A Holiday Weekend in Cape May
My husband Gerard and I have always loved Cape May during the holidays. The entire town is magical. This year, we fulfilled a dream of seeing the tree lighting and staying at a historic hotel. Continue reading below to hear all the details of our truly wonderful holiday weekend in Cape May. Our stay Let me begin with the hotel. We stayed for two nights at the Carroll Villa on Jackson Street. This is the hotel part of The Mad Batter restaurant, a longtime family favorite. Our room was #11 and it was lovely with a calm vibe and just the perfect venue for a romantic and festive weekend. Honestly,…
Cape May’s seasonal beach tags — not just for locals
Beach tags are required at all Cape May beaches from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend for everyone over the age of 11 years old. Beach tags are provided free of charge to both active members of the US military and veterans — United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, as well as members of the United States Coast Guard and the New Jersey National Guard. Our family would completely ignore any thoughts of buying “season” beach tags before we bought our beach house. Why would you want to spend that kind of money when you are not going to be at the beach for the entire…
Celebrity Sightings in Cape May!
OMG! Is that Taylor Swift? I’m not kidding it could happen. Well, maybe not every day, but there have been may celebrity sightings in Cape May. Last year was a very quiet year for celebrity sightings for obvious reasons. However, there were actually several in 2019 and prior years. Taylor actually did visit Cape May a few years ago and dined at The Lobster House and Uncle Bill’s! There are even pictures to prove it. She grew up in Reading, PA and her family frequently vacationed at the Jersey Shore. She even included a Cape May County beach in her music video The Best Day. My daughter use to fantasize…
Christmas in Cape May
There is something extra magical about Christmas in Cape May. Let’s face it, most people agree that just being in Cape May lifts one’s spirits and lowers the blood pressure. However, during the holidays that feeling is amped way up! It seems everywhere you look, there is sparkle, tinsel, bows, red and green, silver and gold… Even the horse drawn carriages are all decked out. Gerard and I went for the first time a few years ago and we were in awe. Christmas Tree Lighting Rotary Park Many people say that the tree lighting ceremony kicks off the holiday season in Cape May. This family friendly event is held on…
Christmas Ornaments — our 4 favorite shops in Cape May
Our family started a tradition of getting a Christmas ornament (at least one) from each place we visited on vacation when the kids were really little. Our Christmas tree is now a mini guidebook of all of the adventures we taken over the years from a tiny tree frog with a Santa hat from Bermuda to a crown from The Tower of London. We briefly relive each visit as we place the ornaments on our tree each year. We also give Ian and Rachel an ornament in their Christmas stocking each year that will ultimately be a starter set for their own trees as adults. They got silly ones with…
Cape May Ghost Tours and More!
There are probably as many ghosts in Cape May as there are shells on the beach. Just about everyone who has a home or vacations here regularly has their own ghost story. As I mentioned in my last ghost post, Are There Really Ghosts in Cape May we have one of our own named Margaret. She is mostly a prankster but likes to make herself known by hiding things and returning them or turning on faucets. Having our own ghost makes us feel like we are in the Cape May cool kids club. Do you have any curiosity at all about spooky happenings in the houses, hotels, bed & breakfasts,…
A Tale of Two Oysters
It was the best of times, it was the best of times! I recall sitting at Peter Shields Inn, or was it the Ebbitt Room, I was practically drooling waiting in anticipation for the most succulent oysters the Delaware Bay has to offer. They arrived, perfectly shucked, their liquor brimming to the top of the shell, I carefully held the shell up to my lips and with a quick tilt of my head – pure bliss. Briny, sweet, firm flesh, these oysters were amongst the best I have ever eaten. Sadly, they were gone in no time, the excellent entrée to come was anticlimactic. Now these were no ordinary oysters,…
It’s Monarch Time in Cape May!
It is so exciting when it is Monarch time in Cape May! Seems like they are everywhere you look. I have always had a love affair with butterflies, so finding out that Cape May was on the migratory path was huge for me. Early Fall is just the time when those little cuties are passing through on their way down south for the winter. The fact that they travel up to 3,000 miles (according to National Geographic) during their migration is nothing short of a miracle! They often fly as far as 25-30 miles a day—just imagine how many tiny wing flaps that translates into! Cape May plays a significant…
How to find an awesome beach rental
Our family spent many years vacationing in a Cape May rental before we bought our beach house. I didn’t always do a great job in my selection— hoping to help you avoid my mistakes. With so many options, it helps to begin by asking yourself a few basic questions: What dates are you interested in going? Rentals are usually Saturday to Saturday/Sunday to Sunday during the peak season (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Most daily or weekend rentals are usually available in the shoulder season: April, May, September, October etc. Are other friends and family joining you? Many houses in Cape May are large enough to accommodate multiple families. How…
You May Also Like
8 Great Cape May Coffee Shops
Cape May Beaches
Ultimate Guide – Biking in Cape May
Fall is Fun in Cape May
Fall is one of our favorite times to be in Cape May. Fall IS fun in Cape May. Most of the crowds have gone and quite a bit is still going on. Unlike some other shore towns, Cape May does not roll up the sidewalks on Labor Day! As the weather starts to turn a little crisp, the beach days start to dwindle, but there is so much to do. Family Fun Cape May MAC Scarecrow Alley located at the Physick Estate (1048 Washington Street) is in it’s 13th year. It runs from October 1 to November 2nd. The grounds of the estate are transformed into a Halloween spectacle. Everyone…
