I could say something philosophical, like we made it to the peak, but then what? I had to look back at my June 1st blog post to review what I set out to accomplish. The main thing was of course to be disciplined enough to post once a day. Although one or two were posted close too or after 10:00 PM, it happened.
From the view of this peak, I can see there is another peak in the distance. The journey will continue. I mentioned yesterday, that my accomplishment will be rewarded with another or continued post on July 1st. Probably more about Cape May.
I think it’s also time to take a hard look at the issues I mentioned in my first FLX/Wordcount blog post. Namely occupancy tax charged our visitors and housing conditions for our J-1 Student workers. I’ve been sitting on pictures from a recent visit from our Governor, where we discussed the tax issue getting on his agenda, but there’s been no accountability thus far on that discussion.
I’ve read as many of the blogs posted to the Facebook page as humanly possible. There has been some great advice. Keeping up with the reading has proved beneficial. To echo the advice from Jen Miller, who pointed me in the direction of the Blogathon, the way I’ll become a better writer is to read more than I write. Time constraints make it easy to be a one way communicator; that is, to keep writing and not take time to see what others are saying.
A few positive outcomes have come out of the additional blogging this month. I’ve had the opportunity to write for the local paper on a freelance basis. One article about D-day actually made it to the front page of the Star and Wave. A few days ago, a blog post about our local seafood festival appears to have gone viral and landed me, for a short while, on WordPress’ top 100 growing blogs.
Finally, I’m keeping a promise to myself. I was about to open a Blue Host account, when I looked at my list of URL’s that I own, I noticed Fat Cow provides WordPress hosting too. So sometime in the very near future, Cookecapemay.com will become a self hosted blog. Given some of the local feedback and guests arriving and telling me they’ve been reading my blog, I humbly suspect I will wish I had done this a lot sooner.
(Third in a series of Motel work at the Jersey Shore)
One of the great things about running the Victorian Motel is seeing the repeat guests. It seemed fitting to dig this Vine clip out of the archives today. Yesterday’s post about our local Seafood Festival went off the charts on my stats. As I write this they are still climbing. I guess I am a stats geek too.
Making sure guests have a good time is something I live for. Regular guests who arrive prepared, and know about our amenities like the poolside barbecue, are fun to watch. I’ve lost track (without a computer) how many years the bunch featured in the Vine video have stayed with us. Every year though, they have their own version of a seafood festival.
It’s endearing to see our guests interact with each other. Bonds form in the kiddie pool that often last through high school. Adults invite other families on excursions to nearby water parks. They even make plans to meet mid year for various events or celebrations.
We even joke that our customer base is growing by virtue of growing families. Kids who once played in the pool, return with their families of small children. The cycle continues.
“Your guests always look like they are having a good time,” was one of the highest forms of compliment our property received from an inquiring passer-by. It’s true, with one of the larger pools in Cape May and only a block from the beach our guests don’t have to work too hard to have a good time.
I can post this blog after a rough, thirteen turnover day. And the seafood festival I blogged about yesterday, I didn’t make it. Duty called.
We’re breaking new ground this weekend in Cape May. The first, in what hopes to be an annual Seafood Festival, takes place on Beach Avenue in front of Convention Hall this Saturday, from 11AM to 9PM.
The first annual Cape May Seafood Festival represents an excellent opportunity to promote the Cape May area as one of the nation’s leading ports in the commercial fishing industry and will also provide all of our regional residents and visitors an opportunity to learn about the fishing industry, taste various kinds of seafood, and participate in an enjoyable and educational festival that will promote tourism throughout the City and the region.
The City of Cape May is partnering with the Cape May Forum organization to create this inaugural event spanning two blocks of Beach Avenue. In addition to fresh seafood provided by local commercial fishermen, there will be three beer trucks, dispensing draft beer. Cape May Brewery will be on hand in the beer area featuring their craft beers.
Cape May is the second largest fishing port on the East Coast, with an emphasis on scallops.
Chef Michael Colameco and the ACCC Culinary Institute will be hosting educational demonstrations. Colameco, who is seen on “Real Food” on PBS, will be giving a cooking lecture inside Convention Hall.
Live music will be performed throughout the afternoon. As a grand finale, the Seafood Festival will be capped by a free beach concert by the very entertaining East Coast band known as the “Beach Bumz” on the rear deck of Convention Hall beginning at 7:00 pm and ending at 9:00 pm.
This a new event venue for Cape May. If successful, perhaps it will pave the way for similar events in the fall along Beach Ave.
What a difference a season makes. Summer slid right into town with barely an announcement. Memories of the frosty winter faded into memory and for a day last week we sweltered in the heat.
Welcome to summer, where every other kid in the pool is named “Marco.” Water Ice and smoothies have replaced hot chocolate. Instead of protecting your skin from frostbite you’re using sunblock. Street sweepers have replaced snow plows.
Some people who come to Cape May in the summer ask if we ever get snow here. Others have never been to Cape May in the winter for fear they will find us all asleep. I will reassure you Cape May stays wide awake all winter long.
Today’s gallery is meant to show the contrast of the two vastly different appearances of the same locations.
Cape May is protected by what some locals refer to as the Cape May bubble. It is not uncommon to watch a thunderstorm roll across southern Pennsylvania but crumble as it reaches Delaware Bay, and never reach our shore. However, storms originating over Cape Henlopen have better chance of surviving the trip across the bay.
Walk past Cape May’s lifeguard headquarters on the promenade and you’ll see at least one TV on a radar source watching for storms developing.
The afternoon sea breeze is the other wonderful aspect of Cape May’s weather. You can set your watch to around 4 o’clock in the afternoon and watch the flags shift direction when the breeze kicks in. This week we have had a nice southerly ocean breeze. That’s right, in case you didn’t know it, we face south in Cape May, not east as many people think.