Chocolate Lovers Fantasy Weekend
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Remember this mouth watering photo from last month? Yes,
I’m sharing it with you again because it is VERY relevant …
to this weekend. I know this is going to be a great event.
Both Cape May winery and Natali are going all out to create a
memorable and fun experience for you.
This weekend, February 7 & 8, The New Jersey Wine Trail
is sponsoring a special “Chocolate Wine Tasting Weekend”. We
decided to “sweeten the pot” (yes, a pun was intended) and
wrap a little package around it. When you arrive at The Queen
Victoria, you’ll find a tower of truffles (that is them in the
photo) in your room. Next, trek down the Cape May portion of
the “Chocolate Wine Trail” for wine tastings at both Cape May
Winery and Natali Vineyards (each winery will be featuring
chocolates with their wine tasting). To top it off, you’ll
enjoy complimentary desserts (with your paid meal) at two of
Cape May’s finest restaurants, Freda’s Cafe and Moonfish Grill
on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. You don’t have to have
a chocolate dessert, but why have anything else? The great
news is that this package only costs $25 in addition to the
price of your room, a great value.
OK, so here is the
bottom line: You’re running out of time for Valentines day.
Chocolate and wine beats the heck out of chocolate and
flowers. If you were thinking about a trip to The Queen
Victoria for Valentines and haven’t booked it yet, it’s too
late. This is the perfect solution. Celebrate a week early and
make a Chocolate Fantasy weekend of it.
Call us
today!
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| Say Cheese! |
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Remember those “fun special events” that I mentioned that
make the winter a great time to visit The Queen Victoria? Our
1st annual “Big Cheese” weekend is one of those. Yes, this is
going to be a good time. You really don’t want to miss this
event!
On Saturday, February 21, we’re going to be filling the
House of Royals parlor with goodies like you have never seen
before. We’ve already consulted with Steve at Seaside Cheese
to select an incredible assortment of cheeses for you to
enjoy. We’re also going to have signature olive oils, fresh
baked breads, an imported olive bar, and all the glasses you
need for the wine we encourage you to bring.
The
cheese tasting party starts at 1:00, so you can even make a
lunch out of it if you want to. I can’t think of a more
enjoyable way to spend a winter afternoon!
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Sherlock Holmes returns
March 20-22! |
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Boy, this guy just never quits! Like clockwork, twice a
year Sherlock returns to Cape May to solve another great
mystery of our time. This March is no exception, with
Sherlock, Watson, and a troupe of nefarious characters
returning to quiet Cape May to stir things up a bit. Of
course, he needs your help to actually solve the mystery.
Don’t let him down!
On Friday night you’ll join your fellow “partners in crime”
for desserts and coffee and meet Dr. John Watson and the rest
of the cast, where you’ll be drawn into the mystery. Saturday
you’ll be rubbing elbows with the cast (in character) as you
tour several houses in town (including The Queen Victoria)
searching for clues to solve the mystery. After the tour it’s
back to the theatre to see the next act and get all the final
clues you’ll need to solve the mystery. Finally, on Sunday
you’ll attend a brunch and see if you had the best solution to
the mystery. You might even win a prize for best costume (if
you dressed for the event), or “Most Clueless” if you happened
to have made a particularly pathetic effort. It is all in good
fun and a good time is assured for all.
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Wine
Lover’s Weekend(2) … March 7th |
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Wow … what a great time! I’m pleased to report to you
that our first ever Queen Victoria “Wine Blending Challenge”
last weekend was a HUGE success. Eighteen of our guests joined
us for a wonderful afternoon of wine tasting, wine blending,
wine judging and a tour of the winery. As high as my
expectations for this event were, the actual experience was so
much better. Everyone had a GREAT TIME. Just looking at this
picture of the barrel room before we got started gives you a
feel for what is to come.
The really good news is that the 2nd edition of this event
is just a few weeks away and there is plenty of time for you
to make reservations for a room and the “Wine Challenge”. So
what is it? Anna Marie and I are partnering with Cape May
Winery to create a special event/package for true wine lovers.
On Saturday, March 7 you will join Anna Marie and me at Cape
May Winery to craft the perfect blend of red wine. We’ll break
up into teams of 4-6 people at tables laden with decanters of
the various 2007 red wines right out of the barrel and trays
of cheese, crackers & fruit (this blending is hard work,
so we’ll need sustenance). We start by evaluating each of the
various red wines on several criteria. Each team will then
craft & document different blends, ranking them among
themselves. Once each team has selected the “perfect blend”,
we’ll all break for a tour of the winery while the winemaker
crafts the chosen blends. Following the tour, we head back to
the blending room and do a “blind” tasting of the chosen blend
of each team. We’ll all vote on the best blend, which will
then be bottled for us with a special “Queen Victoria Cellars”
label. You will get two bottles (per couple) of the final
blend, the labels of which will be customized with your names
and the blending details. You’ll be able to carry it proudly
to your favorite BYOB restaurant in the Queen Victoria wine
bag that is also included in the package.
This
exclusive event is only open to guests of The Queen Victoria
and will only occur twice a year. This 2nd challenge has an
added element as well, as we’ll be bringing a bottle of the
selected blend from the last event to compare in the blind
tasting at the end. Each consecutive event will have another
bottle to compare against, so this will just keep getting
better and better! Does this sound like fun or what?
The cost of this event is $100/couple in addition to
your reserved room. Remember, this event is only being held
one more time in 2009 on March 7. You really don’t want to
miss it!
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| Forget the Flowers |
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The clock is ticking (tick, tick, tick) and you are running
out of time for Valentines Day. Sure it is hard. Finding the
perfect way to say “I Love You” to that special person in your
life is never simple. Sadly, many of us (especially men) often
resort to flowers at the last minute, which really just says
to your loved one “Oops, I almost forgot to get you anything”
or “Here is your obligatory gift”.
This year do
something REALLY special. Buy your Valentine a gift
certificate to The Queen Victoria.
Think about it for a second. First of all, this is a
creative, thoughtful gift that not everyone else in the office
is getting. It is a promise of a wonderful time together. It
creates anticipation and something to look forward to. It is a
shared, romantic experience that is enjoyed by both of you. It
is the gift that keeps giving, first when you give it, and
again when you go away together. It truly is the perfect
Valentines gift.
Don’t delay, though. For most of you
it takes 2 days for us to mail a certificate to you, so a
little planning ahead is necessary.
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| Bring Mom to Cape May |
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I know, you haven’t even made it past Valentines Day and
I’m already talking to you about Mother’s Day. You know how it
is, though. Before you know it Mother’s Day will be sneaking
up on you. I know you want to be prepared for it, so I thought
I would help you out with a suggestion.
You can see from this picture that Claire and Heather were
having a great mother/daughter time at The Queen Victoria.
While everyone loves Cape May, it is particularly good for a
girls escape weekend. What could be a better excuse to spend
some time with the woman most important in your life than
Mother’s Day? Seriously, if you were thinking about inviting
Mom over for dinner so she could help you cook for the family
you might want to think again. Don’t you think it would be a
LOT more fun to take Mom away for a couple of nights and spend
the day shopping, dining and giggling like school girls. Treat
your Mom special this year … bring her to The Queen Victoria
for Mother’s Day.
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| Upcoming Events |
- QV Chocolate Lovers Fantasy Weekend Feb 6-9
- Valentines/Presidents Day Feb 13-15
- Cape May Wine Trail trolley tour Feb 15
- Crafts in the Winter Feb 14
- Antiques in the Winter Feb 15
- The QV Big Cheese weekend Feb 20-21
- QV Cellars Wine Lover’s Weekend Mar 6-7
- Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery Weekend Mar 20-22
- Cape May Marathon Mar 20,21
- Girls Getaway Weekend Mar 27,28
- Cape May Jazz Festival Apr 17-19
- Cape May Spring Festival Apr 24-May 3
- Bring Mom to Cape May “Mothers Day” May 10
- Cape May Music Festival May 17-Jun 12
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For most of you Cape May is firmly placed in your thoughts as a
Summer Paradise. Who could blame you? It really is. The savvy Cape
May visitor, yes this includes MANY of you, has discovered that Cape
May is a magical destination every month of the year. We truly love
it all year long.
If beautiful scenery, relaxation, great
dining, and meeting wonderful people are some things you value about
Cape May, then you’ll love Cape May in the winter and spring too.
Many of our guests have discovered that between our lower rates, fun
and exciting special events, flexible booking policies, the total
absense of crowds, and abundant parking, winter and spring have
become their favorite time to visit The Queen Victoria.
In
my own opinion (which is surely indisputable), the best way to enjoy
The Queen Victoria and Cape May is to experience it throughout the
year. Afterall, you don’t have to give up your summer visit to
sample The Queen Victoria this winter/spring.
Featured “Room of the Month” … Princess Helena
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If you’re looking for a quiet, romantic room with lots of
character, you’ll love the Princess Helena Room. The Princess
Helena room has a queen sized bed, a large private bath with
marble floors and a large walk-in shower. The room twists and
turns a bit, with the closet and refrigerator tucked into it’s
own little space. Two windows look out into the gardens of our
Queen’s Cottage next door. The decor is elegant and luxuriant.
We’ve changed the bedding a bit since this picture was taken,
and the room now features a rich and beautiful comforter set.
The Princess Helena room also boasts a little history.
Being on the third floor of our former “Gentleman’s Club”, it
is quite likely that this room was originally one of the rooms
that “the girls” worked in upstairs. It is also likely that
the space that the closet now occupies was once a counting
room for the 2nd floor gambling parlor.
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Singer Song Writer Cape May Returns
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Anna Marie and I are so excited that this event is
returning for its 2nd time this March 27-28. This is a GREAT
event. With over 125 free performances in 15 different venues
around town, you are sure to have a wonderful experience.
Like last year, dozens of up and coming musicians of
all kinds will be converging on Cape May to perform and “break
out” in front of our audiences and all the music professionals
that will be in town. If you are interested in hearing some of
tomorrows big stars before they’re discovered, make plans to
attend.
IMPORTANT … please ignore the dates you see
in the graphic above. It was the only one I could snag for my
email, but unfortunately it is last year’s poster. This year’s
event is March 27-28.
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| Don’t Forget the Flowers! |
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Ok gentleman, I’ve got an important tip for you. Pay
Attention now …
Surprise Her With Flowers!
Sure, coming to Cape May for a romantic getaway is a
great start. She’ll be thrilled to spend some quality time
with you. She’ll appreciate the fact that she has you all to
herself for the weekend. But if you really want to make her
feel special … Surprise Her With Flowers!
I can tell you from experience that this works. Last
October when I whisked Anna Marie away for a few nights I
called ahead and arranged to have flowers waiting in the room
for her. The delight on her face and the brightness of her
smile were second only to the big hug I got from her. She was
so impressed that I had thought about her and planned this
without her having to remind me (like she has to for most
things we do). She felt special and I felt like a hero. Plus,
the flowers smelled wonderful in the room the whole
time.
Give us a call and we’ll arrange for everything.
It is very easy. If you really want to go over the top, ask
for the “Sweet Celebration” package, which also includes a
“Tower of Truffles” (pictured above).
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A last look … at Convention Hall (again)
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Despite my expectations, it appears that our Convention
Hall has been given a bit of a reprieve. No, it isn’t going to
be saved, it just isn’t going to be demolished as soon as
originally expected.
The word I’m hearing is that a delay in obtaining permits
(for building and or demolition, I’m not sure which) has put
the brakes on the project temporarily. This is unfortunate.
One bright note is that it would appear that Tisha’s Fine
Dining will be returning again this spring.
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Favorite Guest Photos … Looking Ahead to
Spring |
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It would seem that most of you reading this are still in
the grips of the coldest winter in recent history. Even in the
depths of winter (and it does seem deep right now) there are
always hints and promises of warmer days to come. This picture
warmed me up a little bit today, so I thought I would share
it.
Famous Exit Zero writer and founder of “Donate My Weight”,
Ben Miller took this photo last March. I think he was going
for that Artistic Thing, which I believe he pulled off
pretty well. I particularly like the way he captured both the
sign and the Queen Victoria building while still focusing on
the flowers. Nicely done Ben.
I can already see all the
daffodils and other bulbs starting to peak up out of the
ground, so I’m confident that we’ll be seeing these beauties
again soon.
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31st Annual Cape May Jazz Festival
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I always start looking forward to the Spring Jazz Festival
about this time every year. This year’s festival will be held
April 17-19. Once again, it looks to be a wonderful lineup of
talented musicians converging on Cape May to make us the
coolest (figuratively speaking) place in America.
The 31st Cape May Jazz Festival “Legends…and More Blues”
will pay tribute to Billy Eckstine and Sara Vaughn with “Have
a Song on Me” celebrating Mr. B with the B Swingers Big Band
starring Steve Butler with special guest Sabrina Carten.
Opening up Saturday night with James Cotton Blues Band at the
Theatre at Lower Regional High School. Other legends: Odean
Pope while Barbara King will pay tribute to Sara Vaughn. More
Blues: Andrew Jr. Boy Jones and Eddie Shaw appearing Friday
and Saturday nights at Cabanas and Alan Weber and Frenz
Saturday afternoon doing a blues jam.
By the way, if
that last paragraph seemed a little confused or structurally
questionable … I pulled it off of their website. I just
can’t get away with anything here.
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| Girls … It’s All About You |
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Do you need a break from the husband and the kids? I’ll bet
your best friend feels the same way. You’ll be happy to hear
that The Queen Victoria is partnering with Cape May Winery
this March 28 & 29 to create a Girlfriend
Getaway Weekend . That’s right, the whole weekend will be
just about the ladies. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Cape May is always a great girls escape with all of it’s
shopping, but Cape May Winery has put together a day at the
winery (actually two days) where you can be pampered and
spoiled. Here is what they’ve got going so far (there is more
in the works):
- Free Wine Tastings
- Complimentary Chocolates
- Door Prizes
- Chair Massages ($1/ minute)
When was the last
time your husband gave you wine, chocolates and a massage? How
about door prizes? Some things you just can’t leave up to the
guys.
So call your best friend and make plans to come
to stay at The Queen Victoria for the Girlfriend Getaway
Weekend. When you call for reservations, be sure to
mention the Girlfriend Getaway.
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Doug & Anna Marie’s Restaurant Pick Of The Month
… Freda’s Cafe |
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