Spring's Welcome Arrival in Cape May |
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Yes, it is officially Spring in Cape May, and I must say it comes not a minute too soon for my tastes. Though there are many excellent reasons to visit Cape May and The Queen Victoria during the Winter Months (some of them exclusive events at The Queen Victoria), there is no denying that a visit to our lovely town in the Spring is a little more compelling as the weather grows warmer. Even better yet, the list of reasons for visiting in this lovely season is still substantial. For instance, we're still offering both |
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of our excellent discount packages, there are several city wide events taking place in the coming months, and we're still not finished with special events at The Queen Victoria to tempt you into a Spring visit. Keep reading and I'll tell you all about it. There really is no bad time to visit Cape May, or The Queen Victoria, but Spring is arguably one of the best. 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 Empress |
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The dramatic, beautiful Empress has long been one of our most popular rooms, and with good reason. Located on the first floor of the House of Royals, the Empress is very popular with guests who would rather not deal with lots of steps during their time with us. The impressive king size bed, one of only 8 in the entire inn, is as comfortable as it is impressive. The high ceilings, beautiful antique armoire, custom draperies, and beautiful hard wood floor, and custom crafted fireplace give the Empress a |
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truly royal feeling. The dresser, bedside cabinets, and elephant motif lamps give it a sense of the exotic. The bathroom in the Empress is a very special space, which feels more like a spa than a bathroom. It features a 2 person air jet tub, as well as a separate 2-person/2-head step in shower. The tile work throughout the room is wonderful, and the toilet is tucked away in a separate "water closet". The Empress also comes with its own dedicated parking space, which is always a popular amenity. The Empress really is a special room, and I highly recommend giving it a try. I know you'll be glad you did. |
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Discount Packages Many of you have been taking advantage of our tremendously discounted special packages throughout the Winter. Even though Winter is officially over, you still have an opportunity to take advantage of our discount packages. Winter Escape The Winter Escape package is available for reservations through March 31, 2019, and includes a Large Standard room for any 2 nights (including weekends!) for $350 (plus tax). The package also features some "value added" elements, including a complimentary cheese platter and a free beer tasting at the Cold Spring Brewery. This is the only deep discount package we offer at The Queen Victoria which includes weekends, and virtually all the guests who book it take advantage of that. Cold Spring Brewery is only open Thursday through Sunday right now, so keep that in mind as you plan your visit. Though the package includes Large Standard rooms, you can upgrade to larger, more expensive rooms and enjoy similar savings. 234 The 234 package is a 2 night weeknight discount package offered Sunday through Thursday, which is available through the end of April. Specifically, it includes 2 nights in a Standard room for $234 ($117/night). Similar savings are available for our larger rooms as well, at a slightly higher price. Reservations for this package can also be expanded to as many as 5 nights at the same discounted rate. This really is a great deal, which I'm sure every Cape May lover (and Queen Victoria lover) will find hard to resist. |
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Upcoming Events & Activities |
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Monthly Birthday Celebrations - April 27, 2019 (last one of the year!)
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We've already celebrated 3 months of birthdays so far this year, and each of our celebrations was a huge success. Anna Marie and I have been thrilled that so many of our guests have made that fun decision to celebrate their birthdays at The Queen Victoria this winter. All three of our birthday weekends (Jan, Feb & Mar) were well attended, and our parties were loads of fun. We're not through with the fun yet, however, as we still have another birthday weekend planned for April 27th. We'll be transforming afternoon tea into a birthday celebration with balloons, cake, party favors for everyone, and of course we'll sing "Happy Birthday". We don't discriminate against those not celebrating a birthday, but we do try to make all of our birthday celebrants for that month feel special. If you or the one you love have a birthday coming up in April (or even early May), and you just can't figure out what the perfect gift is (besides a gift certificate to The Queen Victoria, of course), you might just consider booking a reservation at The Queen Victoria and celebrate in style. |
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Chocolate Lover's Weekend May 10-11, 2019 Nov 15-16, 2019 We held our first Chocolate Lover's Weekend of the year a week or so ago, and it was fantastic (if I may say so myself). It was our 3rd go around with this event, and I think we've really perfected it. We even managed to come up with a great solution for melting the "Caramel Sea Salt" chips, which in our initial attempt for the event last November was really tasty, but a little clumpy. We simply added the Caramel Sea Salt chips to some dark chocolate chips, and melted it together. It was a perfect, and very tasty solution. There aren't too many things in the universe, or at least on the planet, that are as universally adored as chocolate. I'm not sure it would be entirely accurate to say that all mothers love chocolate, but I'm betting most do. It would certainly explain the success of our inaugural event last Mother's Day. If you missed that event last year, or attended, and can't wait to do so again, now is the time to start planning your May 10-11 weekend visit to The Queen Victoria. |
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As you can see in the top photo, we'll be serving lots of specialty chocolates (on the left, behind the cheese cubes), LOTS of chocolate baked goods (to the right), and goodies that are fun to drizzle with chocolate (no dipping in a public setting!). To the right you can see the 6 pots of melted chocolates that we'll have on the buffet. Once again, we'll be offering some wonderful flavored melted chocolates, including Dark Chocolate, Mint Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Orange Dark Chocolate, Cherry Dark Chocolate, and Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate. Believe it or not, they taste even better than they sound! FREE! (for all reserved guests) |
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Singer Songwriter Cape May (12th Annual) March 29-30 2019 |
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It is hard to believe that we've been enjoying this treasure of an event for 12 years now. It has certainly become a tradition that we look forward to every March. For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing Singer Songwriter Cape May (SS Cape May), let me tell you a little about it. |
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Each year talented musicians from all over the country flock to Cape May to perform their music and entertain the residents and visitors to Cape May. Their primary goal is to be "discovered" by one of the many agents and talent scouts that will be in attendance, but the wonderful news for you is that there will be dozens of musicians performing about 150 different concerts in venues all over town ... FREE OF CHARGE. There will be one or two headline acts with an admission charge, but even that is nominal. Perhaps the best thing of all is that we'll once again have the very talented singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia performing a house concert for us at The Queen Victoria on Saturday afternoon during tea time. The icing on the cake for this entertainment extravaganza is that you can still take advantage of our "Winter Escape" discount package! Call us today at (609) 884-8702 or click on the button below to reserve your room now. |
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Exit Zero Jazz Festival April 12-14, 2019 Every April the Exit Zero Jazz Festival returns to Cape May, bringing a bevy of talented musicians from all over the Jazz spectrum, both new and famous. The attractive young lady named Veronica Swift pictured to the left is relatively new on the Jazz scene, but is already making big waves in the industry. The more famous Chick Correa, with Christian McBride and Brian Blade will be headlining the Festival. Other performers include the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lizz Wright, Red Barrat, NOJO 7, Jose James, Sullivan Fortner, Ron Artis II, Jon Cleary, Swift Technique, Lucky Chops, and Max Hatt/Edda Glass, and more! |
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Cape May Spring Celebration April 26 through May 19, 2019 Technically this year's Cape May Spring Celebration is the first ever, but this is actually a renamed event that was formerly called the Cape May Spring Festival. I'm not sure what prompted the name change, but I'm all for celebrating Spring, so it works for me. This celebration covers a long period of time, and it isn't too surprising that there is a lot to do in that time frame. Below you'll find a list of all the activities that will be taking place during the celebration. |
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- Armed Forces Day
- Brunch & Bingo at the Beach
- Cape Mayhem Trolley Tour
- Cape May Wine Trail
- Carroll Gallery Exhibit: "The Iconic Cape May Lighthouse"
- Chocolate Lovers Feast at the Washington Inn
- Friends of the Physick Estate: "Pushing Boundaries"
- Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour
- Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tour
- Historic Haunts Combo Tour
- Historic Haunts House Tour
- Jazz Brunch at the Estate for Mother's Day
- Lighthouse Full Moon Climb
- Murder Mystery Dinners
- Physick Estate Scavenger Hunt
- Sip Into Spring Festival
- Sip Into Spring Crafts & Collectibles Show
- NEW! Spring Celebration Garden Tour
- Underground Railroad Trolley Tour
For more information about all of these events, visit the MAC website We're also hosting our "Chocolate Lover's Weekend" during this celebration, on May 11, which is even more reason to celebrate. Our event should not be confused with the Chocolate Lover's Feast at the Washington Inn (ours is free for reserved guests of The Queen Victoria). |
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Cape May Music Festival May 26 through June 14 2019 |
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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. 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. |
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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 Restaurant Week June 2-9, 2019 |
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Restaurant week is an amazing time in Cape May. Early each June, the folks at CapeMay.com organize a dining extravaganza at all of the finest restaurants throughout all of Cape May, each of which will be featuring a 3-course "pre fixe" menu for $35. Restaurant week is a wonderful opportunity to affordably sample the finest food in Cape May, all week long! They haven't announced which restaurants will be participating this year yet, but I'm confident that all of my favorites will be in on it. I'm certainly looking forward to it. |
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Cape May Summer Concert Series Wednesday, July 3 through August 21 |
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Anna Marie and I have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of the Summer Concert Series schedule, which was released last week. We enjoyed the concerts that we attended last summer so much that we are planning to attend every single one of them this year! Seriously. 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 to the right). Here is the entire lineup: |
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- July 3 Pure Prairie League & Orleans
- July 10 Max Weinberg's Jukebox
- July 17 Jay and the Americans
- July 24 Herman's Hermits, starring Peter Noone
- July 31 Mavis Staples
- Aug 7 Jay Siegel's Tokens
- Aug 14 They 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): - 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! The New & Improved Crown Jewel! |
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We just completed a 6 week upgrade project to our Crown Jewel premier luxury suite that we are very excited to share with you. In the top photo you can see the beautiful new Brazilian Cherry hardwood floor that we installed on the first floor of the suite (replacing the carpeting that was there). You can also see the beautiful new Victorian reproduction wallpaper, new area rugs, new window treatments, new front door, and the overall more spacious feeling in the room. We also replaced the dark wood blinds with lighter, easier to use cellular shades, which brightened up the room considerably. In the lower photo (not my best photography, I'm afraid), you can see the beautiful new custom crafted fireplace and the new, much larger 59" TV. In addition to all of these exciting and beautiful upgrades on the first floor, we replaced the carpet going up the stairs and into the bedroom. I have to say that the new carpeting is so much more comfortable than that which it replaced. The Crown Jewel has always been our nicest room, but with all of these wonderful improvements, it is better than ever! |
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Favorite Photo(s)
A Cheese Lover's Paradise |
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This photo may not be as dramatic as some of the sunrise and sunset pictures that I'm so often inspired to share with you, but please believe me when I tell you that the story this photo tells warrants its sharing with you today. Every March we host a complimentary cheese tasting party for our reserved guests that we call the "Big Cheesy". We held this wonderful event a couple of weeks ago, to the delight of everyone in attendance. As you can see there was no shortage of different cheeses to sample and enjoy. In fact, there were 13 different interesting, exotic and tasty cheeses to sample, in addition to the "Cranberry Brie Bites", which we butlered throughout the room. We also served some wonderful Semolina bread with some special olive oil and balsamic vinegars, as well as roasted red peppers and olives. What you can't see is the astounding variety of wines that our guests brought to share with each other. It truly was a special afternoon experience, fitting right in with the well established tradition that our guests have been enjoying for years. Next year's event is scheduled for March 7th, so start planning now to experience this delicious event in 2020. View Photo Gallery >> |
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Featured Gift Shop Item
Strawberry Jam |
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These handsomely capped mason jars of our Homemade Strawberry Jam look almost as good as they'll taste when you open them up at home upon your return from The Queen Victoria. Our Strawberry Jam is almost certainly the most popular thing that we serve. You'd be amazed at how much we go through in a typical day's breakfast. I know that many of you are aware that we sell it in our gift shop. Now the rest of you know! In addition to a tasty reminder of your visit to The Queen Victoria, it is also an ideal "thank you" gift for friends and family watching your home, children & pets during your visit to Cape May. $7.95 (and tax free!) |
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Fun Things to Do in Cape May
Visit Cold Spring Brewery |
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You are probably already aware that there are several breweries in Cape May county. The most famous, largest one is the oldest, and took advantage of the cache of the "Cape May" name in its name. One of the most interesting breweries, however, is the Cold Spring Brewery. If you're into rustic charm and preservation, than you will be thrilled with Cold Spring Brewery. The brewery is housed in a restored 1804 3-bay English style barn that was dismantled, moved from Upper Township (Cape May County), and reassembled in Historic Cold Spring Village. As you can see from the photo, the atmosphere of the space is at the same time inviting and rustic. Cold Spring Brewery is one of the smaller breweries in Cape May Country. It happens to be the closest one to The Queen Victoria, and has more outdoor space to enjoy your beer in than any other brewery in the area. |
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But what about the beer? I've always enjoyed the beers at Cold Spring Brewery immensely. Right now they're featuring: - Cape May Farmhouse (period appropriate single malt/single hop beer ... 5.1% ABV)
- Hildreth German Wheat (Cloudy and straw-colored with a soft white head, fragrant and complex bouquet of bananas, cloves and citrus. Bubbly mouth feel, very refreshing. 5.4% ABV)
- Cold Spring Red (Rich burnt sienna in color with creamy beige head leaving good lace. Lightly roasted malt flavor up front with a clean finish. 5.6% ABV)
- Dennisville Inn Porter (Dark hazy brown with a creamy tan head. Rich deep-roasted malt aroma with a hint of chocolate and coffee. 3.9%ABV)
- Ishmael Pale Ale (Hazy gold and fresh hoppy nose, sweet malty entry: malty grapefruit finish. 7.5%ABV)
By the way, a complimentary tasting at the Cold Spring Brewery is included in our "Winter Escape" discount package, which runs through the end of March. |
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Restaurant Pick of the Month
Tisha's Fine Dining (byob) |
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If the photo to the right doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will. I can almost taste those scallops just looking at it. Tisha's Fine Dining has long been one of our guest's favorite restaurants. For many, no visit to Cape May is complete without a dinner at Tisha's. |
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isha's is conveniently located on the mall, just a short walk from The Queen Victoria. It is a nice sized restaurant with 2 dining rooms and outside dining (in the warmer months) both in the mall and at the rear of the building. The decor of Tisha's is very relaxing and soothing, which is always a plus. All of that is good to know, of course, but what really counts is the food. Tisha's consistently serves outstanding food! My longtime favorite dish, and a favorite of many of our guests, is the Seafood Risotto. If you like seafood and you enjoy risotto, then you absolutely have to try this dish. Anna Marie has always been partial to the Salmon, which is "Tai" Salmon on the menu, but which they are kind enough to simply grill for her without the sauce. Over the years I've also greatly enjoyed the Short Rib Bolognese and the Chicken Pasquale. I highly recommend you make advance reservations for Tisha's if you plan on dining there during your visit with us. They are a very popular restaurant. You should also plan on bringing a nice bottle of wine with you, as they are thankfully a BYOB. |
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Great Reasons to Visit The Queen Victoria
Upcoming Queen Victoria & Cape May Events |
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Singer Songwriter Cape May (Avi Wisnia concert at The Queen Victoria) Mar 30, 2019 Exit Zero Jazz Festival Apr 12-14, 2019 Cape May Spring Celebration (formerly "Festival") Apr 26 through May 19 2019 Queen Victoria April Birthdays Party Apr 27, 2019 Queen Victoria Chocolate Lover's Weekend May 10-11, 2019 |
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| Cape May Spring Festival of Birding May 16-19, 2019 Cape May Music Festival May 26 through June 14 2019 Cape May Restaurant Week June 2-9, 2019 Designer House Tour June 15, 2019 Cape May Summer Concert Series Wednesdays, July 3 through August 21 |
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Make your reservations today for a fun, romantic getaway at The Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast. We are looking forward to helping you plan your next visit! Sincerely,
Doug & Anna Marie McMain, Owners/Innkeepers
The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast
www.queenvictoria.com
(609) 884-8702 |
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