In post Valentine’s Day season, we conducted our first meeting of the year. It has been a good start to the year with donations coming in from Bergen County Fire Department’s and their continued generosity. We are trending ahead of last year so far and appreciate the support we always get for our fundraiser.
We talked about the plans for the upcoming summer barbecues, the Christmas Party in December, which seems to come faster and faster and talking at the Bergen County Caucus in August, where we want to spread the word about our organization and the benefits joining the organization does.
After the meeting was over, we joined the residents in the main hall to enjoy the entertainment and refreshments. Crowd pleaser, Gigi, entertained the residents with a series of uplifting love songs and ballads. It was still Valentine’s Day at the NJ State Firemen’s Home.
Crowd favorite Gigi entertaining everyone
Gigi singing ‘Everlasting Love’
The concert continued with more popular songs from contemporary pop songs to popular live ballads. The residents really loved it, especially on this gloomy afternoon.
The continued through the afternoon
Gigi singing ‘They can’t take that away from me
We then got up to introduce ourselves to the crowd of residents. We thanked them for their years of service to their fire departments and hoped they enjoyed the Christmas Party a month and a half ago. They really appreciate all the things we do for them and we are most happy to do it. Then we took our group shot.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
We ended the concert and the afternoon with Gigi singing both ‘I love you more than Yesterday’ and ‘God Bless America’.
Gigi belting out ‘I love you more today than Yesterday’
Another wonderful song
It was a great afternoon and both the residents and ourselves enjoyed it. We predict another great year!
Mills Bakery at 275 Valley Boulevard in Wood Ridge, NJ
Mills famous Crumb Cake
Their delicious doughnuts
The History of Mills Bakery and the business story:
Head Master Baker, John Cabrera started at Mills Bakery in November of 1998 at the age of 14 to earn a few dollars during his freshman year in high school. Starting out as a dishwasher, John quickly learning simple baker tasks such as dipping cookies with sprinkles and chocolate to learning how to use a pastry bag. All through high school he worked side by side with seasoned bakers and realized this business was for him.
He later received his associates degree in baking & pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon graduation he became Head Baker of the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. After Vegas, he knew he wanted to own his own business. An opportunity came about to own Mills Bakery, the very place in which he learned his craft, and he jumped on it. He is proud to say that he is the owner of a small town landmark which has been around for almost a century.
Video on the the Business:
The store is always decked out so nicely for each holiday so you have to visit to see all the creative treats.
Coming to Mills on the holiday of love
The store decked out for the holiday of love
Cookies and cakes that everyone loves
Cakes and pies and things that people love
Sweet Heart cookies are always the perfect gift
The store comes to life at the holidays. At Christmas every year, it is a fantasy land of cakes, cookies and pastries beautifully decorated and smiling back at you. The store is always nicely decorated.
There is nothing like Mills Bakery at the Christmas holiday season. I stop in for all sorts of baked items to take to my mother’s, who loves their doughnuts and turnovers. I will bring desserts down too when we are having a meal at the house. Over the years, I have taken the best pictures at the store as Christmas has gotten bigger every year since the renovation.
The store at Christmas time
Mills has such delicious treats at the Christmas holidays
The penguin cupcakes at Christmas time
Christmas and Butter Cookies at Mills Bakery
The store has a nice selection at every holiday
The joyful cookies at the holidays
The beautiful cakes
The beautiful Gingerbread houses at Christmas time
In the Christmas holiday season of 2025, Mills really went all out with the declarations both inside and outside of the store.
The front of Mills Bakery Christmas Eve 2025
The gingerbread lady outside the store
The gingerbread man outside the store
The beautiful display of holiday goodies
The window display for the holidays
The display cases bursting with holiday cookies, cakes and pies
Case lines topped with gingerbread men and holiday butter cookies
Holiday cookies smile and wink
Bunche De Noel’s lined up for Christmas
Snowmen cakes at Christmas time
An igloo cake at Christmas time
Mill’s Bakery is very creative at all the holidays and adds that special touch to all their products.
The bakery has a lot of interesting baked items for St. Patrick’s Day as well.
The delicious cookies at St. Patrick’s day
The selection of delicious looking cakes at St. Patrick’s Day
The delicious cakes at the holidays
St. Patrick’s Day cakes at Mills Bakery
Halloween offers such colorful and artistic baked goods. I loved the Frankenstein cake.
The decorations during the Halloween season
The Halloween treats in the bakery case
The Ghost cookie
The Mummy cookies
I had to come back and buy one of these. It scared me that it was $5.00!
Who says there’s nothing to do in the cold months? It all depends on how much you want to bundle up and enjoy the outdoors.
The last weekend of the ‘Monet & Venice’ showing at the Brooklyn Museum brought me out to Brooklyn on a sunny but chilly Saturday afternoon recently. I knew there would be crowds at the Brooklyn Museum as everyone was probably thinking of doing the same (at the end of the visit I found this to be true) so I got to the museum by noon and got tickets to the first slot open at 2:30pm.
Since I had a couple of hours until my tour of the exhibit, I decided to tour the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next door. There were no walking tours that day and the gardens were under a foot of snow from the recent storm. There was a quiet beauty of all the snow and the way it fell and shined in the sun all over the gardens. There were no lines or crowds (like the recent lightshow a few weeks earlier), so I had the gardens pretty much to myself.
The first stop on my walk was the Japanese Gardens, which has I had visited recently for the lightshow and experienced the fantastic musical display. The pond now sat under snow and ice and still it was impressive looking.
Walking through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next to the Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens in the early afternoon
The inside of the Japanese Gardens in the middle of winter. It was such a spectacular view of the pond.
The beauty of the snow covered pool
Another view of the Garden
I never realized how beautiful the Japanese Gardens were in the winter. The sun shines so nicely on the snow covered trees. It was just as beautiful snow covered as it is in the Spring and Summer when the garden is in full bloom.
The fountain in the Shakespeare Garden
I then walked through the entire gardens stopping in various gardens to see what they looked like topped with snow. My first stop was the Shakespeare Gardens and I marveled at the elegance of the snow covered fountain I like so much in the Spring. The variety of the colors of this garden are waiting just under the snow for the warmer months.
The view of the snow covered gardens
I then walked around the paths to the back of the gardens along the watershed lawns that were under a foot of snow and still impressive.
Daffodil Hill in the winter. In two months this will be covered by hundreds of brightly colored daffodils
The Magnolia tree court and sun dial
In the Spring, this is my favorite part of the garden with the hues of pinks and whites of the Magnolia trees and the yellows of the daffodils.
My favorite fountain just off the Magnolia Court on the stairs leading to the Lotus polls
The snow covered fountains by the Lotus pools
The snow covered Lotus pools shined in the sun
I then got out of the cold weather and entered into the warmth of the Tropical Garden Collection. This series of gallery of plants is a series of greenhouses at various degrees of temperatures that display a series of themed gardens. They don’t just display plants but also keep you warm in a cold day.
The indoor tropical gardens
The Tropical Garden collection
The first room I visited wasabi the Bonsai Museum room. The temperature controlled room was perfect for a stroll.
The Bonsai museum
These beautiful tiny well pruned trees lined the tables with their elegance and been so well maintained.
The Bonsai trees lining the tables in the galleries
The beautiful bonsai
The flowering bonsai
The beautifully shaped bonsai
The Cherry blossom bonsai in the middle of the winter
The other trees in the gallery
The video tour of one side of the Bonsai Gallery:
The video tour of one side the Bonsai Gallery:
My video of the gallery tour
The Tropical Room
The tropical room
I then toured the Tropical Garden collection with its series of flowering plants and palms. It was so nice and warm inside and a break from the cool temperatures outside.
A video tour of the Tropical Gallery:
The walk is amazing
The Tropical Room
Colorful tropical flowers line the walkway in the dead of winter
The blooming Lotus
The real White Lotus
I then walked through the second tropical room in the rain forest and there were more beautiful plants to see and experience. There was a wedding garden shoot going on so I was not able to tour the complex.
The flowering tiers of plants in the Tropical room
The flowering plants in the Tropical gallery
The beautiful violets
I then began the tour of the Desert Gallery and the beauty and warmth of the room made me very happy.
The Birds of Paradise in bloom
Along the walls of the gallery, more flowering plants were placed.
Flowers in bloom in the winter
The climate controlled Desert collection was filled with cactus and other plantings the defied the weather. They have a pretty extensive collection of desert flowers and cactus in the room.
The Desert Collection gallery
The flowering cactus family
Walking back through the rainforest
Walking back through the Desert Gallery before exiting to tour the snow covered gardens
Video tour of the Desert Gallery:
There was still a foot of snow on the ground when I visited the gardens that day, which did not make it popular with people wanting to visit the gardens but I found a quiet elegance in just walking the paths and admiring the snow covered plantings. It was like they were waiting to awake again in the near future.
I walked through the gardens which while under a blanket of snow still offered the most beautiful views. I was one of the few people walking through the gardens that afternoon so it was quiet and you could just enjoy watching nature.
Walking past the Children’s Garden in the Winter
Walking over the bridge in the Watershed lawn
I saw this little squirrel holding on to the tree looking cold
The geese feeding on the Watershed lawn
The Cherry Blossom lawn in the winter
The Rose Garden Fountain in the winter
Walking through the Cherry Blossom lawn
Walking back through the Magnolia garden
Taking one last walk around the Lotus Pools
Before I left the gardens that afternoon, I stopped in the Gift Shop for some warmth and see the items they were carrying. They have such beautiful selection of flowers and gifts and the perfect place to warm up on a cold day. Everything is so colorfully displayed.
The Gift Shop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Everything was in full bloom and really colorful
Everything was so beautifully displayed here
Before I left for the Brooklyn Museum to start my 2:30 pm tour, I stopped at one of my favorite sandwich shops down the road from the museum, Bahn Mai Place at 824b Washington Avenue for lunch. I love their sandwiches and drinks.
I ordinarily try a restaurant a few times before I recommend it for my dining website, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com, but I had the most amazing sandwich for dinner a few years ago and I had to share this place with the world.
There are also all sorts of rice dishes on the menu, Pho (soups) and salads on the menu as well most priced around $10.00. On the Beverage menu, there is a selection of Hot, Iced and Milk drinks to choose from as well as a selection of Bubble teas and smoothies.
One sandwich I can recommend on a cold day is the Grilled Chicken Banh Mai. I had the sandwich with a mild hot sauce on a cold wintery day. The warm bun and crunchy fresh vegetables with the spicy sauce really warmed me up on a cold afternoon in Brooklyn.
The Grilled Chicken Bahn Mi with a mild spicy sauce
The grilled chicken with fresh veggies
The mild spicy sauce really brings out the flavor of the grilled meat. With a little plumb and chili sauces, it really brings out the flavor of the sandwich.
The chicken was spicy and moist
It was the perfect lunch
The service was very quick and very friendly. The woman who made my sandwich pushed my order ahead of someone else’s who ordered the same thing as me so I could be on my way which I thought was very nice of her.
After lunch, it was off to the Brooklyn Museum and the tour of the ‘Monet & Venice’ exhibition. I was so lucky that I got to the museum early and got the tickets. The show was completely sold out by the time I left.
The museum was seriously packed that afternoon, not just for the show but all over the museum. I have been coming here for over twenty years and I had never seen it so packed. Every floor was filled with people.
Claude Monet once claimed that Venice was “too beautiful to be painted,” a challenge he embraced by creating an extraordinary sequence of works depicting the Italian city. Monet and Venice is the first exhibition to focus on Monet’s luminous Venetian paintings—a radiant yet underexplored chapter in the artist’s late career—since their debut in 1912 (Brooklyn Museum website).
New York’s largest museum show dedicated to Monet in over 25 years, the exhibition features more than 100 artworks, books, and ephemera. Two masterpieces, the Brooklyn Museum’s own Palazzo Ducale and The Grand Canal, Venice from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, are presented alongside selections from throughout Monet’s career—including 19 of his Venetian paintings (Brooklyn Museum website).
The artist’s singular vision of Venice is also set in dialogue with portrayals of the city by renowned artists such as Canaletto, Paul Signac, John Singer Sargent, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Where others focused on Venice’s busy streets and canals, Monet’s interpretation is hauntingly devoid of human presence. Instead, he captures the interplay of architecture with color and light, enveloping viewers in the city’s distinctive atmosphere. Sonic installations by Niles Luther, the Museum’s composer in residence, and other immersive elements will further transport you to this fabled place (Brooklyn Museum website).
Walking through the galleries admiring the art
These were some of my favorite pieces from the show. These also were a favorite of Monet himself to the City of Venice.
The paintings of the Grand Canal
The views along the coastline of Italy
One of Monet’s famous ‘Water Lilly’ collection
Views from the Grand Canal
Walking around the gallery
Another view of the Grand Canal
I could not believe how packed the exhibition got behind me as I double backed through the gallery on the way out. Not only did the crowds grow in the exhibition but the line outside the exhibition was over a hundred deep and wrapped around three galleries on the Fifth Floor. It was so busy on the floor, I decided to walk around other exhibitions.
My favorite painting in the American Wing of the Mountain House Hotel in the Catskills
Then I walked down to the Middle Eastern Wing with the Assyrian and Egyptian Art, one of personal favorites in the museum. Unlike the Met, the Egyptian Wing of the museum is not overwhelming and is easier to view as the exhibits are not as packed with artifacts.
I started first admiring the Assyrian panels of the genies gracing the walls of the famous palace. It blows my mind that these are almost over a thousand years old.
The panels of genies along the walls of the old palace
The panels of genies along the walls
The different versions of genies along the walks
I have been visiting the Egyptian Wing of the museum since I attended the opening of the renovation with my father over a decade ago. It has an iconic entrance to the wing of the museum.
The entrance to the Egyptian Wing of the Brooklyn Museum
Walking through the Egyptian Galleries
Admiring the art on the wall
Walking through the Mummy display
The details on the Mummy coffin
Finishing the tour of the Egyptian galleries
I had a nice time at both the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and at the Brooklyn Museum. There is more than enough to see and do at both cultural locations in the heart of Brooklyn.
It was a wonderful walk around neighborhood and even with all the snow on the ground, it was easy to maneuver around the sidewalks and streets. The snow may have covered the ground but was a backdrop for the beauty that it displayed. The recent storm did not keep us inside but brought us outside to see how it looked and enjoy its beauty.
I was searching for someplace to eat in Chinatown after touring a few museums in Brooklyn. It was cold that night and I was in the mood for soup and dumplings. The place I wanted to go to was closed and as I walked around Division Street, I came across a restaurant that was having their grand opening (I would find out later it had opened in the summer).
The owner waved me in on a very cold and welcomed me inside to a warm restaurant where homemade dumplings are made right in front of you. The best part is that there is a lot to order under $10.00. There were so many choices from the menu with dumplings, pancakes and soups and everything was so reasonable.
The Chive Pancake
I started my meal with the Chive Pancakes. These were being made by the women working the counter behind the register. These golden cakes were rather large and were panned fried. With a little soy sauce, what a way to start the meal.
The Chive Pancakes
The were filled with rice noodles, eggs and chives
Then I needed to warm myself up and had the Wonton Noodle Soup with bok choy. The long noodles and the dumplings are made fresh right in front of you. The dumplings go right from the counter where the women just folded them into the soup or into the pan for an order of ten.
The Wonton Noodle Soup with Dumplings
The food and the service were wonderful and the owner could not have been nicer and more welcoming. She pulled me off a cold street and welcomed me into the restaurant. In a time of rising prices and small portions, North Dumpling is that wonderful exception with reasonable prices and excellent food.
What I found out from the manager after dinner was this is the sister restaurant to China North Dumpling, a tiny restaurant on Essex Street which literally has no seating and this is her new, bigger version of that very successful restaurant.
My reviews on China North Dumpling at 23 Essex Street:
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association met at the Harrington Park Fire House to start the stuffing of the envelopes for the fundraising efforts of the organization. Monies raised by the fundraiser help pay for entertainment, refreshments, the food for the barbecue, gifts to the residents and for items that residents might need.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association at our 2025 Christmas Party for the residents
Santa joining us for the Annual Christmas party at the home
This fundraising effort does so much for our fellow firefighters at the home. It provides entertainment, refreshments, gifts at the holidays, special projects at the home that benefit everyone and funds for us to run our annual barbecues and Christmas parties.
Chef Prince cooking at our Annual Barbecue in August 2025
The wonderful barbecue feast made for the residents of the NJ State Firemen’s Home at the August 2025 Barbecue
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association, please attend one of our meetings at the Boonton Firemen’s Home in Boonton, NJ. Our meetings are in February, April, June, August, October and the first weekend in December for our Annual Holiday Party.
Members enjoying breakfast at our November meeting hosted by the Wyckoff Fire Department
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
If you would like to make a donation to our organization, please send it to:
BCFHA
C/O Jeff Parma
277 Harriott Avenue
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Please make the checks out to the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
Our 2026 Meeting Schedule:
All our meetings at the home start at 12:00pm at the NJ State Firemen’s Home in Boonton, NJ:
February 15th
April 19th
June 13th (June Barbecue)
August 15th (August Barbecue)
October 18th
December 6th (Annual Christmas Party)
A big “Thank you” from The Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association Executive Board 2026
Over the years I have heard newspapers saying some negative things about the City of Bridgeton, NJ in Cumberland County. The crime, the problems and the rows of rundown housing. I have to admit that the city has its share of problems like any city but Bridgeton is a paradox. For all its problems, it has so many interesting things to see and do. As I have been exploring historical sites of South Jersey, I have made many trips through the city and driven through the neighborhoods and walked the downtown and its really interesting.
When you leave the city on any side, you are in the countryside. There are all sorts of fields of crops as far as the eye can see and many Farmers Markets just outside its borders. When you return though, you know immediately that you are in the city’s borders as housing just seems to pop out of nowwhere.
When I was visiting museums and historical sites for a blog I was writing on Southern New Jersey, I left Greenwich, NJ and took a local country road that took me through the back roads and farm country to the big city of Bridgeton, NJ where I explored their now rundown downtown. I then explored the crown jewel of the community, the Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.
The church stands out like a stately jewel in the middle of the town and is so beautiful and graceful at any time of the year especially in the late Spring and the early Fall when it is perfect for taking pictures. I love its historic cemetery with its Colonial era church and the gravesite that dates back to the 1700’s.
The Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery at 54 West Avenue South in Bridgeton, NJ
Visiting the Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery was an interesting experience. While trying to get from Greenwich to Bridgeton should have been a straight run but there were no names on the signs, and you just had to figure it out. I found the right road and it led me right to the cemetery.
The Presbyterian Church itself is only used now for special occasions and events but is an elegant building that sits on top of a bluff overlooking the downtown area. During the daylight hours you are allowed to roam around the cemetery looking at the gravesites (See my reviews on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com).
So many famous politicians, war heroes, founding fathers of the City of Bridgeton and entrepreneurs at the turn of the last century are buried here.
The church and the historic cemetery.
What I found interesting about the cemetery was the family plots with the generations of people buried next to one another and their stories. It was sad when the parents buried their children and then died a few years later. Trying to figure the narrative of these families can be heartbreaking.
The family plots at the cemetery
The really sad part of such a historic cemetery is that it is so overgrown. I was walking through in some parts a foot of weeds. I know that taking care of a cemetery this size must be hard, but I would think there would be more care of the dead considering this is a destination for historians.
The historic cemetery in the Summer of 2024
When I finished touring the church grounds, I took a tour of the Bridgeton Historical Downtown. It was such a waste to see a bunch of old buildings falling apart and most of the businesses closed or small run-down businesses located in them. A block away was a more modern downtown with newer buildings. The shopping district caters to the very large Hispanic population that lives here and is great if you are looking for provisions for a picnic.
The one place that did stand out for me was the Century Bakery at 525 North Pearl Street in Downtown Bridgeton. They have some of the best and most creative doughnuts around. I could never make up my mind.
Century Bakery at 525 North Pearl Street in Downtown Bridgeton
The bakery just smells good when you walk in and the staff could not be nicer and more accommodating. I could barely make up my mind with all the delicious doughnuts to choose from.
I could not figure out what I wanted with all these delicious choices displayed in the cases. I finally decided on a Glazed Cream filled doughnut that was just mind blowing. It was so delicious. I had wanted to go back for another but did not want to ruin my appetite for lunch. For another trip.
This was like biting into a piece of heaven
When I visited Bridgeton in the Fall of 2024 for Halloween, I took the time to visit the Cohanzick Zoo and that was an interesting detour. The Zoo is part of the Bridgeton Park system like it is up in Bergen County. It is a small County zoo that takes about an hour to visit.
The zoo has an old fashioned feel with smaller rescue animals and equally not too large cages. The zoo is mostly comprised of animals who were rescued from either being poached, illegally transported or had been used as pets, many of them being neglected and abused.
The sign that welcomes you to the park at the Cohanzick Zoo
Throughout the park amongst the cages of wildlife are strolling gardens and animal related statuary.
The pathways and gardens were still in bloom the afternoon that I was there and it is a nice way to spend do the afternoon.
The Elephant statuary at the entrance of the zoo
The status of how some animals found their home here
The first resident I finished was the Raccoon House, where it looked like the raccoon was taking a snooze. He really looked out of it when I passed the cage.
The Raccoon House
The Raccoon Crossing sign
This poor little guy was out like a light
The zoo is one of the smaller more localized ones that I have visited so you can see the whole zoo in a short amount of time. Then you can walk leisurely around the paths and revisit the exhibitions again. Some of the animals like the peacock family, just wonder around the park and do their thing.
This gorilla sculpture that greets you in the back part of the zoo
Following the walkway to the back pens where a lot of the small animal and bird displays were located
The next exhibition that I visited was the Sand Hill Crane and I read that the poor little guy had been injured. He seemed a bit more optimistic when I passed the cage. I think that the animals just want some attention.
The Sand Hill Crane display
The Crane was watching all of us as we passed his cage
The next small animal that I visited was the Fennec fox and the two that I saw were fast asleep on this warm afternoon. They must have had a busy morning.
The Fennec fox cage
The foxes that I saw that day were fast asleep
One of the historical sites that I had wanted to visit was the historic Potter’s Tavern across from City Hall. I tried twice to stop in to see the Potters Tavern in Bridgeton but then double checked the guide and found out that it is only open on Sundays in July from 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Finally in the Summer of 2024, Potter’s Tavern opened for touring again and is now open on Sundays. It is well worth stopping and touring this important part of our Revolutionary War history.
Potters Tavern at 49-51 West Broad Street in Bridgeton, NJ
The tavern is one of the city’s connections to the Revolutionary War where patriots from that time met and plotted their strategy during the war. It was also a meeting place for men who need to gather after a hard day on the farm. These taverns were part of the social factor at a time before electronic communication.
The Entrance room of the Potter’s Tavern
The Hearth in the Kitchen in the Potter’s Tavern
The Bar at the Potter’s Tavern
The tavern has been rebuilt and furnished to reflex the time period. There are three floors to tour with the first floor being the tavern itself, the bedrooms upstairs where travelers would stay after a long stagecoach journey. The lower floor was the kitchen and store room where meals would be prepared and staff would sleep.
The upstairs of the Potter’s Tavern was the overnight accommodations
The lower level of Potter’s Tavern
It is an interesting tour that should not be missed but the museum’s hours can be sporadic even as they are posted online and are seasonal so plan accordingly.
On a recent trip to Bridgeton, I was able to finally see the Bridgeton Liberty Bell that sits in a display case across the street from Potter’s Tavern in Bridgeton’s modern courthouse.
The Bridgeton Liberty bell is located in the lobby of the Bridgeton Courthouse, which is open only during the week. You can walk in through the back door from the parking lot and walk through the metal detector to get to the bell that is displayed in the hallway.
The bell was cast in Massachusetts in 1765 and was a source of information during Colonial days.
The Bridgeton Liberty Bell
It was used to call people together for important news and meetings when hanging in the courthouse in the Courthouse that was built in 1760-61. It rang for liberty when the Declaration of Independence was signed and as a warning signal for the War of 1812 (South Jersey Early American Historical Trail pamphlet).
A close up look at the bell
The historic marker of the bell
While walking in the downtown area one afternoon in the summer, I was trying to stop in the Bridgeton Library to visit the Robert Woodruff Museum of Indian Artifacts (that is only open by appointment only). Since nobody was there to help me that afternoon I left the library.
Across the street, a mother-daughter team was barbecuing and preparing tacos and tamales for locals and some workers on the construction site around the corner. The tacos were amazing and they only charged $3.00 for two small tacos and a Coke. I thought this great and the tacos were excellent. The ladies could really cook.
The fresh tacos from the pop up taco stand across from the library
Continue to follow this blog as I explore more of Bridgeton and its historical downtown and all it has to offer. There is so much that can surprise you in the City of Bridgeton, NJ.
It has been nine years since I had spent Christmas in Woodstock, NY and I missed going there. I had spent my Christmas’s here after my Father had passed and I needed to clear my head. The first year I had just needed to get away and the years after I just liked the peace and quiet and beauty to the area. It was a lot of fun to go to the parade and then drive through the Catskills on Christmas day. I find it so relaxing.
After all the running around with Christmas related activities and special events and visiting more decorated houses than I had seen in the past and a very long trying semester, I needed a break. So I returned to past Christmas’s and visited Woodstock, NY, Rehoboth Beach, DE and then finished the holiday in Cape May, NJ. All while the temperatures were dropping. This would be a massive picture taking mission for revamping pictures and revisiting old haunts. It was a lot of fun as I went back in time nine years ago and relived Christmas of 2016.
The first part of December was cool but mild like most Decembers are but around Christmas Eve, the weather dropped into the 30’s and the wind chill picked up. After the trip to Woodstock, a major storm came through and dumped six inches of snow at home. Thank God there was just rain when I reached Rehoboth Beach. When I arrived in Woodstock for Christmas Eve, it was crisp and cool but when I left on the morning of the 26th, I heard they had eight inches of snow later that afternoon. Yet when I arrived, it was a sunny Christmas Eve afternoon with a lot of excitement for the parade that evening.
The Woodstock Green on Christmas Eve morning
The Woodstock Christmas tree when I arrived in the late afternoon
The tree was nicely decorated for the evenings activities
The Dutch Reformed Church was also decorated for evening service after the parade was over
Christmas Eve services posted at the Dutch Reformed Church
Our family decided to cancel our family Christmas together so that everyone could do their own thing this year. So, this Christmas holiday was about picture taking and revisiting the Christmas’s of the past. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to update and revamp older blogs and see how things have changed over the last decade. It was an interesting look at what I had done and experienced over the years.
Downtown Woodstock that afternoon of the parade
I love going to Woodstock, NY for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I have always found it very relaxing and inspiring in the Catskills. It is so beautiful up in the mountains at any time of the year. In keeping with the past, I decided to stay at one of the places I had stayed in 2016, the Woodstock Inn at Millstream at 48 Tannery Brook Road right off the downtown.
The Woodstock Inn at Millstream at 48 Tannery Brook Road
I had really enjoyed my stay here in the past and had always wanted to go back. Funny enough, the room I had nine years earlier was open and I stayed there. Like time had not gone by. The rooms are comfortable and very clean and relaxing.
Rooms 8a and 8
My bedroom when I settled in
The whole property was decorated for the holidays from the buildings to the rooms to the grounds giving it a festive appearance.
The decorations outside my room
The decorations along the property
Once I checked in and got my bags unpacked, I was able to walk around the property and admire the grounds. When I was at the hotel in 2016, I never had that much time to look around. This time around I had two nights and three days this time to explore. The grounds around the hotel are really beautiful.
The upper stream area
The Millstream behind the hotel
I was so busy the last time I was here that I never remembered the beauty of the property or the rolling streams in the backyard.
The grounds from the other side of the property
The office and breakfast on the property
The beautiful pines by the hotel
When I arrived, the manager, Angela, told me to settle in and there would be a snack in the dining area starting at 3:00pm. That sounded good and I settled in and relaxed in my room. Then went to the office/breakfast room to see the offerings.
The Dining Room
After I settled in and before I left for the parade, I stopped in and had a snack. The hotel had small pastries and cookies and crunchy spicy pretzels for guests to munch on before the evening’s activities. I thought this was very nice of them.
The light snack the hotel hosts at 3:00pm in the hotel
Small pastries and spicy pretzels with mustard
My light snack with a view of the streams
This would be the view I would enjoy that day and over the next two breakfasts as I loved this table over looking the steams. This was amazing! I was trying to imagine what it would be like in the Spring when everything was in bloom.
I headed up to the Green to see the tree and the preparations for the event tonight. It was still early but there was a lot of excitement in the air as the parade would be in less than two hours.
They lit the tree as it was starting twilight when I got to the Green
You could see the sun setting in the background of the Catskills as the police and firemen awaited the last Trailways bus to pass through at 4:40pm on the dot to set up. In the background, the sun was setting and there was a golden hue to the mountains.
The 4:40pm bus came early and left exactly at 4:45pm. Then the magic started.
The parade is based on the Trailways bus schedules. The last bus leaves downtown at exactly 4:40pm (this bus left a couple of minutes before that) and the next one does not arrive until around 7:00pm just as church service starts at the Dutch Reformed Church. I have never seen such a well orchestrated parade down to the minute. The moment that bus leaves at 4:40pm, the fire and police departments go into action and those roads are closed. Then the parade starts at around 5:15pm on the dot.
The crowds start to grow at 4:30pm
Before the parade began, I figured I had better have a late lunch/early dinner because I was not too sure what restaurant might stay open that night. After looking around, I decided on Sharkie’s Restaurant. The place was really busy before the parade so I ate at the bar. It was a very festive and active restaurant that night.
Sharkie’s Meatballs at 43 Tinker Street in Downtown Woodstock
The temperature was already starting to drop and it was getting cooler out than usual and I needed something to really warm me up and fill me up for the evening of activities. So I ordered a traditional Meatball hero and Coke. It was a real treat.
My Christmas Eve dinner
Talk about a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. It warmed me up inside and out. The Meatball sandwich here was excellent! It was just what the doctor ordered on a cold night up in the mountains.
Their Meatball hero’s are amazing
Yum!
After dinner was over and the Trailways bus was now gone, the police and fire departments started to close the road to prepare the downtown for the parade. While we waited for the parade to start, there were carolers and music in front of the church. It put everyone in the mood for the holidays.
The anticipation of the parade starting and listening to the musical combo by the church
The video on the Christmas musical combo outside the Dutch Reformed Church on the Green
We all watched as the parade started in the distance along Tinker Street
More caroling by the Dutch Reformed Church on the Green. The crowds kept growing!
Then we heard the parade start in the distance and the excitement really started in the crowd. The music from the distance and the lights coming down Tinker Street, the main street in Woodstock, built the excitement of the beginning of the parade.
The start of the parade with Mrs. Claus greeting the crowds as she entered the center of town
We watched as the float carrying Mrs. Claus passed us and she was having a ball opening the parade and greeting the crowd. Some of her friends were calling out her name as she passed by. Her friends were all excited to see her in the parade.
Mrs. Claus greeting the crowd as she entered town
Mrs. Claus greeting the crowd
Mrs. Claus leading the excitement of the beginning of the parade.
Then in the distance we saw more floats heading down Tinker Street. The first float was a band of teenagers singing Christmas songs for the crowd.
The Teenage band as it passed by awaiting Santa
The Christmas band passes by
Then the big float came in the shape of a space ship directed by a team of women coordinating the path of the machine. Everyone was wondering how Santa would arrive and exactly where he was on the float.
The travel machine was being coordinated in precision to bring Santa to the parade
Santa arrives in Woodstock in style
The inside of the travel machine
A close up shot of the time travel machine
As soon as the music stopped and the count down began, Santa popped out of the roof to an applauding crowd. The whole crowd went wild with Santa’s greeting on this cool night.
Santa popping out of the travel machine
Santa greeting the crowd after his appearance
Santa’s message to the crowd before he dismounted to hear the wishes of families and children
Santa starting his dismount to greet families
The members of the Woodstock Fire Department helped Santa and Mrs. Claus in their chairs in the Woodstock Green and they talked to dozens of families and heard the wishes of people from all over the county.
Santa and Mrs. Claus looking at the growing crowd
Mother Nature helped guide the crowds of children and their families hear their wishes
Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting a young guest
The crowds were really large and the line was long but Santa and his wife got through all the guests wish lists with a smile and a wink. While Santa and Mrs. Claus were greeting guests, the student group from the float was singing Christmas carols with the crowd joining in.
The student group performing at the parade
Like all good things though, the line came to an end and perfectly timed at 6:40pm, twenty minutes before church service.
Santa and Mrs. Claus at the end of the evening
I already had my Christmas wish of returning to Woodstock for the Christmas holidays after an eight year absence and asked Santa and Mrs. Claus to take a picture for me. They could not have been more gracious considering Santa had a long journey ahead of him that evening.
Santa and Mrs. Claus taking a pose for me
As quick as it begun, it was over and not even five minutes after I took the picture, Santa and Mrs. Claus disappeared with the fire department, almost the entire crowd was gone and the police were opening the roads. The 7:00pm Trailways bus arrived just as I was crossing the street to the Dutch Reformed Church. Another parade over and another Christmas memory for me.
The front of the Woodstock Dutch Reformed Church at 16 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY
The alter of the church decorated for the holidays
The alter decorated with flowers
The inside of the church decorated with bows and garland
Church service at the Dutch Reformed Church is very different from the services I have attended in the Catholic Church. Here the church starts with a concert performance and I have been here in the past to hear small quartets. I got into church before services and listened to the bell choir practice before the evening’s service.
The church bell choir practicing before the service
I love these historic churches at the holidays
The beautiful Christmas tree lit for the evening service
It really was a wonderful and very welcoming service. Reverend Renee introduced herself to me and the other parishioners who joined the packed church that night. It was a very inspiring service that emphasized love and encouragement during the holidays. Then the candlelight service began with the bell ceremony.
The start of the bell service and candlelight ceremony
I love when the Reformed Church does this type of service. The whole church gets dark and is illuminated only by the Christmas tree and the candles the parishioners lit. It is quite spectacular. I also find the service to be inspirational in that service was based on some personal experiences and encouragement about things getting better. I think we need more of that now.
The bell ceremony that evening
Looking at the outside decorations as I left the church
The service was over in an hour and most people left to join their families for Christmas Eve dinners. I walked out into the cold night and decided to walk around the quiet downtown. Within fifteen minutes, there was no one around as the church closed for the evening.
The Woodstock Green on Christmas Eve 2025
It got colder and quieter on the Green as I went to admire the Christmas tree and the decorations. You would have never known about five hundred people had just been here an hour and a half earlier to greet Santa.
Admiring the tree while watching the last of the crowds leave the church
Admiring the tree from Santa’s seat
The only problem with Woodstock at Christmas are the restaurant choices are limited especially on Christmas Eve night after church services. Everything had closed by 7:00pm downtown and there were two restaurants in the distance that were open until 8:00pm but that already passed.
As I walked around and down Tinker Street as I had in years past, this year nothing was open. Thank God I had had the late lunch at Sharkie’s or I would have starved. Even the former Joshua’s was closed for the evening and they used to be open until 9:00pm.
After my long tour of the downtown and admiring the Christmas lights, I headed back to the hotel and went to bed. Santa was on his way and I needed my rest after a long semester. I went out like a light and had an excellent night’s rest. I was ready for a long drive on Christmas.
Christmas morning in Woodstock
I slept like a log and woke up late Christmas morning to a mix of sun and clouds. Gloomy as it was in the morning, it was still nice to look at the breathtaking scenery of the property and admire the Millstream that morning.
The stream rushing by as people were out taking a Christmas walk
Most of the guests at the hotel had family and friends close by and were heading off for their Christmas festivities. I was planning a long drive around the Catskills and then finding a place to eat for dinner. I find the ride around the area to be very relaxing.
The Breakfast buffet at the Woodstock Inn at Millstream
There was lots of choices
I enjoyed breakfast that morning. I always got the small corner table and enjoy breakfast while admiring the stream passing by. I wished some of the other guests a Merry Christmas and watched as everyone one by one left to start their day. The hotel had a nice selection of cereals, fruits and baked items and we could take what we wanted. The breakfast was part of our package and some of the items were organic and some gluten free and everything was delicious.
The view of the streams from the Breakfast room
I went back to my room and called my mother and both my brothers to wish them a very Merry Christmas before they left to start their days. I had talked to most of my friends just before I left for Woodstock and did not disrupt their morning with their families. After breakfast, I took the long winding trip around the Catskills to visit the small towns and see how they were celebrating the holidays.
My first stop was in Bearsville to see if anything would be open that evening. I wanted to see if Tibet Pho had changed their mind about opening but it was closed for the day. Only the Mexican restaurant was open that morning so off I went on my journey down Route 28.
My first stop was in Phoenicia, where for years I would crash the Phoenicia Fire Department’s early morning Christmas party to go to the bathroom. It was the only thing open in the downtown after the coffee shop closed at 10:00am. Still it was so peaceful and quiet in the downtown when I walked around.
The only thing open was the gas station and that was about it. The rest of the town was quiet that morning as it had in years past.
Downtown Phoenicia on Christmas morning
I then headed to Pine Hill to see if the ‘sonic boom’ of COVID had brought any gentrification to the town. I was surprised when nothing had changed in the town and it was still as run down as it had been in 2016.
The nicest part of Downtown Pine Hill I could find from any angle
I next traveled to Fleischmanns, a town once dominated by the Fleischmanns resort. The town also did not look like COVID boom had come to this town either. The town also looked as depressed as it did in 2016. Still I found this friendly snowman greeting me on Christmas morning.
The snowman just off downtown Fleischmanns greets you with a warm smile
The funny thing about Fleischmanns when I drove out of town was the line of beautiful large Victorian homes that lined the stream on the lower part of the hill. A piece of history from days gone by.
I made the turn off to go north on Route 30 in Margaretville, which had become much more vibrant with the expansion of the local hospital. Nothing was open that morning, but I had visited the town over the summer on my trip to Bovina Center and Ithaca on Labor Day weekend. The town had really bounced back over the years and was full of small restaurants and stores.
Downtown Margaretville as the clouds stayed to clear that morning
I made my was up Route 30 passing many small communities on my drive north. A lot of the farms decorated their barns of the outside of their homes. Rockville had really changed as all the Victorian homes in the downtown area were being renovated.
I made the turnoff on Route 23a and traveled through the towns of Hunter, where the big winter resorts were and then through Tannersville, where years ago was the only town that had any restaurants open on Christmas.
All that was open was a dumpy Chinese restaurant and a coffee shop where every table was dirty with breakfast plates on them. They must have been overwhelmed all day and had not had a chance to catch up. I traveled on through the small towns and the mountain passes, which Thank God were dry.
I headed south down Route 9 to see if anything was open in Saugerties. No such luck as the entire downtown was closed for business. There were two small Chinese restaurants outside the downtown area but one had no seating and the other had terrible reviews on TripAdvisor.
Then I remembered my standby every time I am in Kingston and stopped in the Stockade section of the downtown and had my Christmas dinner at Wing Shui, the tiny Chinese takeout which was the only thing open on Christmas Day in Kingston. The place was constantly busy that evening and the phone was ringing off the hook the entire time I was there.
My Christmas dinner was spent at the lone table inside Wing Shui which is layered with boxes. Not the fancy place you would expect to eat but the family who runs this tiny take out place is really nice and the food is excellent. I had to wait forty-five minutes to get it but it was well worth the experience. The crowds never stopped and the phone just rang the entire time I ate my dinner.
I had the Beef and Broccoli combination platter with Pork Fried Rice and Hot & Sour Soup. Sorry everyone but I loved this dinner and did not mind the plastic containers and piles of boxes. That was Christmas to me.
The Beef and Broccoli combination platter at Wing Shui
My Christmas dinner that night was so good!
I left Wing Shui about forty-five minutes late to see the same people standing there waiting for their food, the owners and their kids running around and the crowds swelling to almost fifteen deep (maybe more). There were so many people packed in that small space I could not count them all.
I drove back to Woodstock that evening as it got dark to see the lights on in the Green and the Christmas tree blazing. It was such a beautiful site.
The view of the town Christmas tree again
I stopped the car to enjoy walking around the Green one more time. I would be leaving right after breakfast for the second part of my six day, three trip journey to Rehoboth Beach to visit my mother for a post Christmas celebration. I slept soundly again at the hotel and it was so quiet I swore I heard the stream behind me.
The Millstream the next morning
Since I had a six hour drive ahead of me, I had an early breakfast, packed up the car and got on my way before check out. I had to make a pitstop at home for clean clothes and to pick up doughnuts at Mills Bakery for my mother. The usual request.
Enjoying the same breakfast in the same spot the next morning
Woodstock was a little more lively when I left but still not crowded. I want to come back in the Spring to the hotel again to see what it is like in the warm weather.
I could not believe how quiet the highways were the day after Christmas. I got home in record time, dropped off and picked up clothes and the headed to Mills which was decked out for the holidays. The store looked so festive this year with gingerbread men and women inside and outside the store and the shelves of Christmas baked goodies all over the store. It was hard to hold back from just the doughnuts but I promised myself I would be good.
Mill’s Bakery at 275 Valley Boulevard in Wood Ridge, NJ
I have to stop at Mills on every trip to bring butter cakes and doughnuts down to my mother’s. Since the holidays were still in swing I ordered them in advance.
If you have not tried the doughnuts at Mills Bakery you are missing a lot
While I was waiting for the order to be rung up, I admired the beautifully decorated cakes in the cases
They even had an igloo cake and I thought this was very clever
The trip down to my mother’s usually takes about for hours exactly ( with one bathroom break) but with the roads clear of holiday traffic, I made it down in just a little over three hours which meant I could relax before dinner.
I had negotiated with my mother beforehand to make ‘the dinner’ the first night and then I would take my mother and her partner out to dinner the next night as part of their Christmas presents. The bribe worked.
‘The Dinner’ is Fried Chicken Cutlets with Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce and a salad with oil and vinegar. My mom has been making this for us since we were kids.
Over dinner my mother and I caught up on what we did for Christmas, our plans for dinner the next night and then what my plans were for Cape May for the last part of my vacation. I swear, right after I went to bed. I was exhausted from all the driving. I went out like a light.
The beautiful decorations on homes in Downtown Lewes
The next day after breakfast, I explored both Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. I had missed a museum for my blog and wanted to see if it was open. All the Lewes Historical Society buildings were closed for the season and I would have to wait until the Spring.
I was determined to visit the US Lifeguard Station at 2 Shipcarpenter Street but it was closed for the season
I headed back to Downtown Rehoboth Beach to see the Christmas tree and see what was happening downtown. It was a really gloomy day but it was a little warmer and you could walk around the boardwalk. Not the most pleasant day to do it though.
I just wondered through all the stores and walked on the boardwalk as the cool breezes passed by. I was amazed how many people were walking around on this gloomy day but I figured by this point most people were getting cabin fever hanging around their families. This is the case at most holidays.
That evening I took my mother out for the second part of her Christmas gift to Saketumi, a Japanese/fusion restaurant at 18814 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth Beach. Their food and the service were wonderful.
We started with a Dim Sum sampler, that had an interesting mix of dumplings and Shu Mi.
The Dim Sum sampler at Saketumi
I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai and mother and I shared the Vegetable Lo Mein, both of which were delicious.
The Chicken Pad Thai
The Vegetable Lo Mein
I felt for our waitress though. The poor woman had the entire side of the dining room and was running ragged. She managed it with a smile on her face and since we were the last guests to leave that evening, had time to come over and talk about the holiday season. She seemed happy they were over. Saketumi is one of the few restaurants open on Christmas Day and she told us that they had over three hundred people eating there that day.
After a very relaxing night’s sleep (I was putting in about eight hours every night of sleep), it was time to leave and head over to the ferry to go to Cape May for two days as the last part of my trip. I said my goodbyes after breakfast and got to the ferry over an hour early.
I have to say one thing about the ferry company, the terminal building was nicely decorated for the holidays and their restaurants had such great menus. I felt like I was in a hotel. They make it very homey during the holidays.
It was a gloomy afternoon when I arrived
It was a cloudy day when I arrived in Cape May and a cold one. I had just been here three weeks earlier and it was just as cold and gloomy. The sun did just break through later in the day.
I love coming to Cape May at all times of the year. I like it especially at Christmas when everything is so festively decorated. It keeps you in the holiday spirit.
The Washington Street Mall during the holidays
My favorite place to stay in Cape May is the Chalfonte Hotel, which is one of the oldest hotels in the city. The hotel is now closed for the season so I stayed in the Southern Quarters, the B & B next to the main hotel. Somehow I always get the same room on the top floor, Room 7, which looks like Village loft.
My favorite place to stay in Cape May is the Chalfonte Hotel, which is one of the oldest hotels in the city. The hotel is now closed for the season so I stayed in the Southern Quarters, the B & B next to the main hotel. Somehow I always get the same room on the top floor, Room 7, which looks like Village loft.
The hotel itself was not open but was decorated to the hilt and the downstairs rooms were lit for the holidays.
The Chalfonte Hotel during the December holidays
As I said before, this holiday was all about picture taking and going back in time to create the same memories as the past but this time with pictures. Everything I did, visited and ate was reference to a previous Christmas holiday when I did not own a IPhone and now I was bringing all those experiences back to life down rooms that I stayed at and restaurant meals that I experienced.
I know it sounds a little crazy but I have seen a huge jump in the 2025 numbers to this blog as I have added more details to it. People from all over the world seem to like more pictures and visuals so that is why I am giving it to them. This includes staying in the same hotel rooms and eating the same meals at restaurants from years ago.
Trust me, it was a lot of fun reliving it all over again. This started with my room at the Southern Quarters and dinner that evening at the Washington Inn.
The restaurant is one of the nicest restaurants in Cape May and one of the best in the State of New Jersey. The food and the service are wonderful.
The inside of the Washington Inn at Christmas time
The experience was the same as it was back in 2021. The meal and service were both excellent without being stuffy or snobbish. It is a very laid back and very elegant restaurant to dine in. I had the same meal I had four years earlier and thoroughly enjoyed it.
My appetizer, the Seafood Bisque
The savory bisque had shrimp, scallops and lobster in it
The entree was the Washington Inn Crab cakes which I highly recommend. These two cakes were filled with chopped crab and spices. They were excellent!
The Crab cake entree paired with a California Cabernet Blanc
The Washington Inn Crab cakes are amazing and I highly recommend them
For dessert, I kept with the past and ordered the Bananas Foster. This simple light dessert was the perfect way to end the meal and I really enjoyed it.
The Bananas Foster dessert with English Breakfast tea
The Bananas Foster are a wonderful way to finish the meal with a lighter dessert
Even the Christmas tree by the bathrooms put you into the holiday spirit
The whole evening was wonderful and one of the best meals that I had over the Christmas break. It was not cheap but every once in a while worth the money as a special Christmas gift to yourself.
After dinner, I had to work dinner off. You can not go to sleep on a full stomach and since it was still so early, I decided to walk through Downtown Cape May which is always a fantasy world of lights and decorations.
The Cape May Fire Department firehouse decorated for the holidays
The Washington Street Mall decorated for Christmas
I walked off the Mall and down the street to the downtown park, Cape May Rotary Park, which is always dazzling in lights.
Cape May Rotary Park just off the downtown mall
The lights are always so dazzling at Christmas
The park puts you in the holiday spirit
The brilliance of the lights
My video of touring Rotary Park at the holidays and its elegant Christmas tree
The Christmas tree in Rotary Park always glitters and sparkles
The Cape May Christmas tree is quite a site
I then walked across the street to the Congress Hotel that is always decorated to the hilt at the holidays. I love walking through the halls and out on the lawn to see their ‘Santa’s Village’. It is quite a site.
The entrance to the Congress Hotel at 200 Congress Place
The whole property is decorated for the holidays and is a popular place for people visit
The backyards of the Congress Hotel at Christmas are decorated to the hilt and during the day there are train rides around the property, Santa is available to visit as well boutiques to shop at.
The lawn and all the decorations during Christmas after Congress Hotel
The Christmas tree at the Congress Hotel
Santa’s reindeer in front of the Christmas tree
The Winter Wonderland sleigh on the lawn
After my long walk around Downtown Cape May, I headed back to the hotel and relaxed and ended up falling asleep. I was out for the rest of the night.
The next morning in keeping with my picture taking mission, I headed over to the Mad Batter at 19 Jackson Street for breakfast. I wanted to order the Egg Croustade for breakfast that I had in 2021. The Croustade was a combination of eggs, sausage, peppers, potatoes and spices in omelet form on top of a brioche bun. An amazing breakfast.
The St. Carroll Villa Hotel decked out with Santa’s
The food and service at the Mad Batter is wonderful. I always enjoy the hospitality at the restaurant in all the times I have eaten here. The place was filled with post Christmas families and children were talking loudly all over the restaurant.
The bar section of the restaurant
The bar section of the restaurant
One of my favorite things that I like to order for breakfast is the croustade and I ordered it again that morning. Trust me, you will not go hungry here.
My breakfast that morning
The Croustade
It was nice to just relax and enjoy breakfast. I needed the calories for the long walk I would be taking around town that morning.
The front of the restaurant was really nice when I left
After breakfast, I returned to the Washington Mall and walked around. It had been a long trip for me and I just wanted to relax and enjoy the views. The Mall and all the business are so nicely decorated for the holidays.
The Washington Mall during the day
The Rotary Park during the daytime
I walked around Rotary Park during the day and even then the park is quite magical with the bows and ribbons and lights. The Christmas tree in the square.
The Gazebo during the day
It was a rather gloomy and cold morning when I left the restaurant but all the holiday decorations kept me in the holiday spirit. There were still more of the twelve days of Christmas and I wanted to enjoy them.
The Christmas tree in the gazebo
The Christmas tree up close
I then walked down past the Congress Hotel again and walked along the shore front. Even on a gloomy day, I loved the smell of the salt air and slight wind against me. It really is so good to breathe in.
I always find the beach so calming. It is nice to just walk around and hear the waves crashing. I find it so relaxing. It doesn’t matter the season. The salt air is so good for you.
I walked around town taking the route of the tour of inns and businesses that I visited three weeks earlier on my tour of town. I ended up back at the Washington Mall in time for church services for Christmas at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. I always like the holiday services here and have enjoyed the Christmas Eve services here many times.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church at 525 Washington Street
The mass was really enjoyable and I find the priest here to be very inspiring. A different service than the one on Christmas Eve but still I liked the sermon and the way the priest encouraged people at the holidays.
The front of the church is so nicely decorated
The alter with all the flowers and trees
The manger in the front of the church
Getting ready for Three Kings Day on January 6th
Looking at all the Christmas decorations at the church
After I finished church services, I toured around the other side of downtown and passed the Cape May Theater. They were performing a show entitled ‘Let’s Catch Santa’. I was bummed that the show was over the previous day.
‘Let’s Catch Santa’ ended the day before and I was bummed
Since the show was over, I found other things to do that day. I walked over to West Cape May and admired all the Victorian homes, many still decorated to the hilt also walked their parks as well and looked at their decorations.
The park and surrounding homes were decorated for Christmas and last year when I visited, it was a sea of lights and decorations.
The Santa’s sleigh in Wilbraham Park
It had gotten late when I looked at the time after touring all the shops and restaurants in the area and it was almost four o’clock. The weather had finally cleared and I decided to walk back to the hotel and drive out to Sunset beach and watch the sun set on the beach. It is something you can’t miss when you are here.
Even though if was cool outside that did not stop the diehard followers as the sun started to set. The colors were breathtaking.
The evening sky had cleared leaving a glow in the distance
The video of the sun starting to set
The glow of the sun in the horizon
The final view of the sun takes its bow
The sun makes its final disappearing act
While everyone else left for the evening, I stayed and watched the colors change in the sky to all sorts of reds and purples as it finally started to get dark by 5:00pm. In all the years that I have seen this since the early 90’s, I never get bored of it.
I headed back to town and stopped for dinner before I headed back to the hotel. I was not on the mood for the usual places and after such an expensive dinner the night before wanted to keep it reasonable. I remembered Mario’s from three weeks before and stopped there for dinner again.
Mario’s Pizza and Italian Eatery at 315 Ocean Street #7
The most amazing comfort food dinner. A Cheese Calzone and an order of Garlic Knots
The Calzone was perfectly cooked and the inside was filled with four cheeses and warmed me both inside and out
Yum!
The Garlic Knots were delicious. Small batches of pizza dough, brushed with garlic butter and smothered in more garlic and then baked. Taste like heaven and then kept the vampires away that night!
The owner was telling one of his good customers that evening that he would be open until this weekend and then closing for two months for a much needed break. There would be no business anyway until the first of March anyway. The whole town got colder and the rest of the shore rolled up its sleeves for the season. I could see why as it got really cold that night.
The winds really howled that night, and it must have gone down to 27 degrees. The winds and cold went right through those old windows and the old windows protection, which was now held by duct tape. The heat could not keep up, and the room got really cool. I learned from three weeks before, I covered the windows as much as I could and hid under the covers. At least the heat was on, and it just needed to balance! I woke up the next morning to a warm room.
I slept in my last night of the trip and checked out early. In keeping with the reason for this trip, I headed to Wawa in West Cape May for breakfast as I had in 2016 before my trip on the ferry. They have the most unrated and delicious breakfast items. I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a hoagie with a Banana and Strawberry Smoothie. God, it was good on a cold day.
The Wawa at 3719 Bayshore Road in West Cape May on the way to the ferry
The Bacon Egg and Cheese hoagie and the Strawberry Banana Smoothie, which I had to eat on the hood of my car in 35-degree weather
This sandwich was over stuffed and huge
Even though it was cold out the Banana-Strawberry smoothie hit the spot
I know it sounds crazy to eat outside in the cold weather but there is no place to eat inside the building and I hate eating in my car. How we make do in the winter months. The breakfast was fantastic and the perfect way to end my trip. I headed on my way home.
Since I had plenty of time in the early morning and I had already left the Chalfonte, I decided to head to Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant to see what was happening there for the holidays.
Both Seaside Park and Heights were really quiet in comparison
I drove though both Seaside Park and Seaside Heights and the towns were both extremely quiet. Most of the businesses I had visited over the summer and late Fall around Halloween were closed up tight with signs that said ‘See you in the Spring’.
The Christmas decorations and the Seaside Park Christmas tree
The festive Santa in Seaside Park
I decided to walk over to the boardwalk to see if anyone was around. Only the arcade with a full staff all on their cellphones because of a lack of customers and one branch of Big Brother Pizza was open with again a bored staff. They have to do a better job of letting people know they are open for business. All the public bathrooms were closed, which was a pain.
The quiet boardwalk was fun to walk in the off season. It has a quiet beauty to it
The snowmen band was one of the few traces of Christmas on the boardwalk
The arcade’s Christmas tree was a real beauty
The one nice thing about the arcade being open is that they let everyone use the bathroom. So, there was a stream of people who were walking the boardwalk that walked in. That meant some business.
When I got back to the car, I headed north to Point Pleasant. The roads and streets of Seaside Heights were empty but I did notice all the construction in Downtown Seaside Heights. All the old motels are being replaced by upscale condos and businesses. This town will totally change in not even two years.
Downtown Point Pleasant and their Boardwalk were much more lively especially with their year round population. I parked in Downtown Point Pleasant which is such a great downtown.
Downtown Point Pleasant decorated for the holidays
Downtown Point Pleasant is always so nicely decorated for the holidays. I have been here at Halloween and the beginning of the Spring and the town does such a nice job making it festive looking.
The downtown decorations
The decorative pots dotted the downtown
I parked at the edge of downtown and walked to the boardwalk, passing the gazebo. It felt like I was just here looking at the Halloween decorations. The town’s Christmas tree was still up and looked beautiful.
The gazebo downtown decorated for the holidays
I loved the Christmas tree in the gazebo in Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant always does such a creative job decorating their downtown for the holidays. Even though Christmas was over it puts you in the Christmas spirit.
The Point Pleasant Beach Jenkinson Boardwalk by the aquarium
The Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk was active as there were people heading to the aquarium to see the lights and tour the displays. The whole side of the Jenkinson Boardwalk was open and the restaurants, shops and arcades had families popping in and out of them as the day got nicer.
The snowmen announced the coming of Winter
These festive penguins greeted me at the restaurant
The Christmas tree in the restaurant across from the aquarium
Even though it was the holidays, I thought the prices at the restaurant were a bit ridiculous for hamburgers and pizza considering what was coming out. I walked around the boardwalk and looked over the amusements that would be opening in four months. I could not believe it would be that short of a period of time.
Santa was there in the restaurant greeting patrons
I walked around the boardwalk and the downtown one last time. I decided to head home for dinner. There were some places I wanted to try in Point Pleasant but I would wait until the weather was warmer and I could enjoy the afternoon with some warm weather.
I was surprised that the traffic from the beach back to North Jersey was not that heavy and I got home in just about an hour. I decided to have my pre–New Year’s Eve dinner in Hasbrouck Heights.
Downtown Hasbrouck Heights during the holidays
I went to Dumpling Chinese Restaurant for dinner that evening. All this driving around and exploring towns and admiring holiday decorations and the spirit these towns represent, I was exhausted. I just wanted to stay closer to home.
During the holiday season, I had run from the Jersey Shore to the Hudson River Valley and all through New York City and even to Delaware to find the best of the holiday season and now I needed a break from my vacation.
The lunch and dinner specials here are really good. The food is excellent and the portion sizes are really generous. I ordered the Chicken Lo Mein combination platter for dinner with Hot & Sour Soup. The spiced the better since I was fighting a cold.
The Chicken Lo Mein dinner combination
The Chicken Lo Mein dinner
The Hot & Sour Soup was excellent
After dinner I got home and finally was able to unpack and unwind. It had been a long holiday season of running around and attending and revisiting every thing I had seen in the past years. Now I would be able to concentration visiting new places and discovering other parts of the region.
I spent New Year’s Eve at home just relaxing, doing laundry and reading. It was time to put it all into perspective and look back at the last year and all I accomplished. I thought I gave my students the best education and experiences I could and visited as much of the places that I wanted to see. The Team projects had been successful and the blogs all hit new highs with all of them reaching new goal’s and toppling last year’s numbers.
That’s where I than you the readers for joining me on my journeys. I hope you got a glimpse on what places to visit in the future. I watched the ball drop in Times Square from home and felt I lucked out on not having to spend a freezing evening in Times Square. I would be back over the weekend rested and relaxed. New Year’s Day was Soup Day with my best friend and her family. I have such a great time with her family. I just feel really lucky to have all this in my life.
Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year!
My post New Year’s Day walk around Manhattan:
Pictures of my post Christmas walk around Manhattan! Whose says Christmas is over on December 25th? I just wanted to stretch after a long series of travels and picked a day in January to walk around Manhattan to see what decorations were left around the island. People really do believe there are twelve days of Christmas.
Engine 65 in Times Square which inspired my book ‘Firehouse 101’
I promised myself I would cut back on holiday activities last year. Since almost all of my older blogs have been revamped and updated to reflect the work on my newer visits and walks of neighborhoods and towns, I took a step back and revisited one last holiday activity I enjoyed last year, The Light Show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. So, join me for my walk through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s ‘Lightscape’.
The Gardens have been running this show for several years to increase traffic in the Gardens during the winter months to great success. These type of lightshows are gaining popularity in botanical gardens all over the country similar to the drive through holiday light shows. They are becoming a new tradition for families in usually quiet parks during the holiday season. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been an impressive show over the last four years that I have attended.
The directory of the ‘Lightscape Show’ at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The brilliance of the “The Tree of Stars” display at the entrance of the show
I love how they illuminated the trees to the music
The Christmas music illuminated the trees in the “Shadow Play” and created a festive beginning to the light shows
One of the best parts of the light shows is displayed in the Japanese Garden “Let the Magic Begin”. The water show keeps people dazzled for almost five minutes. I find myself every year having to watch it three times. Once to check it out, once to film it and then the last time to be dazzled by it myself. It is one of the reasons why I put up with 35-degree weather.
The beautiful lights illuminate the gardens at its start
Then the water show “Let the Magic Begin” begins
The video of the water show is so impressive every year (excuse my coughing)
The end of the water show was spectacular
I walked down the pathway toward Daffodil Hill and could not wait until the sea of yellow flowers returned in four months. In its place was a sea of lights and sounds in the display “Papillion’s”.
I next walked through a sea of butterflies and the skies were full of color in the ‘Papillion’s’ display
The trees were full of colorful butterflies in ‘Papillion’s’
I then walked through the Shakespeare Garden and came across the ‘Threshold’ display which was a sea of lights that flipped and sparkled around.
The ‘Threahold’ display in the Shakespeare Garden
‘Threshold’ in full color
‘Threshold’ changing colors
I walked around the spiral of spinning lights s and admired all the beautiful colors as it moved around. I walked around the Shakespeare Garden and looked at where the colorful flowers and plantings are placed in the Spring and Summer.
As I walked to the lawns of the Watershed, I passed the ‘Sway’ exhibition with its layers of colorful lights on the trees.
The colorful lights of ‘Sway’ as the music plays on CD
The video of the ‘Sway’ lights against the trees
The illumination of the trees in the gardens during the light show
The next display on the lawn of the Watershed was ‘Fluxit’, which looked like outside fire. It clicked and sparkled as the music played.
The ‘Fluxit’ display as it lit and moved
The video of the ‘Fluxit’ display
Once I left the Watershed lawns, I walked into the ‘Winter Terrace’, where in the warmer months are the Lotus Pools and seasonal plants and flowers are displayed. It was now decorated with topiary women guiding in the pools, the fountains were decorated with blinking lights and where the bar and restaurant were located. The area is really crowded with people milling around and taking a break from the walk.
The ‘Winter Terrace’ in full illumination
The Lotus Pools with the illuminated women
The ‘Illuminated’ women in the pool
One of the ‘Illuminated’ women
The fountain was shimmering with lights in the “Winter Terrace”
While I was walking around the frozen pools admiring the lights, many of the patrons were in the glassed-in banquet room having snacks and drinks. The building was packed with people eating and drinking.
I walked through the next series of displays ‘Flock’ and ‘Shadow Lantern’s on the edge of the Water Basin lawn. “Flock” looks like illuminated pigeons flying around the trees.
The display ‘Flock’ on the lawn’s edge
The ‘Shadow Lantern’s’ were quite brilliant
The ‘Shadow Lantern’s’ cast their brilliant lights all over the sidewalks with a sea of snowflakes and could hear the music in the background.
One of my favorite displays in the show was walking through the giant ‘Lilly’s of the Valley’ display to what sounded like a 1970’s folk singer. It was like a surreal trip through ‘Wonderland’ and I felt like Alice when she was shrunk walking through the gardens.
The ‘Lilly’s of the Valley’ display
Walking by the floral displays illuminated with brilliant lights
My video of walking through the giant patch of Lillie’s and watching the plants and trees change colors. It was a lot of fun to walk around.
The next display was another favorite of mine, the colorful and interactive ‘Winter Walk’ with lights and music to the song ‘Sleigh Ride’ that sounded like the New York Pops. The colors popped and popped with the music.
The ‘Winter Walk’ in full color as the music played
My pictures and videos don’t give the display justice as I filmed everything from the side view of the display.
The festive lights dancing to the song ‘Sleigh Ride’
Talk about putting you in the Christmas spirit even after the holidays were over. “Sleigh Ride” is still one of my favorite songs at the holidays.
I loved walking past the lines of trees that were illuminated
I followed the path down to where in the Spring, the Bluebell flowers bloom brightly and the whole area is a sea of purples and blues. Now it was ‘Bluebonnets’, a sea of purple lights. It was just picturesque and brought the gardens back even in the dead of winter.
‘Bluebonnets’ light display
The light flowers replacing the Spring flowers
The ‘Robin’s Trail’ display at the end of the ‘Bluebonnets’ display
As I entered the Cherry Blossom lawn, which is a sea of pinks in various hues, there was now the ‘Leaf on the Light’ display on all the trees.
The ‘Leaf on the Light’ display
Towards the end of the light display for the spectacular finish of the display in the Cherry Blossom lawn, you had to walk through the lines of Cherry Blossoms that line the pathways on both sides of the lawn. Only this side of the pathway was open and lit for the display.
I walked through ‘Pulse’ , where the trunks of the trees kept changing colors. It was an interesting walk down the pathway.
The lighting of ‘Pulse’ as I walked down the pathway
‘Pulse’ as it changed colors
All this led to the best part of the show, ‘The Sea of Light’, where the whole Cherry Blossom lawn became a dazzling sea of lights, sounds and music. I love the creation of the lawn light display every year I visit the show.
The ‘Sea of Light’ as it started
The ‘Sea of Light’ as it changed colors
The dazzling ‘Sea of Light’ performance and the lively music that accompanied it.
This was the best way to cap off the evening with its dazzling lights and music. Even as it got colder, I stayed longer to see watch it at least three times. I wanted to get the perfect video to share with everyone. If there was part of the show I enjoyed most, it was this part of the display.
As I left the gardens that evening, I exited through the ‘Winter Cathedral’, an archway of an illumination of lights that is the one place that foot traffic stops as people always want to take pictures here. While this display has moved around the gardens over the years, it is still the one display that has been been consistent every year.
The ‘Cathedral of Lights’
Couples were stopping here asking everyone to take their pictures. It was a popular spot to take pictures.
The ‘Cathedral of Lights’
The last display I walked through to exit that night was the ‘Firefly Field’ at the old main entrance of the Gardens.
The ‘Firefly Field’ blazing with Tony lights
It was a nice way to wrap up the show. The “Lightscape” light display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was spectacular this year and always different. As cold as it was, it was still an amazing night of sights and sounds.
It was a nice way to rest and relax as the holiday season ended. Until next year!
The front of Dumpling Chinese Restaurant at 202-204 Boulevard
Sometimes reasonable restaurants are right in your own neighborhood and you don’t notice. I have been coming to Dumpling Chinese Restaurant, a small take out place in the Hasbrouck Heights, NJ downtown, since it opened. The restaurant offers wonderful food, friendly service and pre-COVID prices which makes it a great place for lunch and dinner that won’t put a family out.
Their lunch specials are so reasonable priced between $8.50 to $8.95 for a small entree with Roast Pork Fried Rice with either a soda, egg roll or soup. This is a very fair meal.
I have been eating more recently with my schedule being so busy and not having enough time to cook. I have the meals to be enjoyable and it is nice to have a place to sit down without looking at things like bicycles and boxes like I do at some of the take out places in the City.
One of the dishes I really enjoy here is the Sweet & Sour Pork with Pork Fried Rice. The pork is so well fried and the sweet and sour sauce is served on the side so you can put on as much or as little as you want. The complexity of the tastes really made the dish.
The Sweet & Sour Pork Combination Platter
The General Tso’s Chicken with Fried Rice and an Egg Roll
One time when I ate in, I was a little shocked that the restaurant put my combination platter on a dish and not in plastic container. They made it look like a regular restaurant which made the dining experience so much nicer.
The General Tso’s Chicken is fried with a different batter than the Sweet & Sour Pork and its sauce has a more spicy sweet taste to it with a fruity taste. It was fried perfectly and the broccoli was perfectly cooked and steamed perfectly.
Dumpling’s Egg Rolls are really good. They are the big, fat Chinese-American Egg Rolls with lots of well spiced cabbage mixed in with chopped sweet roast pork and fried perfectly. They taste so good with a combination of duck sauce and hot mustard.
I recently stopped in for lunch and the Chicken Lo Mein with a side of Pork Fried Rice and a bowl of Hot & Sour Soup ( I needed the Hot & Sour Soup because I felt a cold coming on).
I like the Hot & Sour Soup with its rich dark soy sauce flavor and loaded with slivers of fresh veggies, tofu and roast pork. It is the perfect cure all when you have a cold.
The Chicken Lo Mein has a lot of slivers of fresh veggies, chicken and well cooked Lo Mein noodles in a nice soy sauce based sauce. Between the soup and this hot dish, I felt so much better when I left the restaurant.
I have found the family that runs the restaurant takes a lot of pride in their food and service. They are always so welcoming to me and to other customers.
It’s always nice to have a restaurant like this under the radar right in your own community.
The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum at 421 East 61st Street
Mount Vernon historical sign during the summer months
The history of the building
The model of the building
I had come across the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum when I was walking on East 61st Street for my blog and went to take the tour of the building. It is a one hour (or more as I there for almost two hours but I was by myself) tour of both floors. You start with a film and a quick talk about the history of the building. The hotel building has had several owners and uses over its over hundred years.
I visited the museum during the holiday season in 2025 and I got to see all the decorations around the hotel. There was elegant decorations in most of the rooms and got to see how people ate during the holiday season as well as with visits guests would have indulged in when they came for the day.
Then you start the tour of the upper room where the ladies would gather and talk. This is where they might have tea, musical recitals and read and sew. They would gather with other women for conversation and debate.
The Upstairs foyer gallery
The foyer landing decorated for the holidays with the former traveler, James Taylor, who discussed in his memoir about visiting the hotel
The Ladies Parlor
The upstairs is where the sleeping rooms and the ladies parlors are located, where female guests would enjoy tea, games, music and reading. The main landing was for dancing and for gatherings.
The Ladies Palour with the Chinese writing desk and festive decorations.
The room set for tea with Englishware
The holiday set up afternoon service
The sleeping rooms were kept simple and functional
The Men’s game room
The main floor was the Men’s gaming rooms, where there is a bar and two rooms for male activities such as cards, gambling and reading. Here the men would discuss politics and business over a drink and games of chance.
The main games room
The main entrance was used as the dining room for dinner (our lunch), which was the biggest meal of the day served around 2:00pm.
The bar area where spirits are sold
The afternoon supper was part of the package and couples would join one another for a several course meal, which would serve as the main meal of the day.
Dinner time at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum
The tour guide went over what would have been served, menu’s and meal times. Dinner would have been served at 2:00pm, tea time would have been around 4:00pm-6:00pm and Supper around 8:00pm.
The multi course meal for everyday on display
The meal would include popular dishes such as turkey and oysters and a specialty, Turtle soup. Fresh vegetables and fancy desserts would be part of the package.
The tour of the kitchen show preparation of foods, recipe books and all kitchen equipment including the stoves and baking materials.
The kitchen for both the hotel and house
The kitchen used to cook afternoon meals
The area used for baking and roasting
If you like the history of “Old New York” and like old homes, hotels and buildings, this is a very interesting tour that deals with the City’s growing middle-class and the new ‘leisure time’ that was coming with the changes in the work week. There are many pieces of period furniture all over the building that show the growth of affluence of the time.
The side board set with holiday desserts
The side board ladened with holiday treats
Don’t miss the formal walled in garden in the back. It is a place of relaxation from the rest of the city. There are stone walk ways and landscaped gardens as well as an herb garden. The building is owned and maintained by the Colonial Dames of America.
The walled gardens during the winter
The walled garden in the winter
I revisited the museum for the holidays and the hotel was decked out in garland and holy based on the decor traditional for the Revolutionary War era Christmas. The archways and tables were lined with greenery and the tables were loaded with oranges plunged with cloves to give the homes at that time a rich citrus smell.
The downstairs dining table was set for a Christmas meal of wild turkey, mock turtle soup, and apple and pumpkin pies. This would have been served in the afternoon as the main meal while it was still light out.
Holiday goodies at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum getting ready for the holidays
There had been a light snow while we were touring the hotel so when we visited the gardens, it really did have that Christmas feel to it with that light snow all over the pine and the bushes.
How the neighborhood has changed
The old stable area
During the time of the Revolutionary War and afterwards, homes were not as elaborately decorated as they would have been during Victorian times after the Civil War. Homes were lined with greenery that would have given the home the fragrant smell of pine and strings of cranberries and popcorn would have been used to decorate mantles.
The hotel decorated for the holidays
The hotel was getting ready for one of its many special events during the holidays so there was a lot of commotion going on downstairs. It is a very festive looking place for the holidays so try to tour it when it is open in the month of December.
The museum in the 2025 holiday season
What is the Museum:
Constructed in 1799 as a carriage house and converted into a ‘day hotel’ in 1826, the Museum transports visitors back to Mount Vernon Hotel, a 19th Century country resort for New Yorkers escaping the crowded city below 14th Street.
The model of the original house layout
Recognizing the building as one of the few remaining 18th century sites and the only surviving day hotel in New York City Historic Landmark in 1967, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1983.
History of the House:
The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden presents the period of the Mount Vernon Hotel which operated from 1826 until 1833.
Constructed in 1799 as a carriage house for a 23 acre estate and converted into the Mount Vernon in 1826, this stone building sits on land originally owned by Colonel William Stephens Smith and his wife, Abigail Adams Smith, the daughter of John Adams.
This fashionable country resort was popular among New Yorkers who wished to escape the hustle among the bustle of the city, which at that time extended only as far north 14th Street. The Hotel advertised “free from the noise and dust of the public roads and fitted up and intended for only the most gentle respectable” clientele. In those days, one could take the stagecoach or steamboat up to 61st Street spend the day at the hotel sipping lemonade in the ladies parlor or playing cards in the gentlemen’s.
In 1833, the house became the home for three generations of a New York City family. In 1905, as the area became more industrialized, the building was purchased by Standard Gas Light Company (today’s Con-Edison). The Colonial Dames of America, a woman’s patriotic society purchased the building in 1924 and did an extensive restoration to the structure, the Colonial Dames opened the site to the public in 1939. The building endures as a rare reminder of an important era in New York City’s history.
What the organization does:
*Welcome 5000 school children annually in grades-pre-K through high school for field trips.
*Summer History Weeks for children ages 6-12
*A Summer High School Internship for 15 students to support college readiness skills and career exploration.
*Two summer Hearst Fellowships for undergraduates or graduate students.
*40+public programs each year, including:
-monthly free Story time
-monthly Lunchtimes lectures
-holiday programs, garden concerts, hands on craft and cooking workshops.
*Temporary exhibitions on facets of life in early 19th century NYC, some promoting local contemporary artists.
*Special programs for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
*Outreach programs to schools, senior centers and homeless shelters.
*Themed group tours focused on 19th century food, decorative arts or literature.
*Three options for team building events.
*Two free admission days: Smithsonian Museum Day and Open House New York.
Programs are made possible in part by the support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Member Ben Kallos, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Rosenthal Foundation and the Michael Tuch Foundation.
(Mount Vernon Hotel Pamphlet)
The Colonial Dames of America:
With these words, spoken in April 1890, Maria Denning “May” Van Rensselaer imitated what was to become the oldest colonial lineage society for women in the United States. The Colonial Dames of America. Its mission is to preserve historic sites and objects, award scholarships, educate the public about American history, inspire patriotism and promote fellowship among its members.
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