As the Crow Flies...

I asked Siri how far it was from Perth Amboy to Cape May, and she said, "137 miles by car, or 120 miles as the crow flies."

My trusty bike, coming up on 100,000 miles, is called the Blue Eagle, but fly, it doesn't. So my man Ron and I had to take the GSP. No matter, though, as Monday was an "insanely perfect day" to be on two wheels, and despite the extra 17 miles, we found our "pot of liquid gold" at the end of the rainbow.

It's called the Cape May brewing Company, and though I had visited it and reported on it back in March, there were some new, delicious offerings from this seven-year-old company that has managed to make a significant mark on the NJ beer scene.

I loved Coastal Evacuation, Cape May IPA and Devil's Reach, so I knew those would be on my flight card. But what I hadn't seen before was a magnificent-looking beer called Bounding Main. Its description says it all: "Brewed with 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel, Bounding Main has a pillowy mouthfeel, a gentle bitterness and aromas of tropical fruit: mango, guava and citrus, all with a hint of dank in the background. Like many a stormy wind, Bounding Main will blow you away."

That it did, and it should do the same for you if you're a hophead. But we were also blown away by a remarkable woman who was sitting at the bar eating a bagel when we entered at 11:30. Her name was Mary, and she was a jack-of-all-trades employee. She's also a mom of two teens, a hard-core carnivore and--saints preserve us!--a biker gal.

As personable as she was pretty, she made a strong suggestion to us to sample a new experimental brew made in collaboration with Washington's DC Brau called L' Attitude. "Using two experimental hop varieties, L' Attitude IPA has notes of tropical fruits, berries, orange citrus and a touch of herbal kick, all in a dry ale with a unique yeast profile of apricots and a touch of spice." Mary walked us through the taste test, and, in addition to all those other resumé-enhancers, she knows her beer, too. We raised a glass together, as she was celebrating her 24th wedding anniversary that very day.

Because we arrived pretty early, we had nothing in our bellies, but that was remedied by a quick walk next door to a place called the Taco Shop, where an equally personable and upbeat Kylie Lapinski, suggested two of her world- famous "Taco Bowls." The chicken, pork, brisket and chorizo were excellent, and their consumption allowed us to safely have another pint of Bounding Main before we left to find a cigar shop and a spot on The Point upon which to savor them.

The only bad news we got was that the Triple Wreck, a Belgian-style made with cherries, was not likely to make a re-appearance. Oh, well...can't win 'em all.

Then it was back on the GSP for the 137-mile trip home, but we were fully sated in our bellies, and, as two-wheel riding is wont to do, in our souls, as well. "Insanely perfect" days will do that for you.