Summer is a big deal in Cape May, as I'm sure you know. What you may not know is that in recent years there have been many new summer events added to enhance the pleasure of a summer visit to Cape May. I'll be telling you about all of them in this newsletter. For many of you, summer is the time when you return to The Queen Victoria for your annual Cape May visit. If you're one of those people, and you haven't yet made your plans to return, it might be time to start. |
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As you can imagine, we've been taking lots of summer reservations in the last few weeks. We still have plenty of availability for the summer (June through September), but some weeks and weekends are already nearly full. We're always happy to assist you find the best possible room for the dates you want to visit, or the best dates for the room you want to stay in. Call us at (609) 884-8702 to get started, or click the link below to reserve your room. |
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Room of The Month Windsor |
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Windsor is a great room. Located on the third floor of the Queen Victoria building, it is a large, bright, airy room. Windsor has a king sized bed, four windows on three sides of the room (and a fifth in the bathroom), and a large, comfortably appointed seating area. Given its location on the third floor, the "outside" walls of the room are sloped, due to the distinctive mansard roof of our building. Though it doesn't really affect the spaciousness of the room, it does give it lots of character. I particularly enjoy the effect on the windows, which have a much greater depth than a typical window, especially at the top of the window. The bathroom, though small, is very comfortable, with a tub and integrated shower, and a marble vanity counter top. One of the things I really love about Windsor is that with windows on three sides, it is easy to get a great cross breeze through windows and enjoy the ocean breeze (and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach). |
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If you're a planning a visit to The Queen Victoria and just can't decide which room might suit you best, the Windsor room might just be the one to try. I highly recommend it! |
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Upcoming Events & Activities |
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Cape May Music Festival May 26 through June 14 2019 |
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The Cape May Music Festival has been in full swing now for a couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean that you've missed it. We've still got a few days left of great music that you can enjoy with a last minute trip to Cape May. We've even got some rooms available to accommodate you! The Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is celebrating 30 years of bringing beautiful music to Cape May. Once again, MAC will be presenting a series of Classical, Chamber, Jazz, and other classic (and classy!) musical concerts to Cape May. |
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Unlike most music festivals, which pack all of their music into a frenzied weekend, the Cape May Music Festival takes a more leisurely approach, presenting a couple of concerts a week for several weeks. Over the course of the entire festival, 14 different concerts will be held, most of them on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. As always, Anna Marie and I will be pleased to present our guests staying at least two nights at The Queen Victoria, who wish to attend, with complimentary tickets to most of the concerts, with a few exceptions (Bach's Lunches, Champagne Jazz Brunch, Paula Johns at Willow Creek, and Musical Desserts concerts). If you love great music, and you're looking for a great excuse to enjoy a Spring time visit to Cape May, I believe this is perfect for you. Give us a call or book your room online using the button below. Be sure to request complimentary tickets! Learn More |
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Cape May Hops Fest June 22, 2019 |
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What better way to kick off summer in Cape May than with some blues, brews and BBQ! This all-day outdoor festival which is held on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, will feature local breweries, live music on the outdoor stage, and food vendors serving up some tasty BBQ favorites, plus a crafts and collectibles show. Musical Acts: - Frank Bey 10am-12noon
- Blue Bone 12noon-3pm
- James Supra/Sarah Ayers 3pm-6pm
This event is FREE to attend. Varying costs for food, beer, and crafts vendors.
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Craft Beer, Music & Crab Festival August 3, 2019 |
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It is time to start making your plans to attend the 8th annual Craft Beer, Music & Crab Festival being held on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate. This is an all-day festival featuring local and regional craft beers to wash down favorite summer foods ... steamed crabs, pulled pork, crab cakes, shrimp and hot dogs, as well as food from regional vendors. - All-day music on an outdoor stage
- An old-fashioned Victorian circus with jugglers and acrobats from the Give & Take Jugglers
- Crafts and collectibles show
- Craft beers and other spirits
MUSIC BEGINS AT 11:00 AM (Bands not yet announced) TASTY SUMMER FOODS! STEAMED CRABS & SHRIMP (Vendors not yet announced) CRAFT BEER & SPIRITS (Vendors not yet announced)
Admission to the grounds is FREE. There will be a charge for food, beverages and some activities. Commemorative T-shirts will be available
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Harvest Brew Fest September 14, 2019 |
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Though the Harvest Brew Fest sounds like a fall festival, it is actually the grand finale of the summer festivals in Cape May, falling just one week before the calendar end of summer. This festival is a great chance to enjoy a pleasant late summer afternoon on the lovely grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, partake of some fun local beverages and great food, and explore the crafts of local vendors, enjoying live music all the while. Taps flow beginning at 10am. Specifics about the food, beverage and craft vendors are still being worked out. Stay tuned to future newsletters for details, which I'll share with you once they are available. Admission to the grounds is FREE, just pay for what you consume. Free parking is available. |
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Cape May Summer Concert Series Wednesday, July 3 through August 21 |
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The Summer Concert series has truly become a staple of entertainment in Cape May. For several years now, most of the concerts have been sold out. We've got several guests who make sure the summer reservations they book include at least one concert night. Anna Marie and I enjoyed the concerts that we attended last summer so much that we are planning to attend every single one of them this year! Seriously. |
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This year's lineup includes a few acts that have performed here before, but also includes several new ones. One of them is a band I enjoyed quite a bit in college (pictured above). Here is the entire lineup: - July 3 Pure Prairie League & Orleans
- July 10 Max Weinberg's Jukebox
- July 17 Jay and the Americans
- July 19 British Invasion
- July 24 Herman's Hermits, starring Peter Noone
- July 31 Mavis Staples
- Aug 7 Jay Siegel's Tokens
- Aug 14 The Stylistics
- Aug 21 The Drifters
The City of Cape May is sponsoring two additional concerts that for some reason are not part of the "Summer Concert Series" (perhaps because they are Friday evening concerts). Anna Marie and I are going to these too: - July 29 The British Invasion Years (Anna Mare and I saw and loved this band in 2018)
- Aug 16 Great Balls of Fire (Music of great piano legends)
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More New Stuff! Charing Cross Bathroom |
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Last month I featured a picture of the new bathroom in Covent Garden. At the same time we renovated that bathroom, we also renovated the nearly identical bathroom in the room above it called Charing Cross. We're thrilled with the way this bathroom turned out, utilizing the space much more efficiently than before. For those of you who have stayed in the room before, you can see that we swapped out the old pedestal sink, replacing it with a lovely quartz counter top that has a lot more set-down space. We also replaced the single-person whirlpool tub with a spacious step in shower. In addition, we moved the toilet across the room into its own room with a door (water closet). |
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I've always loved the water closet design feature, especially in a guest room, as it makes the bathroom so much more shareable for travelers (you!). We also changed the decor a bit, giving it a really fresh, refreshing, and comfortable feeling. Separate lighting for each space, the room itself, the shower, and the water closet also make the bathroom bright & cheery. It has been fun hearing the really positive response to the new bathroom from guests who have stayed in Charing Cross over the last couple of months. |
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Father's Day Gift Idea Queen Victoria Gift Certificate |
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Though it is probably not universally true, I'm willing to venture that most of you find shopping for Father's Day one of the more difficult shopping challenges of the year. I've always found that my Dad doesn't "need" anything, for Father's Day, or any other occasion. My dad has what he needs and likes what he has, which has always made gift purchases challenging. In fact, I'm confronted with that very issue as I type this. Unfortunately, while I have the perfect solution for you, I can't take advantage of it myself. What is that perfect solution? Why, a Queen Victoria gift certificate, of course. If you're struggling to choose the perfect gift for your father for Fathers Day, I strongly suggest you consider it. |
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Think about it. He is sure to love it when you give it to him, he'll get to enjoy looking forward to his visit once he's booked it, and then he'll enjoy and appreciate it when he actually comes to stay at The Queen Victoria. If you're a father and your children are asking you what you would like for Father's Day, make this suggestion to them. They'll appreciate it, because you're difficult to shop for and they'll love a suggestion for something they know you'll love. It is a win-win situation. Further, once they've figured out how much you enjoy and appreciate a Queen Victoria gift certificate, they'll probably be planning on giving you another for next Father's Day (and possibly your birthday and Christmas). There are some good things in life that you simply can't get enough of! Buy one Now! |
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Favorite Photo(s)
A Vision of Spring |
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I seem to have an annually recurring impulse to take pictures of our peony tree and share them with you. When I saved this in preparation for uploading for this newsletter, I noticed that I already had a photo named "peony tree 2018". I suppose you've already guessed that this was named "peony tree 2019". These really are stunning plants, and the blooms they produce are really unbelievable. The guests visiting us while they were blooming were universal in their praise of them. Even though they, along with most Spring flowers, are done blooming, that doesn't mean that there are no flowers at The Queen Victoria right now. Our southern magnolias are blooming as I write this, and our annuals are well on their way to filling our gardens with color. View Photo Gallery >> |
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Featured Gift Shop Item
Insulated Beverage Bottle |
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When we set up our outside dining for the first time a few weeks ago we discovered that our half & half containers for the porches needed to be replaced. Rather than purchase simple pitchers, we decided to go a different route. We discovered that an insulated beverage bottle would work perfectly for our half & half needs, and would be a fun new gift shop item as well. I really love the way that they came out, with the laser etched Queen Victoria logo against the black bottle. Can't you just see yourself driving to work with one of these handsome bottles full of coffee tucked into your drink holder? There is no doubt that your coffee would still be hot when you got to work, no matter what kind of commute you have (you're sure to finish it before it could cool off, anyway). As good as they are for hot beverages, they work even better for cold beverages, keeping your drinks cold for up to 4 hours. $20.00 |
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Fun Things to Do in Cape May
Go To The Beach! |
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I'm one of those people that LOVES the beach. Anna Marie is too. As you can imagine, one of our favorite things to do is spend a couple of hours on the beach in the summer, enjoying the sun, surf and sand. And napping 🙂 Seriously though, you don't need me to tell you that going to the beach is a great thing to do during your summer visit to The Queen Victoria. Better yet, when you grab a couple of our good looking beach chairs, you'll be going in style. |
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Restaurant Pick of the Month
410 Bank Street (BYOB) |
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One look at the picture on the right is enough to make just about anybody hungry. I honestly don't know what the names of all of these dishes are, but I'm pretty sure I'd love each and every one of them. Of course, that could be true for just about anything on the menu at 410 Bank Street. 410 has always been one of our favorite restaurants. In fact, we routinely celebrate my birthday there, which always coincides pretty closely with their reopening for the season. The atmosphere is fun, the food is wonderful, and the service is amazing. This year a new chef has taken over the restaurant. You might think that would be the basis for concern for those who love 410 Bank Street, but no. As it happens, Ron Panczner, the chef who opened up Peter Shields many years ago as a fine dining restaurant is operating the |
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restaurant now, and it is as good, or better, than it has ever been. He had been the pastry chef for 410 Bank Street for the last 3-4 years, and stepped up to the plate when the opportunity arose. We're glad he did. So what are our favorites at 410 Bank Street? Anna Marie has been enjoying the "Cape May Mahi Mahi" for years. It is prepared with a macadamia nut crust, served with a coconut shrimp, polynesian rice, and vanilla island rum sauce. She likes it so much, I'm not sure she'll ever order anything else. I have many favorites at 410, including the New Orleans Voodoo Shrimp, Florida Keys Red Snapper, and the Cajun Shellfish Gumbo File. The last time we went (for my birthday), I was fortunate enough to enjoy the Soft Shell Crabs that were offered as one of their specials. It was a magnificent dish! If you enjoy flavorful, creative food then I highly recommend you visit 410 Bank Street on your next (summer/early fall) visit to Cape May. You'll be glad you did. |
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