Ever feel like you literally just need to getaway? Yeah, that was me.
I looked at Matt one night and said "Let's runway this weekend."
And so we did.
We called it a "sprint away" because it was only overnight but it was just what I needed. Cape May is a quint shore town for those of you who have never been and it is full of cute dinner spots, bed and breakfasts, and victorian homes. We searched for hotels with good reviews and settled on the Alcott Hotel. It had the old school feel and was the perfect cross between a resort and a tiny B and B. We used booking.com, paid 146 for the night and our trip was set in stone.
We had no idea what to do when we got down there considering most things wouldn't be open yet and I've only been twice for a day or two a few summers ago. Matt has never been at all.
We asked a few friends and family members and got some great recommendations for things to do, food and drinks. We were pumped.
We hit the road at about 3pm with it being just a 2 and a half hour drive. There was no traffic (a bonus for not going in the summer) and Matt and I jammed to all the hits until we made it to the one and only "Mile 0" - Cape May's unofficial tagline.
The town was busy - not surprising considering it was a 60 degree day in the middle of April. We found the Hotel Alcott just a block from the beach - perfect placement for a summer trip. We were greeted by a big deck full of wooden rocking chairs and a cheery pink exterior.
The inside was just as pink as the outside which was adorable. The furniture was victorian and give it a royal feel. The only bag thing about the older architecture was that we were placed on the third floor - which meant we (really Matt) had to walk up three flights of stairs with our luggage (Go Matt). Best part of the older architecture is that they gave us AN ACTUAL ROOM KEY - A LITERAL KEY - not a card, not a Magicband, not a way to open it with our phones. This made me WAY happier than it should of.
We had a beautiful corner room and immediately opened the windows to let in that sea breeze. The room was filled with the same victorian furniture as expected but the bathroom was all stone and updated and so were the electronics. Funny part about our room? It was literally slanted! Wish I took a picture but it was hysterical. You could see the molding get thinner and thinner as the room went on! HA HA!
It was about 7 o'clock by the time we settled in and got ready and headed out to a nearby liquor store since we knew most restaurants were BYOB. Most places weren't open but we found a small one off the shopping district of town. After that, it was time to actually start drinking. We drove by an adorable little deck serving cocktails and I made Matt turn the car around right away and stop. It was a hotel, restaurant and bar called the Ebbitt Room. Right away, I loved it. The inside restaurant had a piano player and that era of upscale you can't fake. It was the kind of restaurant I always hope to find in NYC! Since we had dinner reservations somewhere else, we went out to the heated deck and had cocktails. It was truly the perfect evening to sit outside and pretend it was a summer evening.
Next up was dinner. We chose a place called Secondo Panico's because surprisingly it was the ONLY menu we found an Oyster Bar on. It's an additional restaurant to one called Panico that is in Cape May and owned by the same family. This one was on the outskirts but had good reviews so we were excited.
Embarrassingly enough, Matt and I came in with a bottle of wine to find out only their OTHER location was BYOB. Oops. Party Foul.
Anyways, the atmosphere was great - music was Frank Sinatra, candles on every table, pristine white walls. Matt started with a local beer from the Cape May Brewing company and I had a glass of wine from the specials list that was supposed to taste like melons. Their specials list actually was amazing and there were so many delicious options, we actually had a hard time picking what to eat! (Honestly, wanted twelve items) We started with two types of Oysters, half a dozen made with a limencello concoction and another with caviar on the top. (I LOVE CAVIAR, who doesn't feel fancy eating caviar) They had two types for us to pick from which makes Matt happy - we're pretty much connoisseurs now and we like options so we can pretend like we know what we're talking about. For starters, we also got a cheese stuffed portobello mushroom and a fruity salad. The mushroom was amazing and the cheese stuff in the middle was perfectly cooked. The fruity salad tasted exactly like what I made at home everyday with pears, walnuts, goat cheese and a little balsamic.
For entrees I had one of the specials - Lobster Ravioli with shrimp and crab meat. If you didn't know, I don't eat Shrimp if it's not shrimp cocktail but the rest was amazing! LOL Matt had pesto eggplant which was ALSO to die for. It was a million layers and super filling (in the best way)
We finished our evening with a cappuccino (for Matt) and dessert (for me of course.) I had a "snowball" - 100% a classier and more amazing rendition of the classic Snow Balls sold at your local convenience store. It was 11pm once we finished so we headed on back to the hotel and passed out!
Glad we got a good night of sleep because at 7 am, we got up and decided to rent bikes! We stopped in at the continental breakfast at our hotel, grabbed some muffins and juice and headed out. Now last time I rode a bike, I legit ended up bleeding because I hit a fire hydrant. I wasn’t too keen on steering so I pressured Matt into a tandem bicycle... aka a two seater. It was goals. Thankfully, Shield’s Bike Rental was open (super sweet man helped us actually figure out how to ride this kind of bike) and off we want. Not going to lie, I was nervous the entire time but Matt kept me alive as we rode through the town, down some back roads and then on the boardwalk along the beach (another perk of going in the spring because bikes aren’t allowed on the boardwalk after mid April). It was the perfect way to start the morning and a great bonding activity, not going to lie! The town was still sleepy so we didn’t have to worry about busy roads or anything which was great!
We followed that with a bagels and coffee at this adorable little place right across from the beach. It was the best way to finish up our morning exercise!
We headed back to the hotel, cleaned up, put everything away and packed up the car. I gave in to Matt and we decided to head over to the lighthouse. Not quite like expected... it was not exactly picturesque. Just a large tower you had to pay to enter surrounded by 9,000 trees. It was not exactly exciting and so we bolted. Matt and I were off next to some WWII watchtower he was pumped for. Upon driving closer, even Matt said we could turn around and leave. (LOL) With a little time to spare, the beach was our next best option. We ripped off our shoes and headed for the sand. The sun was shining and it was in the seventies. It was such a teaser for the summer that is to come! We had a beautiful view of the lighthouse across the shore while the waves rolled in. It was truly picture perfect!
Our next stop was finally - SHOPPING!!!! And in Cape May, Washington Mall is where to go. They have adorable sweet shops, antique jewelry stores, fancy soap stores, boutiques of tacky souvenirs and yet shops full of designer items. It has a little bit of everything. We wandered the soap shop and found some amazing items. I wouldn't say the price was great but the items were unique! We walked in and out of shop out of shop and ended up with a few shirts and a pair of fancy underwear for Matt (LOL)
Shopping was over and it was time for brunch. We went to a highly recommend spot called The Blue Pig attached to Congress Hall - a SUPER cute hotel, well known in the area. According to their menu, their Bloody Mary mix was famous - but I have to say, it wasn’t to die for, sadly ! Matt, however, had the most amazing NON alcoholic beverage I’ve ever had and I kept chugging them thinking I was getting tipsy - so embarrassing !!!!
Anyways, we started with generic oysters which weren’t as amazing but pretty darn good ! Thankfully, they gave us vinegar which is my new favorite topping for oysters!! Somehow I only discovered this in the last year when I’ve been eating oysters most of my life ! If you unlike me, didn’t know, vinegar & a little horseradish? Life changing.
The rest of the menu was a solid mix between breakfast & lunch. In true Jersey fashion, they had Taylor Ham (not PORK ROLL) on the menu. Of course that’s what I ordered. Also wasn’t to die for but I’m a Jersey girl, anything with Taylor Ham is good. Matt got a funky tofu sandwich (one of us always tries to order the funkiest thing on the menu). Sadly, he didn’t love it either. As for the atmosphere, everything about it was adorable. They even had beautiful China plates with the Congress Hall logo on them. I was in awe of them to be honest. It was definitely a place you’d go more for the vibe,’not the food - in my opinion.
After that, as we were leaving my eyes got a breathtaking bar across the wall in Congress Hall and I of course made Matt stop for one round of drinks. It had an old school vibe with stunning dark furniture and big brown and white wallpapered walls. HIGHLY recommend stopping for a drink here and 100% my favorite spot on the trip. Actually, Congress Hall was great as a whole and I’d love to stay there when the weather gets nicer !! The only place had such a quaint beach vibe that I completely fell in love with! If you’re in town, they also have about three boutique shops for men, women and children that are worth checking out !!!
On our way home, we made 3 super fun pit stops: two breweries and a winery. (Don’t worry, Matt wasn’t drinking because he was driving but I had enough of the taste tests for the both of us - LOL)
First was the Cape May Winery. Set off a quick road, was the cutest little seaside building I’ve ever seen. You start in a store and end up in this beautiful peaceful bar - very classy vibe with a bit of that Jersey Shore touch. We had flights - both a mix of white and red. But you had options to get full bottles or glasses. I ALWAYS get a flight at a winery/brewery/distillery because that’s what you go for!! You can go to any old bar and order one solid drink of something you haven’t had before - not exciting. So here, just like anywhere, we got a flight of four wines each. We sat partly outside that overlooked their small vineyard. it was the perfect time. They also had a food menu - really ranged between full appetizers & meals. I saw a brie bruschetta concept and had to have it. It was worth every penny!
Next, we went to Cape May Brewery. I truly think EVERYONE should go here. It was a fun vibe right off the bat. You walk directly into a photo booth and fun props to take pictures with. It was bright and cheerful with a whole back patio area. All the beer stuff on fun names and unique tastes. I even discovered my new favorite beer there and ended up buying a full growler to take home - something I never do. It was called the Purp and it was a beer that tasted and smelled like grape soda - what could be better!! I ordered a flight which had great prices and for 12 dollars we got a few pours and even a souvenir glass to take home!
Our last stop stop on our sprint away was Cold Spring Brewery. A little off the beaten path, a farm type building with a beautiful outside courtyard surrounded by big stunning trees. We of course again got a flight and I must say I didn’t adore the beers but once again, a amazing relaxing atmosphere. It was also super family friendly outside on the courtyard so good for people with kids !!! They had all big wood picnic tables and sunshine, what more do you want?
Overall, we had the most fabulous trip and it was exactly what we needed!!! Let me know if you have any comments or need any recommendations on other places in Cape May! We did some more little exploring than what was mentioned !!!
We loved it and can’t wait to go back down in the warm summer weather!
