Have a Girlfriends Getaway in Cape May, April 20-22, 2012.

Give your girlfriends a call and plan to rendezvous at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast for a Girlfriends Getaway Weekend.

The whole town is welcoming girlfriends the weekend of April 20, 2012. Several fun activities designed for ladies are already on the calendar.

• Afternoon Tea & Fashion Show. Friday, April 20 at 2:30 p.m. at the Carriage House Café and Tearoom. Physick Estate.

• Lunch and Antiquing by Trolley, Saturday, April 21, noon. Travel by trolley to lunch at Aleathea’s and antique browsing at several locations around town.

• Wine Cellar Tour & Tasting, Saturday, April 21, 3:00 p.m. Tour the grounds and wine cellar at Cape May Winery, then enjoy a barrel-tasting, cheese and fruit.

• Brunch, Bingo, & Lace, Sunday April 22, 9:30 a.m. Breakfast at Aleathea’s is augmented with a fashion show and bingo. It all adds up to fun.

Participate in one of the above activities, all of them, or none of them. What’s important is that you’ll be able to spend some time away with good friends. Walk on the beach, shop ’til you drop, and laugh over old times. Use our whimsical Cape May Bed and Breakfast as a base, no matter what you decide to do.

Wilda Harmon is a regular guest at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. On March 11, 2012, she will be 97 years old. According to Wilda, “Aging gracefully is what you are willing to accept.”

The Wonderful Wilda.

Each year, the Christmas Parade Group books their rooms 12 months in advance. Nonetheless, one of the first questions we hear when guests arrive is “Will Wilda (AKA Grandma) be here?” The answer is always yes.

Have you ever complained about a third floor walk-up? Not Wilda! Instead of complaining, she prepares, adding a little more time to her normal workout routine in the weeks before her journey to Cape May. To date, she has always been able to tackle those steps cheerfully.

Wilda often says, “I don’t know why I am still around….” Perhaps it’s so she can tell her granddaughter, Anne Campbell, how to peel a hard boiled egg: “From the flat side, not the pointed, of course!”

Wilda shares much with those of us lucky enough to know her. In addition to her wisdom and good humor, she has given us her famous icing recipe (see below). Will says it is absolutely amazing on her Angel Food Cake.

Everyone agrees — Wilda, and her icing, are the BEST!

Wilda’s Icing

3 cups 10x sugar

2/3 cup softened butter

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Thin with half n’ half or milk.

If you love to hear talented singers pick out tunes on guitars and pianos, you won’t want to miss the 5th Annual Singer Songwriter Weekend in Cape May. It takes place March 30 and 31, 2012.

Join us for the Singer Songwriter Weekend in Cape May. March 30 and 31, 2012

Some truly talented men and women come to town to share their music. And what music it is! Each year, we are wowed by some of what we hear. 2012 promises to be no different.

Most venues are intimate, so the singers seem to be pouring their hearts out to those of us fortunate enough to join them. Last year, performers took the stage, or the stool, in favorite haunts like The Mad Batter, The Pilot House, and the Boiler Room at Congress Hall, among other locales. We expect more of the same this year. Lucky listeners can enjoy full meals, appetizers, and/or drinks as they let the music feed their souls.

The schedule is still being finalized, but two keynote performers have already been identified: Todd Sheaff from Railroad Earth, and Christine Martucci. Mr. Sheaff performs Saturday,  March 31 at the Grand Ballroom at Congress Hall (8:00 p.m). Ms. Martucci takes the same stage on Friday, March 30, at 8:00 p.m.

You can flesh out your plans later, but reserve your room at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast today.

Please visit the 5th Annual Singer Songwriter Weekend in Cape May for up-to-date information.

Robert Downey Jr. on the set of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed by many men over the ages. John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, Arthur Wontner, and Peter Cushing are some of the best known cinematic Holmes. Most recently, Robert Downey Jr. has embodied the sleuth; his Holmes is sexy, flawed, and boasts more brawn than most of his predecessors combined.

And now it’s your turn.

If you’ve ever thought that you could solve the mysteries as well (or better) than the master sleuth, come to Cape May and prove it.

“The Trial of Moriarty’s Challenge” is the case to be solved during the next Sherlock Holmes Weekend in Cape May, March 16-18, 2012. Bring your cap and cloak, and be prepared to scour the town for clues. If you correctly solve the mystery, you’ll win the $250 grand prize. Was Holmes himself ever so richly rewarded?

Weekend activities include a welcome reception, where the details of the case will be outlined, performances, a “Search for Clues” tour (which involves stalking gaslit streets), a luncheon (where the truth will be revealed), and gifts.

Guests of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast always have a good time during the Sherlock Holmes weekends. Why not come give sleuthing a whirl? This could be the year you solve the mystery.

Winter may be quiet in Cape May, but we wouldn’t all stick around if we couldn’t enjoy a meal out from time to time. While some Cape May restaurants have limited winter hours, most are open during the weekends. Since there are fewer people in town at this time of year, there are more open tables.

One of our favorite places to eat in Cape May is The Pier House. We enjoy eating dinner here, but sometimes we just slip in to the lounge for drinks, mezethes (small plates), and dessert.

Dive into dessert at Tisha's. Photo by Erika Letitia Photography.

Tisha’s is also fantastic. The Smoked Salmon Parfait and the Lobster Risotto are amazing, and those are just the starters.

Although the porch overlooking the sea is a bit chilly this time of year, Peter Shields Restaurant is still a favorite. The view and ambiance create high expectations, and the food meets them. If you are able to spend the night at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast on Valentine’s Day, try one of the lovely dinner menus at Peter Shields. We like the Chef’s Tasting Menu.

The Blue Pig Tavern at Congress Hall is open seven days a week, and features a special Valentine’s Day menu that includes Cape May Salt Oysters on the Half Shell and a Death by Chocolate cake. Oh, there are entrées, too.

Martini Beach is opening just to celebrate Valentine’s Day, February 11-15. They’ll be serving a special five-course prix-fixe menu. We may just have to go.

Freda’s Café has some very tasty dishes. We love to start with the Crab and Spinach Wontons with raspberry dipping sauce and the Warm Goat Cheese rolled in Pecans with poached pears and watercress.

The Valentine’s Week Prix Fix Menu at the Washington Inn sounds tantalizingly good. Grilled Merguez Sausage. Duck Confit and Shiitake Crepe. Raspberry Cheese Cake. Yum. The Washington Inn is open Saturday evenings until it expands its hours in the spring.

The Mad Batter Restaurant is another fun spot to dine during the winter. They offer a unique twist on the classic crab cake, and have many gluten free selections.

As of this writing, we still have space for this weekend (February 10-12) and one room open during the long President’s Day Weekend. We also have availability midweek, on Valentine’s Day. Looking for a way to wow your sweetheart? Bring him or her to our Cape May Bed and Breakfast.

Picture yourself at the beach in Cape May on a sunny winter's day.

We’re offering a Winter Special at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast that’s too good to pass up. It really is.

The winter months are quiet in Cape May; fewer people come here when it’s too chilly to sunbathe. Because of that, it’s deliciously peaceful. We can stroll the beach any time of day and have it mostly to ourselves. We can bike all over town at our leisure. We can eat where we want, when we want.

Yet it is just as beautiful here as it always is. Many inns and historic homes are still festively lit after dark, making evening strolls a delight. On sunny days, it’s good to feel the warm sand between our toes. On blustery days, we curl up by a warm fire, book in hand.

Between now and Easter, weekend nights are a mere $195; Sundays through Thursdays are just $165 for one night and $300 for two nights. If you stay at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast for a third night during the week, it will cost you only $99.

The bikes await. The beaches beckon. The fire is crackling in the fireplace. Winter is still here. Make the best of it. Come to Cape May.

Please see our specials page for more details.

CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY

We always knew our home town was cool, and now we know that many other people agree. Cape May, New Jersey has made the budgettravel.com short list of “America’s Coolest Small Towns 2012″.

Vote for Cape May! America's Coolest Small Town!

Readers nominated 647 towns, and budgettravel.com whittled the list down to 10 small communities. Cape May shares the honor with Beaufort, NC, Cooke City, MT, Damascus, VA, Hammondsport, NY, Jerome, AZ, Nashville, IN, Port Townsend, WA, Ste. Genevieve, MO, and Weaverville, CA.

Budgettravel.com raves about our beaches, our Victorian architecture, and the town’s much-lauded paranormal activity. Excellent restaurants, birding, and Cape May Point State Park are also mentioned, as are Cape May’s Bed and Breakfasts.

Back in 2010, Forbes Travel listed Cape May as one of the prettiest towns in America. We’re hoping we’ll also be known as one of the coolest.

We’re casting our votes for our home town, and we hope past, present, and future guests will do the same. If you feel like you need to be reminded of Cape May’s charms, come spend a few days at John F. Craig House. We’re currently running a Winter Weekends Special and a Midweek Special at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast.

Budgettravel.com is accepting votes through January 31, 2012.  Please see America’s Coolest Small Towns for more information and to cast your vote.

Join Psychic Artie Hoffman at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast, January 27 and 28, 2012. This is a great opportunity for folks who have never had a psychic reading to experience one; Artie will give a free, private 15 minute psychic reading to any guests who are interested. Longer readings are also available.

Artie Hoffman joins us at John F. Craig House, January 27 and 28, 2012.

Artie Hoffman has been in touch with his psychic abilities since 1988. Since that time, he has used his gift to help individuals heal and follow their hearts. After a session with Artie, many people feel like they’ve rediscovered themselves.

We figure this kind of experience can’t hurt. It might even help.

Artie is a fascinating man, with deep insights about human character and a great sense of humor. It will be fun to have him as a guest of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast once again.

We still have a few openings the weekend of January 27, 2012. Join us, and Artie, for what could be the experience of a lifetime!

Learn more about Artie Hoffman at his website.

How many New Jersey Bed and Breakfasts have inspired songs? At least one: the John F. Craig House!

Bill Johnson reveals his hit song, Bad Barb'ra.

Among their many talents, Bill and Mary Lou Johnson love to sing, and they add lots of fun to talent nights around Cape May in the summer. You can only imagine how great it was when Bill surprised us with his latest creation – Bad Barb’ra – the new theme song for the John F. Craig House. You can listen to it and read the lyrics at Bad Barb’ra.

Bill and Mary Lou are part of our inherited Craig House family. They stayed with Connie and Frank Felicetti before Chip and I bought our second Cape May B & B in 2002. All the guests enjoy the festivity of Bill and Mary Lou’s wedding re-enactment each August. They bring their original wedding dress and tux, and hire Cape May Carriage to pick them up and take them to the Washington Inn for dinner. As so often happens, deep friendships are developed among guests; Cindy and Frank Yablinsky have become the honored attendants at Bill and Mary Lou’s wedding re-enactment each year.

Actually we are honored, as we start our 21st year innkeeping, by how many of you have become such an intricate part of our lives and the John F. Craig House family.

We’re delighted with Bill’s song, and with the fact that he took the time to create and share a song about our Cape May Bed and Breakfast.

 Happy New Year!

Bad Barbara and Chip

Each year, we celebrate the arrival of the new year in the best way we can–down on the beach, with guests of our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. It’s become a tradition for us to congregate at the inn a bit before midnight with any guests who choose to join us; together we wander down to the beach where we open champagne, toast the New Year, and dip our feet in the icy Atlantic (at least, some of us do). We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy New Year, from Chip and Barbara at John F. Craig House.

You, our guests, make each day a celebration. Running an inn is a lot of work, to be sure, but it’s the best work there is. Our job allows us to meet people from all over the country, and even the world. It allows us to see many of the same faces, year after year. And since folks usually come to our Cape May Bed and Breakfast for a holiday, the mood at the inn is light and cheerful. We couldn’t ask for anything more.

As we welcome 2012 this year, we’re thankful for good friends and good heath. What more is there in life?

Happy New Year,

Chip and Barbara