The 35th Annual Cape May Jazz Festival
April 8 – 10, 2011

The Cape May Jazz Festival is really quite extraordinary. It brings a great variety of outstanding jazz musicians to a picturesque seacoast town. Jazz fans easily make the drive from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and northern New Jersey to listen to some of their favorite musicians in an idyllic setting; many stay in our welcoming Cape May Bed and Breakfast, the John F. Craig House.

Unlike many music festivals in large cities, the Cape May Jazz Festival is a relaxing and stress-free experience. Given the location of our Bed and Breakfast Cape May, it’s possible for our guests to walk to many of the festival venues. We also promise to feed you a delicious breakfast if you sleep in after a late night.

Kevin Eubanks at the Cape May Jazz Festival, April 8, 2011. Photo by Raj Naik.

Cape May Jazz Festival 2011 Highlights include:

• Kevin Eubanks
• Poncho Sanchez
• Point Blank with Gerald Chavis

Get comfortable at one venue and listen to whomever is on stage, or hop in and out of several venues over the course of an afternoon or evening. The close proximity of the venues makes wandering between them a cinch.

To learn more about the festival or to purchase tickets, please visit Cape May Jazz Festival. To reserve a room in our Cape May Bed and Breakfast, call 877-544-0314.

Cape May has dozens of restaurants, which is remarkable for a town of its size. Many restaurants close or have limited hours during the winter months, when the population shrinks and there are fewer visitors. In the humble opinion of these Cape May Bed and Breakfast innkeepers, this is one of the best times to dine out in Cape May. (Dine out in?)

The reason is that many of the restaurants open in February cater to locals. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys experiencing new places through the eyes of a local, then local joints are perfect. This isn’t to say that restaurants open only during the summer months aren’t good – in fact, many of them are outstanding. It’s just that we have a soft spot in our hearts (and our bellies) for restauranteurs who stay in Cape May with us over the winter, rather than flying south. (more…)

Read on to learn the perfect day for a Cape May Bed and Breakfast innkeeper – Barbara. This was first published in the May/June 2010 edition of Cape May’s Exit Zero Magazine.

My perfect day starts with the beautiful blue Cape May sky. From my bed, I can see it through the transom above the door that leads to our garden. The bright colors of an early dawn set the tone for my day.

Barbara, with a perfect cup of coffee after a perfect morning stroll.

After a while, I stumble out to fix the first pot of coffee. I have the system down to an art. I can just plant my feet in front of the coffee maker and Voila! – four minutes later – Juan Valdez is wafting through the house.

While the coffee is brewing I set off for a walk around town. I love to take in the rhythms of early mornings in Cape May, whether it is folks just sitting on benches gazing at the ocean, people on their early morning power walk, the more energetic line skaters, or my neighbor, Jay Schatz opening his inn and feeding his cats. Often I walk to the ever-changing Cove and then pause for a moment at every opening at the Pavilion – each offers a different and beautiful view of Cape May. (more…)