Monday, May 30, 2011

Cape May NJ




An important milestone was reached in the Bicentennial Year of 1976 when Cape May was officially designated a National Historic Landmark City, only one of five in the nation. That designation requires that the community must retain all structures in their original form and design and will insure that Cape May will remain within the architectural guidelines of the Victorian period.

Cape May is a real life picture postcard of the past. In the summer and the rest of the year it is shared by hundreds of thousands of visitors in an atmosphere that can only be found in this southernmost New Jersey community, situated below the Mason-Dixon line.

It is a place to relax, to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean, the city's charming Mall, and most of all, to view the largest collection of authentic Victorian structures in the nation.

Columbia Ave monument the town will be holding a memorial day celebration here on Monday morning, I hope to find out then what the building (church) in the background is.



         
This is what is affectionately known as the mall. The Washington Street Mall. Not what we expect to see at home.


                                           Congress Hall has 106 rooms or units.


Providing hospitality since 1816, Congress Hall has completed a two year top-to-bottom renovation, returning one of Cape May's landmarks to a place of prominence along the strand. Congress Hall is now a haven of relaxed elegance, fun, historic charm and luxury. Its the perfect place to stay in Cape May, at any time of year. Set amid landscaped grounds overlooking Cape May's broad sandy beaches, Congress Hall is just steps from the ocean, in the heart of Cape May's famed historic district.



Some of the beautiful Victorian Homes, most are B&B's and they are lined up one after another. There are more than 30 of them in a relatively small area.



South Jersey shore still haven't seen Snooky.  But it certainly is a great place for people watching.



Beach Cabana's owned by Congress Hall for use by their guests for a fee.  You can order food and beverage on the beach.  If you simply place a flag on a long stick in the sand the beach waitstaff will take your order, it is then cooked up in Congress Hall and served to you on the beach.  How nice!



This is the Queen Victoria Inn charming.


Oh yes,  I forgot to mention nothing is free in Cape May, as a matter of fact, bring extra cash.


This sign states that if you want to go on the beach you need to purchase beach tags. Available for the day, weekend or season.


It was the right time and the right place type thing.  When we got into Cape May I was checking out the happenings for the long weekend and noticed there way a small theater here.  What luck, there was a show going on that sounded like fun, but what are the chances of getting tickets to a show that has seating for 75 people on a long holiday weekend?  As it turned out we were talking to the right person a Trustee of the Cape May Stage, when he got a cancellation on tickets we got a phone call that 2 tickets had become available  to the show for Saturday night.  The show was  "Say Goodnight Gracie" the life of George Burns and Gracie Allen. It was great fun we hadn't see a show since Stuart Fla "Chicago" Its always nice to get dressed up and go to a show every once in  awhile.