Christmas Cocktails

As we all know today is Christmas Eve.  Which means for the next week or so it’s forced family time again.  This morning I stopped in my favorite liquor store, Joe Canals, and they said to me, “it wouldn’t be a holiday if you weren’t here.”  So clearly I’m partial to the use of alcohol to help at these gatherings.

Make sure you have plenty of red and white wine.  It’s really the staple of a holiday gathering.  Who doesn’t love a good wine.  I personally went with 2 bottles of Merlot and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.  I prefer the red to the white for Christmas, little more festive.

Last week I went to a Christmas Party and we had Candy Cane Martinis.  These are definitely required for Christmas parties.  For this we need:

• 1 1/4 oz vanilla vodka
• 1 1/4 oz crème de cacao
• 3/4 oz peppermint schnapps
• garnish with a peppermint.  I prefer to crush it up and line the rim of my martini glass with it.

Thank you

As most of you know this blog started simply as a project for my Online Journalism class, which I only decided to take two weeks before classes started.  I can honestly say this has been the most beneficial and fun class I have ever taken in my college career.  I feel as though I have learned so much not only about Journalism but myself.  It’s funny to me that I began this class getting ready to take the LSAT and was narrowing my choices for Law School.  Now I’m busy applying to Multi-Media post-graduate programs abroad and applying for jobs in PR and the News in New York City (have to keep my options open).

This journey has been the thrill of my lifetime.  I am supposed to write a farewell post but I can tell you all, happily, that this will not be goodbye.  This blog has become my baby and I am so proud of the work we have accomplished together.  Online Journalism has come to an end but this blog will be updated as regularly as possible.  I am going to do my absolute best to come up with new and exciting things for you.

The success of this blog would not be possible if it was not for my readers.  I cannot thank you all enough.  You came back every week to see what I had to say and it means more to me than you can ever imagine.  If you know me at all I love to write but never feel as if anything is ever publish ready and this class forced me to put my thoughts out there.  The response from everyone was astronomical and without it I probably would not be pursuing the news industry in such a big city (New York or London).  You all kept me on my toes and pushing myself to come up with something interesting and well-written for you.

I need to stop and thank my best friends for being so supportive this entire time.  They have listened to me complain about assignments and how I had no idea what to do, they were forced to come to the bars with me, and they were certainly ready to shoot me due to my incessant discussion about this blog (it’s all I ever talk about).  You all know who you are and I cannot thank you guys enough.  Love you babes.

Thanks for sticking through this emotionally charged and long post.  Until next week….

Bike Tours: A Unique Feature of Cape May, NJ

In Cape May, during the summer months especially, almost no one drives on the island.  It is traditionally a biker’s town.  There are bike racks on every single street, in front of most restaurants, and all along the beach front.  The island is so tiny that there is virtually no need to really drive anywhere, it’s just a hassle and a waste of gas (unless of course you live off the island).

The abundance of bars in Cape May is also no secret.  The nightlife is thrives over the summer and continues from the locals well into the winter.  If one puts the bars and the luxury of biking everywhere together it should come as no shock that Cape May is home to the “Bike Tour.”

Bike Tours include a group of people wearing similar t-shirts that they have designed traveling to the bars via bike and trying a drink at each place they stop.  They list the bars they plan to hit on the back of their t-shirts.  The key is to go during the day (that way you hit happy hours).  It is also impossible to start these things at night as they can take hours and Cape May closes at 2 am.  I notice people tend to begin around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and do not stop until 2 am.

The close proximity of these bars is vital to the success.  The island itself is only 2.4 square miles of land area.  With at least 15 bars within two miles it is easy to see why there is such mass success with these types of tours.

I am always to chicken to go on these bike tours.  I am lucky to ride a bike without falling off these days, let alone trying it while intoxicated.  I often wonder how the police in Cape May feel about these infamous tours.  Who better to ask than a summer cop?  Billy Kocis, long time resident, just completed his first summer with Cape May as a police officer.  According to him, “it’s good to see people out and about in the community but when they do this they have to be sensible about what they are doing.  We do not arrest a lot of people but we do on occasion when they get too out of control.”  It’s pretty difficult to get yourself into too much trouble here if you’re being smart about it.

I know my friends absolutely love this aspect of Cape May.  It was weekly I would find myself leaving work and I would see a friend of mine out on their bike.  Every time I’d ask what they were up to the response was always the same, “Bike Tour with so and so.”  Kayla Dodge did her first bike tour this summer with the C-View Inn crowd.  “My favorite part about bike tours is not the drinking, it’s the pack of friends associated with it and the humor involved in getting from point A to B. It makes you realize how special living at the shore is.  Not everyone can ride their bike from bar to bar with 100 people wearing goofy shirts with the goal of making it to the last bar on the list,” Dodge had to say about her tour.

It seems that everyone is on board with the bike tours from the locals partaking and the police enjoying the unique communal aspect it brings.  So for everyone looking to experience the bike tour sensation this summer check out this map I made for you.

A Review of the Ugly Mug in Cape May, NJ

I feel like it has been forever since my last review! I went to the Ugly Mug in Cape May when I was making my decision about this blog and creepily enough I kept all of my receipts and remember everything about that trip.

I love going to the Mug.  It’s such a local’s place which can be good or bad depending on whether or not you want a high school reunion that day.  The Mug is a tiny place located in the heart of Cape May.  The size is perfect for any day but Tuesday’s when they have their Terrible Tuesday’s (2 dollar Miller Lites).  The Mug never has a cover which is also fantastic.  One can always find a good source of entertainment here too.  Whether it’s a local band or a DJ there is always something going on here.