Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Cape May Victorian Week 2010


One of the many great things about Cape May, New Jersey is that this is a year-round beach town. Unlike many other New Jersey shore towns, Cape May offers visitors a variety of activities, fairs, and festivals to enjoy throughout the year. Come October, while our neighboring shore towns start to wind down, Cape May continues to charm visitors with its most well-known festival, Cape May Victorian Week (rated a “Top 100 Event in North America”).

Cape May Victorian Week is a time to celebrate what makes this seaside retreat so special – its history. Learn to dance as they did back in the Victorian era by attending one of the vintage dance workshops offered throughout the week. You may also be interested in one of the guided walking tours or trolley tours where you will learn about the history of the town, the people (and the ghosts) and the many historic buildings and B&B’s that date back to the late 1800’s.

Visitors to Cape May have always been intrigued by the many Victorian bed and breakfasts nestled throughout the town (rated “One of the country’s Top Ten Bed & Breakfast Towns” by Coastal Living). Before having the opportunity to own one of these spectacular painted ladies, I was one of those personally captivated. I remember walking down the quaint little streets in Cape May, seeing people on the verandas enjoying their afternoon tea and even getting the opportunity to glance inside one of the inns when a guest was coming out the front door. Now as an owner, I experience peoples curiously first hand. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to the Mason Cottage front door and asked for a tour. I can see the excitement in their eyes as they say “Can we have a tour of your inn”? And then I see it quickly fade when I say “I’m sorry, but we have guests staying in our rooms, so I won’t be able to show you”. But alas there is good news; the Mason Cottage will be one of the inns on tour during this year’s Cape May Victorian Week. There are a variety of Cape May B&B tours being offered during Victorian Week through Cape May’s MAC (Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities). The inn tours include the Victorian Week Sampler Tour, Cape May Homes & Collections Tour, Chocolate Championship Tour & Tasting and the INNteriors Tour & Tea.

Come check out the Mason Cottage and enjoy the many other activities in Cape May such as murder mysteries, food and wine events, ghost tours and the East Lynn Theater just to name a few.

Cape May Victorian Week 2010 starts October 8th and runs through October 14th. For accommodations at our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast, please visit us at www.themasoncottage.com

Monday, July 26, 2010

Our Cape May Bed and Breakfast

If you never been to the picturesque little town of Cape May New Jersey, then you are surly missing out. The town of Cap May is located at the Southernest most point of the state (about 45 miles south of Atlantic City, NJ). This quaint little beach town was just voted a “Top 20 Prettiest Towns in the USA” by Forbes.com.

The town of Cape May is most known for the majestic Victorian homes and B&B’s that date back to the late 1800’s. Our little B&B, the Mason Cottage, is located along Columbia Avenue right in the center of town. The inn is endowed with lofty ceilings, full-length windows and a sweeping veranda, all so characteristic of Victorian homes of the period.

The great thing about the inn is that it's within walking distance to everything, so once you arrive, you won't need to get back into your car (which is great for walking off the strawberry stuffed french toast served for breakfast!). If you're not up for walking, you can take one of their beach cruiser bicycles out for a ride to explore the town. Check out the great shops along Washington Street Mall - some of our favorites are Bath Time, Good Scents and Caroline's Boutique.

If you just want to relax at the beach, great news – this Cape May Bed and Breakfast is only a block away and they offer complimentary beach chairs and towels, so no need to lug that stuff from home.

There inn has 9 rooms/suites to choose from and they all have private baths, flat screen TV's and I-Pod docking stations. Most of their suites offer a Jacuzzi tub, fireplace, mini-refrigerator and plush cotton bathrobes.

The Mason Cottage Cape May B&B makes for a fantastic getaway: Enjoy a gourmet breakfast, relax on the veranda for afternoon tea, have a nice dinner at a local BYOB or enjoy a cocktail at the "Brown Room" in Congress Hall. To wind down, guest can enjoy some ginger brandy in the parlor.