Newsletter Archive | May 2013

A sure sign of Spring, our beautiful Tree Peony.

With 35 rooms, we’ve got something to suit the tastes and needs of just about anybody.  We’ve got big rooms and small rooms, masculine and feminine rooms, balcony rooms and rooms with ocean views.  Seriously, we’ve got something for everyone.
               
                The Benjamin Disraeli room is one of our standard rooms, which means that it is on the smaller end of our size spectrum.  It is also one of our least expensive rooms.  Despite its size, it is a very comfortable room with fairly neutral decor (feminine vs. masculine).  Benjamin Disraeli is located on the 2nd floor of the Queen Victoria building on the sunny side of the house.  It also has lots of windows, making it a very cheery room.  The bathroom is large with a very nice marble counter top and a traditional bathtub with integrated shower.

Like all of our rooms, the Benjamin Disraeli room features a private bath, individual climate control, mini-fridge, room safe, iron/board, TV with DVD player and free wireless internet.
               
                This is a great room for a summer vacation when most of your time is probably spent out and about Cape May.  If you’re looking for a very comfortable, affordable room for your next visit to The Queen Victoria Benjamin Disraeli would be hard to beat.

The 2013 Designer Show House opens in just over a month!  I know that many of our guests really missed the Show House in 2012, so this is welcome news.  I’ve always enjoyed the Show Houses, so I’m excited to have one returning for 2013.
               
                Like the 2011 Designer Show House, this year’s entry is a brand new home.  That is about the extent of the similarities, however.  Where the 2011 home was basically a high-end town house located near the marina, this year’s show house is located in the heart of town, directly across from the Emlen Physick estate.  This year’s house is a “retro Victorian” Italianate style home that is reminiscent of the Southern Mansion.  As you can see from this photo, construction is nearly complete, with the carpenters apparently applying the finishing touches.  You can’t see it in this photo, but there are signs in the front door windows that say “Use other door, just finished”.  I believe that means the designers are already working their magic and transforming this new house into a beautiful modern Victorian style home.

The house, which has been named the Cavalier Cottage, will be open for tours and your pleasure between June 21st and October 31.  There will be lots of package offerings with restaurants, as usual.  The Tour & Lunch (or Tea) specials at the Carriage House Cafe & Tearoom located right across the street will be particularly compelling this year.

The Lighthouse is without a doubt Cape May’s most popular attraction.  It is certainly my favorite destination.  There is just something about a lighthouse that captures the imagination.  The fact that you can go to the top and walk around the cat-walk just seals the deal.

The lighthouse is operated by MAC (the Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities).  They restored and opened it to the public 25 years ago in 1988.  More than 2 million people have climbed the 199 steps to the top since that time.
               
                The Cape May Lighthouse also has a fascinating history.  The original lantern for the lighthouse was lit on October 31, 1859.  This is actually the third lighthouse built in Cape May.  To read more about the lighthouse, be sure to click on the link below.  You’ll be glad you did.  Better yet, go to the top next time you’re in Cape May!

I seem to be obsessed with flowers this month, but I suppose it is the season.  With all this natural beauty bursting out of the ground, I just can’t help myself.

This colorful photo was taken in the side garden of the Crown Jewel.  These are wild violets, which bloom early in the Spring and spend the rest of the year trying to choke out all the other growth in the garden.  I guess you can tell I have mixed feelings about these plants.
               
                Anyway, the blooms are beautiful and add to the feeling of renewal at The Queen Victoria this time of year.

Cape May is very fortunate to have a few theater groups.  Our favorite has always been Cape May Stage, which is located in the beautifully restored and comfortable “Robert Shackleton Playhouse” opposite of Rotary park.

The first production of 2013 at Cape May Stage is “How to Make a Rope Swing”, which is definitely not an instructional performance relating to recreational rope swings.  I’ll be honest, I prefer a lighter performance, with comedy and music, but I know that some of our guests are into serious drama.  I think that this show is probably for them.  This show opens May 17th and will be a “World Premier”.  Here is how they describe the show on their website:
               
                The South Jersey town of Oakbranch is replacing the old schoolhouse. Two local elders have been selected to decide on a person after whom the new building should be named. As they come together, they rediscover the circumstances of their first meeting- a time when the school was first integrated and the region earned its nickname, “The Mississippi of the North”.  Within the brick walls of the century-old building, a long-suppressed moment in the town’s history surfaces and threatens to change the memory of the town and these people, forever.

Have you tried Union Park before?  It is definitely one of our favorite restaurants in Cape May.  In fact, we seem to celebrate a lot of special occasions there.  I guess it just seems special to us.
               
                As you can see from this picture, Union Park is clearly an elegant place.  When you walk into the dining room you realize that you are in a special place.  Everything you experience after that moment just reinforces that feeling.

We were stunned to hear that they had to close early last October, just one week before Hurricane Sandy, due to flooding that occurred when roofers punctured a high-pressure fire sprinkler system, pouring about 45,000 gallons of water into the building.  Repairs took all of 6 months, but the result is a beautifully renovated, brand new dining room that is even more special than it was before the flood.
               
                But lets talk about the food.  One word describes it … EXCELLENT.  I’ve got to say that every meal I’ve ever had at Union Park has been exceptional.  My recent favorite dish is the “Short Rib”, which has a vanilla chai glace, smoked bacon marmalade, carrot ginger purée,  and is served on a bed of ashed yukon gold potatoes.  The other night Anna Marie had the St. Laurent Salmon, which was served with a tomato crab salad, goat cheese herb potato cake, and sauce verte.  Wow, talk about special.
               
                Last year Union Park introduced a special package called “Touch of Elegance” exclusively for guests of The Queen Victoria.  This 3-course dinner for two, featuring a nice selection of all of my favorite items on the regular menu, is only $100, tax & gratuity included.  This is really a fantastic deal!  Check out their menu on their website, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be adding the package to your next reservation.  The “Touch of Elegance” package can only be purchased from The Queen Victoria, and we’ll be pleased to make your reservations for you.