Earlier this month we visited Cape May at the tip of the Jersey shore and it was actually charming and quaint, a far cry from what I had expected thanks to Snooki and friends. We were there for my dear friend’s wedding, and stayed a few additional days to catch up and explore. We loved how the area was super walkable with lots of Victorian era architecture! Note on my dress above (comes in 3 colors) – it’s a thin, lightweight ribbed fabric so smoothing shapewear underneath (like these comfy support shorts) was a must for me. I was thinking it would actually be cuter on someone expecting because it would really show off a bump!
Where we Stayed
Congress Hall Hotel kindly hosted us for part of our stay and we loved the beautiful property grounds and how central it was to everything. The historic hotel was built (then rebuilt after a fire) in the 1800s and was a vacation spot for several former presidents! The hotel rooms are on the older and traditional side but very clean. With Nori we enjoyed both the pool and hotel beach, about a 3 minute walk away.
There’s a cute outdoor bar with rows of rocking chairs where we enjoyed some downtime each day. It was a regular sight to see fellow parents there with a glass of wine in one hand while rocking a stroller with a sleeping baby in the other. In the summer they also have tons of family friendly events, including a weekly carnival right on the property!
What we did
Daily strolls through the outdoor Washington Street Mall. This is a few blocks of pedestrian walkway with boutiques, restaurants, and more ice cream shops than I could count. Nori had her daily morning stroller nap while I walked up and down this area.
Cooled off with Peace Pie treats (ice cream sandwiches made with shortbread cookie outers, ice cream, and a layer of pie filling). These are pre-made and super frozen so you need to let them thaw, but as a result, I like how they held up nicely with minimal mess on a very hot day!
Brunch at Blue Pig Tavern. This spot has mixed reviews and I usually steer clear of hotel restaurants, but we found it to be very family friendly with fairly good and reasonably priced food (breakfast and lunch in particular). You can choose to sit outdoors, indoor on the patio, or in the “tavern” without much of a wait time, which is important when traveling with a baby. Nori had a kids meal each time and they were always happy to modify it for her allergies with fruit instead of ice cream (sad though!).
Missed out on local Alpaca farms : ( This was a the top of my list, and I was so bummed that timing didn’t allow us to visit one of these two farms! If you want to schedule a private tour with Jersey Shore Alpacas, note they get booked up several months in advance.
Pool & beach time at our hotel with friends!
Celebrated with dear friends. I thought my friend Carolyn looked exquisite and everything from her wedding channeled old time glamour! I also love that she boldly chose an all white bridal party (which got lots of inquisitive looks around town).
I got SO many questions on this dress (comes in several colors), and no surprise, I thought it was a timeless and very flattering choice by my friend. The wide V neckline is designed to be not quite fully off shoulder, which I think elegantly highlights the décolletage area. Dress is nice quality, made of a medium weight material and fully lined. The bridesmaids in general found sizing to be a little small and note there is no stretch. The dress comes in size 00 but a regular 0 was pretty fitted on me at the bodice. I had it shortened several inches and also took in the shoulder straps from the back so that it wouldn’t slide down my shoulders.
