrestaurant.com
A large and very reliable menu at this oceanfront staple. Classic diner food, and very reasonably priced. A locals’ favorite, and you know that is always a good sign.
original fudge kitchen Washington Street Mall and on the Promenade, Cape May 800-23-FUDGE • fudgekitchens.com
It’s family owned and operated, and you can tell. The service AND the fudge are exceptional. And their saltwater taffy? It’s the perfect seashore treat.
oyster bay 615 Lafayette Street (609) 884-2111 www.oysterbayrestaurantnj.com
A lovely dining room, a beautiful new bar, a new bar menu, great martinis and classic, generous dishes. Check out their happy hour daily from 4:00-6:30.
peter shields 1301 Beach Avenue, (609) 884-9090 www.petershieldsinn.com
The Georgian Revival mansion on Cape May’s beachfront is magnificent, and the creative modern American menu matches it all the way. This is one classy eating experience.
THE PILOT HOUSE 142 Decatur Street (609) 884-3449 www.pilothousecapemay.com
A classic pub and restaurant offering great burgers, excellent comfort good and an authentic ambience. The burgers are big favorites among locals.
rio station 3505 Route 9 South Rio Grande (609) 889-2000
While all around it has changed, the Rio Station is still serving excellent food with old-style, friendly service. Their chicken wings are particularly good.
SYMBOLS KEY
u Onsite parking
Meals served
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Should I book?
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Other details
D
$19-$44 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
NO
u b
D
$15-$30 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
D
$18/Mrkt Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
ub HU
Spirits
$5-$25 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
Liquor Store
NO
NO
u b H
L,D
$7-$25 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
NO
YES
ub H
B, L, D
$9-$30 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BYOB
NO
YES
u b H
Chocolates and candy
$3-$15 V, MC, AE, D
NA
NO
YES
b H
D
$12-$29 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
u b H
D
$22-$39 Cards: V, MC, D
BYOB
NO
NO
H
L, D
$5-$25 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
H
L, D
$13-$29 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
u b H
Handicap accessible
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Takeout available
A Cape May tradition for over 30 years!
Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Cocktails Live Music • Happy Hour Daily 3-6 PM
19 Jackson Street, Cape May (609) 884-5970 • madbatter.com
The trouble with eating Italian food
...is that five or six days later you’re hungry again. — George Miller
Cucina Rosa
898-9800 | 301 Washington Street Mall & Perry Street www.cucinarosa.com
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The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart What you need to know about the food and the vibe
Meals served
Price range of entrées
Bar or BYOB?
Should I book?
Food for kids?
Other details
Seasalt restaurant 1035 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-7000 capemayoceanclubhotel.com
Black wood and granite tables, mother-of-pearl barfront, river rock decor... the vibe is as cool as the food is delicious. Reserve the chef’s intimate private table for up to 14.
B, L, D
$8-$20 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
YES
YES
u b H
Seaside Cheese Company 600 Park Boulevard (609) 884-8700 seasidecheesecapemay.com
A huge plus for the area when it opened, and this place, a short walk from downtown Cape May, continues to delight with gourmet treats. Private tasting room is available to reserve.
L, D
$4-$12 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
N/A
N/A
YES
u b H
Sunset Liquors 106 Sunset Boulevard, West Cape May (609) 435-5052
A new liquor store has hit town, conveniently located on Sunset Boulevard. Spirits, wines, beers, ice and snacks — and some of the coolest light fittings you ever saw.
Liquor Store
Please call for info
N/A
N/A
NO
u b H
Tisha’s 322 Washington Street Mall Cape May (609) 884-9119
In case you’re wondering why they’re not at Convention Hall – they moved to the mall, where they are still serving up irresistible concoctions, PLUS breakfast and lunch!
B, L, D
$18-$35 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BYOB
YES
YES
b U
Turdo vineyards & winery 3911 Bayshore Road, N. Cape May (609) 884-5591 www.turdovineyards.com
Turdo is a family-run, award-winning vineyard and winery, which is also the only one in New Jersey that is run on 100% solar energy. See what all the buzz is about.
Winery
$15-$31 Cards: V, MC, AE
N/A
NO
NO
u b
The Ugly Mug 426 Washington Street Mall Cape May (609) 884-3459
A Cape May legend, and even better now that they’ve put those wonderful booths in there. Such a treat. It has a classic pub vibe, and always a warm, friendly atmosphere.
L, D
$12-$25 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BAR
NO
YES
b H
Ukai 1500 Route 47 South, Rio Grande (609) 770-7773 www.sushiukai.com
Enjoy delicious, fresh and nutritious authentic Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai cuisine - all homemade!
L, D
$2.25$36.95 Cards: V, MC, AE
BYOB
YES
YES
u b H
Uncle Bill’s Pancakes Beach Avenue & Perry Street Cape May (609) 884-7199
Reliably excellent food – there is a reason why people wait a while to eat here... Excellent breakfasts and brunches at this circular restaurant that overlooks the Atlantic.
B, L
$4-$9 Cash Only
BYOB
NO
YES
u b H
union park Beach Avenue & Howard (609) 884-8811 www.unionparkdiningroom.com
Elegant dining in a classic old hotel, and the food is magnificent and inventive. Voted one of the best restaurants in the state by New Jersey Monthly magazine.
D
$18-$35 Cards: V, MC, AE
BYOB
YES
YES
u b H
vincenzo’s little italy ii 3704 Bayshore Road North Cape May (609) 889-6610
If you want to bring the family for a fine and fun Italian meal, look no further than here! The kids will love it. Excellent pasta dishes, and they’ve recent expanded their pizzeria!
L, D
$8-$20 Cards: V, MC, AE, D
BYOB
YES
YES
u b H
willow creek winery 168 Stevens St., West Cape May (609) 770-8782 willowcreekwinerycapemay.com
Willow Creek is the newest and largest winery in Cape May. Check out the stunning villa, set on the idyllic 50-acre vineyard. This isn’t a tour - it’s an event.
Winery
$6 and up Cards: V, MC, AE, D
N/A
N/A
NO
u b
zoe’s 715 Beach Avenue Cape May (609) 884-1233
Zoe’s has large portions at affordable prices. Plus one of the best vegetarian selections in town. And they have a great patio if the weather is nice... bring Fido!
B, L
$4-$12 Cash Only
BYOB
NO
YES
b HU
SYMBOLS KEY
u Onsite parking
Handicap accessible
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Takeout available
FEATURE STORY
BRINGING BACK THE ART OF CLAMSHELL PITCHING On the surface, it may look like just another beach game, but this is serious business on Cape Island. Read about clamshell pitching’s founding fathers... and the man who’s keeping the tradition alive (with a fancy new spin on the sport).
article by diane stopyra photograph by aleksey moryakov exit zero
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Joe McGettigan used clamshells found on the beach to create a practically unbreakable new product that he hopes will revive a game that reportedly originated in Cape May.
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D
ig a couple of holes in the sand, then toss your quahogs inside, or at least get closer than your opponent does… clamshell pitching is as simple as that — on the surface. But the history of the game evolving (and, many believe, originating) in Cape May is more storied. This isn’t just horseshoes re-imagined; this is about trash talk and tradition, passion and camaraderie. It’s about a game so unfussy and unplugged it feels new-fangled and enticing to the youth of today. This is the story of how the greatest bragging rights in Cape May don’t come from catching the largest fish or surfing the gnarliest wave, but from a seashore ritual forged over eight decades by a fanatical group of friends and neighbors, one toss at a time. 1867: Brooklyn native William Cummings throws the first curveball while playing for the Excelsior Baseball Club. He first figured out the technique by tossing a clamshell. 1940: The Cape May Clamshell Pitch-
The Cape May Clamshell Club was established in the 1940s — this was them before they added the tongue-in-cheek “International” to their name in 1946. Courtesy of Denise Reinhart
ing Club is established by a group of World War II veterans in need of some relaxation. The practice ground is Steger’s Beach, but the “official training house” is Henri’s Bar, now Cabanas. “Sometimes, we had to go for special training sessions,” late member Jim Stevens (known in the pitching circle as “Boastful Boy” and “Sewell Avenue Steamer”) would say in a later interview.
“Our wives and girlfriends didn’t like it one bit. But… we had to talk over strategies and things.” Other members include “Speedy” Bosh Prichard, a star halfback (read: 97-yard kick-off return) for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1942 and from 1946 to 1951. 1946: The Cape May Clamshell Pitching Club evolves into the International Clamshell Pitching Club of Cape May, with the
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“At the Beach” 715 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-1233 zoescapemay.com OPEN EVERY DAY
B E AC H F R O N T E AT E RY Get Hooked on Zoe’s Seafood
ICE CREAM COFFEE DESSERT
Breakfast - Homemade Muffins, Pancakes & Omelettes Lunch - Our Own Roasted Turkey & Roast Beef, Cape May’s Largest Cheese Steaks & Hoagies. Vegetarians, Enjoy Our Homemade Veggie Burgers!
Entire Menu Available for Take-Out Patio Dining/Pet Friendly... BYOD/BYOB exit zero
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launch of the end-of-season International Clamshell Pitching Tournament on Labor Day Weekend. Jim Stevens takes home the title of first champion. Members begin traveling far and not-so-far to compete, eventually winning matches against teams in both Avalon, New Jersey and Annapolis, Maryland. 1947-1949: Members of the club compete yearly in Philadelphia, as they desperately miss pitching in the off-season. They cart sand into the city in order to construct a court on top of the old Penn Sheraton Hotel. 1965: The City of Cape May teams up with the club, providing highly coveted trophies for the International Clamshell Pitching Tournament. 1970s: The club considers plastic shells as a solution to a clam shortage, but no satisfactory prototype is developed, and the idea is shelved. The Junior Clamshell Pitching Tournament begins this year for kids aged 17 and younger. 1971: Club bember Rich Reinhart, a great player (except in windy conditions) who is known as “Crash” in the pitching
Some of the members of the club in 1995. Courtesy of Denise Reinhart
circle, takes over running the international tournament, which has been attracting more than 200 people at a time. During his 25 years in charge, Rich writes a column for The Cape May Star and Wave under the pseudonym Howard Coshell, a little tribute to one of America’s most influential sports broadcasters, Howard Cosell. Some of his most more memorable quips... “It’s tough on top. There’s always this new kid with his clamshells strapped low on his hips riding into town”... “Former champions do not go gently into the sunset…”
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And this description... “As the evening tide swept across shattered shells and shattered dreams, cries of ‘We’ll cut that big boy down to size’ and ‘They only won because of the wind’ echoed through the cool night air. But in truth, it matters little who wins the events. Sure, the fleeting fame and nameon-the-plaque are great memories. The tournament, though, is merely the culmination, a celebration of summer, of good sportsmanship, and good fellowship the clamshellers have shared. So was it always, so is it now.”
} THE RIDICULOUSLY COMPREHENSIVE, INCREDIBLY USEFUL GUIDE TO CLAMSHELL PITCHING
Clamshell pitching rules and customs vary depending on what seaside town you’re playing in, and who you’re playing with. Here are the guidelines according to the old-timers of the International Clamshell Pitching Club of Cape May, and those according to the new guys, the folks of the International Clam Drain Federation. Take your pick, or mix and match — how you make the most of your beach day is up to you. International Clamshell Pitching Club
International Clam Drain Federation
Common Denominator
The Court
Dig two holes in the sand 26 ½ feet apart, about 11 normal paces. The hole should be reasonably large (five inches across is official). Hot Tip: You must use hard-packed sand for this game. This means the sand washed by the tide as it recedes.
Dig two holes (“drains”) 25.5 feet away, which is around 10 to 11 steps. To judge the width of your drains before you dig, place four clamshells on the sand, point to point, with a circle around them. The depth should be four to six inches. Hot Tip: If you’ve only got softer sand available, try playing with a shorter course, as accuracy become even more important.
All you need is some open space on the sand and your shells… and you’ve got everything you need.
The Object
To toss or pitch your shell into or nearest the hole. Hot Tip: Do not throw the shell across your body like a frisbee. Use your arm as a pendulum, by bringing it straight back, and straight forward. Release the shell about mid-chest with maybe a 10-foot arc. A little wrist spin at the end will help you keep it under control.
To toss, throw, hurl or otherwise sail the clamshell airborne to and down the drain. Hot Tip: Whether you throw across the body like a frisbee or not isn’t important — as long as your shell is flat and spinning when you toss it. Too much arm or wrist, you kill your accuracy. Full extension of your arm is key. If you’re going to miss, miss in front, because your shell can still slide in.
Practice makes perfect!
Scoring
Play teams of one against one, or two against two. l In-the-hole (a “Bucket” or “ringer”) is worth two points. l Nearest scores a point. If both shells are closer than either of your opponents’, score two points. l If both players’ shells are in the hole, they cancel out. Score one point for the closer of the two remaining shells.
Play teams of one against one, or two against two. l Draw a scoring circle around your drain. (Line up four guide shells back to back, extending out from each side of the drain. Draw a circle around the outer points. Remove your guide shells.) l Any shell outside the circle receives no points. l A shell inside the circle closest to the drain receives one point. (If you have the two closest, you get two points.) l A shell hanging over the edge of the drain (a “clam lip”) is two points, and beats out any “closest to the hole” points. l A shell in the drain (a “clam drain”) is three points and beats out any clam lips and “closest to hole” scores.
No fist fights on the court, please!
Scoring Variations
What? Variations? No way!
1. All clam drains score. 2. Points from a clam drain scored by Team A are canceled out if Team B scores a clam drain immediately after. 3. Points from a clam drain scored by Team A are stolen by Team B, if Team B scores a clam drain immediately after.
However you play, using shells as a projectile weapon is grounds for disqualification.
What To Do If Your Shell Breaks…
If a shell has two-thirds of its original size remaining, it is legal shell and can score points. Hot Tip: Quahogs, the shells with purple edging, are best. They should weigh three-and-a-half to four ounces and measure four to five inches across. The more wind you have, the more weight you need.
Breakage? That’s not going to be a problem with such high-quality resin imitations. Hot Tip: They aren’t indestructible! If you run over them with your car you can kiss them goodbye.
Real or fake? It’s all a good time.
How To Earn Your Bragging Rights
Although the International Clamshell Pitching Tournament of Cape May is no more, the Richard Reinhart Junior Clamsehll Pitching Tournament will continue as long as there are kids willing to toss. This year, it event takes place August 30 on Windsor Beach. For more info, contact the city at 609-8849565.
May 11 Is the date for the Second Annual Clam-ARama event taking place on the beach in front of the Rusty Nail, where you can drown your sorrows if you’re eliminated. There will be drink specials, clam specials and live entertainment. For more info on this and all other Clam Drain events, visit “Clam Drain — The Shell Game” on Facebook.
Get your practice shots in now... pick up your set of Clam Drain shells, for sale now at the Exit Zero Store and Gallery at 109 Sunset Boulevard.
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Paradise found... Good Food Friendly Atmosphere Waterfront Dining Awesome Sunsets! Serving Lunch & Dinner Daily Live Music Nightly Free Parking Open Weekends in May
Rich Reinhart (right) pitching in the clamshell tournament with his lucky shells around his neck. Courtesy of Denise Reinhart
1987: The annual clamshellers end-of-tourney dinner, held at the Welcome Center so that players can get to know one another and “see who looks good with clothes on,” is catered for 50 people this year… but 80 turn up for dinner. Crash conspires with other members to have more food delivered by Freda’s and all is well. Everyone is able to enjoy the evening’s highlight, the presentation of the Stevens Award, given to the player who, although slated for greatness, suffers the greatest upset. 1988: The club’s yearly invitational gets off to a bad start, as the shells, scoreboard, and Crash’s own beach bag are “picked up and dumpsterized by the city’s finest…” Despite this, the tournament goes on, and Mark “Three-Mile” Phinney oh-so-humbly accepts his fourth championship title, yelling: “Hey, guys — over here! I want all you guys we beat to autograph my shells!” Another indicator of the games competitive spirit: Players are now painting their shells, to quell any controversy over whose have landed where. “What began as a peaceful, friendly competition of clamshellers erupted into a shouting match on the strand last week,” Coshell reports one week before the international tournament is set to take place. At the big event, it’s 70-year-old Tom Stear who is named singles champion, after 15 years of trying. The Associated Press picks up the story, earning the pitching club national recognition. 1989: Member Irv “Fingers” Jacobsen reports on a dearth of clamshells in Cape May — particularly at the Coast Guard Base and at Poverty Beach — due to beach replenishment, and revisits the idea of looking into artificial models that will mimic the real deal. “It’s out of necessity,” he says. “Our shells are buried, and being breakable, must be replenished. But there are very, very few.” Despite this, the international tournament takes place… in 25 mile per hour winds. Also this year, Crash reports that female numbers in the sport have increased dramatically. “As recently as a decade ago, there were probably only three ladies with a realistic chance of
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Thanks to You! for a successful first year.
Open Daily • Phone 609-435-5052 Beer • Wine • Spirits Ice • Snacks • Free Parking exit zero
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TheresRioCCEZ2013
4/3/13
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winning. And now, you can at least triple that.” Among the ringers? Bessie “Nice Lady” Gilliland and Donna Owens. 1990: The shell shortage gets serious! “We’ve got trouble right here in Cape May City,” the Press of Atlantic City reports. “Trouble with a capital ‘T’, and that rhymes with ‘C’, and that stands for clam… there is a clam shortage that could require the use of (gasp) artificial clam shells.” Crash admits to raiding the beaches of Sea Isle City and Strathmere, but to little avail, and he runs a request in the paper for shell donations. “In the meantime,” the Press reports, “Reinhart and his club might want to round up a few four-year-olds and send them in search of clamshells. They all have a radar tracking device built into their sandcrusted bathing suits that give them superherolike powers to sense even the most minute objects buried five feet below the surface.” Still, the lack of shells doesn’t stop Rich from challenging Vai Sikahema, an NBC sportscaster and former Philadelphia Eagle, to a clam pitching match. Vai accepts, and is defeated on national television. 1995: The city prints an anniversary beach tag for the ’95 season which commemorates 50 years of clamshell pitching in Cape May. 2001: After 57 years, The International Clamshell Pitching Tournament comes to an end due to problems created by beach replenishment, including sand that is too soft, making for easily collapsible holes. “I am so sorry it happened on my watch,” Rich tells the newspapers. The Junior Clamshell Pitching Tournament continues on Windsor Beach, however, thanks to the efforts of Crash, who wants future generations to enjoy the game… a pasttime that, he later tells the Press of Atlantic City, is “more darn fun than you should be allowed to have.” 2006: Rich Reinhart passes away at the age of 63, and his daughter Stephanie Stephens — a seasoned pitcher who was invited to play in the senior tournament at the age of 17 — takes over. “I heard a father lean over to his son during the game and say, ‘Grandpop used to bring me here to play,’” says Rich’s wife, Denise. “And then I heard the grandfather say, ‘I played here when I was a kid.’ That’s exactly what Rich would have wanted. It makes it all worthwhile.” 2007: The city renames the Junior Clamshell Pitching Tournament The Richard Reinhart Memorial Junior Clamshell Pitching Tournament in honor of Crash. 2010: Due to lack of shells on the beach, Joe McGettigan is inspired to found a company which will create imitation shells, as close to authentic as possible, and Clam Drain is born. Along with his son Connor McGettigan and son-in-law Dave Flowers, he begins creating molds of shells via a urethane casting resin that make for ideal pitching. 2011: Joe begins selling his shells, and the Press of Atlantic City picks up the story. 2012: Clam Drain comes to Cape May for the first annual ClamA-Rama event, sponsored by the Beach Shack and Rusty Nail, for which Joe hosts a pitching tournament. “The simplicity of the game turns people on,” he says. 2013: Jim Stevens passes away at the age of 89, having paved the way for a new generation of clamshellers.
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continued on page 50
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FISH & FANCY SEAFOOD TAKE-OUT “The Locals’ Favorite” FRESH WEEKLY SPECIALS FRESH HOMEMADE SALADS OUTDOOR PATIO SEATING PARTY TRAYS Open Wednesday through Sunday (Open Daily in June!) 2406 Bayshore Road, Villas (next to Robinson & Son’s Produce)
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A man with a clam
Cape May’s Premier Touring and Tasting Destination Walking Tours Daily starting May 1 Sample signature cocktails at Cape May’s most popular places including Ugly Mug, Mad Batter, Cabanas, Aleathea’s, Pilot House and Jackson Mountain Professional photographers accompany tours with photos available for purchase online Customized Dining Tours and Pub Crawls Available... perfect for weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, showers, birthdays, and more! Call (609) 898-7390 Cocktailsatthecape.com
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Joe with his carefully reproduced clamshells — the Exit Zero Store and Gallery is selling these cool sets.
J
oe McGettigan’s earliest memory of the beach — from a sunny, breezy day in 1968 — involves playing the simple game that is now, at the age of 50, not only a passion, but his life’s work. “I remember so clearly that first game,” he told us. “For me, the Jersey Shore has always been the place where life makes sense, and clamshell pitching is a part of that feeling. People can take it pretty seriously, but the bottom line is that this tradition fosters a special camaraderie. It harkens back to a time when people didn’t have a whole lot of money or the toys and gadgets we do now. People picked up and used what they had.” So imagine Joe’s dismay one day in 2010 when one of the shells his family had been playing with broke into pieces. “We hunted through the jetties, but were unable to find any,” he said. “There are many theories as to why this is, but they just aren’t around like they used to be.” So what’s a guy to do? Joe secured a patent and launched the International Clam Drain Federation, which makes urethane molds of shells found on the beach. “We work hard to maintain every flaw and chip and imperfection. No two sets are exactly the same.” Throw in some designer paint colors, so that players have an easy time distinguishing their shells from their opponents, as well as a fitting slogan and you have the makings of summer fun for a whole new generation. In addition to the Clam-A-Rama tournament on the beach across from the Rusty Nail on May 11, Clam Drain will host matches in Ocean City and Stone Harbor. “If some 10-year-old kid picks it up now,” Joe said, “and when he’s, say, 50, he’s still tossing shells, maybe with his own children or grandchildren, and there’s that warm feeling of nostalgia and tradition there… I can die happy.”
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FIRST PERSON
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MARK JACOPEC Yogi, drummer, collector of rocks, and founder of Ride With Mark, Cape Island Bicycle Tours
R
INTERVIEW BY DIANE STOPYRA PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANK WEISS
ecently, I caught a glimpse of a reflection from a gorgeous sunrise against my shed, so I jumped in my car and sped to the beachfront at the end of Broadway. The sky was a tremendous orange, burning behind these dark clouds, and I watched it beside a girl who must have had the same idea… she popped out of her car in pajamas and bunny slippers. But on
a normal day, I’m up long before the sun, about 4:30 or 5am, exciting to get on my bike. When I’m not giving a tour, and I’m out on my own, I like to hit the five outer points
of the island: the Cove, Poverty, the Coast Guard Base, and then out to Higbee Beach and the Point. It’s about a 19-mile ride, and I watch the island come to life and I think: won’t this ever get redundant, riding the same route every day? But everything changes. If you ride through the seasons, you see movement, and you learn just how different a spring light is from a winter light. The proximity to water on all sides gives Cape May a big sky feeling that’s great — I get the heebie-jeebies when I’m land-locked — but the reason I’m always smiling when I ride… that’s the music. On my bike, I exit zero
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Dinner from 5pm Late Night, Desserts & Cocktails 3 Course Menu • $30 Anytime New Bar Menu 9510 Pacific Avenue • Wildwood Crest, NJ 609.522.5425 • www.marienicoles.com
KICK BACK and RELAX...
In addition to collecting rocks, a type of “single-point meditation,” Mark paints them, gives them out, or releases them back out into the wild, which, he says, is particularly therapeutic. See the OMmerica Facebook page for more.
with good food and fun drinks
listen to pumping, hot salsa. I time my rides so that I can catch my first guru and yoga teacher, Sharon Fruchtman, who is the instructor at Congress Hall, on the Decatur Street beach at 6am, meditating and practicing. One of the things we like to do together is the king posture, or standing on our heads. We strive for 20 minutes, but I think the most I’ve been able to do is 10. The uijayi breath gets heavy and deep and focus softens, and we stand on our heads on the crest of the beach looking towards the ocean. On the perfect morning, the sea is calm like glass, the waves lap softly and rhythmically, and the colors of blue and pink reflect off the water, signaling the impending sunrise. A person or two walking the beach might stopand look at us briefly, before noticing a pod of dolphins surfing nearby. This is always a beautiful sight while upright, but it takes on a whole new dimension when you’re upside down, and we experience this incredible feeling of contentment. Afterward, I hit the bananas… that’s my food. My family goes through 70 pounds of them in a week. I usually put them in a smoothie with chia seeds and a little bit of local honey from the new Cape May Honey Farm. Then, feeling really energized, I hop back on my bike and visit friends all over town, like Lisa and Chris
Open Daily • Lunch • Dinner • Late Night Daily Happy Hour 4-7pm • Live Music Chestnut & Olde NJ Aves • North Wildwood 609.435.5691 • www.northendamericangrill.com exit zero
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From the owners of the Southern Mansion
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Willow Creek is proud to feature premium estate grown wines from New Jersey’s outer coastal plain. Wine & Sangria Tastings Daily... Reservations Strongly Recommended Vineyard Farm Tours on Our Electric Farm Cart Private Wine Paired Events 160-168 Stevens Street, Cape May 609.770.8782 • 609.884.7171 willowcreekwinerycapemay.com
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Website
AN AWAR D WI N N I N G MI C RO BRE W E RY
Visit Our All-New Tap Room!
It’s rare to see Mark Jacopec without his bicycle, which he takes for daily 19-mile rides around the island.
Shriver at the Depot Market – they make great muffins there — or Eddie Behrens at Southend Surf Shop, who has started the island’s new Cape Couriers business. And I always make a point to catch up with the boys at Village Bicycle Shop, where we shoot the bike rap. I try to take it all in, and appreciate the life we live here. In the early afternoon, if I’m not teaching a men’s yoga class at Balance Pilates, or taking a class myself there, I might go rock hunting; after storms and dredging, Cape May’s beaches are a great place for collectors. This is a type of single-point meditation, something that allows you to go within yourself and simply enjoy being alone. I also love taking my dog Hersey, a golden retriever we rescued one year ago, to the beach behind the Fishing Club. There he’ll chase after his ball forever. Watching him discover swimming for the first time was like watching a child take his first steps. When the sun starts to sink lower in the sky, this is when locals know to head to the beach with some homemade bread, sold by Elizabeth Degener on Sunset Boulevard, and a bottle of wine. My 20-year-old son Christian will likely be surfing at the Cove... everyone tells me he’s one of the most stylish longboard kids around, and I’m his biggest fan. But I also make sure to include a little drumming in my day…
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TAP ROOM HOU R S
Wedn es day & T h ur s day 4- 8 p m Fr i d ay, Sat urday & Sun d ay 12 - 8 p m P I N T S • TAST I N GS • GI FT CERTI F I C ATE S MERCH AN DI SE
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if I can spend just 15 minutes on it, it provides a release. Looking back on my life, I’ve always been the guy throwing parties, like when I was in high school and my parents would go bowling and I’d bring a keg inside. And I’m still this way. I put out the first open invitation to a drumming party 19 years ago, and strangers gathered at my house on Broadway from California, Tennessee and Florida. Friendships were formed, and so much time later, we’re still drumming. That’s what drum circles do — they bring people together. The music moves across the group, becomes this magical thing. You hear the song that evolves, and you know you’ll never get this combination again. Now, a group of us plays every year at the West Cape May Strawberry Festival in town. In the evening, I spend time with my family. My wonderful wife, Carol Sabo – she’s a West Cape May Commissioner – balances me out. I’ve got a lot of energy; she’s more composed. And she’s my biggest supporter. She’s never told me I’m crazy… even on that day when I woke
“My wonderful wife balances me out. I’ve got a lot of energy; she’s more composed. And she’s my biggest supporter. She’s never told me I’m crazy… even on that day when I woke up in the morning and decided to build a bamboo dome on the front lawn using the Fibonacci number sequence.” up in the morning and decided to build a bamboo dome on the front lawn using the Fibonacci number sequence. She tolerates so many things I do, and she lets me be who I am. Anyway, Carol and Christian and I enjoy cooking dinner together… Fridays are the best; that’s pizza night. I guess you could say we’ve been pretty lucky… so many of our friends are chefs, and they’re great influences. And because Christian is a culinary student who works at George’s Place, he brings a lot to the table. From there, Carol and I might head to the Brown Room or to hear some live music at the Mad Batter. I love the latter because the musicians – my favorites are Gordon Vincent, Dan Barry, Jimmy Doran,
Robin Hippel, Amy Hufana, and StellarMojo — are up close to the bar. But I’m usually in bed pretty early… I fall asleep excited to wake up the next day, and to wake up in Cape May. The first time Carol and I came here, we stumbled into the Ugly Mug on a Terrible Tuesday. The next morning we were too hungover to drive home, so we lay on the beach in the Point, saying how great this place is, and that we needed to move here. So, 25 years ago, that’s what we did, and we have no regrets. Sometimes when I’m on the beach, I think to myself… there are people sitting in cubicles somewhere. I’ve seen that world of cubbies and traffic, and I know that to be in Cape May is a gift. There’s nowhere else I’d want to go.
Open year round. Stop in anytime and taste our award-winning wines. Guided tours are available. Or relax on our vineyard deck, spacious patio, or in two beautiful tasting rooms with your favorite wine.
C a p e M ay W i n e ry . c o m 711 T ow n ba n k R oa d , C a p e M ay , NJ 08204 609.884.1169
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Viviane Rowan Design 6 0 5 H u ghe s St r eet C ape M ay N J 0 8 2 0 4 P hone 6 0 9 8 8 4 - 5 0 6 1
Transcend Come
t h e c lu tt e r .
visit our stylish shop
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COVER STORY
secrets of the chalfonte hotel A new exhibition opened at the Emlen Physick Estate’s Carriage House on April 26, based on Karen Fox’s compelling book “The Chalfonte”. Here, you can get a sneak preview of some of the characters who’ve made the charming old hotel a Cape May institution.
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Colonel Henry Sawyer, shown in his Union Army uniform, founded the Chalfonte in 1876 after an adventurous and heroic military career.
1. Chalfonte builder Colonel Henry Sawyer was stationed in Washington, DC when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated April 15, 1865. Sawyer owed his life to Lincoln. Two years earlier, the president intervened to prevent the Confederacy from executing Sawyer, a Union cavalryman, in retaliation for the North killing two suspected southern spies. Sawyer was discharged the month after Lincoln’s death and began a hotel management career that led to his design and construction of the Chalfonte in 1876. 2. Former Chalfonte owner Susie Satterfield’s father, General R. Lindsay Walker, was at Appomattox Station, Virginia when his Confederate commander Robert E. Lee surrendered April 9, 1865. Walker’s artillery unit was first to arrive at Appomattox, unaware of General Custer’s soldiers lying in wait. A battle overnight left the Confederate forces defeated. Susie Satterfield, born the day the Civil War started, on April 12, 1861, was nicknamed Sumter in recognition of the first Confederate victory at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. She purchased the hotel in 1911 and instilled the southern hospitality for which the hotel became famous. 3. Susie Satterfield was motivated to buy the Chalfonte to ease her grief over the death of Rose, her oldest daughter. Susie was hosting a river boat party in Richmond, Virginia for Rose and her fiancé when they were flipped overboard by forceful waves from a large steamer, and drowned. Susie sank into depression, left Richmond and
moved to Philadelphia. She managed Cape May’s Baltimore Inn before purchasing the Chalfonte, burying her sadness in hard work and the type of lifestyle her family had experienced before the Civil War. 4. The Chalfonte’s legendary chef Helen Dickerson spent a lifetime at the Chalfonte. At age three she picked flowers with Susie Satterfield for the dining room tables. When Susie became disabled with arthritis, Helen became her nurse, pushing her around town in a high-back wicker wheelchair. The two stashed a bottle of bourbon in a pocket to ease Susie’s pain — when necessary.
5. In the late 1920s, a Philadelphia man didn’t have the money to pay his Chalfonte hotel bill. Instead, he sent a little building in parts, on the train. Once put together, the building became known as the Tin House. During Prohibition, it became the party house, where bourbon and gin were stored and consumed. It’s still the centerpiece for parties on the back lawn — reunions, birthdays, engagements and weddings. 6. Susie’s son, Calvin Jr. and his wife Meenie operated the Chalfonte from 1921 through the Depression and Prohibition. They also owned a hotel in Pinehurst, North
The Tin House, painted here by Lou Riccio, was donated to the Chalfonte by a guest from Philadelphia in lieu of his hotel bill, which he couldn’t afford to pay.
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Clockwise from left: Former owners Anne Le Duc and Judy Bartella introduced many projects that raised the hotel’s profile; legendary chef Helen Dickerson, who ran the kitchen for 60 years before handing over to her daughters; Wicky McConnon, who ran around town in a used hearse while he was the hotel’s night watchman.
Carolina. They shipped kitchen equipment back and forth in railroad cars, while the kegs of moonshine traveled by roadster from Carolina to Cape May. During one road trip, son Calvin was sick in the back seat, and a keg sprang a leak. Terrified of getting caught and jailed, Meenie detoured on country roads, arriving at the Chalfonte late, exhausted and with an almost empty keg. 7. Becoming a widow in 1939 and with two sons in World War II, Meenie Satterfield ran the hotel by herself for the next 40 years, relying on the growing culinary skills of Helen Dickerson. During the war, they used guests’ ration stamps to enhance the menus. Meenie and Helen wrote kitchen diaries. Tuesday, August 13, 1940: “Beautiful day. Fed 117. Breakfast: Cantaloupe. Liver and Bacon. Dinner: Roast Beef. Potatoes – Corn – Limas – Beets. Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream. Supper: Chicken Croquettes, Tomato Salad. Fresh Pears. 8. Anne LeDuc has summered at the Chalfonte since she was two years old. She assisted managing the hotel in the 1970s, and with fellow teacher Judy Bartella purchased the Chalfonte in 1982, restoring and preserving the building and maintaining its quirky culture until 2008. Anne is 87 now, and looking forward to another season enjoying Chalfonte friends, food and rockers on the veranda. 9. Anne LeDuc and Judy Bartella instituted work-study programs with the universities of Pennsylvania and Maryland architectural schools to repair and preserve
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the Chalfonte, inside and out. They also initiated annual volunteer work weekends. Their programs became national models for other restoration projects. 10. The Chalfonte is known for its cast of characters among staff and guests. College student Wicky McConnon purchased a used Cadillac hearse for his Cape May transportation in the ‘70s. He was the Chalfonte night watchman, slept in the cupola, and unknown to Meenie Satterfield, sold waterbeds by day. Wicky now is a successful entrepreneur with his own helicopter. 11. The Chalfonte crowd was legendary for its parties and drinks. The most famous drink: the Transfusion, a lunch favorite. Onethird vodka, one-third beef bouillon, onethird tomato juice; add to taste lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco and horseradish. If you had one too many, you were “Chalfontized.” 12. The Chalfonte rooms had no TV and it had been customary from the early part of the century for hotel guests to entertain themselves. The lobby was the stage for many impromptu costume parties and minivaudeville and Broadway productions. 13. The hotel had no phones in the rooms; only a pay phone booth in the lobby. In the days before cell phones, a lot of serious business was conducted over that pay phone. Probably the most famous results were produced during summer vacations at the hotel by Jule Campbell, for 30 years the editor of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition. Jule’s first edition hit newsstands in 1964. Her beautiful athletic models made bikinis the vogue on American beaches. Among her handpicked beauties who would become super models: Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Carol Alt, Kathy Ireland. 14. The Chalfonte is an old building — but a dinosaur on the front lawn? It happened in 1996, during the Jurassic Park movie craze, when Rex, the dinosaur, lounged on the front lawn as part of a weeklong series of fun for children. 15. The Chalfonte was rare among hotels for having a children’s dining room. It was instituted during Susie Satterfield’s reign. She insisted on children minding their
manners. The tradition continued through Anne LeDuc’s ownership. The space is now owner Bob Mullock’s project — the Civil War Room with artifacts from founder Colonel Henry W. Sawyer’s era. 16. The hotel’s legendary cooks, Dot and Lucille, are still reigning in the kitchen in their 80s, like their mother Helen Dickerson. Dot is 86 and Lucille 84. The cast-iron pans in which Dot cooks the famous Magnolia Room fried chicken is more than 100 years old, and the handle is 36 inches long. 17. The secret to the taste of the fied chicken? First toss some sliced onions in the hot oil and fry the chicken in the onion-flavored shortening. As for Lucille’s yeast rolls — she cools the warm yeast water with a little vanilla ice cream. 18. The beloved cooks, called The Ladies, have nurtured generations of guests and Chalfonte families, most notably the Satterfield descendants. Dot says that Cricket Satterfield was so cute when he was a toddler that she used to take him to Pete’s Bar and while she showed him off, she and Lucille sipped their scotch and milk. Nonetheless, she says, Cricket grew up to be a fine Virginia gentleman — just as she taught him to be.
The Cheryl Tiegs cover of Sports Illustrated was one of many engineered by Jule Campbell while she was vacationing at the Chalfonte in the 70s.
A dinosaur appeared on the front lawn in 1996, during the Jurassic Park movie craze, as part of a week-long series of activities for children.
19. A beloved Chalfonte staffer — former debutante Diddy Christian Mulligan — was a yard sale/flea market addict. Former publicity director Debra Donahue, now a Cape May chanteuse, made mock museum signs for the trash treasures, and they graced what was called Diddy’s Gallery in a hallway outside her room.
20. Chalfonte owners Anne LeDuc and Judy Bartella established the hotel as a cultural center. The highly respected Cape May Stage had its beginnings at the hotel with shows produced by the late, gifted Michael Laird. Art shows in the Magnolia Room featured beloved watercolorist Alice Steer Wilson. The Mullock family has contin-
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609.846.7100
22. Current Chalfonte owners Bob and Linda Mullock were married at the hotel in 1981 (see photo above). Keeping with tradition, their son Zachary Mullock and Justine Molloy will be married there in October. 23. In the 1990s owner Bob Mullock embarked on a mission to war-torn Somalia to provide life essentials for starving children there. With local donations, he helped the Somali locals build an orphanage, school and farm. 24. Descendants of the Sawyers, Satterfields and long-time hotel guests continue to gather for summer reunions, weddings and other social events. The Chalfonte has been in continuous operation for 137 years, the longest of any hotel in Cape May. 25. Guests who have passed away are remembered by name on brass plaques on the backs of the many green rockers that grace the verandas. This article is based on the book, The Chalfonte, by Karen Fox (pictured below), available from selected local stores and online at ezstore.us/publications. Above left: Dot Burton with one of the legendary cast-iron pans.Lady, Above: Cricket The old Girl, the Grand Dame, the Leading the Place that Time Forgot... The Chalfonte, in the historic town of Cape May, nJ, has been called Satterfield was anseaside irresistible little boy who a lot of things by the people who have loved this magical hotel over the last grew up into a fine Southern gentleman. Left: 135 years. now for the first time, their stories have been collected to form a Hotel legend Christian her remarkable history of Diddy a hotel that’s unlike any other.Mulligan A hotel that wasinbuilt by a Civil War herodays. from the north and nurtured by a storied Virginia family debutante who turned it into a quintessential southern retreat. Welcome to...
KAren Fox
ued the art show tradition, featuring artists including Marie Natale, Lou Riccio, Marge Chavooshian and Penny Chiusano. 21. The hotel has been a favorite wedding setting for a century. Susie Satterfield’s daughter Phoebe’s reception was at the Chalfonte in 1917. Her great-grand daughter Mary Peyton Lynch chose the hotel for her wedding in 1999. Cricket Satterfield, who grew up at the hotel and worked there for $29.95 several years, Published married Patricia by exit Zero Publishing Murray under www.exitzero.us/publishing EXIT the willow tree at the Tin House in 1988.ZERO Cricket and his wife continue to spend summertime at the hotel. ISBN 9780983076834
The heroes, heartaches, legends, love affairs and unforgettable characters behind the hotel that became an American treasure
52995 >
9 780983 076834
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KAren Fox
SPECIAL PROMOTION
how to have fun in cool cape may... and save $460! Presenting the greatest collection of money-saving offers you’ve ever seen... elegantly packaged as a designer deck of cards
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the CAPE MAY EXPERIENCE Discount Deck
U
sually, something that seems too good to be true is just that. Well, here’s the exception to that rule! The Cape May Experience Discount Deck, from Exit Zero magazine, really IS everything it appears to be... which is THE best way to enjoy Cape May while saving a lot of money. To be precise, you will save $460 if you use all 52 cards in the elegantly designed pack of cards. And all you pay is $25. Go for dinner at The Ebbitt Room or Merion Inn, followed by breafkast at Tisha’s the next morning and you already get your $25 back! And unlike many other special offers, there are no exceptions or blackout days. These cards are good for every single day, from May 1 this year to April 30, 2014. You can buy The Cape May Experience Discount Deck from the Exit Zero Store and Gallery, 109 Sunset Boulevard, online at ezstore.us (with free shipping)or call us on 609-770-8479 and pay by credit card. You will also see it for sale at selected establishments around town.
Savings you can taste! Having dinner, or a couple appetizers, on the porch of The Ebbitt Room, at the Virginia Hotel on Jackson Street, is a can’t-miss Cape May experience. With your Discount Deck, you can save $15 at this great restaurant, with a minimum spend of $75.
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} participating restaurants
Aleathea’s Save $5 on breakfast/lunch — minimum spend $20. Backstreet Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50. Bella Vida cafÉ Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend of $40. Black Duck ON SUNSET Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend of $40. THE Blue Pig TAVERN Save $10 on breakfast — minimum spend of $20. Cabanas Save $10 on B/L/D — minimum spend of $40. CAPE MAY Fish Market Save $10 on a minimum spend of $50. Cucina Rosa Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50. THE Ebbitt Room Save $15 on dinner — minimum spend $75. 5 West Pub Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $30. Frescos Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $60. Godmother’s Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $40. Harpoon Henry’s Save $5 on lunch/dinner — minimum spend $25. Harry’s OCEANFRONT BAR AND GRILLE Save $5 on B/L, beach service — minimum spend $15. Island Grill Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $40. Mad Batter Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50. MagicBrain CYBERCAFÉ Save $5 on a minimum spend of $15. Merion Inn Save $15 on dinner — minimum spend $75. Oyster Bay Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50. Peter Shields INN Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50. Rusty Nail Save $5 on lunch — minimum spend $20. SeaSalt Save $10 on breakfast — minimum spend $30. Tisha’s Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $30. Ugly Mug Save $10 on lunch, dinner — minimum spend $50. Zoe’s Save $5 on B/L/D — minimum spend $25.
Cre ati n g y o u r ow n b a c k ya rd h e a ve n? We c a n h e l p.
indoor & outdoor furniture | candles | decorations | cushions | souvenirs
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the CAPE MAY EXPERIENCE Discount Deck } participating stores
What a sweet deal!
T
HE best thing about The Cape May Experience Discount Deck? It’s packed with the kind of establishments you already frequent, plus maybe a few that you’ve always wanted to try (like Louisa’s Chocolate Bar, above, on Jackson Street, a stellar
A Place on Earth Save $5 on a minimum spend of $30. Bath Time Save $10 on a minimum spend of $30. Bird House of cape may Save $10 on a minimum spend of $35. Cape may Olive Oil Co. Save $10 on a minimum spend of $35. Carpenter’s Square Mall Save $10 on a minimum spend of $30. Exit Zero store & gallery Save $15 on a $25 color issues subscription. Flying Fish studio Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40. Good Scents Save $10 on a minimum spend of $50. italian Garden Save $5 on a minimum spend of $40. Louisa’s Chocolate Bar Save $5 on a minimum spend of $15. Red Store Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25. seaside Cheese Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25. tommy’s Folly Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40. Wanderlust Save $10 on a minimum spend of $30. } participating salons & spas
$25 investment. Wander the mall and buy quality products
accent on Beauty Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25. Artizan Salon & SPA Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25. Cape may Day Spa Save $10 on any massage or facial Sea Spa at congress hall Save $15 on a minimum spend of $75.
at Bath Time, A Place on Earth and Good Scents and you
} participating activities
could save $25. Or you could spoil yourself with a signature
Cape May Stage Save $10 on a show ticket. Cape may Whale Watch & research Save $10 on a trip. East Coast Jet Boat, jet Ski & Parasail Save $10 on a trip or rental. East Lynne Theater company Save $10 on a show ticket. Miss Chris Kayak rentals Save $5 on a kayak rental Osprey Cruise Save $5 onany trip.
addition to the Cape May shopping experience). Wherever you choose to go, it won’t take long to get a return on your
treatment at Sea Spa at Congress Hall, or Accent on Beauty. Or maybe you’re feeling a little bit adventurous and in need of some activity during your vacation? In which case, East Coast Parasail would be a great place to start. And for some quality theater, both Cape May Stage and East Lynne are offering $10 off their regular ticket prices. That’s a saving of around a third! Let the fun, and the savings, begin.
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If you love Italy if you love Italian products if you love unique fragrances and luxurious skin care if you want to look beautiful you must visit Italian Garden.
NEW * NEW * NEW 5 luscious fragrances with scents of ivy, citrus, viola, tahitian flower, and poppy; and several new miraculous skin care products!
italian Garden 510 Carpenter’s Lane, Cape May (609) 884-2300
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Visit our beautifully designed store... 2,500 square feet and two floors of ridiculously cool Cape May souvenirs!
Exit Zero Store & Gallery
And don’t miss out on our old-fashioned (with new technology) photo booth. Fun photo strips, just like the old days! A stunning range of gifts and goodies for the home, from sugar bowls to candle sticks, coffee mugs to pillows... and a nautical line of jewelry! exit zero
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109 Sunset Boulevard, Cape May ÂŤ 609-770-8479 Open daily 10-5 [9-9 in summer] ÂŤ Online at ezstore.us
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FEATURE STORY
country, CLASSICAL, jazz and jigs at cape may music festival Ready for a musical extravaganza by the sea? World-class artists are heading this way for an annual event that’s one of the best in the state.
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The Atlantic Brass Band, led by conductor Sal Scarpa (right), will play a free concert at the Rotary Bandstand on May 26.
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I
t’s been almost a quarter of a century since the inaugural Cape May Music Festival enticed a first-class group of performers to our town as a way to kickstart the summer season. A key component was the close involvement of New York Chamber Ensemble. “That first summer, the ensemble was sort of in residence,” says Alan Kay, current director. Since then the festival has hosted a long line of marquee-worthy performers — classical talents like Hilary Hahn and the Juilliard Quartet; pop stars like Mary Wilson and the Supremes and Little Anthony and the Imperials; and Celtic rock powerhouse Gaelic Storm. This year’s roster boasts Grammy-nominated performers, Metropolitan Opera regulars and acclaimed international artists. Locals and frequent visitors aren’t the only ones taking notice: the festival won ArtPride New Jersey’s People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Music Festival”. Awards are always welcome, but anyone who’s attended a festival concert can attest to the caliber of musicianship and programming. The classical ensembles are always topnotch — the Bay-Atlantic Symphony, New York Chamber Ensemble, and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra are festival favorites —but you might be surprised at the variety of styles. “It’s important to diversify genres,” says Mary Stewart of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, event organizer. “It lets you expose your current audience, as well as new audiences, to new kinds of music.” This year features traditional Irish acts, a bluesy jazz concert and a classic country band. Check out our handy guide, and prepare for more than two weeks of seriously good seaside music-making.
Mary Wilson is a past performer at Cape May Music Festival
} a slice of americana Atlantic Brass Band The Cape May Music Festival kicks off with some true Americana — the Atlantic Brass Band, directed by Salvatore Scarpa, playing a selection of favorites at the Rotary Bandstand. The group of roughly 30 players travels the tri-state area (and far beyond) performing the requisite Sousa-style marches, as well as opera standards, film tunes, jazz and pop. ABB president Jack Deal hints “we may even do a little Queen” at the May performance. The group travels in July to the Netherlands for the International Brass Band Competition (“it’s like the Olympics of banding,” Deal explains). May 26, 8pm, Rotary Bandstand, between Decatur and Jackson. Free admission.
} a classy reunion The Heart of the Matter, by New York Chamber Ensemble Prepare for a musical reunion when soprano Wonjung Kim (right) and harpist Stacey Shames perform together for the first time since meeting at Juilliard. Kim will sing works by Fauré and Debussy (she likens Fauré to a Renoir, Debussy to a Seurat), a Ravel cycle, and Jimmy Roberts’ “The Heart of the Matter”, which she calls “a bluesy conversation between voice and clarinet.” Shames, who has accompanied greats like Andrea Bocelli and Joshua Bell, takes the lead with Saint-Saëns’ Fantaisie for Violin and Harp and a Debussy trio. The concert includes another Juilliard classmate, NYCE artistic director and clarinettist Alan Kay. Says Kim: “It’s old friends, getting together and making beautiful music. I think that’s what Cape May is all about.” May 28, 8pm, Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin. Admission $20, seniors $15, students $5. MUSICAL NOTE: After leaving Korea to study voice in the States, Wonjung Kim launched an operatic career that took her across the world, until she had what she calls an identity crisis in Italy: “An old Italian lady came to me after the concert and said, ‘You sing our music very well.’ It shocked me. I had been singing western classical music since I was seven, and I treat it as mine.” Kim travelled back to South Korea, where she starred in The Last Empress, the country’s first original musical, and sang on radio and TV before returning to the US to pursue her doctorate. Says Kim: “This program is very special for me. It’s like reclaiming a bit of what I did before — my studies in Juilliard and all I went through. I grew as a person and as a musician.”
} classical favorites Bach’s Lunches — Bay-Atlantic Symphony If you like your Bach with a side of bread and butter, consider reserving a spot at one of the three Bach’s Lunches during the music festival. Guests will enjoy a tea luncheon at the Carriage House and Tearoom on the historic Emlen Physick Estate, all while members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony perform a mini-concert of classical favorites. Inspired punning aside, the lunches do not come in a box. 12:30pm, May 29, June 5 and June 12 at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. Tickets are $30, reservations limited.
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} vintage country Zoe Muth & The Lost City Rollers Classic country singer Zoe Muth grew up in Seattle, listening to her father’s records, learning about folk icons like Dylan and Guthrie, and eventually playing open mics at Tractor Tavern, a hallmark of the local Americana movement. Five years and three albums later, the former preschool teacher has moved to Austin, Texas, a town steeped in country music. “It’s kind of intimidating,” Muth says. “There’s so many great musicians, people I’ve idolized. We just saw a piano player who worked with Elvis and Johnny Cash.” Her emphasis on evocative songwriting and vintage sound make for a live experience you won’t want to miss (YouTube her SXSW performances if you don’t believe us), and new songs, like “Momma Needs a Margarita” promise a night of country fun by the beach. May 30, 8pm, Cape May Convention Hall at Beach Avenue and Stockton. General admission $25, seniors $20, students $10.
ROMANTIC NOTE: Muth’s backing band are a stellar ensemble to a man, but the singer does have a favorite — husband Greg Nies. They met at Tractor Tavern, where he worked as a sound engineer. “I used to have a different drummer, but he couldn’t make a gig and we had to find a replacement,” Muth says. “Greg filled in for that show... and then we had to get rid of the other guy.”
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} the upbeat, uptempo irish-flavored girls’ group
Girsa What do you call a group of girls with fiddles, mandolins, whistles, bodhrans and accordions in tow? You call them Girsa. “We chose the name when the group formed 10 years ago,” says fiddler and whistle-player Maeve Flanagan. “It means ‘young girls’ in Northern Irish slang. We thought it was a good, tight name.” Even better are the harmonies the girls draw from their instruments and voices, creating rich tapestries of Irish song. Everyone in the group hails from Pearl River, New York (recently voted ‘Third Most Irish City in America’ by Forbes magazine), and most have been studying, often together, since childhood. The group has performed at festivals across the country and released two albums to critical acclaim. While the repertoire is steeped in Irish traditional music, Girsa is not opposed to reinterpreting a rock hit or two — like Rod Stewart’s “Rhythm of My Heart” and Van Morrison’s “Irish Heartbeat.” One more instrument we forgot to mention — dancing feet. “Expect to get out of your seat,” says Maeve of their upcoming performance. “We like to play a lot of uptempo music that people can dance to.” June 2, 8pm, Cape May Convention Hall at Beach Avenue and Stockton. Free admission.
} a celtic instrument extravaganza McDermott’s Handy Opening for Girsa is McDermott’s Handy, a husband-and-wife duo who have been playing together for more than 30 years. That’s a long time, but it still doesn’t seem long enough to have learned all the instruments they use: the Celtic harp, fiddle, flute, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bodhran, tin whistle and bouzouki. Kathy DeAngelo and Dennis Gormley first met at a folk festival in 1974 — when Kathy’s band was in need of a bass Dennis was more than happy to lend. Three years later Kathy started McDermott’s Handy at the New Jersey Folk Festival, and they’ve been performing together ever since. Besides playing their slew of instruments, the pair sing in English and Irish, and their June performance promises dance music as well as slower tunes. “We’ll be singing an emigration ballad or two,” says Kathy. “We’ve spent years collecting and doing songs about the emigrant experience, and the poignancy of these songs, leaving home and family to go off to the new land, really speaks to us.” June 2, 8pm, Cape May Convention Hall at Beach Avenue and Stockton. Free admission.
} a master of the harpsichord Music for BACHCombers — NYCE For a concert of Baroque works centered on the master of the period, the New York Chamber Ensemble will feature harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire, whose recordings of Bach have won critical acclaim. The program situates the composer’s sonatas alongside contemporaries like Rameau (Bach wasn’t a huge fan of his work) and Telemann (godfather to his son Carl Phillip). Throw in a Purcell piece based off of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and you’ve got a program spanning three countries and decades of musical innovation. Brookshire’s harpsichord, based on a 1783 original, regularly regales crowds of 3,000 at the Metropolitan Opera. For our benefit, he’s bringing it down in his 1990 Volvo. June 4, 8pm, Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin streets. General admission $20, seniors $15, students $5.
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} A COMPELLING FUSION Folk & Fashion — Bay-Atlantic Symphony Good luck finding someone who’s never heard Mozart or Vivaldi. But the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos? That’s out of left field — or Brazil, to be specific. BAS Music Director Jed Gaylin credits him for providing the ‘folk’ in this concert. The composer’s output drew deeply from the traditional music of his country, while incorporating European traditions. Gaylin contrasts Villa-Lobos’ guitar concerto with his forebears: “Composers like Mozart and Vivaldi were writing with a cosmopolitan, international leaning,” he says. (They’re the ‘fashion’.) The beauty here is in the overlapping styles. Says Gaylin: “There are folk elements in Mozart and Vivaldi’s work, and great elegances in Villa-Lobos. So these two words trace the kind of social palette these works encounter.” The show features soloist Max Zuckerman, graduate of Yale School of Music. June 6, 8pm, First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes Street. Admission $25, seniors $20, students $10.
} remembering a local legend George Mesterhazy Tribute Concert In a reprise of last year’s moving concert, the remaining members of the late George Mesterhazy’s trio, Tim Lekan (bass) and Bob Shomo (drums) will be joined by pianist Barry Miles, vocalist Paula Johns, clarinettist Joe Barrett and more in a concert celebrating Cape May’s favorite jazz pianist. Mesterhazy, a fixture of the local music scene and regular pianist at the Merion Inn, worked closely with all these musicians, and had played Cape May Music Festival concerts for seven years prior to his passing. The two-time Grammy nominee passed away days before the festival concert he was slated to headline last year. Barry Miles remembers: “I’d gotten a call from Mary Stewart at MAC saying ‘Look, we want to go on with this concert,’ and I didn’t know how the other musicians would feel about it. Then they all said yes.” He remembers the reception to last year’s performance as overwhelming. “I didn’t expect a capacity turnout, or what it’d be like to play on the new Convention Hall stage. We had 13 artists performing and the love among the audience and performers was just so strong.” This year’s program will feature a selection of favorites from the American songbook, and is sure to be a bittersweet, but jammin’, event. June 9, 8pm, Cape May Convention Hall at Beach Avenue and Stockton. General admission $25, seniors $20, students $10.
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} A MASTERPIECE OF STRINGS NJSO Chamber Players The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra provides four of their best string players for this chamber ensemble performance. The program opens with a piece by Haydn, who was “the master of the string quartet genre,” according to associate concertmaster and violinist Brennan Sweet, followed by Chrysanthemums, a rare instrumental work by Puccini. Written before the composer had grown famous for operas like La Boheme and Madame Butterfly, the piece is rumored to have been written in a single night to memorialize the death of an Italian royal. The final work, by Schubert, commonly known as the Death and the Maiden quartet, continues the theme of mortality with heightened drama. The performers, Brennan Sweet, Steve Fan, Adriana Rosin and David Blinn have played together many times over the years. Sweet describes their vibe as a mix of old friends getting together, consummate professionals collaborating, “and perhaps a hint of friendly showmanship — just to spice things up a bit.” June 11, 8pm, Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin streets. General admission $20, seniors $15, students $5.
MUSICAL NOTE: When Franz Schubert wrote the Death and the Maiden string quartet in 1824, he was broke, syphilitic, and (not surprisingly) very depressed. And yet in the last four years of his life Schubert produced some of his best-known works, including Ave Maria, the Winterreise cycle, and this quartet. Portions of the piece draw from Schubert’s 1817 song of the same name, in which a young woman attempts to ward off the Grim Reaper, who darkly replies, “Take courage now, and very soon, within mine arms you’ll softly rest.”
} the stirring, folk-inspired showstopper The Gypsy in Us — NYCE
MUSICAL NOTE: How exactly does one rhapsodize? “It requires a lot of freedom,” says New York Chamber Ensemble Artistic Director Alan Kay. “You might focus on a note or two, and go away and come back, creating kind of musical waves around important notes and pitches. Like the famous gypsy violinists you find in some restaurants: they find old tunes and improvise and return, and somehow always stay in key.”
If your knowledge of Romani music stops at The Gipsy Kings (who are just fine, we’re not snobs), you owe yourself an evening of classically rooted, folk-inspired showstoppers. Clarinettist and NYCE Artistic Director Alan Kay (right) opens the evening with Willson Osborne’s Rhapsody for Solo Clarinet. “Composers have always loved to write for the instrument,” Kay says, “it lends itself to many styles — it’s great for jazz, for klesmer, for classical pieces.” The concert continues with a trio for violins and viola by Zoltan Kodaly, best known for his scholarship in Hungarian folk music, and conclude with Brahm’s Clarinet Quintet. The final piece is mostloved for its second movement, a break in Brahm’s already Romantic style where it’s as though “gypsies have entered the room and began to rhapsodize for a few moments,” says Kay. June 13, 8pm, Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin. Admission $20, seniors $15, students $5.
SOCIAL NOTE: The NYCE has played the Cape May Music Festival since its inception, and some players are about as familiar with the town as our locals. Musicians have stayed at Congress Hall (pre-renovation), the Christian Admiral (pre-demolition) and the Chalfonte. Their favorite post-concert watering holes? Kay is quick to mention the Pilot House and the King Edward Bar at the Chalfonte Hotel.
To buy tickets for any Cape May Music Festival event, visit capemaymac.org. exit zero
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FEATURE STORY
seeing cool cape may through the eyes of the artists The first show of the season at soma NewArt Gallery is a must for Cape May lovers. Marie Natale and Carol King Hood will be exhibiting irresistible new images of America’s Original Seaside Resort. The show opens on May 11 and runs through June 9. Read on for conversations with the artists.
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Detail from “A Walk on Historic Jackson�, by Marie Natale (who painted the cover of this issue), was nationally acclaimed and will be included in a book of best watercolors.
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In conversation with Marie Natale Where did you grow up? I was born in Hammonton, NJ and raised in Egg Harbor City, with six brothers and one sister. Where and did you study? Got my BA and MA in art education from Rowan University (Glassboro State College then). My focus was to teach art K-12th grades. And what did you do after that? After 10 years of teaching K-12 in the public school system, I moved on to designing and manufacturing my own line of children’s clothing, high-end specialty infant clothing which was sold worldwide. I closed the business in 1995 and was approached to design novelty items and containers for the horticultural industry. This led to designing for the likes of Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Home Depot. But my life has come full circle back to teaching and painting. When did you begin drawing and painting? Very young but never realized it was something special until a third-grade teacher shared my design with the class. In sixth grade I was introduced to watercolor just as a class art experience... there were no art teachers or art classes in our school. The teacher was impressed with my work and spoke to my parents about encouraging me to paint. I
received my first set of oil paints that year and began to explore. When did you first begin visiting Cape May? In the late 70s and began making at least one trip every summer. What were your first impressions? The Victorian buildings, both their size and beautiful colors, impressed me. I grew up very close to the shore areas but none have the uniqueness of Cape May. I also love the light here — it’s very different from much of the shoreline in my area. Maybe it’s the southern tip of the state that provides a different effect. How has the city changed over the years? The buildings keep getting better. It’s so amazing to see Congress Hall inside and out. I wish the Christian Admiral could have been saved. It was such an incredible property... I hope to paint it one day from old pictures. The Chalfonte looks better every year thanks to the commitment of the Mullocks and staff. What are your favorite subjects to paint here? Everything! The architecture, the street scenes busy with tourists, or quiet alleys and side streets, the beach and jetties, West Cape May and the Leonards’ farm or the alpaca
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farm... and the Emlen Physick Estate is great when teaching students due to its variety of subject matter and extensive property. Now I am focusing on painting interiors like the Ebbitt Room and Congress Hall Ballroom. I also love the busy docks and fishing fleet at the Lobster House, and capturing people at work at the docks, along with bartenders, waiters and waitresses, cooks, housekeeping staff. What have you not painted in Cape May that you really want to? The Christian Admiral hotel, Beach Plum Farm, and I hope to be invited to paint inside establishments in Cape May to capture the light filtering in through windows reflecting on people and objects. Why are you doing the Exit Zero covers? I’m excited to have this opportunity to share my work and my vision of Cape May with the magazine and its readers. Why do you paint? It’s my passion... I cannot imagine doing anything else. It is such a sense of accomplishment to look at something, have an idea of how you want to express it, and then... it happens. And the response from others is icing on the cake. To touch people and move them, sometimes to tears, simply through my art is so rewarding.
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In conversation with carol king hood Where did you grow up? Basically in South Jersey, but spent four years in Laredo, Texas on the Mexican border and graduated high school on the Canadian border. When did you first pick up a crayon? At age five. I can’t remember a time when I was not drawing and painting. While my family was watching Leave it to Beaver I was up in my bedroom drawing. When we moved to South Jersey my parents enrolled me in Haddonfield Arts and Crafts Center. Where did you study? I attended Camden Catholic high school which had an excellent arts program. I graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art. When did you first visit Cape May? In 1963, when my parents rented a Victorian house on Stockton Avenue. We rented every year for a month. I remember that all the houses were painted white with green shutters. I remember going to the Lobster House for Sunday dinner — it still looks the same. Our family loved Cape May — it has always been my favorite place in the universe. Is art your full-time job? Yes, I paint and I teach adults and children. I love teaching kids to paint — they’re fearless.
Favorite time to paint in Cape May? In the dead of winter, I love sitting in my car and painting from there. I get into the abandoned streets, the beautiful poplar trees and the lavender shadows they make on the streets. In the summer it’s not so easy to paint the streets and houses (especially for a easily distracted person like me) so I take to the flower fields, farm markets and farms to plein air paint. Is there anything you have not painted and will be tackling soon? More of the marinas. I love the simple, muted colors and the reflections of the docked boats. The large fishing boats also tell a great story of courage. Tell us about the nuns. We moved a lot when I was growing up but the constants in my life were family, church, Catholic school, and the nuns. My mother used to bend down and whisper in our ears, “Just thank god you were born Catholic.” It still makes me laugh. We often had priests and sisters over for dinner, so the nuns have always been a part of my life. My nun series began because I had in my possession a snapshot of the sisters at St. Mary’s. From that I painted a huge oil and named it “After the Storm”, but had no idea why. Later, I found out that the photograph had been
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taken in the spring after the great 1962 storm. I never expected to be a painter of nuns, but people clamored to buy the prints and cards. I paint them from the sisters’ personal archives and photos sent to me. The sisters love it! I admire their simplicity, their kindness, their humility and generosity. Sometimes I imagine being a nun, but I would miss my husband and at six o’clock I would want my glass of red wine. I’d never make it. What’s the official reaction been from St. Mary’s? They invited me to become an associate. I studied for six months and am now an Associate in Mission. I occasionally help prepare meals, wash dishes, and help make the retreat house comfortable for guests. What is your idea of a blissful day in Cape May? A perfect little shady corner where I can hide in the summer and paint plein air. I complete three successful paintings, and then I come home to our outdoor shower, and follow that up with a cocktail on the Schooner American at the Lobster House. I sit watching the boats with my husband and close friends, while I polish off a plate of Cape May salt oysters. Finally, a spectacular sunset back home on Cape May Point. Yes, that’s bliss.
The show at SOMA NewArt Gallery, in Carpenter’s Square Mall, Perry Street, opens May 11 and runs through June 9. It will also feature the work of Leslie Martel. Visit somagallery.net for more information.
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FEATURE STORY
When World-Class Talent Meets A worldclass script Cape May Stage’s upcoming show, “How To Make A Rope Swing,” confronts the racial divide, thrusting its audience into greater identification with how far we’ve come, and just how far we have left to go...
ARTICLE BY Catherine Dugan PHOTOGRAPH BY frank weiss
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Ben Rosenblatt, Lynn Cohen and Barry Phillips were photographed in April in New York City, where they live (and often work). They will be appearing at Cape May Stage in How to Make A Rope Swing.
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I
n 2011, President Barack Obama displayed a painting in the White House, “The Problem We All Live With.” When Norman Rockwell captured Ruby Bridges being escorted to school by US marshals in this work, he focused on that little girl in that historic moment. He could not capture the job her father lost, or the farm her grandparents lost, as a result. He could not capture the many similar scenes taking place all across the American South, and even as far north as New Jersey. The scars of racism radiate, and they linger. Cape May Stage presents a compelling story which explores those scars. How to Make a Rope Swing, by Shawn Fisher, a New Jersey native, explores the legacy of racism and the nature of healing. Cape May Stage Artistic Director Roy Steinberg has assembled a stellar cast to take on this brand new play: Barry Phillips plays Arthur “Bo” Wells, Ben Rosenblatt plays Mick and Lynn Cohen plays Delores Wright. How to Make a Rope Swing is set in a fictional New Jersey town on the Delaware Bay, not far from Cape May. Although it is
set in 2002, the play deals with events from the 1950s, when southern New Jersey lagged behind in terms of school integration. The state nominally banned segregated schools in 1881, but 43 school districts still maintained segregated facilities until the middle of the 20th century. In the play, Arthur “Bo” Wells, an AfricanAmerican man, is the longtime custodian at the Oakbranch Public School, about to be demolished. Mrs. Delores Wright, a white woman, once served as principal of the old school, and she seeks to stop Bo Wells from exercising his right to name the new school. She doesn’t understand that the world has changed, and is in denial that Bo’s late wife, the school’s first African-American teacher, suffered any wrongs under her leadership. Mick, a young white man, plays the role of the new janitor. Thanks to a snowstorm that forces them together, we learn that the old school still has lessons to teach. Barry Phillips, an actor and singer based in New York, “looks forward to sharing Bo with the audience” at Cape May Stage. This is a great play “with no excess in it,” he says. The
voice he heard when he first read the role was familiar to him. He says, “‘I know this voice. That’s Uncle Otis.’” Phillips is quick to honor the generation of black Americans who came before him, who had “to be better to be good enough.” Both of his parents broke barriers in his native Indiana — Phillips’s mother was the first black principal of an inner city high school. He recalls a sadness among his elders, and a fear that their efforts might have been wasted on a younger generation who chose to celebrate the “thug life.” Perhaps that’s why Phillips’ mother cried when Obama was elected, because the president’s success validated her generation’s sacrifice. Obama gave young black people “another example,” says Phillips, who believes that fascination with the thug life is fading. “I see it myself on the subway,” he says; young people no longer have to worry about “being black enough.” Bo’s bow tie is also familiar to the actor — Phillips taught himself to tie his own by watching Bing Crosby casually make the complicated moves while singing in the film Going Hollywood, from 1933. Now Phillips
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likes to leave the house with his tie dangling, and create a perfect bow on the subway, impressing his fellow riders. Though he is based in New York, Phillips loved growing up in Indiana, one of only five people of color in his class — he still returns for high school reunions. The classmates shared the mindset that “race would not be an issue” when they grew up, though nearby Plainfield, Indiana had a reputation for Ku Klux Klan activity. Phillips attended Indiana University and was honored with their Distinguished Alumni Award. “I got a plaque, just like Bo,” he laughs. Phillips spent 40 years touring the country as a singer. He decided in 2000 to focus on acting, and has been working steadily since, on television shows like 30 Rock, in film, and on stage (Mark Twain’s Blues). He has become the kind of actor who tends to immerse himself, and go “all the way for a role.” Phillips recently shaved his beard for a movie role playing a “cantankerous bank manager,” but planned to let it grow back to play Bo. Phillips loves the beach and looks forward to spending time in Cape May.
Barry Phillips appeared in the Off-Broadway production of Mark Twain’s Blues.
Ben Rosenblatt plays Bo’s sidekick, Mick. He sees Mick as “somewhat of a late bloomer” who has to “hide his sensitive side to survive.” Rosenblatt, a New York-based actor, musician and playwright, is “fascinated by the dark parts of the play” but finds the lighter parts even more interesting. “It
goes there, hits you, and then moves away, and there are many lighter moments, many moments of humor,” he says. At the end of the show, Mick is still learning and growing into the “best version of himself — we watch him grow up,” says Rosenblatt. Mick recognizes that he has learned valuable lessons even as he looks back on his school days with mixed feelings.
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Rosenblatt also learned some valuable lessons as a child in Connecticut. Although he acted in community theater as a youngster — a role as a member of the Lollipop Guild in The Wizard of Oz stands out — he planned a career as a professional wrestler. As he grew up, he realized it was “the storytelling aspect of wrestling” that he appreciated. He recalls “one of those moments when teenagers sit around discussing ‘what are we going to do with our lives.’” When a friend announced plans to be an actor, “I realized that acting was actually something I could do,” he says. He transferred to a performing arts high school and went on to the University of Connecticut to study acting before earning an MFA from Brandeis. As a playwright, Rosenblatt appreciates the efficiency in How to Make a Rope Swing, and though he has won accolades for his acting, this time, the “writing will do the work for me.” He looks forward to playing Mick, this “fun, young guy who’s trying to make his way.” Rosenblatt can relate because he is also a young guy making his way. He has appeared onstage in New York and in regional theater, doing everything from experimental theater, to musicals, to Shakespeare and Chekhov. His work has taken him all over the world; he recently toured military bases in ReEntry, a play about the challenges Marines face as they return to civilian life, based on interviews with real servicemen and their families. As a playwright, Rosenblatt is currently doing research for a solo performance piece about obsessive compulsive disorder. Rosenblatt looks forward to working within the intimate confines of Cape May Stage, believing the environment will allow theatergoers to have “an honest relationship with the people on stage.” He also looks forward to getting around town by bike, and he may try out some water sports while in Cape May, as his his lean frame is better suited to paddleboarding than professional wrestling. Lynn Cohen, who plays Delores Wright, soon will be wrestling the demands of a new generation of movie fans. Already a favorite of middle-aged women everywhere for her work as Madga in Sex and the City, Cohen will win the hearts of younger moviegoers when she appears as Mags in the upcoming Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. Mags is the victor from the fishing district who forms
Lynn Cohen as Magda the housekeeper in Sex and the City. Later this year, she will be appearing opposite Ocar winner Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire.
an unlikely alliance with Katniss Everdeen. (Young fans of the violent Hunger Games who are drawn to Cape May to see Cohen can surely handle an adult discussion of racism, but How to Make a Rope Swing is recommended for children 12 and older.) Cohen is an accomplished stage actress who has worked on Broadway and in regional theater for decades. How to Make a Rope Swing marks a return to Cape May Stage — she starred in Happy Days and in Social Security, both times sharing the stage with her husband, actor/director Ron Cohen. According to Steinberg, “The role of Dolores Wright was written for Lynn Cohen when Shawn Fisher worked with her on Happy Days and was so inspired by her work.” Although she is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, Cohen has been called the consummate New York actor, having made her film debut in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery. She also appeared regularly on Law & Order and its spinoffs, playing five different characters on both sides of the law. As Steinberg says, “Lynn can work anywhere she wants and has worked with the world’s most important theaters and directors; the fact that she chooses to come back to work with us is a gift to all of Cape May.” Delores Wright has a definite, though dated, sense of community, and Cohen is a respected part of the acting community. “Lynn is all about ‘the work’ of acting,” Steinberg says. She encounters many of her fel-
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low actors time and again; Cohen had played Edie Falco’s mother on film years before she appeared with her in Nurse Jackie, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who also appears in Catching Fire, previously worked with Cohen in Synecdoche, New York. And, though the beloved Magda was a domestic, Cohen has no trouble playing roles on the other side of the class divide, including her turn as Golda Meir in Steven Spielberg’s Munich. How to Make a Rope Swing is a provocative piece of work. Though the actors don’t see the play as dark, it will give people something to think about as they leave the theater. There’s a lot to think about as the “dynamic undergoes a sea change,” says Phillips, “and people will definitely have something to talk about around the dinner table.” With Roy Steinberg at the helm, Cape May Stage attracts an impressive roster of talent. “We don’t have huge budgets but we treat our artists like artists and give them the tools and freedom to create great theater,” Steinberg says. The show plays May 17 through June 7, Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 3pm. The show runs two hours, with intermission, and is suitable for children ages 12 and up. Tickets from capemaystage.com or by calling (609) 884-1341. Tickets may also be purchased at the information booth on the Washington Street Mall, or at the box office a half hour before showtime. Discounts are available for seniors and students.
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East Lynne Theater brings the drama all year long
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he award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company, a proven destination for theater lovers who crave the adventure of discovery, has exciting shows lined up for its 33rd season... all of them taking place in the historic First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, located at the corner of Decatur and Hughes, between the beach and the Washington Street Mall. From June 12 to July 20 at 8:30pm, it’s the New Jersey premiere of Lost on the Natchez Trace. The year is 1825 and slave auctioneer Malcolm Jeters is headed home when he falls from his mule in Mississippi’s Natchez Trace during a violent storm. Injured and starving, he yells for help. The only one who appears is a runaway slave. The question is, who will save whom in this compelling new play? The playwright, award-winning Jan Buttram, whose work has been seen around the country, began her professional theater career as an actress with the New Orleans Repertory Theatre. After moving to New York City, she worked Off-Broadway, OffOff-Broadway and in national tours. Next up, on Tuesday, July 2 at 8pm, it’s ELTC’s popular admission-free student production, An Evening of Fables. After nine rehearsals, students ages 11 to 16 take to the stage in an entertaining event for all ages. Participants are already signing up, and to receive an application, contact ELTC. Then there is the world premiere of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from July 24 to August 31 at 8:30pm. The townsfolk of Tarrytown believe that the headless body of a Hessian soldier astride his horse haunts their isolated village. When Ichabod Crane suddenly disappears, is it the fault of the Headless Horseman, or something else?
Washington Irving’s supernatural story is adapted by James Rana who so vividly created ELTC’s last season’s The Poe Mysteries. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was published in The Sketch Book of Goeffrey Crayon (1820), bringing national and international success to writer Washington Irving (1783-1859). Although his father wanted him to study law, Irving preferred going to the Park Theater, the Shakespeare Tavern, and writing. With several friends, he created a periodical called The Salmagundi Papers. It was a comic look at politics and current events in “the thrice renowned and delectable city of Gotham”— the first time Manhattan was so called— decades before Batman. Playwright/performer James Rana has worked for the Big Apple Circus and performed with numerous theaters in Manhattan, throughout the country, and in Europe, including The Royal Shakespeare Company. He wrote and narrated Poe: A Celebration and Going Polar for National Public Radio. Be on the lookout, also, for the delight-
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ful comedy The Late Christopher Bean, by Pulitzer Prize winning Sidney Howard, running from September 18 to October 13 at 8pm. After his death, Christopher Bean is heralded as “not merely a great American artist, but one of the greatest masters of all time,” and the art world now wants his work. But did a New England family destroy his paintings, misplace them, or hide them? “It’s a play that has remained fresh and funny, proving once again that a strong script is rarely tarnished by time,” wrote Ken Jaworowski in his New York Times review of 1 2009 production. Along with the aforementioned mainstage productions, ELTC is proud to offer its “Sunday Film Series,” co-sponsored with The Cape May Film Society. On June 30 at 8:30pm, is the 2006 film directed by Michael Apted, Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce’s battle to abolish slavery in England in the late 1700s. The next, a silent classic with live, original organ music, is The Thief of Bagdad. This will be the 24th year that ELTC
Opposite page: Don’t miss the world premiere of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which brings Washington Irving’s supernatural story to life. Above: Lost on the Natchez Trace is “an emotional inferno,” according to the New York Times.
has presented Tales of the Victorians, where ELTC’s actors read classic American stories on porches of historic B&Bs and in tea rooms, at 4pm every Thursday, beginning on June 6. In the fall, the day switches to Saturday. Contact ELTC for the different weekly locations. Performances for the mainstage productions are generally Wednesdays through Saturdays, few exceptions: there is no show on July 4, but an added show on July 7, and no show on October 9, with an added show on October 13 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30 general admission; $25 senior; $15 students; and ages 12 and under are free. Season tickets are only $80 for four shows, and tickets may be used in several ways, including using all at once, or multiple times, and must be purchased by July 1. Partnerships with the following restaurants are also excellent for savings: Aleathea’s at the Inn of Cape May, 410 Bank Street Restaurant, Frescos, and The Washington Inn. Contact ELTC through eastlynnetheater.org or by calling 609884-5898.
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BOOK EXCERPT
a sneak preview of the cape may novel we brought back from the dead It should have been published by a Philadelphia company in the 1940s but after a dispute with the author, the book went into cold storage... until the author’s grandson brought it to “Exit Zero”. This July we will be proud to publish this fascinating book, set in 17thcentury Cape May. Here is your chance to read the first chapter of “The Cape”.
illustrations by Janet Rombough O’Neil exit zero
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auTHOR’S NOTE Many years ago, in the Cape May country of southern New Jersey, the old people told fragments of a strange story. Now the old people are gone, and the younger generation has almost forgotten the story. From as many fragments as could be remembered, the author has, to the best of his ability, recreated it. Its relation to written history is decidedly vague, inasmuch as the events occurred before the cape was occupied by the whites, and its history was only recorded in the unwritten legends of the Lenni Lenape, “red people who live by the sea”. — Charles Whitecar Miskelly, circa 1940
T
he first white man to see the mainland of what would later be New Jersey, and especially the southern end of it, was one Estevão Gomez in the year 1525, but nobody did anything about it for nearly a century. The land, between its bay and its ocean, lay as it had for ages. Its people, of the tribe of LenniLenape, walked its woods and beaches, and where the brightly colored stones lay strewn upon the bar, they watched the sea and marveled at the winged ships that rode on the sea. But no ship, and no white man, ever came to their shore. And then, one winter day when a change of wind blew the mists away to let the sun show red beyond the waters of the bay, a ship seemed to sail away from the land. From behind the point of the Cape, where the land hooked its finger between the bay and the ocean to form a harbor, the ship sailed out to the sea. It left the shore where the little
stream trickled down from the sweet-water pond among the cedar trees, where at the foot of the wooded slope a little band of red people lived, back a way from the beach. There were a dozen wigwams or tepees, made of skins and bark, each with the totem of the turtle painted on its walls. Each home had its problems, of food and shelter and water. Commonplace things through commonplace ages, until that winter day when the strange ship moved through the eastwind mists and sailed away when the wind had changed to the west. From the sandy and wooded bluff some five miles to the north, almost as far as the little creek which shoved its salted and twisting thread through the narrow and tree-girt meadow, Wawakna, chief of another band, saw the ship sail away. He stood on the bluff with his daughter, Minyanata, who was eight years old. Forgetting both dignity and daughter, Wawakna shouted and pointed. From the town among the trees, back a little from the bay, his people came running. And Lagunaka, too, the medicine man. All stood and wondered. They were frightened, too,
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Learn to capture the essence of Cape May... in summer workshops with artist Marie Natale WO R K S H O P a t t h e C H A LF O N T E H O T EL June 5-7, 2013 9:30am-3:30pm Contact Marie at 609-214-9905
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because how could the ship sail away from the land without first having come to it? No one had seen the ship come in, but Wawakna gravely explained that this was because of the mists. But Lagunaka pondered. Wise in the ways of devils and such, the magician doubted. He believed there was devilry in the wind. He would make a brew and sing a song and shake a rattle, and do what he could to fend off the evil. However, because of the quarrel between the two camps, none could go down to the point to see what had happened. In the morning Wawakna would send a wampum down to seek the peace and learn the news. But the night wind shifted to the north of east; for four long days a blizzard blew; the snow piled high in the trails. The mystery of the ship could wait a while, and with the waiting the fear of the people lessened. Perhaps, the ship hadn’t been leaving the harbor at all; more likely it had been sailing along the coast, as others had done. After his brew and his song, and especially after the blizzard had begun to blow, Lagunaka explained that the distance had been deceptive: the ship had sailed past the point of land and not from it. Lagunaka, a jealous man, was extremely isolationist. The magician down by the pond would not agree with him on many matters, and this had been responsible for the neighborhood ill feeling. So things continued as they were until after warm weather had come. But the important point was this: what one ship had done another could do. Other ships had passed the cape. One was the Half Moon of Captain Henry Hudson, exploring new waterways on his way to the great river and bay which would bear his name. Bypassing the cape, leaving the naming of it to Captain Cornelius Mey, of the ship Glad Tidings. It was in April, eight years later, when Minyanata was sixteen and John McJack an uncertain 23 that McJack came ashore on a piece of timber, about a mile from the point of the cape and four miles below Wawakna’s camp, up on the bluff. For more than three hours McJack lay on the beach without even enough strength to pull himself the rest of the way out of the water. Half unconscious, he lay with the waves lapping about his waist, then his knees, and then his ankles as the tide
receded, leaving him on the hard packed sand. The skin of his arms was bloody from gripping a broken timber while the wind howled and the waves buried him in the rush of water. As he slowly moved his arms across the sand of the beach, he heard the crunch as the ship crashed the bar in the thunder squall, the cracking of the planking, and the screams of the crew. McJack dug his hands into the sand and pulled them back painfully to his side and then stretched them over his head again as if he were swimming. He groaned, opened his eyes, and saw the beach, the marsh, the high ground, and the forest. “Praise to god and all his saints who brought me through.” He raised himself slowly to his knees and added, “And the saints help all who didn’t make it,” as he saw the litter from the wreck along the edge of the water. A few feet away from him lay the timber with the crooked handle of his adze emerging, its blade sunk deep in the wood. “And what is this?” he asked himself as he drew his hand across the sand and col-
lected shiny colored stones in his fingers. “Be I lucky enough to land on a bejeweled beach?” But his exhaustion made his interest short lived. The sun was setting, and he realized that soon the tide would come back in an effort to reclaim him. He crawled himself beyond the reach of the water where the sand was soft and soon fell asleep. The next morning, stiff and sore from the night and starved after more than a day without food, he stood on the beach where the forest came clear to the shore, watching the birds come over the water. He was appalled by his loneliness. Except for the visible birds and the invisible beasts, his world seemed empty of living things. But McJack shrugged his shoulders and gave thanks for his adze to the saints an ’all, and raked some clams from among the stones. He wandered down the beach and drank from a little stream. There was wreckage, broken boards and timbers and pieces of sail, but, thanking the Saints again, no bodies. “Best they should rest where they be,” McJack decided. “Mayhap they be better than me, at that.” McJack
McJack dug his hands into the sand, pulled them back painfully to his side then stretched them over his head again as if he were swimming. He groaned, opened his eyes, and saw the beach, the marsh, and the forest. exit zero
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had no doubt that the woods were full of wild animals, and probably wild men. Probably they were watching him that minute. He decided it was fortunate the Saints were on his side. He found some canvas and enough lumber to make himself a hut between the reach of the tide and the line of the forest. And that night falling asleep with an empty stomach, he was grateful for his canvas covered shelter, but he crouched and shivered. There were strange sounds in the dark. An owl. A fox yelped shrilly. And once when McJack had dozed a little because the owl and the fox and the night were still, there came a scream from the dark. “Saints help me now!” pleaded John McJack. “Tis the devil let loose in the land, an’all, to set me teeth a’ chatter with the fright. Or mayhap it were the banshee call: Saints send the mornin’ sun to shine an’ stop me shivers!” Next morning, brave in the light of it, or desperate because of hunger, he ventured into the woods and frightened a catamount away from the carcass of a fawn, and broke
his fast on raw venison, using the adze blade for a knife. The meat was young and not too tough, but the blood trickled down through the stubble on his chin. “For a flint an’ steel I would pay, but I ha’ naught with which to pay, so what I shall get I must take. I wonners why the land be so scarce with men? I had heard there were injuns in all o’ the coastlands. Mayhap some thing be wrong with this land. Mayhap that were a banshee call! McJack, be wise an’ wary! Ye must, at that, whilst ye wanders in the wood.” But that day, and in spite of his own advice, he did a foolish thing: he chased a tiny bear cub. The mother charged McJack from a thicket. By a miracle, or by the grace of the saints, an ’all, the battle was short. McJack drove the pin of the adze through the animal’s skull. She reared and roared, spun round and round, the adze handle swaying. She pawed at the thing, and then her spine crumpled and she fell and slowly died while McJack, white-faced and shaking, stood aside and watched. That was how he got his robe of stinking
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bear hide, and the cub for a pet. He christened the latter Saint Pat. It took until dusk to remove the great hide, and then he moved away from the carcass lest it draw other beasts in the night. He went back to the more open shore of the bay. At first the cub bit his fingers, but later it cuddled down in his arms. “Sure,” said McJack, “ye be somethin’ to talk to, though ye be too young an’ too dumb to sense that I ha’ murdered your mother, an’ to hold that same against me. But this night we can sleep more warm in her hide, do we sleep at all. “And,” he added, “Saints send yer daddy, if ye had one, some other place, else he should come searchin’. Saint Pat, me lad, quit yer squirmin’ now, would ye know yer own dad did ye see him? Seems that I’ve heard ye would not at all. By all the laws o’ righteous men, I reckons yerself a bastard! Seems that a bear be like some men: he will get a wench with child an’ leave her to bear it. An’ fend for it too. Saints grant that I ha’ not done that same; I cannot be sure!” This set McJack to thinking of his sins. He made a little prayer for forgiveness, while he crouched in his sailcloth shack and heard
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the raindrops. Another April shower, and McJack slept a little under his stinking bear hide, cuddling Saint Pat lest he wander away. “Saint Pat, me lad,” he told the cub, “I needs ye to talk to, lest me head be addled with the loneness. I do, at that!” Next day he went back to the carcass of the bear; some beasts had been at it. There were cat tracks in the sand, McJack nodded. “T’will mayhap lure the beasts from me,” he reasoned. “I will search a bit further in the wood an’ stay away from here come night.” And he hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards inland when he came to a trail. It led down toward the point and up to the north. It was almost a yard wide, winding between the thickets and under the towering trees. “’Tis a great highway o’ a sort, I will wager a wagon,” said McJack to the cub. He grinned. “An’ do I win that wagon, we will climb aboard an’ ride.” He scratched his head, felt meditatively his chin where the whiskers were sprouting. “Sure, the path were made by the feet of men, though no tracks show. Mayhap ’tis because of the rain in the night. Where it leads up yon I cannot tell, but to the
south it cannot go so far: ‘twould be stopped by the sea. I will go down yon an’ learn, but slow, an’ takin’ care. There may be Injuns there. They may be good or bad. McJack, ye cannot wander long alone in the wood. Mayhap do ye find them, the Injuns will kill ye. Ye will take the path to the sea.” He went warily, pausing at every turn of the trail. Watching for footprints of men. But he found none, even when the way dipped down into a little swale so damp that he wet his feet. On to the south for nearly a mile. Through thicketed tunnels and open places. Then beneath towering cedars. The path went through and crossed a tiny stream, two cedar logs for a bridge. These were old, beginning to rot, but McJack walked over, adze in his right hand and Saint Pat in his left arm. The pack strapped across his shoulders. “This land be accursed,” he muttered. “Almost I fears to go on, but go I must. This path leads to somewhere to be sure. I wonners me what?” There was a thicket of briars beyond the bridge and then the land sloped upward to pines and oaks and locust trees and to what
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had been a campsite. The stream under the bridge ran to a little pond; beyond stood the towering cedars, reflected in the water. Their tops swayed in the springtime breeze, but the water itself was still. Not a soul was in sight, no wigwams nor tepees. McJack crossed himself and whispered a charm against pixies and elves and leprechauns... “or injuns, live ones or dead ones. More like ’twill be the dead, for the life ha’ been burned from the very soil. Naught grows but trees where once the people lived. An’ there be dead cedars hung with the root ends up, about the camp. I wonners me?” McJack walked warily across the campsite. The only sound at the moment was the sea; he could faintly hear the breakers on the ocean shore. Down the stream course he could glimpse the bay, for the swale ran clear to the waters there. McJack shivered. ‘Saint Pat,” said he, “we have a deadened world to our lonesome selves. We have at that! Where be the people as was here before? Why be the place so still an’all?” And he dared the stillness with a loud “Ahoy!”
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He did a foolish thing: he chased a tiny bear cub. The mother charged McJack from a thicket. By a miracle, the battle was short. McJack drove the pin of the adze through the animal’s skull. She reared and roared, spun round and round, the adze handle swaying. Then her spine crumpled and she fell and slowly died while McJack, white-faced and shaking, stood aside and watched. That was how he got his robe of stinking bear hide, and the cub for a pet.
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“Ahoy!” replied the echo from among the cedars. “Ahoy,” it whispered from beyond the bridge, and McJack made the sign of the cross again. “There be naught in the place, an’ I be afeared of it,” he confessed. “Sure, it did sound like a voice from the dead. It duddered me; I will not shout again at all. I will keep closed the mouth o’ me, for I ha’ learned before now that this same mouth can bring me into trouble... where ’twould seem I already be. What means that heap o’ soil o’er yon? What means these cedars hangin’ by their tails to swing in the wind as they ha’ done?” These tips had touched and swept the ground. The heap in the center showed the ends of charred sticks. Pieces of pottery had been washed out by the rains. The shaft of an arrow protruded. And where some beast had dug in the soil, were feathers, as from a bonnet. These were scorched a little. McJack drew a deep breath. He glanced around and put the bear cub down. With his adze he dragged the bonnet from the sand. “Aye, ’twere once a crown o’ some heathen sort,” he surmised. “Did I dig in the dirt I might find the man as wore it, the which I shall not do at all. Saints ask the God to gin these people peace; ‘twould seem the village all has died, but, then, they could not cover in the sand. Two things be plain,” he reasoned, “either some were left or others came an’ did it. A dead man, do he be alone, lies where he falls. As will a man I know as John McJack... mayhap. The which be not a gladsome thought at all; I will not think it. I be still alive; me hunger tells me so. I will... what ha’ I found... a footprint o’ a man! He wears some sort o’ soften shoe. McJack, ye should be wary, for mayhap ye be seen! Ye cannot tell.” But though during the day he found more footprints he could not trail them nor find the man. “Mayhap he were but passin’ by, the same as meself,” he conjectured as toward evening he stood by the bay to watch the lonely sunset. He inquired Saint Pat’s opinion, but Pat only blinked, and McJack broke the shell of a clam for him, and the cub dined daintily. “Ye would fain ha’ milk,” surmised McJack, “but that I cannot give ye; I ne’er was shaped to that at all. So we will go back to the edge o’ this town for the night, for ‘tis
He shivered, for a chill worse than frost had gone up his spine. Off in the camp among the shades, there where the sand was heaped in its pile, a grey shape showed. It walked slowly; had it not been a ghost it would have seemed feeble. It came toward McJack and stood in the moonlight. plain the Injuns shun the spot an’ do not tarry there. Ghosts an’ goblins may be there, but we must risk them. They might fright the guts from a man, an’all, but a spirit be less deadly than a spear in the dark.” So he pitched his tent on the edge of the camp among some saplings there, and he and his bear cub huddled inside. By that time the bear skin was rank indeed, but the stink was better than the cold, for during the night the frost came down. The new moon was growing; it glinted on the frost. Showed clear the surface of the pond; the cedars reflected their blackness there. The bare branches of the trees made serpentine marks on the sand of the campsite, and the sound of the surf sang faintly. No beasts made a sound, though the ducks in the bay seemed to quack at the moon at times. Perhaps these had awakened McJack. Cramped by his sleeping and with an ache in his knees, McJack pushed aside his robe and crawled out of his tent. There he was among the saplings; when he stood his head was above them. He could see the pond, and the cedars, and the shapes on the sand among the boles of the trees, there in the glint of the frost. But he say only dimly, because frost was still falling. He stooped to rub his knees, then stood upright again. He drew a sort of gasping breath and again he whispered his charm word. And he called on his saints. He shivered, for a chill worse than frost had gone up his spine. Off in the camp among the shades, there where the sand was heaped in its pile, a grey shape showed. It walked slowly; had it not
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been a ghost it would have seemed feeble. It came toward McJack and stood in the moonlight. It wore a gray cloak, and its beard was shite. It raised a hand as if pointing to the moon, and as if obedient, that moon went back of a cloud. Then the grey thing vanished in the gloom. “Saints Mary an’ Michael!” he whispered. “What be the thing, an’all?” But nobody answered, and McJack kept his watch until dawn. The ghost didn’t show again. It seemed to have vanished in the heap of sand where McJack was sure that the dead men lay. One, perhaps, had been restless; he had risen to walk the night. “Can I but live to see the light,” declared McJack, “I will leave this place afar. I will, at that.” But in the morning, when he found fresh footprints where the thing had stood, his courage came back amazingly, what with this knowledge and the warmth and light of the sun, day being so different. So he tried to follow the tracks, but they led over pine needles and fallen leaves, and he lost them. After that he found some ducks’ eggs, and he choked a little as he sucked them. Saint Pat ate an egg and some grubs that he found. He followed slowly while his master walked around the campsite and into the woods. Then they headed for the dunes behind the meadow. They rounded a thicket of beachplum. And beyond it, squatting in the sun, clad in a long and ragged coat with woods leaves clinging to it, was the man. His long hair was white and his beard hung down on his chest, his head bowed in sleep. He was so thin that the coat pouched out in great wrinkles, and his hands showed the lines of their bones. “God help the man!” whispered McJack. “He were no ghost at all. Mayhap he were cast ashore the same as I. He sleeps by day and walks the wood by night. The man looks daft, small wonner, too. How shall I wake him, now?” He pondered a moment, looking up and down the shore for caution’s sake. Then: “Ahoy, kind sir! Would ye wake and give yer greetin’s to a friend?” The man slowly raised his head and opened his eyes; these were a faded blue and held a vacant stare. McJack told him gently, “I be a friend; I means no harm at all. I gives ye greetin’s. An’
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how come ye here?” But the man didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, and in his eyes was a look of disbelief. He came forward and seemed to grope for McJack’s hand. He ran his fingers along his arm, he held his own head sidewise to see McJack’s face, and said strange words that made no sense at all, except for his sobbing. McJack’s eyes were misty; he stooped to put the bearcub down. St. Pat walked over to the edge of the thicket, as indifferent to what was going on as seemed the rest of the wild and empty world. The long beach where the waves rolled in, cresting and breaking from out in the sea. The endless thicketed forest there, the dunes and meadows up the shore. The sun which shone upon it all just as it had done for thousands of years. McJack’s voice was croaky: “I be a friend, though ’tis no wonner that ye weep for joy. Ye have not seen a livin’ man for a longsome time, I’ll warrant me. Can ye speak to me now? Can ye tell me aught o’ how ye come, an’ how ye fared? But convulsively, the man threw both
hands above his head and fell. The spare shuddered and was still. McJack stood watching, then felt for a heartbeat as he knelt beside him. He crossed himself. “The man be dead! Seems he has died o’ the muchness of his joy: it were too great for the poor old heart to stand. Saints pray to God for his soul!” Already McJack had been long enough alone to sense what the other had suffered, and a chilling fear ran through his mind. “Sure, do I allow it, it may be thus with me!” He was as alone as the other had been, except for his bear cub. Saint Pat, still indifferent, lay down in the sun to snooze, and McJack was alone with the living mystery of the dead man there. A mystery without a sequel, it would seem, for had the man lived he could not have spoken to McJack. The latter sensed this from his speech. “Mayhap he were Dutch,” he surmised. “I cannot tell.” McJack buried the man beside his hut, using the oar blade as a shovel. He thrust the scabbard into the ground, and the broken handle made a cross. He took for his own the deerskin roll and the flint and steel,
and walked up the beach to further learn the lay of the land. There were the dunes and the meadows, and there must be a tidal stream too, he decided, because thousands of ducks rose into the air when an eagle flow over. Then McJack went back to the townsite by the pond. “In the morn I will tread that northern trail and see what I find. I will not sit an’ watch the sea for succor, an’ go daft with the watchin’ as that other has done. Mayhap, bein’ daft, he were the one who hung these cedars by their tails; I like not their looks at all.” So, next morning, before he left, he cut the thongs and let the trees fall. They crackled and bounced heavily. “An’ that be that,” he concluded. “They made no sense hangin’ there at all.” To be continued. The Cape, a full-color, hardcover book, will be published in July by Exit Zero Publishing. It will be available for $19.95 at the Exit Zero Store and Gallery, other selected local stores, and from our online store at ezstore.us/publications.
Now In Stock! OGO SPORT DISCS
This disk set can catch and throw balls up to 150 feet, be used as a frisbee, and adapts to play volleyball, baseball or tennis. Cape May’s source for window coverings since 1973
The
Toy Shop
Family owned and operated for 40 years Fully licensed and insured
of Cape May
Wildly Imaginative Toys
Shutters, blinds, shades, woven woods, draperies
Fun for the Kids ... and grownups too!
Desatnick’s Window Fashions 609-884-2545 desatnicks.com
510 Washington Street Mall Cape May • (609) 884-0442
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CAPE MAY’S CHALFONTE HOTEL A LIVING NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK
Author Karen Fox adapts her book The Chalfonte into an intriguing museum exhibit showcasing life and legends at the hotel, from Colonel Henry Sawyer’s handwritten battlefield diaries and prison letters to more than a century of vintage photos, watercolors, architectural drawings, kitchen diaries, first-person narratives and memorabilia of guests who return to the hotel over five and six generations.
At the Carriage House, Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May April 26 - November 10 FREE ADMISSION For more information, visit capemaymac.org or call 609-884-5404
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GET SET FOR A FEAST OF WORLD-CLASS MUSIC IN COOL CAPE MAY
THE JAZZ exit zero
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Main Stage Concerts. Intimate Festival Club venues. Tickets on sale June 1.
609.849.9202 exit0jazzfest.com
IS BACK exit zero
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Cape May Forum
“Water Matters” presents
Featuring explorers from
Saturday, May 18, 2013 DON BELT
DENNIS DIMICK
JOHN FRANCIS
SPRING FORUM at Convention Hall
Cape May Forum brings National Geographic Live! to town for entertaining and visually spectacular presentations by three dynamic explorers, writers, and photographers – speakers who have inspired and enlightened audiences worldwide. Join the adventure! DENNIS DIMICK National Geographic’s Executive Editor for the Environment takes you on a highly visual journey across our “blue” planet to give you surprising insights: why water matters, where to find it, how we use it, who has it and who doesn’t. DON BELT traveled to 65 countries over the past three decades for National Geographic, as senior writer, covering water controversies, the environment and much more. He’ll share insights and anecdotes from recent field assignments. JOHN FRANCIS This National Geographic explorer tells how he stopped using motor vehicles after witnessing an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, and about a radical 17-year vow of silence. He walked from San Francisco to Cape May, where he now resides, accompanied by his banjo and a gentle but determined demeanor.
Make A Weekend Of It!
Friday, May 17, 6 to 8 pm - “Meet the Speakers” Reception & Concert, featuring the Fred Hall Orchestra, and Dancing. Convention Hall. Saturday, May 18, 9 am to 1 pm - Spring Forum “Water Matters,” at Convention Hall. Tickets are $50. Purchase in advance at Convention Hall & Cape May Forum online. Saturday, May 18, 1 to 3 pm - Shoobie Lunchbox & a Trolley Ride, Tour of Cape May Desalination Plant. Meet at Convention Hall. Sunday, May 19, 10:30 am to Noon - Breakfast & a Movie. Featuring “Rango.” Cape May Elementary School.
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For tickets & info: capemayforum.org 609-770-2626
the COOL CAPE MAY to-do list } Kayaking
}surf lesson
Float in the back bays
See what all the fuss is about
WHY: Because it’s a good workout (especially if you paddle board instead) in the serene setting of the wetlands. WHERE: From Aqua Trails at the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, 609-884-5600, aquatrails.com. WHEN: There are two daily tours of the wetlands, at 9:30am and 1pm, plus sunset tours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For an extra layer of enchantment, try the full moon tours — makes for a change from the usual date night.
WHY: Because you’re never too old to learn to ride the waves. (Okay, if you’re 96, then maybe you’re too old.) WHERE: Surf anywhere before 10am and after 5:30pm. Otherwise, stick to Poverty or the Cove. WHEN: Why not schedule a lesson with Summer Sun Surf Shop on the Washington Street Mall (609-884-3422), or The Southend Surf Shop on Beach Avenue (609898-0988).
} volleyball
Sweat it out on the beach WHY: Because you get to enjoy the beach AND get a killer workout. WHERE: On the sand, across from Cabanas. WHEN: Hone your skills any time; the nets are up all season long. Or show off your serving prowess at Cabanas Beach Bash Volleyball Tournament on July 14, with divisions for beginners, amateurs, and professionals. See greatamericanvollebyall. com.
} parasailing
} biking
Beat the traffic, enjoy the beauty
Enjoy the best views of the cape WHY: There are few better ways to enjoy an aerial view of Cape May, and it’s super-safe. WHERE: East Coast Parasail, at Utsch’s Marina (609-898-8359); and Atlantic Parasail, at Two Mile Landing on Ocean Drive Highway (609-5221869). WHEN: Mid-may through September, see the early morning light refelcting off the water, or take in a sunset from the air... there’s no bad time.
WHY: Because driving in Cape May during the summer is NOT fun, while biking is a pleasure AND a workout. Randomly explore the island or maybe go on a wine trail (see page 22 for details). WHERE: There are four on the island: Bike Shop at Congress Hall (609-884-8421), Cape Island Bike Rentals (609898-7368), Shields Bike Rental (609-898-1818) and Village Bicycle Shop (609-884-8500). WHEN: That’s up to you! } yoga
Strike a pose on the sand
} PHYSICK ESTATE
Tour the ultimate open house WHY: Because the Emlen Physick Estate is a 19th century masterpiece by famed architect Frank Furness. WHERE: At 1048 Washington Street, next to the tennis courts. WHEN: Call 609-8845404 for the complete schedule... there are a lot of options, including a spooky midnight experience!
WHY: Downward dog is more fun on the beach. WHERE: Balance Pilates and Yoga teaches on Jackson Street; Congress Hall, on the beach across from the hotel; 15-year yogini Karen Manette Bosna, at Cape May Point State Park; and Andrea Magda, on paddle boards at Harbor View Marina. WHEN: Wake up in the morning, or use the time to relax in the evening.
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} tennis
Try courting on your vacation WHY: Because the feeling, and sound, of connecting racket with ball on an aesthetically pleasing tennis court is a satisfying experience. WHERE: The lovely William J. Moore Tennis Center, at 1020 Washington Street, has 16 courts. Call 609-8848986. WHEN: Courts open at 7am. Best to call in the morning to book your game. Private lessons cost $60 per hour. } antiquing
Explore a city full of treasures WHY: Antiquing on an island full of historic buildings is so right. WHERE: West End Garage on Perry; Antiques Emporium on West Perry; Cape May Antique Center at the harbor; Out of the Past on West Myrtle; plus several scattered on Broadway, in West Cape May. WHEN: Any time you want a break from the beach — or when it’s raining.
the COOL CAPE MAY to-do list fishing. Across the road, at South Jersey Marina, join a charter trip or rent a private boat. WHEN: Any time. PS: South Jersey Marina’s Mid-Atalntic $500,000, the world’s richest marlin tournament, takes place August 18-23.
} vintage village
Watch history come to life WHY: Because Historic Cold Spring Village is a wonderful way for the whole family to see how folks lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. WHERE: On 22 beautiful, wooded acres at 720 Route 9, three miles from downtown Cape May. Call 609-898-2300, or visit hcsv.org. WHEN: There are themed weekends all through the season, from antiquing to Civil War weekends. There’s a Community Open House Weekend on June 1-2 when there is free admission.
} fishing
} lighthouse
Catch your own dinner
Take the stairs for an epic view
WHY: Because being on the water is a calming experience... that can end in a very tasty meal. WHERE: Every year, 100,000 people make their way through the Miss Chris Marina, many of them looking to go
WHY: Because skipping this landmark would be like going to New York and cold-shouldering the Empire State Building. It’s beautifully maintained, and the views are stunning. Plus you’ll get a little bit of a workout
YOGA
from climbing the 199 steps. WHERE: In beautiful Cape May Point State Park. Take Lighthouse Avenue off Sunset Boulevard. WHEN: Open seven days in the season, evenings too. For more information on romantic moonlit climbs, call 609884-5404.
} ferry
Visit Delaware just for the day WHY: Although we don’t encourage you to make a habit of leaving Cape May, taking a trip across the Delaware Bay can be a pretty magical experience, especially if you’re watching a pod of dolpins while sipping a glass of wine on a sundappled evening. WHERE: The Cape MayLewes Ferry terminal is at the end of Ferry Road in North Cape May. WHEN: The ferry runs several times a day during the season. Visit capemaylewesferry.com to check schedules.
the
MUSEUM C M C of
ape
ay
ounty
The Cape May County Historical & Genealogical Society 504 Route 9 North • Cape May Court House NJ 08210 PH 609.465.3535 • FX 609.465.4274 • museum@co.cape-may.nj.us
Join Us Memorial day Weekend! Yoga on the Beach - $15 Drop In Yoga Class Saturday May 25 at 8:00am @ Jackson Street Beach Saturday, May 25 @ 8:30am at The Montreal Inn Madison and Beach Avenues
of
609-884-3001 • full schedule at balancecapemay.com
through beautifully preserved
PILATES • YOGA • MASSAGE
A ntiques & A rchitecture .
Massage and Private Instruction Available
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E xperience 500 Y ears C ape M ay C ounty H istory
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Maggie, Hosh, Bliss Miss, R. Dog, Maddi, Morgan Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov
For the perfect escape... let us pamper you.
Cape May Day Spa | 607 Jefferson Street, Cape May (609) 898-1003 | www.capemaydayspa.com exit zero
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the COOL CAPE MAY to-do list } carriage ride
} county zoo
Travel the streets in grand style
Imagine you’re on the savanna
WHY: It’s such an obviously tourist-type thing to do, but so what? It’s also the best way to see the historic district. And that clip-clopping sound is so good for the soul. WHERE: Pick up your horse from Cape May Carriage Company at Washington Commons, across from the mall. WHEN: Every day during the season, from 10am to 10pm. If you want to layer on the romance (and avoid the heat of the day), twilight is probably your best option.
WHY: Because — ready for this? — Cape May County Park and Zoo was voted the third best zoo in America by TripAdvisor last year. It has more than 200 species on 80 beautiful acres, including an African savanna.
} lookout tower
Experience the wartime cape WHY: For decades, the former World War II lookout tower (used for surveillance on German submarines) was nothing more than an iconic sentinel on the island. In 2008, the Mid-Atlantic
Center for the Arts and Humanities developed a museum there. WHERE: At the end of Sunset Boulevard. WHEN: Open every day during the season. Become a charter member of the Friends of the WWII Lookout Tower, and you’ll get unlimited free admission.
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WHERE: Exit 11 on the Garden State Parkway. WHEN: Open every day, 10am-4:45pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcome (and needed!) } eco tour
Get up close with the sea life WHY: Because with the Original Skimmer Salt March Safari, you can explore the area’s normally inaccessible wildlife and plant life. WHERE: On placid inlet waters, where there’s slim chance of a sea-sick safari goer. WHEN: The boat sails seven days a week. Call 609-884-3100.
AROUND THE BEACHES of cool cape may APRIL 10
Taryn McCullough and Sarah Peck Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov
Experience, skills, good instincts, friendly staff... this is what you’re looking for!
2013 Yoga on the Beach at Cape May Point State Park/Lighthouse and on the beach behind Cape May Convention Hall. Beginning Friday, May 24 Plenty of free parking! Visit yogacapemay.com for a complete schedule. Or, for more information, contact Karen at 609.827.8886 or visit yogacapemay.com or call Cape May City Rec. Dept. at 609.884.9565
1400 Texas Avenue, Cape May • (609) 884-3011
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the COOL CAPE MAY to-do list } dolphin watching
} mini golf
} 18-hole golf
Cruise with the coolest creatures
Take a silly game very seriously
Play a course you won’t forget
WHY: Because it never gets old seeing these beautiful creatures. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a sight of a humpback whale. WHERE: Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, at Utsch’s Marina. Call 609-898-0055 or buy tickets at capemaywhalewatch.com. WHEN: There are four tours every day (lasting from two to three hours), starting at 9:30am and ending at 6pm with the Sunset Dolphin Watch, which includes free pizza and hot dogs.
WHY: Because it’s still one of the best ways to give the whole family a laugh (while trying your best to beat them). WHERE: Cape May Miniature Golf on Perry Street (which has the added attraction of Cocomoe’s Ice Cream Parlor); Ocean Putt on Beach and Jackson; Stockton Golf on Beach and Howard; and Sunset Beach, Sunset Boulevard. WHEN: You can be the best judge, but we recommend building up an appetite by playing pre-dinner.
WHY: Because Cape May National Golf Club is a 50-acre sanctuary where you will hear birds singing, waterfowl landing in the lakes, bass leaping, ospreys circling overhead then diving to capture a fish for breakfast. And the course is pretty great, too! It’s been acclaimed by magazines across the country. WHERE: Two miles north of Cape May, on Route 9 at Florence Avenue. Call 609-884-1563 or visit cmngc.com. WHEN: Course is open daily.
} sunset beach
Taste a slice of Americana WHY: Because it has become a Cape May tradition to visit this gem of a site and listen to “God Bless America” by Katie Smith over the tannoy while a veteran’s flag is lowered. Plus,
there is some great shopping, mini golf and a snack bar. WHERE: Aim for the flashing red light at the end of Sunset Boulevard. WHEN: In the morning, shop and grab breakfast; play mini golf in the afternoon; but don’t miss the aforementioned sunset ceremony.
The BEST way to spoil yourself.
circle of light H o l i st i c & M a ss a g e
We bring massage to you! Offering Therapeutic Massage, Reiki & Sound Healing
600 Park Blvd. West Cape May 884-4499
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Call Terri for an appointment... 609 457 6311
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Atlantic City to Cape May
Your Premium Child Care Sitting Service Professional & Screened Sitters Since 1998
609-465-0840
sittersattheshore.com Owned and operated by a NJ certified Elementary Teacher
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the COOL CAPE MAY to-do list } MOREY’S PIERS
} birding
Enjoy the best rides of your life
See something really amazing
WHY: Because the Cape May Experience isn’t complete without a visit to the iconic Wildwood boardwalk and, particularly, to one of three piers owned by Morey’s. There are more than 100 rides and attractions and two world-class waterparks WHERE: Exit 4A on the Garden State Parkway or, better still, drive via idyllic Ocean Drive. Visit online at moreyspiers. com. WHEN: We favor an early evening on the boardwalk.
WHY: Cape May is the capital of the known birding universe. WHERE: A great birding bonus? Taking in the island’s most beautiful spots... by trail or boat! WHEN: See the Cape May Bird Observatory’s schedule of tours at njaudubon.org. Or call 609-846-3807 for the Young Birders Club.
} aviation museum
Discover a hangar of war planes WHY: Because at Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum you will see a collection of aircraft dating back to the Second World War.
The collection includes an F-14 Tomcat and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter, used in Vietnam. WHERE: In a hangar at Cape May County Airport, on Forrestal Road. Call 609-886-8787, visit usnasw.org. WHEN: Open daily from 9am to 5pm.
} ALPACA FARM
Hang with cute, cuddly animals WHY: Because the animals at Bay Springs Farm are so cute and
Superb technical ability and gentle treatment combine for an experience your mouth will enjoy!
Louis J. Feldman, Dds 741 Washington Street, Cape May (609) 884-4260 drlouisfeldman.com
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curious. Your kids will love them. Plus, you can treat yourself to some world-class woven goodies in the alpaca shop. WHERE: A couple miles west of downtown on beautiful, rustic New England Road. Call 609-884-0563, visit bayspringsfarmalpacas. com. WHEN: Only open Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
Over 6o group exercise classes per week, including:
Shanna McCullen
Age 32, two children one year ago - 249 lbs today - 157 lbs “I love North Beach’s group fitness classes. Without them I never could have lost this weight. I worked hard and I got my body back.”
crossfit yoga ZUMBA boot camp stretch pilates spin boxing & boxercising interval training and more...
DAILY • WEEKLY MONTHLY RATES 3845 Bayshore Road, North Cape May • 609.898.3800 exit zero
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One of our favorite Cape May skylines, anchored by the Sea Mist building in the center Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov
Live Well Be Well Stay Well
CAPE MAY
MODEL TRAINS
the
609-884-3177
center for massage
balanced skin care Facials, wraps & waxing
The Well Squared
2
CMMT.ORG • 609-432-1690
at Carpenters Square featuring chair massage & table tune-ups
OPEN SATURDAYS 11am-5pm
525 Elmira, Cape May
Call, Come In or Shop and Book Appointments Online!
from washington street mall, go left on ocean, cross broad; we are 100 yards on the right.
wellmassagecenter.com • 609-884-3177 110 North Broadway, West Cape May
fun for children of all ages! over
25 tracks on 5 layouts.
Open Year Round • all major credit cards accepted
Featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, Polar Express, Spongebob, Christmas village and many others.
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Stress is Inevitable... Suffering is Optional!
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S R E I P S ’ Y E NEW AT MOR Compete for digital glory atop the leaderboard, earn badges, share photos and MORE with our new thrill-tracking app (available FREE for iPhone and Android). Experience and share your piers on an exhilarating new level!
t this unique nture Pier. Visi ve Ad on l OX tB ar ners to see loca Get inspired at shipping contai ed os t! rp ar pu of re village of ng their works g and showcasi ind works artists creatin l at one-of-a-k ve ar m d an 4b fé Museum Shop. Grab a bite at Ca in the Exit Zero
Whet your whistle with lively libations at the NEW Soggy Dollar Beach Bar at Ocean Oasis Beach Club and Waterpark.
Make family memories that will last a lifetime. MOREYSPIERS.COM • 609.522.3900 • WILDWOOD, NJ
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The definitive trolley guide If you haven’t seen those cute trolleys rolling through the streets of Cape May then there are one of two explanations: Either you’re really not paying attention, or this is your first time visiting America’s Original Seaside Resort. In any event, here is a handy guide that tells you the what, when and why of trolley tours. For even MORE information, get in touch with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, who run the trolleys, as well as very many other fun things in Cape May. Visit them online at capemaymac.org. Ghosts of the Lighthouse Where It Goes: Begins and ends at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, traveling through parts of West Cape May to the Cape May Lighthouse. How Long It Runs: One hour. When It Runs: Saturday, May 4 at 8pm, Sunday, May 26 at 8:45pm. What It Is: Knees shaking, heart pounding, terror in your eyes... are you possessed? No, it’s the Ghost of the Lighthouse trolley tour, where you get spooky stories on the way to the lighthouse, accounts of ghosts at the tower from a costumed guide, and a chance to climb to the top. Who It’s For: People who know what an “orb” is — or would like to find out. War at the Shore Where It Goes: Coastal fortifications near Cape May Point, including Battery 223 and Fire Control Tower #23, the Cape May Canal and the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. How Long It Lasts: Two hours. When It Runs: Sunday, May 26 at 12:30pm. What It Is: It looks peaceful now, but during World War II many folks on the east coasts were worried that the Nazis would invade the US through the Delaware Bay and Philadelphia. A lookout tower to spot enemy ships, a battery to fire on them, and a humungous hangar to house our naval air defenses are all part of this trolley tour. Who It’s For: You made lots of model airplanes when you were a kid. Or … you just love a good war story. keep turning the pages — there’s much more...
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Accent On BEAUTY
} the definitive cape may trolley guide
Enjoy a rare opportunity to visit the US Coast Guard training facility in Cape May, on the Guardians of the Cape tour
Guardians of the Cape Where It Goes: Along the Cape May beachfront and into the US Coast Guard training facility. How Long It Lasts: One hour. When It Runs: Sunday, May 26 at 7pm. What It Is: A limited, exclusive opportunity to visit the highly secure TRACEN Cape May, the only US Coast Guard training facility in the country. See the sunset parade of the entire battalion. Also includes a tour of the Cape May beachfront. Who It’s For: Anyone inspired by patriotic music and parades … or dashing men (and women) in uniform. Don’t Forget To Bring: A photo ID. It’s required at the base.
SPRAY TANNING AVAILABLE The ONLY Safe Tan!
Gaslight Where It Goes: Through Cape May’s historic district. How Long It Lasts: About 30 minutes. When It Runs: Saturdays through May 18 at 8:30pm, and Fridays and Saturdays beginning May 24 at 8:45pm. What It Is: Ladies in long dresses and their gallant suitors, tea parties and dances; sweat and stink and tuberculosis and ladies of ill-repute; this was Victorian Cape May. An engaging gaslit trolley tour with local stories and architecture. Who It’s For: Anyone curious how Victorians survived in all that clothing during the summer.
haircare • facials • massage body care • manis & pedis weddings & specials occasions make-up • prego belly painting
Ghosts of Cape May Where It Goes: Through the streets of Cape May. How Long It Lasts: About 30 minutes. When It Runs: Offered in the evening Fridays and Saturdays through May 25 and every evening beginning May 26. Hours vary. What It Is: What was that?! That was the undead of Cape May come back to settle their scores. Just be grateful that you’re in a trolley with an experienced guide to tell you about the many hauntings discovered by the Ghost Writer, Craig McManus. Who It’s For: Those who enjoy a good ghost story.
consistently voted best day spa
609.884.7040
Historic District Where It Goes: Through Cape May’s historic district. How Long It Lasts: About 45 minutes. When It Runs: Daily; hours vary. What It Is: It’s beautiful. It’s charming. Cape May — one of the few places you can wander through and feel that it’s more than
128 sunset blvd west cape may accentonbeautycapemay.com
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Aviation Museum at the Cape May County Airport A Hands-On, Interactive Museum
INSIDE HISTORIC HANGAR #1
R FUN FOTIRE THE ENILY! FAM
HALF PRICE Child Admission
• Climb a real air-traffic control tower! • Sit in the cockpit! • Learn about the aircraft that helped shape our history! • Coast Guard and 9/11 exhibit area
Supported in part by a grant from New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism
Limit two. With paid adult by mentioning this ad. Not valid with any other offer.
OPEN YEAR ROUND RAIN or SHINE (609) 886-8787
N 39° 00.307’ W 074° 54.553’ 500 Forrestal Road Cape May County Airport Rio Grande, NJ 08242
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McKenzie and Kaitlin McBride Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov
V Dr. Arlene Hughes Gorny Optometric Physician
We provide old-fashioned, professional, personal service in a quaint setting
NJ#5336
937 Columbia Avenue 898-0800
TO#663
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This could be your view...
} the definitive cape may trolley guide
...and we do days, too.
The Peter Shields Inn is one of many impressive beachfront properties on Cape May’s east end... see Mansions by the Sea tour
Stand-Up Paddle Boards!
100 years ago. Tour guides will explain how and why it survived. Who It’s For: Anyone and everyone who finds Cape May charming. Insider Tip: Combine this tour with a guided tour of the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate and save $2. Mansions by the Sea Where It Goes: Along Beach Avenue, through the early 20th century East Cape May development areas How Long It Lasts: About 40 minutes. When It Runs: At 12:45pm on Saturdays and Sundays through May 19; daily beginning May 24. What It Is: See how the rich lived in the early 20th century. When $1 million really meant something — before income tax. Also, see new beachfront second homes, which run the gamut from the mere wealthy to the fabulously rich. Who It’s For: Anyone who’s curious how the one percent lives.
kayak nature tours, sales & rentals
Nature Center, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-5600 • aquatrails.com
Historic Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and Gardens ~ 1874 ~
Welcome to Cape May Where It Goes: Throughout Cape May How Long It Lasts: About 45 minutes. When It Runs: At 11:45am on Saturdays and Sundays through May 19; daily beginning May 24. What It Is: This is the best introduction to Cape May for firsttimers. Find the hidden gems and the little known treasures as well as natural and cultural points of interest. Who It’s For: First-timers to Cape May and old-timers who watch too much TV.
National and State Register of Historic Places • Museum • Gift Shop • Award Winning Gardens • Open Year Round Please call (609) 522-4520 for days and hours
Cape May By the Sea Where It Goes: Throughout Cape May How Long It Lasts: About 45 minutes. When It Runs: Saturday, May 18 at 4pm and 5pm. What It Is: Is it any wonder that for centuries people have walked, canoed, sailed, steam-shipped, ridden in horses and carriages, taken trains, driven in cars … crawled?… to get to Cape May to “take the waters”? Refreshment and rejuvenation have been the reward here for millions since before the American Revolution. Learn about bathing traditions, colorful characters, even a strategic military operation or two, from local celebrity, Tom Carroll, retired Coast Guard captain. Who It’s For: Anyone who enjoys being near the water.
Located at 1st and Central Avenues, North Wildwood www.herefordlighthouse.org
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music
...and the night shall be filled with
and the cares that infest the day shall fold their tents....
24th Annual
-- henry WadsWorth longfelloW
Cape May Music Festival May 26-June 13
ClassiCal • Jazz • Country • irish
Presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC)
For information, call (800) 275-4278 • (609) 884-5404 or visit
www.capemaymac.org
Own a high performance sports car or sports coupe? (Porsche, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lambo, Lotus, Benz AMG, etc.)
Ever want to know what your car - AND YOU - could do on a world class race course? I. TRACK ORIENTATION DAY
- One-hour classroom “High Performance Driving” - Half hour of yellow flag pace car laps, driving your car at highway speeds - Two half hour green flag “Hot Laps” runs with 25 race cars, riding shotgun in the GT-3 - Instruction and coaching throughout the day
II. HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING DAY
T he # 1 8 9 9 7 - G T 3 ( 4 6 5 h p , 1 9 5
- One hour classroom “High Performance Driving” - One half hour green flag “Hot Laps” runs with 25 race cars riding shotgun in the GT-3 - Three half hour green flag “Hot Laps” runs with 25 race cars, driving your car with Rick riding shotgun - Instruction and coaching throughout the day
For all on track sessions you are mic’d in with Rick! Contact 609-892-4387 or email rbwhite1@verizon.net
mph)
Your host and driving coach, Rick White, offers a choice of track day experiences Instructor Qualifications: Nationally registered Porsche HP Driving Instructor (PCA # 20120825) Porsche Driving School, Birmingham, AL. • 12 years experience, 600+ track hours • 7 East Coast Tracks
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How To Make A Rope Swing
TICKETS 609
884-1341
Robert Shackleton Playhouse 405 Lafayette Street Cape May, New Jersey capemaystage.org Tickets also available at
by Shawn Fisher
directed by Roy Steinberg WORLD PREMIERE. DRAMA.
Within the brick walls of a century-old school house on the eve of demolition, two long-time residents of the building come together and reveal very different memories of segregation and the circumstances of their first meeting.
season sponsors
show co-sponsor
May17– June7, 2013 Victorian Guest Apartments
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AROUND THE BEACHES of cool cape may APRIL 10
Joe, Alison, Christian, Krista, Taylor, Jack Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov
SPORTFISHING BAR GULL CHARTERS on the
Charter Fishing at its Best!
Captain Mike Bargull
USCG Licensed • 30+ years fishing experience
42’ Ocean Yacht SF Twin 671 T1 Detroit Diesels Full Electronics 2 Staterooms - 1 Bathroom Central Air & Heat
REASONABLE RATES For more information and reservations, call 609.884.0571 or 609.425.8173 Departs from Harbor View Marina 954 Ocean Drive Cape May, New Jersey
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FEATURE STORY
PSSST! WANT TO KNOW ONE OF THE BEST BIRDWATCHiNG PLACES ON THE PLANET? Hint — you’re already here. Or dreaming/planning of being here. Yes, there are very few places that compare to Cool Cape May when it comes to natural treasures. Here’s how you can enjoy them.
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O
ne of the great things about living on a planet brimming with such a diversity of natural treasures — no matter where you look, no matter where you go, there are so many ways to ignite your senses. One of the downsides? The frustration that it brings. If you ventured off right now to experience all those natural treasures you would probably end up with a life full of experiences — and still be about a hundred thousand lifetimes short of seeing it all. Compare it to dining at your favorite restaurant. There are so many things you want to savor but you can only order (and eat) so much. But there’s a solution. Rather than ordering the entire menu, order a few appetizers and share them with the table. Just take little nibbles, then order something different the next time you visit. Birding is similar. Imagine that Cape May is the restaurant, and all the birds are on the menu (for you to identify, not taste). Rather than trying all the birds and sending yourself into a state of over-satiation, try a
The Cape May warbler was named by Alexander Wilson, the father of American ornithology, who collected the first specimen.
few at a time. The Cape May Bird Observatory has put together a wonderful menu and we suggest you start with a few appetizers. Start with a bird walk organized by the Cape May Bird Observatory. A bird walk? Think of it as a leisurely two-hour buffet, led by local experts, at the planet’s most celebrated bird-watching location. You’ll never find a better time. You’ll never find a more varied menu. You’re skeptical. Cape May? Five-star birding? Believe it. Whether your standard of measurement is TripAdvisor, diversity, great natural views, visitation, or international reputation, you’ll find precious other spots that can offer as much as Cape May. Add the element of visitor amenities and Cape May stands alone. More than 430 species of birds are listed on Cape May County’s menu. That’s more than half the number of species found in all
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of North America. We’re well-established and have been getting rave reviews since the early 19th century. So not only does Cape May have one of the largest menus in North America, it has an enduring ornithological tradition. Hopefully you get the idea. Now let’s talk about some real birding. An avid Cape May birder can tally more than 325 species in a single year here. Or to put it another way — more bird species than can be found in all of Alaska in a single year. On any given weekend in May or October, more than 200 species may be found (in fact, one team on the World Series of Birding tallied 201 species in a single day in May). Two hundred species? In a single day? In Cape May? Yes. But if you really want to appreciate the merits of Cape May, consider how many different species a person can tally from just a single location in a 24-hour period. The world “Big Sit” record of 146 bird species was set in October in Cape May. It beat the previous world record of 145. That record was also set in Cape May (but in May,
JOE B. SANTANIELLO PRESSURE CLEANING “Joe B. By The Sea”
Cape May Court House, NJ
(609) 465-6670
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609-827-WASH Breakwater Plaza, NCM
Here to Keep New Jersey Clean!
LIC. # 13VH06841800 25 YEARS RETIRED PHILADELPHIA FIREMAN
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A healthy pet has lots to smile about.
Robert Panaccio, VMD Robert Moffatt, VMD Patricia Link, DVM 694 Petticoat Creek Lane, Cape May • 884-1729 • www.capemayvet.com
TOP NOTCH A TREE CARE B ISA-Certified Arborist Matthew Notch Fully Licensed & Insured Free Estimates | Reasonable Rates
CONSULTING PRUNING & PLANTING CABLING & BRACING REMOVALS
427 James Street, Erma
481-7420 exit zero
not October). Two totally different months, two seasons apart, both equal when it comes to enjoying great species diversity. Not to worry if you got this magazine in the mail and you don’t know when you’ll be in Cape May. There is no such thing as a bad time to watch birds in Cape May. Season only determines which species will be around. The weather determines not whether there are birds, but where. Spring migration begins in March and runs into July. Fall migration begins in June and runs into February. There is really not a day in the year when migration is not occurring. So no matter when you visit you can look forward to birds coming, birds going, and birds just standing around waiting to be savored and enjoyed (in a spiritual sense, naturally). There are birding hotspots all over the county — the beaches in Cape May, the forests of Higbee Beach, the ponds and trails of Cape May Point State Park, the Nature Conservancy, Belleplain State Forest, Cox Hall Creek WMA, the sandy shores of the Delaware Bayshore, Heislerville…the list goes on. Of course you might not know where these strategic locations are. That’s why you need to stop by the Cape May Bird Observatory and pick up a free birding map. It goes along with the free checklist to Cape May’s birds. One helps you find birds; one helps you keep track of what you’ve seen. But you say you aren’t a bird-watcher? Why not? You might not think of yourself as such, but it’s likely you do, in fact, watch birds. When you walk on the beach, don’t you enjoy seeing those busy, wind-up-toy-like birds that play tag with the waves? They’re called sanderlings. They’re one of many species of shorebird that breed in the Arctic and winter here. The only month the birds are not found on our beaches is in June, when they are way up in Arctic Canada. If you are visiting in winter, would a walk down the beach be complete without the keening cry of a herring gull? If you are here in summer, listening to the sound of waves coming in through the open window at night, doesn’t the squawk of a night heron make you smile and the terrier-like yap of black skimmer make you laugh? You know, a hundred years ago, herons and skimmers were not found in New Jersey. They and other common shorebirds had been slaughtered for their feathers. Now, after a hundred years of good conservation mindedness, the species have recovered. We are living in the best time to enjoy birds in over a hundred years. So take advantage of it and try something new on the menu. And the easiest way to try it is to show up for a CMBO bird walk. Just head over to the Cape May Bird Observatory, THE place for all your nature needs, and pick up a schedule of our daily walks and programs for the season. The CMBO is located at 701 East Lake Drive overlooking Lake Lily in Cape May Point (609-884-2736), and is open throughout the year. Take a look at the sighting sheets, check the view of Lake Lily from our scope set up. CMBO also has the region’s finest selection of binoculars, spotting scopes and bird books (including optics and field guides for beginners). I’m sure that once you get a taste of birding, you’ll be back for more. Which is just another reason to enjoy Cape May’s five-star birding and sample a little more from the menu.
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Contact Us For All of Your Sale and Rental Real Estate Needs!
The perfect company for ALL your vacation needs! property management Cleaning, landscaping, property inspections, emergency services concierge services child care, pet services, dinner reservations, spa and salon appointments, personal errands, photography
One call does it all! Sol Needles Real Estate 512 Washington Street Mall, Cape May, NJ 08204 609-884-8428 1-800-441-8428 www.cbcapemay.com Lynn Gleeson/ William Bezaire, owners
Property Management & Concierge Services
1400 Texas Avenue, Unit 2, Cape May (609) 884-8444• www.wkrservices.com
C astline Realty Search Sale & Rental properties online at www.CoastlineRealty.com
110 Ocean Avenue "The Flora Dune" in Cape May Point. 3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath home located in the dunes on an oversized 50x144 lot. Views of the ocean, bay, and lighthouse. Charming front porch. Great location! $1,700,000
7 Bottle Creek, N. Cape May. Sunny and bright 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath home offers huge back yard, cobblestone wrap around porch, first floor bedroom with bath, upstairs master bedroom with fireplace & private balcony. $699,000
504 Alexander Avenue, Cape May Point. Custom 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with covered front porch and a garage on an oversized 50 x 175 foot lot. Oak floors, custom kitchen, granite counters, 3rd floor attic and so much more. $899,000
Call us at 609.884.5005 1400 Texas Avenue, Cape May N.J. 08204
Carol A. Menz, Broker/Owner exit zero
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Artfully uniting extraordinary properties with extraordinary lives.
Sale and Vacation Rentals
1021 Beach Avenue Cape May Elegant Beachfront Home 4 bedrooms, 4 full and 2 half baths
810 Cape Avenue Cape May Point Peaceful and Private with Open Living Area 4 bedrooms, 2 baths
912 Lafayette Street Cape May Beautiful Spacious Condo 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths
821 Washington Street Cape May The Wedding Cake Cottage 5 bedrooms, 2 baths
1005 Pittsburgh Ave. #113 Cape May Delightful End Unit Fully Furnished 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths
1043 Washington Street Cape May The White House 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths
Theresa Senico
Quality service... with that personal touch
ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES
Apex
Realty, Inc.
Join us: chrisclemanssir.com Christina P. Clemans Licensed Real Estate Broker
2505 bayshore, villas (609) 408-4655 800-894-2739 ext. 103
1159 Washington Street, Cape May NJ 08204 Email: capemay@chrisclemanssir.com 609.884.3332
www.jerseyshorehomesbytheresasenico.com
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|
Toll free 800.828.9751
Your investment in seashore living is my specialty! Patricia “Patti” Piacentine 609-741-1212 seapatti@comcast.net Realtor
HomeStead Real Estate Co., LLC 846 Broadway, West Cape May homesteadcapemaysales.com O# 609-884-1888 • f# 609-898-1944
The Real Estate Market is Alive and Well! Thinking of Signing, Just Call Ryan!
S
THE MERRY WIDOW (UNIT C-1) 42 Jackson Street, Cape May Premier commercial location, this 680 sq.ft unit is a superior site for your office or retail establishment. $439,900
SPECTACULAR HARBOR VIEWS!!! 45’ BOAT SLIP 2 Harbor Cove Cape May Cape May Harbor Village & Yacht Club 4 BR, 3 full/2 half BA, cac. $1,690,000
D L O CLASSIC VICTORIAN 818 Washington Street Cape May 6 BR, 3 full BA, and 2 half BA, screened porch. $865,000
RYAN GRIFFIN, SALESPERSON | CELL: 609.602.5578 EMAIL:rgriffin@desatnickrealestate.com DESATNICK REAL ESTATE, LLC 1001 Lafayette Street, Cape May OFFICE: 609.884.1300 | FAX: 609.884.1304 | desatnickrealestate.com
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SEABOARD WALK UNIT 5 201 Beach Avenue, Cape May Beachfront townhouse. 4 BR, 4.5 BA, pool and fitness Center on-site. Excellent rental. $1,449,998
JERSEY CAPE REALTY
739 Washington Street, Cape May (609) 884-5800 F www.jerseycaperealty.com
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capecount Running the numbers on America’s Original Seaside Resort
26 Number of pigs at Beach Plum Farm (run by Cape Resorts Group, which serves the Blue Pig Tavern, Ebbitt Room and Rusty Nail) — 11 piglets were born in early April.
4
Number of times Cape May Civil War hero Colonel Henry Sawyer was shot and wounded. You can read more about him at the Chalfonte Hotel exhibition, based on the book by Karen Fox, at the Emlen Physick Estate, Washington Street, from April 26. Visit capemaymac.org for more information.
268 Number of flavors available at Louisa’s Chocolate Bar, on Jackson Street. On May 4, Cape May hosts the Chocolate Championship Tour and Tasting event. Inns, B&Bs and restaurants are vying for Cape May’s Chocolate Champion title and you’re the judge. Visit capemaymac.org for details. (And visit Louisa’s, too!)
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Number of species of birds spotted by ONE team in ONE DAY during the World Series of Birding, held annually in Cape May. This year’s event is on May 11, when birders will visit from all over the world to compete. Visit cmbo.org for more details.
Number of steps in the Cape May Lighthouse. On Saturday, May 11 (from 2pm to 5pm), help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) reopening the building, and the release of the re-mastered CD by Cape May guitarist Geno White, Music From Inside the Lighthouse.
88,800,000 Amount of dollars spent by the Army Corps of Engineers on beach replenishment in Cape May since 1989 — $57.3 million in the city, and $31.5 million in the Lower Cape May Meadows.
ONE
Number of businesses allowed by zoning law in Cape May Point. That privilege goes to the Cape May Point General Store, which includes The Red Store, home of some of the most innovative breakfast dishes around.
32 Temperature of the beer at the Rusty Nail during the last Exit Zero test, making it the coldest beer on the island. We will be re-testing in July.
1,860 Gallons of beer produced every week by Cape May Brewing Company at their HQ at Cape May Airport — using 15 different recipes. Just out: Sawyer’s Swap, a new brew based on Cape May’s Civil War hero (see item on the left).
ddd 4,500 Approximate number of people living on the island year-round
dddddddddddddddddddddddd 64,000 Approximate number of people living on the island in the summer months
26,861 Beach tags sold by City of Cape May this year, as of April 15 exit zero
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Plans for independent contractors, families, individuals and groups at competitive rates.
610-222-9400 www.millennium-tpa.com
The New York Times says it’s worth the drive just to eat here, and that’s a review you can bank on. Recipient of the international
Five-Star Diamond Award 2012 Best Restaurant in South Jersey in two categories
(French and Caribbean) — New Jersey Monthly
Opening May 9 Dinner nightly from 5pm
410 BANK STREET cape may (609) 884-2127 410BANKSTREET.com