When the second week is September comes and the Labor Day weekend is behind us, it is time for the NJ State Firemen’s Convention.
This was going to be a particularly long weekend for me as I was going to be extending my trip to include a series of visits to historical sites in Southern New Jersey to complete a blog on historical New Jersey. Most of these little sites are NEVER open.
My street was being ripped up with replacing the morning I left and with an 8:00am class, I decided to leave early for class and then leave for my mother’s right after my 11:00am class was over.
I had never planned a trip like D-Day before. The laundry had to be done, the house cleaned, the bills paid, the dishwasher run and I had a series of repair work being done around the house. Plus knowing I had to be out of the house early meant that I had to wake up at 4:00am to get out of the house then to work then to drive the four hour trip to my mother’s.
I was in the middle of perfecting my students resumes, which is always the toughest project in my class. It is a challenge every semester but worth it if it will help them get a job. So I had been extremely busy at work.
After my last class was over, I decided to get on the road and head down to Rehoboth Beach. As I passed my house on my way to the New Jersey Turnpike, I saw the workers completely ripping apart my street and thank God, I had left early.
It was a really nice day as I traveled to Delaware. I had planned on visiting a new museums in Bethany Beach before my ferry ride to Cape May the next day, so the trip would be more of a working business trip and vacation.
Because of my schedule with work and the holidays, I take my mother to dinner for her birthday on Convention weekend. It’s less rushed and we have a good time.
I got down the Rehoboth Beach about an hour before dinner and was able to relax a bit. My mother chose the restaurant, Harvest Tide in Lewes, DE for dinner, which I had been before and enjoyed.
The Harvest Tide at 410 East Savannah Road in Lewes, DE
The food was excellent and we all enjoyed our dinner. I started with a delicious Caesar Salad with fresh greens and a homemade dressing.
The Caesar Salad at the Harvest Tide
For my main meal, I had the Lobster Pasta, which was excellent. The pasta was perfectly cooked and was loaded with pieces of sweet lobster in a light cream sauce.
The Lobster Pasta
For dessert, I treated myself to a giant piece of their Ten Layer Cake. I forgot how big these slices were and I just about finished it.
The Ten Layer Cake at the Harvest Tide is a treat
I was a very laid back evening and we had a nice time catching up. It was going to be a quick trip this time and I had to be in Bethany Beach at 11:00am the next morning so I had to be out the door early. I slept like the dead that night.
The next day over breakfast, my mother and I spent the morning catching up and laughing at past holidays. It was a really nice overnight stay and it was fun to have that time together.
I left after breakfast and headed to my appointment at the Dinker-Irvin House Museum in Bethany Beach. Who knew the whole morning would be spent visiting cultural sites in Bethany Beach.
The Dinker-Irvin House Museum in Bethany Beach
The front of the Dinker-Irvin House at 318 Garfield Parkway
I toured the house and the grounds with members of the Board and they gave me the full history of the house and its place in Bethany Beach. It really is an excellent little museum representing town history.
The history of the shore
The shore kitchen with some of the original items
The front gallery of antiques
The museum was really unique and the Historical Society does a nice job displaying and interpreting all them.
After my tour was over, I had plenty of time before taking the ferry over to Cape May, so I visited both Bethany Beach History Museum and the Bethany Beach Nature Center. I did not know that either of them even existed.
The museum is located in the main floor of Bethany Beach City Hall. It has some interesting displays on the towns’s history. There are also displays on artifacts from different aspects of the town’s past.
The displays of the museum and shelves of artifacts
The displays of town artifacts on display
The main exhibition was the history of their Life Guard Squad
After I finished up in the two museum’s, I walked a bit of their downtown and saw the statue of Little Owl at the entrance to downtown.
The statue of Little Owl at the beginning of the Bethany Beach downtown
After that tour, I visited the Bethany Beach Nature Center. The center consisted of the main building which was a historical home and then the gardens and grounds.
The inside of the Nature Center there were all sorts of displays on turtles and fish and tables for students for games and drawings. The real draw are the gardens and nature trails in the back of the building.
The entrance to the Baldwin Trails
The entrance to the gardens
The gardens in full bloom
The back trails led to the marshes and to the wooded areas. The views were breathtaking.
The back pathways to the marshes
Looking over the watering hole
To end my tour of the Nature Center, I toured the front gardens of the building which had a Butterfly Rain Garden.
Part of the Rain Gardens
I was touring the garden when a Monarch Butterfly flew in and landed on a flower. It would not open up and I wanted to take a picture of it so I yelled at him to open his wings so I could take a picture. He did!
The butterfly landing in the garden. I yelled at him to open his wings for a picture.
The butterfly must have heard me and opened up his beautiful wings
After I took the picture, I showed it to him and he flew away. Everyone is a critic! Still, it was a beautiful butterfly.
I really had a nice time not just visiting the Nature Center, but the other two museum’s as well. I could not believe all these hidden gems in such a small town of Bethany Beach. They really have a nice selection of museums and cultural sites for such a small town.
Before I headed to the ferry to Cape May, I stopped in Ocean View to visit their Historical Village. This tiny historical street of had many historical buildings but the complex was closed so I just took some pictures around the neighborhood, stopped at an antique store across the street and then headed to the ferry.
The sign for Historic Village in Ocean View at 40 West Avenue in Oceanview, NJ
The historic buildings on the edge of the property
Ocean View Park in the summer of 2025
What I love about the Cape May-Lewis Ferry on a nice day is the ferry complex on the Lewis side has some nice restaurants that are partially outdoors and on a calm day, the views are amazing. Because the waters were so calm, we got over to Cape May fifteen minutes early and that meant I could check into my room by 5:00pm and relax.
Checking out the snack bar on the ferry on the trip to Cape May
I got to the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May in a half hour and checked in. The hotel was preparing for that night’s entertainment which was ‘The Ramble’, a local group who performs there every Thursday night during the warmer months
My room for the next four nights was a tiny room on the second floor with a shared bathroom, perfect for someone who is never in his room.
Parts of the Chalfonte Hotel look like the ‘Overlook Hotel’ in ‘The Shining’
My home away from home for the next four days
I rolled into bed and had a long nap before ‘The Ramble’ started. When I woke up later, the crowds had swelled all over the front lawn and street and they closed the side streets off as well. I never saw crowds like this before for the concert.
Joining the rest of the crowd for the weekly ‘Ramble’ on the Chalfonte Hotel porch
Part of ‘The Ramble’ concert that evening
The Ramble on the porch of the Chalfonte Hotel
The concert on the porch
After the Ramble was over, I walked into downtown Cape May for dinner. This particular weekend was all about the pictures. I had to go back in time and retake pictures of all the meals and places I had been to on previous trips to update older blogs. So on top on my duties for the fire service, I would be working to update all my older blogs.
So all my meals and museum visits my this a ‘working vacation’ on top of visiting new places to add to the treasure trove of great hidden spots to visit.
I would be having several meals at the Ugly Mug and Uncle Bill’s in Cape May and the Ravioli House in Wildwood. I even stayed an extra day in Cape May to complete my pictures with breakfast at the Magnolia Room dining on the porch.
My return meal at the Ugly Mug at 426 Washington Street in the Washington Mall was a favorite of mine and a specialty of their’s, the Cheesesteak.
I sat at the bar watching the Mets and Philly fans duke it out watching the playoff game. Even though we are all from New Jersey, you see the difference once you pass Long Beach Island. South Jersey is all about Philly not New York.
The inside of the Ugly Mug’s bar area
I just ordered my Cheesesteak and sat back and relaxed and enjoyed my meal and my time off. It was fun watching the exchange from people from North and South Jersey and see how the alliances change at the border of Hunterdon County.
Now this is a Cheesesteak!
You can not get this in North Jersey
It was a nice evening talking with the bartender and watching a game I couldn’t care less about. After dinner was over, I worked off dinner by walking around the Washington Mall and walking by the beach. The weather the whole weekend was amazing and we had sunny days everyday.
The beaches of Cape May are amazing at night
After a good night’s rest, it was off to the Convention meetings. Our meetings don’t start until 10:00am, so there is enough time for a good breakfast. That meant two mornings at Uncle Bill’s.
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Cape May at 261 Beach Avenue
I love coming to Uncle Bill’s. The service is always so friendly and the food wonderful. This weekend was about the picture and I was eating the meals of the past that I needed photos of for past blogs so that meant ordering the French Toast special (I so hate my job as a travel blogger).
The French Toast special at Uncle Bill’s
The French Toast and Sausage here should not be missed
After a good breakfast and walk back to the hotel, I headed to Wildwood for the first day of meetings. It was a spectacular sunny day and since I got there so early, it gave me the opportunity to walk on the boardwalk and get some ocean air before our first meeting.
Walking on the Wildwood Boardwalk before the morning meetings
The Wildwood Boardwalk would not look like this for long
The first day of meetings for the NJ Jersey Firemen’s Convention is full of pump and circumstance, but with 9/11 being the first day of the Convention, we respected our Brothers who gave their lives that terrible day. There was a lot of emotion in the Convention Hall as a lot of these members are of the age where a lot of them volunteered in New York to assist and still have lingering health issues.
While it is a somber time for firefighters when we remember the 24th Anniversary of 9/11 we still have to carry on the traditions of the fire service. Time has a way of marching on and while we remember our fellow brothers with dignity and respect, we can only honor them by continuing our craft and building on the things that made them successful at their jobs. So delegates from all over the State of New Jersey met from September 11th to the 13th for the annual NJ State Firefighters.
Getting to the Wildwood Convention Hall early
I am starting to see some of the same faces over and over again as I have been attending these meetings. What I am beginning to notice is that the crowd is getting older and thinning out. The younger firefighters don’t seem to be taking over from their predecessors. The average age of the people in that room had to be at least 45 years old.
Still we carry on with our mission of making the first service the best it can be. This means a lot is going on the State organization. We started the morning out with the Bergen County Pipe & Drum performing with the Wildwood Fire Department’s Color Guard.
We stand for the performance
The performance as they entered the Convention Center
Then the welcome from the Executive Team to the Convention started. If you ever want to see a prouder group of Americans it is fire fighters. When do the Pledge of Alliance, you never saw a whole convention center do it in unison. That is where I am very proud of being a firefighter. Is the dedication these men and women give to their communities that mantle people do not appreciate.
After the initial introductions and welcome, the Pipe & Drum and the Color Guard left. It’s pomp and circumstance when they leave as well.
The closing ballad before they left the Convention Center
It was an afternoon of business talking on current issues of the fire service and items that we were dealing with the state. There were many bills on the Governor’s desk to be signed and line items we were fighting for our membership. There would be a lot of State and local issues to vote on the next day.
After the first day of meetings were over withI had to travel around Cape May County to visit various cultural sites and revisit farms for my picture taking mission. The first place I visited was the Sam Azeez Museum in Woodbine, NJ.
Touring the fire equipment displays at the Convention after the first meeting
During my four day stay in Cape May, I had appointments to see many historical sites that are normally never open or open at specific times where I can never visit. So I either made appointments to meet people or set my schedule to meet with the precious hours these places were open. I planned this trip like D-Day. You had to hit each spot at a specific time or else the window closed.
The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage at 360 Washington Avenue in Woodbine, NJ
The Sam Azeez Museum is a look at the Jewish community that was established well heeled Jewish businessman that established for new immigrants. They built a successful community assimilated the population to become Americans.
The history of the Jewish community in Woodbine, NJ
The museum was an interesting look at the successes and failures of the community but the museum shows a community that keeps changing. I thought this was fascinating that a community like this once existed.
There is a synagogue on the second floor
The Americanization of children through baseball
I thought this was a fascinating museum because the museum itself does not tell this story in its website. It is such an interesting look at a community and it asks the question ‘how do you become an American?’ It is a rich history that most of New Jersey does not know.
A self sustaining community
The new Americans playing America’s past time
After I returned from my tour of the museum from Woodbine, I relaxed and walked along the beach near the hotel. We really lucked out with the weather that weekend and it was sunny and clear. It was starting to cool down a bit but it was still nice to be outside at night.
Meals on this weekend trip were all about the pictures so I headed to The Ravioli House at 102 East Bennett Avenue in Downtown Wildwood, NJ for dinner. This is my favorite place during the Convention to eat and is one of my popular sites on my blog, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com.
I was here so many times without a cellphone to take pictures of all the wonderful dishes that I had eaten and this weekend I was going to have them again. This is when my job gets tough!
I always enjoy seeing the owners daughter when I walk in. She is always in the same spot greeting people. I get one of the booths in the back and stretch out. I got there a little late so it was just starting to wind down. The service is always excellent so I got my food pretty quickly.
Tonight I had the dinner I had five years ago, the Manicotti with homemade meatballs with a fresh salad. It was just as delicious as I remembered.
The start of the meal is a fresh green salad with their homemade Creamy Italian dressing and the freshly baked bread
The fresh salad is always a treat
The freshly baked bread makes it is easy to devour a few baskets
The entree was excellent and all the pastas, sauces and meatballs are made in house. You can taste the quality.
The Manicotti with meatballs was excellent and I love their red sauce
The homemade meatballs should not be missed
The meal was incredible and I topped it off with a St. Joseph pastry with vanilla cream. It was from their pastry shop and was wonderful (see my review on TripAdvisor and LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com).
My dessert, the St. Joseph pastry
All the desserts are baked in house
After the amazing dinner, the restaurant was closing for the evening and I needed to work off dinner so I parked closer to the Wildwood Boardwalk and walked the length of it back and forth. I was so surprised that on the first night of the Convention it was so quiet. Many businesses were still open that evening to very little crowds. I think the merchants were surprised by this as well. When I got back to the hotel, I slept like the dead.
We did not have to be at the Convention Center to vote until 9:00am, so I could sleep in a bit. I planned breakfast on the Boardwalk so I was fine either way time. It was a beautiful sunny morning and I got up to blue skies and warm weather.
The Chalfonte Hotel in the morning
The Magnolia Room set up on the porch in the mornings. I would find here my last morning at the hotel.
I got on my way to Wildwood for voting and then breakfast. When I got to the bridge to get to Wildwood, I had to stop as a boat was passing by and I got the best pictures taken.
Getting to the bridge
The marshes
The boat was coming
The boat passed by so gracefully
The boat passed by so gracefully like in the movies
It only took a few minutes but I thought it was one of the most enjoyable things to watch in the morning. In this age of rushing around, something so simple as this could be so much fun to watch.
I got to the Convention Center, voted, signed in and talked with some other delegates. Then we were done with our meetings for the day and I left for breakfast to my favorite spot on the Boardwalk, Franconi’s Pizzeria at 3318 Boardwalk. All meals are excellent at Franconi’s.
My breakfast was amazing! Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, Hashbrowns and a homemade Cinnamon Twist (they did not get the Cinnamon rolls that morning). This feast was my breakfast and lunch for the day.
Don’t miss these decadent Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
The Cinnamon twist is not on the menu but the owners daughter made it special for me because there were no cinnamon rolls. What a delicious treat and I highly recommend ordering it!
After a meal like that and Voting over, I had to walk the Boardwalk again just to work some of it off.
The Boardwalk got busy after Voting was over
The weather was fantastic that morning and the amusement piers would be opening later that evening
There were many museums and cultural sites I would be visiting in the area and I did not want to spend my entire morning on the Boardwalk, so off I went again visiting museums. My first stop was just off the Boardwalk at the Doo Wop Preservation League Museum at 4500 Ocean Avenue.
The Doo Wop Preservation League Museum at 4500 Boardwalk
This unique little museum unfortunately gets drowned out by the fire department displays and beer garden and people really don’t appreciate it for what it is, a glimpse of Wildwood’s Motel past that is quickly disappearing in the wake of the real estate boom and gentrification. I don’t give the remaining motels more than five years before they all sell out.
The museum is bright and shiny
The museum shows the progress made after WWII and the optimism of the electric age after the war with foreign travel part of a dialogue that most people could not afford yet but wished to attain. So these motels brought that to them. As the era passed, these relics show the progress we had made and then what we left behind. I think it is one of the most clever small museums I have visited down the shore.
While searching for the Cape May Maritime Museum (which does not exist except in some of the members wanting for a physical space), I came across the Garrett Family Preserve, which was a large wetland preserve just outside Cape May proper.
The Garrett Family Preserve at 801 Wilson Street in Cape May Creek
The Preserve is acres of wetlands that is refuge for birds, butterflies and wetland creatures.
The Butterfly sculpture at the end of the paths
When you enter the Preserve, you have the option to follow several paths that take you through the woods, the wetlands or down paths of wildflowers. It was unfortunate that it had not rained in a month and the preserve was very dry.
The sign had said in the Spring that the preserve was alive with colors of flowers. Still it offers a glimpse into the mating areas and refuge for these insects and birds on the path to warmer climates.
Searching for the Maritime Museum, which will have a physical building in the future the President of the organization assured me when he called me later that afternoon, I headed back to Cape May to walk along the beach after a long day of meetings and cultural visits.
The beaches were busy on this warm late summer evening
It was a beautiful afternoon just walking the shoreline trying to get my mind off everything
Please join me for my walk at the shore
The views of walking that Cspe May shoreline
I am never sure where these tubes come from
The shore works its own magic
The view on the Boardwalk at Cape May Beach
It was still early in the evening so I decided to head to Sunset Beach in West Cape May and watch the sunset before going to dinner. That is always a treat to watch!
Sunset Beach in West Cape May arc502 Sunset Boulevard
There is nothing more beautiful on a clear night than seeing the sunset before set on this beach. The crowds were huge. Being Convention weekend, people were packed all over the place. I had to park about a mile up so that I could drive back out.
The restaurant that had once been a simple snack shop and was now a higher end restaurant with views of the bay and that did not help the parking situation. The crowds a families set up blankets and chairs all over the beach and then we stood back and let the magic take place.
Going
Going
Going
Going
Going
Gone
Gone
Then all the beautiful colors of the sun
The beauty of the sun set
I set on the beach with the locals while everyone else fought to get out of the parking lot and headed back to Cape May for dinner. It was such a spectacular night.
The Washington Street Mall was packed with people that night. With the Convention meeting now over, many fire companies were having their get togethers that night. A lot of the older firefighter couples though I could see opted for a quieter night strolling the Mall.
On the third night of my dining picture taking it was back to the Ugly Mug for dinner and for the elusive Bacon Barbecue Cheese Burger (dinner four years ago).
My dinner at the Ugly Mug, the Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger (and yes, it is as delicious as it looks)
After the wonderful dinner, I took a long walk along the Mall, the Boardwalk and beaches to work the dinner off. What spectacular views of the town.
The Washington Mall later that evening
I went back to the room and slept soundly as I had a long day of work ahead of me. After the Convention was over, I had arranged an extensive day of touring with members of the Board of the Upper Cape May Township Historical Society to tour all three of their historic sites, the Gandy Farmstead, the Friendship School and the Tuckahoe Train Station, plus an additional tour of the Endicott-Reardon Family Museum. It would be a long day.
Waking up to the sun the next morning
When I woke up the next morning and checked my schedule for the morning and afternoon, and then checked the weather report, I decided to extend my stay in Cape May one more night.
I arranged for the additional night and walked down to Uncle Bill’s Pancake House for the second day of picture dining. It was another sunny afternoon and I was going to need a lot of energy. I ordered an Omelet with a side of sausages, potatoes and rye toast (breakfast from Christmas time 2021). The breakfast was excellent.
The omelet with potatoes and sausage
The breakfasts here are amazing!
You can create two breakfasts from the meal
On the way back to the hotel, I had to walk along the shore just to work some of breakfast off before my roadtrip. They give you so much.
It was a beautiful morning and a perfect shore day
God creates these beautiful days for us to enjoy
After my walk, it was time to meet the Board Members of the Upper Township of Cape May Historical Society at the Gandy Farmstead, my first historical stop.
The Gandy Farmstead at 26 Tyler Road in Oceanview, NJ
I was met by two of the Board member who had just arrived and we did an extensive tour of the house, the outer building and the grounds.
The first floor kitchen, storage and wash area of the house
The kitchen and heating area of the house
The second door bedroom
The attic loft area
We then took a tour of the grounds that included the well, the smokehouse, the outhouse and extensive tour of the barns. The organization did a nice job preserving the integrity of the home and life at that time period.
The back part of the grounds with the various buildings
We did an extensive tour and discussion of each building (you can see the full tour on my blog VisitingaMuseum.com). The barn was the most interesting.
The barn on the Gandy Farmstead
The inside of the barn
The inside of the barn
The tour was really nice and what an interesting home. The displays were so well organized and laid out. Each of the buildings told their own story.
The grape arbor behind the house
We discussed the Gandy family whose ancestors live across the street and who had donated the home a grounds to the committee. We also discussed to upcoming “Apple Festival coming up in two weeks.
Please read my blog on the Gandy Farmstead Apple Festival:
After the full tour of the house and grounds, we headed to the Friendship School down the road and up the highway from the homestead. Another fascinating look at the areas past.
The school just showed me how things have not changed in over a hundred years.
The front of the Friendship School
The school has the most interesting look both inside and out. You see the way students lived and learned at the turn of the last century.
The old water pump outside the school for classroom use
The classroom reflects education of the various levels of students between the ages of Kindergarten and High School.
The classroom set up is still similar to today
Instead of computers and laptops they used slates, chalk and books
The Friendship School showed how much we have progressed in education but it also has stayed the same. The ladies explained to me that the school is open at certain times of the year to show children how the classroom still reflects its main purpose, to learn and to educate.
The Outhouse
On my way to the last historic site on the Historical Society’s list, the ladies took me to the Frog Hollow Bakery for the most mindblowingly delicious doughnuts.
The Frog Hollow Bakery at 140 NJ 50 in Ocean View, NJ
We just stopped in for a doughnut and I tasted on of the best fried sugar doughnuts I had had in a long time. Everything on the counter was made from scratch and looked so good.
The delicious looking buttery breads and cakes inside of the bakery
Do not leave this bakery until you have tried one of their fried sugary doughnuts
This is such a unique and wonderful little bakery. It has a nice selection of not just baked goods but a gift items and produce.
The next historical site I visited was the Tuckahoe Train Station in Tuckahoe, NJ. This Victorian structure was once the hub of shore transportation. Now it houses all its treasures of the past.
The Tuckahoe Train Station at Railroad and Market Street in Tuckahoe, NJ
The Board member who met me at the museum was an expert on the station and gave a very in-depth tour of both the inside and outside of the station.
The old Waiting Room and Gift shop
Most railroad museums I have visited in the past have been dark and dusty but the Tuckahoe Station, which is brightly lit, beautifully organized and has engaging displays.
Each display case showed a different aspect of life on the rail system from arrival to departure
We toured both floors of the station which showed not just the life of passengers coming to and from the shore but the life of the station manager. It was a very demanding job where you have to wear many hats.
The room of the station manager on the second floor
The station manager’s office
We then toured the Baggage Room and Receiving Room
Each room built on the other showed the day of the passengers as they arrived at the station with their luggage and then had to be transported to their destination at the shore.
Then we toured the outside rail yard where many of the old train cars are being or have been restored. We discussed train travel with some lines being very luxurious for the time and others just regular transportation.
The outside rail yard on the old tracks
The Blue Comet railcar was once the ultimate in luxury travel to the shore
The last place we toured in the complex was the Repair and Transport building next to the rails. This is where everything was maintained at the depot.
The Repair Shop
The station stop at the end of the tour
I was really impressed by the Tuckahoe Station with such an interesting and thorough tour. I could not believe almost two hours went by. I said my thank you and sang my praise of how organized and fascinating the museum was to tour.
My last museum tour of the day was the Endicott-Reardon Family museum at 3036 Shore Road in Ocean View,NJ. This brand new museum houses the artifacts of both sides of Endicott and Reardon families.
The front of the Endicott-Reardon Family Museum at 3039 Shore Road
The beauty of the museum is that the last direct family descendant never threw anything out and carefully organized things for years anticipating that she wanted to open a museum. It is a fascinating look at the life of an Upper Middle class family from the turn of the last century to today.
The beauty of the museum is that the last direct family descendant never threw anything out and carefully organized things for years anticipating that she wanted to open a museum. It is a fascinating look at the life of an Upper Middle class family from the turn of the last century to today.
The inside of the museum and its extensive collection of family artifacts
The curator of the museum met me in the late afternoon for the tour. Instead of a musty house, this recently built museum is bright and airy and the well lit displays showcase the collections. Each section of the museum is broken down by collection and life style.
The family artifacts at the entrance of the museum
The Living Room set up
The bedroom set up
The Dining Room set up
The Founder’s Doll Collection
The founder of the collection even had a collection of dolls and toys she loved and the display was replicated in the museum with all the original toys.
The founder as a little girl in her bedroom
The exact replica of the picture with all the original toys
Family items from father and uncles
What amazed me about the museum was how meticulous the owner kept all the family items including everyday items like irons and dishes. The woman never threw anything out.
Everything from her childhood into adulthood had been carefully documented and preserved much to the benefit of us the visitors. We get a glimpse into the life of an Upper Middle class family at the turn of the last century. I thought this was fascinating and for people interested in history, it is a nice museum to visit.
After my tour I talked with the curator and thanked her for all her time and promised a wonderful write up (please read my blog on all these museums). Then I headed back to Cape May
On my way back I stopped at an ice cream stand that had become part of my tradition on my trips, the Icd Cream Station at 809 US 9 in Cape May Courthouse. The ice creams are all made in house and are delicious.
The ice cream here is amazing. It is so dense, rich and creamy. It is a lot of fun to just sit in the courtyard and just relax.
The courtyard of the Ice Cream
The Cookies and Cream and Moose Trakes ice cream
The delicious selection of ice creams
The props of the property that you can eat at and climb
I love coming here for a snack. The name has changed twice over the years but quality of the ice cream has stayed the same. Consistently delicious.
I headed back to the hotel to relax for a while before dinner. I had never crammed so much into one weekend when attending the Convention while answering emails for work each night for my students. I went from morning to night.
I returned to the Ravioli House that night for dinner again for another night of picture taking. This time dining on a dinner that I ate four years earlier. I love doing this type of research.
The meal started off with an order of homemade Fried Mozzarella, which was served with their delicious red sauce. They looked like fancy fried mozzarella sticks. They were excellent. Gooey and stringy at the same time.
The Fried Mozzarella
Then a crisp salad, which I always enjoy with their homemade dressing.
The house salad with Creamy Italian dressing
For dinner I ordered a dish the I have enjoyed here twice before, the homemade Linguini with Bolognese sauce. Talk about a wonderful dinner. The rich combination of freshly chopped meats and tomatoes is excellent. I never have a bad meal here!
The pasta is delicious
The dinner was excellent
For dessert I indulged the Pastry shop next door and enjoyed a Delishioso cookie. This is a short bread cookie filled with hazelnut filling.
The Pastry shop at the Ravioli House
The assorted cakes and pastries to choose from in the case
The inside of the pastry shop
My dessert, the Delishioso cookie
This sweet indulgence is two buttery shortbread cookies with hazelnut filling and rolled in chopped hazelnuts
What a sweet treat!
After a day of running around for both jobs, I decided to extend my stay by one night. I was so tired from all the driving and touring and trying to cram everything into one trip, I went back to my room and had the best nights sleep in a long time.
The next morning I had a relaxing breakfast at the Magnolia Room, the Chalfonte Hotel’s restaurant. It was such a nice warm sunny morning, that I ate out on the porch. It was nice to sit back and relax and do nothing.
The Chalfonte Hotel my last morning
The inside of the Magnolia Room set up for breakfast
Dining on the porch is what you want to do when the weather is warm. The views are wonderful and it is so relaxing.
The views from the porch at breakfast
Admiring the views at breakfast
My breakfast, the Chalfonte Breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast
The breakfast at the Magnolia Room are excellent
Went back up to my room to relax for a bit before check out. I had a long trip home and decided this time to take it easy and not rush back. I decided to follow the shore towns up and make stops at places I wanted to visit again. Getting myself motivated after a relaxing night and morning was tough.
Checking out of my room late the next morning
I left Cape May later that morning and heading up the shore highway with a stop in Stone Harbor first. I took my time and took various stops along the highway to take pictures.
The marshes along the highway to Stone Harbor, NJ
The lone fisherman in the early morning
The views of the coastline
The view of the marshes
The marshes in Stone Harbor
When I got into Stone Harbor, I tried to see if the historic Life Guard station was open but it was closed for the season. That is when I came across the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. I must have passed this dozens of times over the years and did not know what it was.
The entrance to the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary at 11400 Third Avenue in Stone Harbor, NJ
I toured the main path through the park and got lost in walking through the woods which drowned out traffic and all you could hear was the birds chirping. It was a quiet and peaceful walk admiring the woods and the sounds of nature around me.
The entrance to the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary
Walking through the woods hearing nature
The woods were beautiful in the late Summer
The outside of the park on a early Sunday morning
I continued up the coastal highway to my last stop on my way home. I decided to stop in Margaret, NJ to visit Lucy, the Elephant. I had not visited this famous structure in years and I wanted to update my pictures.
Lucy the Elephant at 9200 Atlantic Avenue in Margate, NJ
The weather was so nice that we were able to tour the whole elephant and the nice part about the tour was that it was just myself and the tour guide. Items great to visit here on Mondays when it is quiet.
Heading up the stairs
The belly of Lucy
The inside of Lucy was once real estate offices
The tour guide explained to me that the elephant was used to attract real estate buyers of shore land back at the turn of the last century. The structure had through many owners before it fell into disrepair after WWII. The effort to ‘Save Lucy‘ became the battle cry of the community much to the benefit of all future visitors. The elephant needs constant maintenance and visitors are how it benefits the community.
The view from the top of the Huto
The view from the Huto of the ocean
The view of the City of Margate, NJ
Lucy the Elephant from the parking lot
After the tour was over, I had a wonderful conversation with my tour guide about her going to high school in Atlantic City. Those battle scars were interesting to talk about.After I left , I went to explore downtown Margate and see if the Margate Historical Society was open. It was closed for the afternoon.
The Margate Historical Society at 1 South Washington Avenue
The museum has limited hours and was not open that day. So I had lunch and headed home.
Between my work for the fire department and my work on my travel and dining blogs, it was an extremely productive weekend. There will be more of this area to explore in the future.
I could not believe how much of the shore I covered for my travel blog and was still contributing to the future of the fire service. We have to do what we need to do to promote the great State of New Jersey.
While I was searching for the Cape May Maritime Museum, I made a detour into a parking lot and came across the Garrett Family Preserve
The sign that welcomes you to the park
Visiting the Preserve:
(from the Cape May Visitor website)
The Nature Conservancy protects the 180-acre Garrett Family Preserve situated between Seashore Road and Cape Island Creek, offering a tranquil setting for walking, picnics, painting, biking, and observing nature.
The preserve offers six trails ranging from 0.2-0.5 miles in length, and a two-mile perimeter loop along the forested edge–four miles in total. Explore year-round on foot or by bicycle. Sights vary by season, with bird migration peaking in the spring and fall, and the wildflower field blooming from May through July. Beginning in late August into the fall, Monarch butterflies stop here to feed before their journey south.
Preserve amenities include a mobile bird blind, welcome kiosk, shaded pavilion with picnic tables, benches and picnic tables along the trails, and three adjustable art easels. From November 1st to March 1st, leashed dogs are welcome. Because this is a preserve, the Nature Conservancy does not provide trash receptacles. Be sure to take anything you’ve brought with you.
The size of the preserve
The history of the Garrett Family
History of the Preserve:
(From the Nature Conservatory website)
Originally slated for development, TNC acquired the property in 2000, as the preserve offered an unusual opportunity to manage a significant piece of land for migratory songbirds, whose stopover habitat, especially at the southern tip of the peninsula, has been all but wiped out.
In 2013, the generosity of the Garrett family enabled TNC to further protect Cape Island Creek for future generations by acquiring crucial land, improving and stewarding habitat, performing coastal research and installing enhanced visitor amenities.
After reading some of the history of the preserve, I decided to take a walk down the paths. I ended up walking down several paths that took me through woods and many natural gardens. I could see by how dry everything was how the lack of rain was affecting the preserve.
The pathways leading to different parts of the preserve
Following the pathways through the preserve
My first stop was the picnic area and rest stop
The Insect Hotel
The Insect Hotel
The description of the insect hotel
I thought this was an interesting concept of creating a place for insects to have a breather. It is a place of reproduction and in helping pollinate the preserve.
The fields of plants and wildflowers that make up the preserve
The flowering plants and wildflowers in the fields
Each of the paths took me through different parts of the preserve that were wooded or with meadows or an array of wildflowers that attracted birds, butterflies and bees.
The batches of wildflowers in the meadow
The Salt Marsh part of the Preserve was filled with more wildflowers that had bees and butterflies swarming them.
The Salt Marsh Habitat
The sign for the Salt Marsh Habitat
The the pathways though the meadows
The fields of flowers and plants in the marsh area
Th e next section of the preserve I visited was the Wildflower Meadows
The Wildflower Meadows in the late summer
The Wildflower Meadows paths
As I left this part of the preserve, I took many paths around the park lands. There are all sorts of fields of flowers and woods to shade the way during touring the preserve.
Going on the different trails throughout the preserve
I walked down the paths to the Bird Habitat area
The golden rod flowers attract all sorts of bees and butterflies
Flowering Honey Suckle
Beautiful flowering plants in the woods area
The colorful paths of flowers that lined the Bird Sanctuary
This all led to the end of the trails and a wrap up of how the pollinators work. How the plants, insects and birds play a role in nature.
The last thing I saw at the preserve was this butterfly sculpture by the parking lot
The history of the Garrett family
The park changes its complexity with each season. What I noticed at the end of the summer with no rain is how dry the fields were and the trees were changing colors early because the lack of moisture.
It will be interesting to see the preserve in the Spring and early Summer in the future. It was a nice walk through the preserve.
Sunset Beach in all its glory in the summer of 2023.
Sunset Beach is a marvelous place to visit for sunset
Sunset Beach in Cape May, NJ is one of the most beautiful beaches in American and is ranked 24# on TripAdvisor as one of the breathtaking beaches to visit. The beach site in Lower Township in Cape May and is at the very end of Sunset Boulevard which is a direct run from downtown Cape May.
One both sides of the parking lot, there are gift shops and a small café grill. These have limited hours after Labor Day Weekend. The grill is closed after the holiday weekend but sometimes stays open depending on the weather after the Labor Day weekend.
The beach is amazing as you can see the pleasure boats in the distance coming in and out of the small harbor just north of the beach.
The Sunset Beach is really beautiful in the off season when not a lot of people are there
The Start of the Sunset in December 2022
Looking out into Delaware Bay is quite spectacular with its moving waves and the way it glitters in the sun. In the warmer months, it is just nice to walk along the shore and watch the birds. In the winter months, the breezes get to be too much and a short visit is nicer.
The beginning of the sunset
Any time of the year though, make sure to be here for sunset and that is when the beach works it beautiful natural magic.
The setting of the sun
The sun disappearing in the horizon
The sun disappearing
At sunset you will see an array of colors with the sun setting in the distance. The last time I visited the beach in September, it was a combination of oranges, purples and blues as the sun set. The lower the sun the more brilliant the colors. They become more complex as the sun gets lower.
The final sunset
Sunset Beachat various times of the year:
The best part of the view is that it is played out on the large stage. It covers the whole sky and it looks like the sun is going to sleep in the bay. You can almost touch it. Each night when the sun sets its a different color in the rainbow in the sky. The backdrop of the small stone formations and the SS Atlantus Concrete Ship make it more dramatic.
SS Atlantus Concrete Ship
Whenever you are in Cape May, try to finish your dinner early and then watch Mother Nature work her magic by the shoreline. It is an experience that should not be missed. Please try to arrive about an hour before sunset to get a space in the parking lot. It is the most spectacular site at anytime of the year.
Sunset Beach area:
The SS Atlantus Concrete Ship:
The SS Atlantus Concrete Ship was built and launched in 1918, just after World War I had ended as a trans-Atlantic steamer to return troops from Europe to home. After being decommissioned in 1926, she was purchased along with two other ships to create a ferry dock for ferries from Cape May to Delaware. The plans were later shelved as she ran aground in a storm along Sunset Beach and could not be freed.
Flag Lowering Ceremony:
The Evening Flag Ceremony held every night at sunset between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The lowering of the American flag at sunset is a 40-year-old tradition. All of the flags that are flown at the flag ceremony are veteran’s caskets flags that families being with them from their loved one’s funeral. The ceremony includes the Pledge of Allegiance, the ‘Stat-Spangled Banner’ and a recording of Kate Smith’s ‘God Bless America”.
The beautiful summer sunset in 2023.
Cape May Diamonds:
While taking a stroll along the beach, look out for Cape May ‘Diamonds’. These are small pieces of quartz crystal found in the sand that are washed from the bay. You can find Cape May diamond jewelry in the gift stores at the beach.
(NJ Leisure Guide)
Sunset Beach
Disclaimer: This information was taken from the NJ Leisure Guide and I give their writer full credit for it. The beach is open all year around but it is the best in the warmer months. Don’t miss this spectacular view at sunset.
Visiting again in 2025:
When I came in the Summer of 2025, for the Firemen’s Convention, that Saturday evening I came on the most spectacular sunny evening and the beach was packed.
Sunset Beach in the summer of 2025
I loved the sailboat in the distance
The beach was crowded with people
Then the sun started to set and the magic began. It was such a clear night it was perfect to see the sun set with no cloud interference.
The setting of the sun at 7:00pm
People getting the birds-eye view of the setting sun
While I was at Sunset Beach, I took a series of videos when the sun was setting to share with all the readers. You really must visit Sunset Beach to experience the beauty and the gracefulness of Mother Nature at her best. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys these videos of the setting of the sun in Delaware Bay.
The pictures and videos of the setting of the sun at Sunset Beach:
The Halloween decorations were not even put away, the weather was 80 degrees on Halloween night and as I walked to the restaurant after the parade, display people were decorating windows with wreathes and trees. Here comes Christmas ! Between Halloween and Christmas I never sit still. There is so much ground to cover between New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania covering events for the holidays for my blog. It was a lot of picture taking this holiday season and revamping older blogs with new pictures and updates on the events. Join me for my crazy holiday season.
The beautiful sunrise on the day after Thanksgiving to start the Christmas holiday season
The Friday after Thanksgiving, we had the Christmas tree drop off with the Men’s Association and then I worked a triple shift that Friday from 7:00am to 9:00pm. It was a long busy day . We sold over 50 trees that day and they kept coming.
The tree racks were filled and refilled during the day
We had not even been open ten minutes and we had our first sale
It was a beautiful day for the start of the sale
Fully set up for the sale
The members of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association at the beginning of the sale
The first day it was non- stop business all day. Thanksgiving fell a week late this year and we lucked out with sunny but cool weather putting everyone in the Christmas mood. We just ran around and worked all morning, afternoon and evening selling , wrapping and tying trees to people’s cars and trucks. It was really a team effort.
Because I had plans on almost all weekends and weekday nights for the next two weeks, I worked the “Triple Shift”, which is Christmas tree drop off, then the morning shift from 10:00am-2:00pm, the afternoon shift 2:00pm-6:00pm and the evening shift the 6:00pm-9:00pm plus marching in the Hasbrouck Heights Christmas Parade with the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association.
We were open for business on one of our busiest opening days that I can remember. We all forgot that Thanksgiving came a week late this year and people were waiting for us to open
One of our new Executive Board Members wanted to put a float in the parade for publicity for the Christmas tree sale so we marched along with that. It was a long day. Thank God, we had bought pizza for lunch for the members and another member brought White Castle Hamburgers and Chicken Rings for us. We did not have to stop for meals. That brought its own challenges later on.
Fully open for business
It may have been a long day, but it was a productive day for us. By the end of the evening, we sold 51 trees and four stands, refilled everything as we went along and then marched in the parade and then returned to sell one more tree before we called it quits at 8:45pm. The temperatures did drop, and the parade was not as crowded as I thought it might be on an evening where everyone was off.
We turned the Christmas lights at dusk
Later in the evening is when the true spirit of the site comes to life. The Christmas lights come on and it really brings the spirit of Christmas home. It lets our customers know that we are open for business.
The Christmas tree lot the first weekend night of the sale
I think this festive environment is perfect for selling trees
We closed the lot for an hour so that the guys working that night could march in the town holidays parade with our float. We really had a nice time handing out candy canes to the kids and wishing everyone a happy holiday season.
The start of the Hasbrouck Heights Holiday Parade
The costumed Christmas characters
The Moonachie Fire Department displaying their lights
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association float in the parade
The parade concluded at the Circle for the Annual Tree Lighting ceremony. We did not stay for it as we had to head back to the lot for selling but I went back later to take pictures.
The Christmas trees lit on the Circle in Downtown Hasbrouck Heights
The museum has an extensive collection of firefighting memorabilia and equipment from different stages of the fire service. The museum is a must for firefighters and fire buffs.
The lighting display by the Circle
The historical Dollhouse on the Circle
The Hasbrouck Heights Firemen’s Park at the Circle decorated for the holidays
The bell at the Firemen’s Park
The Firemen’s Park display by the gazebo
The gazebo beautifully decorated by the town for the holidays
The sign welcome you to Hasbrouck Heights for the holiday season. When it comes to the holiday spirit of special events, house decorating and community involvement the residents of Hasbrouck Heights really bring the holiday spirit to life.
We headed back to the lot to finish out the evening selling for more trees and one stand. By the time we closed the lot for the evening, we had sold a record 51 trees and four stands in one day. It was a great way to start the sale. This was just the start of my holiday season in the never ending rush of activities.
The Christmas tree lot as we were closing for the evening
That Saturday, I decided to break a bad curse that I had experienced five years ago when visiting the historic Kearney House in Alpine. This is where I had the accident going down that cliff road at night. Though I said to myself that I would never enter that park again at night, I figured during the day would be okay.
The sad part was that I was the only guest for the first hour and a half of the opening. It was a chilly afternoon on Thanksgiving weekend but inside there was wonderful entertainment and hot cider to enjoy.
Enjoying the guitar playing and a cup of hot cider at the Kearney House
In between the entertainment and enjoying a few cups of the hot cider, I was able to tour the house again and take pictures. With the fireplaces going and glowing, it created a festive environment for relaxing during the holidays.
The Dining Room with the fireplace warming the room and hot cider to drink
Historic games to play
The fireplace glowing keeping the kitchen warm
Touring the upstairs bedroom gallery
The other bedroom and park system gallery
The old Attic bedrooms where Mrs. Kearney’s children used to sleep
After the tour was over, I stayed for an hour and enjoyed the music and the warm fire. It was a nice break from the holiday rush.
Enjoying the holiday music by the fireplace
I had to get back home but took the time to tour the park and houses grounds. It is an interesting historic site.
The herb garden
The house by the boat basin
The beautiful Fall foliage inside the park grounds. This was the last of the colors as the cold of winter was coming
In touring the Kearney House, I completing taking pictures of almost all the historical sites in Bergen County. The house is now closed for the season and will not open again until the end of April.
The next day I attended the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Holiday Party at the NJ State Firemen’s Home Association Christmas Party of the residents. This is one of the biggest events that we run for the residents for the home and the residents love this event. They have a good meal at the home, wonderful entertainment and present for every resident. No resident should be forgotten during the holiday season.
My blog on the Christmas event at the NJ State Firemen’s Home:
We started our meeting with a very nice buffet lunch that all members and the staff at the home could enjoy before the entertainment started. It was a nice way to start the afternoon. Chef Prince prepared a feast of Baked Ziti, Chicken Piccata, salads, breads, deli sandwiches and Chocolate Cake from Rockland Bakery for dessert. Everyone loved it!
The buffet lunch
The buffet lunch
Then we headed in for the afternoon entertainment. We were treated to the entertainment of and Member Jerry Naylis’s family, who we are watching grow up before our eyes. Funny how time marches on.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association with Santa and our pal, Wells
Jerry Naylis’s daughter and granddaughters in their group picture
Wells and I took our picture as well. He is such a great member
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association elected me President for 2025 which I humbly accepted. I felt very honored.
After the party was over and everyone headed home, I took a detour to visit Downtown Boonton, which is a few blocks from the home and saw all the decorations. The town looked very festive.
I then visited the town’s Santaland that was closing for the afternoon and took pictures around the park.
Santaland
Letters to Santa in Santaland
Santaland set up for visitors
Santa’s Headquarters in the Park
The decorations in the park
The other entrance to Santaland
The Gazebo in the Park lit for the holidays
The gazebo in the park at dusk before I left for the evening
I have to say one thing is that for a small town, Boonton does a beautiful job decorating the Downtown. The Main Street and the parks were very festive and put you in the holiday spirit.
The rest of the week was concentrating on the last quiz of the semester and getting ready for major projects. I also had another night of selling Christmas trees and did the weather turn quickly. It went from the 60’s to the 30’s very quickly.
After this week was over, it was time for a break. My students were very antsy due to their major project being due the next week. I do not know why everyone felt so uptight on such a fun project.
I could not wait until Friday morning when I could have a day off and just relax. I planned a trip down to South Jersey to take two Christmas House Walking Tours, one in Woodstown and Pinesboro on Friday and the other in Salem,NJ the next day.
This is my blog on the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Walking Tour on the Historical Society site:
I was not too sure what to expect so I dropped my luggage at the hotel first and got to Woodstown early. I had enough time for some lunch so I ate at the Creekside Inn, where the busses were leaving from. The food and service were excellent.
The entrance to the Creekside Inn right on the golf course off Downtown Woodstown
I sat down in the bar area that was decorated for the holidays and ordered lunch while planning the evening. The food and the service are excellent.
The Christmas tree by the buffet being set up for that evening
The food and the service were wonderful (see review on TripAdvisor). Not wanting to be loaded up for the tour I had a Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes. It was delicious. They made it with sour dough bread and cooked it in butter so that the outside was crisp. The perfect comfort food on a cool afternoon.
My lunch at the Creekside Inn, the Grilled Cheese with bacon and tomatoes with a side salad and a Coke
It was a nice sized lunch
Yum!
It was perfect timing because just as I finished it was time to take the bus out to the homes in Pinesgrove. What a nicely planned tour.
The outside patio area where we caught the bus and Santa would join us later
Our first stop on the four house tour was the Seven Stars Tavern House, what was once an old Tavern between Woodstown and Bridgeton. It was so beautifully restored and decorated for the holidays.
The historic marker for the tavern
Our group starting the tour of the house
Our group talking with the owner of the Seven Stars Tavern
The former tavern area of the home
The decorations in the Living Room of the Seven Stars Tavern
The decorations in the Seven Star Tavern
The Christmas tree in the Dining Room
The Dining Room in the Seven Stars Tavern
After the tour of this former tavern, it was time to move onto the next three houses on the tour.
We started the next part of the tour at the farm.
The Farm in Pilesgrove
The Living Room at the house
The Dining Room at the house
The barn on the property
When we exited the house, we had time to walk the grounds which were so beautifully landscaped and maintained. I was trying to imagine what the grounds must look like in the Spring and Summer.
The bus then picked us up and took us to the next location which was the Figo Farm. That was a real treat as that home was so beautifully decorated and the hosts so welcoming to us.
The Figo Farm in Pilesgrove, NJ
The Figo Farm was more of a ‘gentlemen’s’ farm with small fields and an orchard with a stable in the back. The family who hosted the event could not have been more gracious to us. They welcomed us with home baked cookies and holiday greetings.
Welcoming us in their beautifully decorated kitchen
The aroma of freshly baked cookies was in the air
The beautiful warm living room where we had a talk on the history of the farm
While I talked inside with the host’s parent’s most of my group took a hay ride around the farm. I met them in the stables which were beautifully decorated for the holidays.
The stables at the back of the farm
The beautiful decorations in front of the barn
The beautiful tree by the barn
Our then took us to the last stop on the Pilesgrove tour which was ‘Morgan’s Folly’, a Federalist style farmhouse home, very big and elaborate for the time. It just started to get dark when we arrived.
The beautiful sunset on the farm fields
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ home at the holiday
The Dining Room at ‘Morgan’s Folly’
The beautiful family Christmas tree
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ house we were left at for over forty-five minutes and no bus came to pick us up. We found out later from the bus driver that one of the bus drivers got let go early and they forgot to pick us up. So we got back to the Inn about an hour late. No big deal. I got back to the meeting spot and vendors had set up and Santa was there.
I ended up having a long conversation with Santa and I asked why people were so rude today. He had been by himself and stood up and looked at me and said, ‘Some of it they learned at home listening to their parents and some of it they learned on their own.’ He told me though that you should look for the best in people. I thanked him and told him, ‘I still believe in you.’ That seemed to please him. I think we need to carry that holiday spirit with us always.
Myself with Santa
When I got back, it only left me about two and a half hours to tour homes in Woodstown so I got back on the bus and they drove us to Downtown Woodstown, which was beautifully decorated for the holiday.
Downtown Woodstown, NJ decorated for Christmas
Downtown Woodstown
The display windows were so nicely decorated for the holidays
The whole downtown residential area was so nicely decorated for the holidays
I had never been in Woodstown for Christmas. I had just passed through to look at the decorations. What a beautiful town to walk around. Since it was late, I wanted to visit as many homes as I could before 8:30pm. The event closed up at 9:00pm but I am sure that many people would be exhausted by that point with people walking through their homes.
The homes were so nicely decorated
Some houses were not open but the exteriors were on display. This one had a wonderful light show on the side of the house.
This was a delightful show
The first house I visited was the Bobbitt House, which had been owned by a former doctor. The fire places were lit that evening which was nice on a cool night and the whole house sparkled with lights and garland.
The Bobbitt House lit for Christmas
The house was decorated to the hilt
The rooms were all decorated for the holidays
The house was just magnificent and all the details were so perfect. The family that owned the house did such amazing work on the decorations. I then moved on to the next house.
This house was only open on porch to admire the decorations
The next house I visited was only open for view of the outside but the owner’s daughter was entertaining us on the porch. It was a really festive concert.
A wonderful version of ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’
I moved on to the Pilesgrove- Woodstown Historical Society for a quick tour and to admire the decorations. The docents were stationed around to help and there were refreshments in the kitchen area.
The Christmas tree at the Historical Society
The Doll and Toy collection
The old house was decorated with bows and garland
The Colonial kitchen was still the centerpiece and the heart of the house
It was getting late and I visited my last house of the evening, which had once been the home of the minister and his wife to the church next door. It now was owned by a designer who decorated it to the hilt for the holidays.
Every detail was in place to the home in Downtown Woodstown
The beautiful Living Room decorated for the holidays
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The banister decorated for the holidays
What was nice about our host was how gracious she was with refreshments of hot cider, hot tea, cookies and chocolate. Unfortunately spending the day eating all these sweets was enough and I just needed a snack later.
While most of the homes were closing up for the evening, before I took the bus back to the car, I walked around the downtown where they had set up a market with all sorts of vendors. By this point, they were just starting to close up but I got to sample some of the wares.
The Christmas Mart in Downtown Woodstown, NJ
I took the bus back to the Inn and drove back to Salem for the evening. I got into bed early. I was so worn out from the cold and the running around that I spelt soundly that night. Still I got up early to watch the sun rise.
The sun rising from the view of the Meadow Room at the Inn at Salem River
I had a nice breakfast the morning at the Inn overlooking the Delaware Bay. It was not like the Summer or Fall when you could eat outside on the deck. It was so cold that I ate by the windows looking out with the heat on. Breakfast at the Inn with that view on a sunny morning is breathtaking.
Starting breakfast with this view is a treat
I always enjoy my breakfasts at the Inn
There was a whirlwind of activities that I had not planned. I had another Christmas walking tour of homes but this time in Downtown Salem, NJ but it did not start until the afternoon. What I did do was attend the Annual Christmas parade on the Main Street.
The start of the Magic of Christmas Parade
The start of the parade with costumed characters
The entertaining band
The costumed people in the parade
The Salem Fire Department adds to the spirit of the parade
The Parade Queen and her court waving to the crowd
Even this playful Christmas got into the spirit of the parade
After the parade was finished, I made my way to the Salem Fire Museum, which after five years of trying to visit was finally open. I talked with the firemen on duty and walked the whole museum. It is a unique look at the history of the fire service in both Salem and New Jersey.
The second floor gallery of living quarters and offices
The firehouse Christmas tree and rescue equipment
The I stopped next door to the Salem County Courthouse, which is the second oldest continuous used courthouse in the country. The courthouse was beautifully decorated inside and out.
The Salem County Courthouse at South Broadway decorated for the holidays
The entrance to the courthouse was so spirited
These historical buildings line Downtown Salem, NJ
The side of the Salem Courthouse was decorated for the holidays
The inside of the Courthouse has the original wooden chairs
I loved the tree in the corner
The tour guide said since the doors have opened, this building has been in continuous use for the City of Salem. If these walls could talk.
I crossed the street and visited the old main bank in town that is now an art store and school. They were preparing for an onslaught of children coming in for arts and crafts.
Then I moved on the antique store to check in with the formal part of the house tour, exploring the historic buildings of Market Street. My first stop was to check in at Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street.
Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and has such interesting merchandise.
From the antique store, I worked my way down Market Street to many of the homes and churches that were open for the house tour. The first part of the tour was a Colonial military display along the river.
The Dutch cabin during the military display
The military display near the river right before a Christmas battle
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays
The decorations are whimsical
I started the tour of the Federalist homes and they were so beautifully decorated.
Downtown Salem, NJ decorated for the holidays
The first stop on the Yuletide tour at 40 Market Street
The house was so beautifully decorated and the host could not have been nicer. She talked extensively about the renovation and her little grandson was dressed in period costume greeting people.
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays
The fireplaces were lit in the Living Room and Dining Room giving it a warm feeling
Our host had wonderful refreshments in the kitchen waiting for us at the end of the tour
After this wonderful tour, I moved to the next house.
This house at 43 Market Street was next on the list
The foyer at 43 Market Street
The upstairs at 43 Market Street
The couple that owned this house put a massive amount of work into the renovation of this home and you could tell the amount of TLC that went into every detail. The whole house was so beautifully decorated.
I went inside St. John’s Episcopal Church for a tour of the Christmas decorations and listen to the traveling carolers. They stopped at most of the places I visited that afternoon.
The church opened their rectory to sell items for lunch and had a desserts available. After two days of non-stop Christmas cookies I was all cookied out. So I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder with sourdough bread and talk about hitting the spot on a cold day. I was totally energized.
The excellent Clam Chowder I had for lunch
The Carolers came to the rectory as well
After a good lunch and a nice rest from all the walking, I moved on to explore the rest of Downtown Salem. The next stop was the Presbyterian Church with its musical performance.
The 1st Presbyterian Church at 88 Market Street is very impressive that afternoon
The carolers followed us around the downtown and performed in this church as well
What was nice about this Christmas walking tour was being able to see the inside of all these historical buildings and being able to see all the nooks and crannies of these old buildings.Just like the Woodstown tour the day before, the Salem County Historical Society was open too for touring.
I had seen all these exhibitions in the Summer when I was in town for the Firemen’s Convention, so I was not there long. My favorite section of the museum at the holidays is the ‘Keeping Room’, which is the original section of the home where the museum is housed.
I toured the museum for about forty-five minutes before I moved on to the next site. Take time to really tour the museum as it has so many interesting exhibitions and artifacts to see.
I next walked down Broadway to the Friends Meeting House, the center of the Quaker religion. The building was really old and smelled like wood and dust and creaked when you walked around it. I did not stay long.
The one part of the Meeting House that was cheerful and decorated for the holidays
I moved on to the last two homes of the tour as the afternoon moved on. The first house was no longer a home but an insurance company. The front of the building is the older part of the house and the back was the addition which was part of the old Masonic Lodge. It was a unique building.
The old house at 90 West Broadway is now an insurance company
The beauty of the main entrance room of the former home
This little doll in a sled was one of the members Grandmother’s toy
The home had been sold years ago and then became the Masonic Lodge which itself had closed years ago and the insurance company bought it for offices.
The last house I visited on the tour was a gorgeous Victorian in a rather sketchy neighborhood. The couple had lived there for years and said they never had a problem. I could see the huge potential if many of these houses were renovated.
The home at 24 Oak Street was the last house on my list that day
The owners had lived here for years and had renovated it to loving care. The landscaping was impressive even at the end of Fall. I would love to see what it is like in the Spring and Summer.
The woman who owned the home with her husband explained that she had hung all the wallpaper herself when she was younger. She did a beautiful job and the couple could not been more gracious in welcoming us into their home.
Their beautiful Living Room with elaborate wallpaper
Even the Kitchen was nicely decorated
We toured the house and got to see the gardens in the back which be impressive in warmer weather. The couple also had hot cider and cookies waiting for us at the end of the tour.
The last stop on the tour was where I would spending the night, the Barrett Plantation House B & B. I got to the B & B which was packed with cars out front. I was graciously welcomed by my hosts.
There was a fire going in the fireplace and music in the Parlor Room, which is where we would be served Breakfast the next morning. They even had a violinist who was in Revolutionary War garb playing songs from that period.
The Barrett Plantation House B & B at 203 Old Kings Highway
He beautiful decorations for the holidays at the entrance of the foyer
The Parlor where we relaxed when we finished the tour
The violinist who entertained us that evening not played the songs but explained the holiday entertainment of that period.
It was a very nice end of the tour. We just sat in front of the fire and talked with the violinist. He explained the songs he was playing and how people would entertain during that time. It was nice to just relax in a chair and be warm by the fire.
Since the couple at the B & B had to clean up after all the people touring through the rooms, I drove back downtown to attend the Christmas tree lighting ceremony
The County Courthouse decorated at night for the ceremony
The local elementary school provided the choir for the ceremony
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the ceremony by fire truck
The Parade Queen and Santa led the tree lighting ceremony that evening
The front of the Courthouse after the tree lighting ceremony
The ceremony was for only about forty five minutes with the kids singing two Christmas carols and the elected officials wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. It got really cold out at the end of the evening.
I made it back to the B & B and joined the owners and the other guests drinks and a hot Roast Beef sandwich with fresh Potato Salad by the fire. Now that was fun. We all talked about the tour and what a perfect day it was seeing all the decorations. After a nice evening by the fire, I just relaxed up in my room. I had to be on an early walking tour of the Alloways History Museum, which had been arranged for me.
I had an early morning tour of the Alloway History Museum at 49 Greenwich Street on the second floor of the Municipal Building. This tiny museum had been elusive to me and the owners of the B & B were able to arrange to get me in. The appointment was at 8:30am so everyone else slept in while I drove to Alloway, a tiny farming community just west of Salem.
For such a small museum, it packed with interesting artifacts and displays. I was impressed by their Native American collection and their community displays. Here is a small sampling of the collection you can see on my VisitingaMuseum.com blog:
The Native American artifact collection
The local community displays
The Schoolhouse and Education display
While everyone else slept in, I toured the museum and got a feel for the collection. It really is a ‘hidden gem’ and like the Salem Fire Museum should be open to the public more.
After the tour, I went back to the Barrett’s Plantation for breakfast with the other guests and we had a wonderful meal with lively conversation by a warm fire in the dining.
The beautiful breakfast room at the Barrett’s Plantation
Our gourmet breakfast started with fresh fruit with local honey, freshly squeezed orange juice and hot tea
The delicious fruit salad
The honey Amish Bread
The breakfast entree was the Sunday soufflé with a side of hash browns
We just relaxed and talked to our hosts and enjoyed the crackling fire. It was a nice way to end the two days of touring.
After breakfast was over, I relaxed in my room for a bit before I left for a day of touring around the community. I really loved my room and the way it had decorated for the holidays.
The Dickerson Suite I highly recommend
The decorations in the Dickerson Suite at the holidays
Before I packed up and left for the day, I took a tour around the B & B and the grounds. The couple who owns it did a wonderful job decorating for the holidays. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
The staircase and foyer
The outside of the Barrett’s Plantation decorated for the holidays
The sleigh on the porch
The holiday decorations
The grounds are so nicely landscaped and are a pleasure to walk around in all seasons
Before I left for the day, I went to visit the Pennsville Historical Society to see if the house was open to see their Christmas decorations. I lucked out and they were having their Annual Open House with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Church Landing Farm, the home of the Pennsville Historical Society
The Christmas Open House was an amazing event and it was a beautiful sunny day to be outside. I started my visit with meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. In this crazy political world we live in, it was nice to see that the Claus’s were so welcoming to everyone. It is nice to believe.
Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted me warmly that afternoon
Me with Santa getting some good advice at the holidays
I toured all the display sheds and the farmhouse which were all beautifully decorated for this holiday event. There were so many beautiful decorations that I can’t show them all here but look at my blog on the Pennsville Historical Society on my site, VisitingaMuseum.com. Here are some of my favorites from the tour around the house and ground:
The farmhouse on the day of the Open House
I took a full tour of the house and grounds and took so many pictures (see the blog above) of all the beautiful decorations throughout the property. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
This is from the amusement park shed
The decorations in the military shed
The front of the farmhouse decorated for the holidays
What I love when you come to the Pennsville Historical Society’s Church Landing Farmhouse is that it is so beautifully decorated for the holidays. The volunteers go above and beyond and the house is amazing.
The foyer to the home
The front Parlor
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The upstairs bedroom
The decorations in the second bedroom
Even the upstairs bathroom was decorated
The little elf in the upstairs bathroom
The refreshments in the kitchen
I finished the tour of the house and headed down to the kitchen where the volunteers set the main table with every type of Christmas cookie you can imagine. One of the volunteers told me that every volunteer had baked a pound of cookies and they had an excess. After two full days of sweets, two were fine with me.
After some hot chocolate, I finished my tour of the grounds.
The little schoolhouse on the grounds was decorated for the holidays
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays overlooking the Delaware Bay
The Church Landing Farmhouse decorated for the holidays
After spending the early morning at the Open House, I had enough time before I went home to take a trip to Millville to see the decorations at their historical house. Unfortunately, the ladies who decorate the home that the Society owns next door had not decorated it yet so one of the volunteers took me to the Ward Mansion which they also run.
This was the home of the family that started the WaWa chain amongst other companies. The home had been decorated for their holiday party and they let me tour the home.
The Wood Mansion is part of the Millville Historical Society
The Living Room at the Wood Mansion decorated for the holidays
The Victorian Christmas tree in the Living Room
The Dining Room
The artifacts in the upstairs gallery
The Wood family tree to the branch that now runs WaWa
It was nice to take a personal tour of the home and see how the family lived in Victorian times. It seemed that the modern generation no longer wanted the home and left it to the historical society. After the tour was over, I took another tour of the historical society and then headed home. It had been a long and productive weekend.
The second week of December was presentation week for my students. I had for major presentations with all four of my classes plus a presentation to Ramsey Borough Hall. I had been teaching four classes at Bergen Community College and each of my classes had real clients this semester which I had never had before. So there were the demands of real clients and visits for the students to Closter, Bergenfield, Lyndhurst and Ramsey, NJ whose job it was to promote these great towns. I found out months later they were still asking me for things. That’s how real these projects are to people outside the classroom.
The first class to present their project was the Farm team presenting how they were going to promote the farm with all their specialty products and create a series of Special Events.
Me with my President and Senior Vice-President of Operations for the Farm Project
The Manager of the farm came to the presentation and gave his thoughts on our ideas and loved almost all of them. So I had my first happy client.
The next presentation I had was with my Marketing class and we were creating a Destination Tourism plan for the Borough of Bergenfield. We were showcasing the Bergenfield Museum, Cooper’s Pond Park and the South Church of Bergenfield’s historic cemetery.
We presented the project to the Board of the Bergenfield Museum and the publicity member of the Borough of Bergenfield. It was a brilliant presentation and everyone really liked it.
The Bergenfield Team after the Presentation
The next presentation was “It’s Razzling in Ramsey-Be a Tourist in your Own Town”, an extensive Destination Tourism plan for how to promote Ramsey, NJ for tourism. The students presented to me in the classroom first and then we presented to the Ramsey Borough Council. That was pretty amazing.
Me with my President and my Senior Vice-President of Operations
My last presentation for Thursday night was the presentation for the Lyndhurst Team for the Red Schoolhouse Museum. We presented the project that Thursday night to the Board of the museum. This presentation was put together in four weeks and it was a great presentation.
All the Presentations went and was impressed with all the students work. It took many weeks and a lot of touring of the locations but we presented to all the clients our best work. I was so drained by the end of the week that I went to bed early that evening.
I had another busy schedule the third weekend of December and that included more holiday tours and decorated homes. I had to run from Hope, NJ to Upstate New York, to attend one day events. All this while I was preparing the final exams for the next week. We had sold out of Christmas trees in two and a half weeks, so the was now behind us. We got ready for our annual Christmas stand party.
The party fell on Friday the 13th and I got in the car and left for Blairstown , NJ, where the opening scenes of the original film were shot. Going to Blairstown, NJ where the opening scenes were shot of the 1980 film has become a big thing. It was in October 13th, 2023 but in December 2025, it was Christmas all the way.
It was so cold out and so close to Christmas that there was not a sole in town. I was there for about an hour taking pictures on the holiday decorations rather than talking about Friday the 13th. I toured there and Hope, NJ and took pictures of all the decorations..
The decorations in Blairstown
The building that was the original diner that was in the opening scene. It is now a gift shop.
The cemetery gate where Annie gets dropped off in the middle of the scene
After I had toured both Hope and Blairstown, I double back to Blairstown for lunch. The Blairstown Diner for lunch and had a very good but expensive chicken sandwich off their ‘Friday the 13th menu.
I was coming back that Saturday night for the Moravian Christmas walking tour and would have loved to spend the night in the area but I had so much work to do at home that it was just easier to drive home than stay.
I was resting at home after the long ride home when the guys from the Men’s Association texted me telling me to get my butt to the party and to bring some dessert. So I changed clothes and played a platter of homemade cookies and went to the party for an hour. It ended up that after the long week of student presentations and running around, I needed the drink.
The guys on the Men’s Association enjoying a job well done at the end of the season
The tree stand the night of the party with one tree left
The next morning I was in a rush to finish my grading and the laundry as I had to be back in Hope, NJ for the walking tour and then the church services afterwards. It was going to be an hour trip back out there. Then the day after that, I would be up in Beacon, NY visiting more decorated houses.
I had been to the Moravian Christmas Lantern tour three years prior in 2021 but it had been so windy they could not put up the luminaries. This year they could.
Downtown Hope, NJ before the nightfall
The Presbyterian Church that used to be the old Moravian church where the candlelight service would take place that evening.
I liked the way everyone decorated their homes
Many of these old homes were decorated with wreathes and garland
As it grew darker, it grew colder and I was smart enough this year to take the earlier tour and leave time for dinner before church services.
The Hope Community Center where we started the tour
Inside the Hope Community Center, they set up a buffet where you could buy dinner and you could see their ‘Festival of Trees’ display the they used to display at the local hotel. They moved it back to the Community Center this year which was nicer to observe all these beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local groups.
The Community Center set for dinner and the tours
The beautifully decorated Christmas trees
The beautifully decorated tree
One tree was more impressive than another
Since I wisely chose a tour that would start at twilight and end when it got dark, I got to see the town in both perspectives. Either way, the town was fully decorated for the holidays and when the sun went down it was really beautiful.
The bridge coming into town
I got to walk around before my tour started while it was still light out and in the winter time the town is so picturesque.
All the homes in the downtown area were decorated for the holidays
The tour started at 5:00pm and we started to walk through this former Moravian community. During COVID, the town had been ‘discovered’ by New Yorkers and since my last tour in 2021, almost all the homes in town had been renovated and landscaped. The town was very impressive.
Our guide on the lantern tour
The tour took us to all the historical sites in Hope which included the church’s, manufacturing and old farms and mills. The temperature was dropping as it got darker and I felt bad for all the actors outside who had to stand there waiting for us.
Starting the tour at dusk
The historical buildings of Hope, NJ
The local elementary school entertained us on the tour
Then we toured the downtown, visiting historical buildings that are now banks and offices and visiting a live Nativity scene.
The bank was an old Meeting House at one time
The luminaries in the downtown
The luminaries downtown looking toward the church
The live Nativity performance
We rounded the downtown one more time to see all the historical homes and the beautiful light
After I returned to the Community Center, I stopped and had some dinner. The buffet had some heavy dishes and I decided on the Mac & Cheese which really warmed me up on this cool night. For dessert, I had a locally made Cider doughnut. What a nice way to end the tour.
The Community Center is a nice place to eat dinner after the tour
After dinner was over and I warmed I walked over to the Presbyterian Church for the traditional Moravian Candlelight Service. I had been here four years prior and had enjoyed the service with its engaging sermon and the beauty of the candles in the final part of the service.
The church was decorated in a secular fashion for the holidays
The service was very inspiring with a talk about family and what the purpose of the holiday really means. With all the pressure of the holidays in hand and finals week being the next week plus the posting of grades before I left for my mother’s for the holidays it was nice to just relax.
The end of the Candlelight service
Downtown Hope, NJ at the end of the church service
Having prepared all my exams and wrapped up the grades for the Team project, I was able to head to the Hudson River Valley to visit some decorated homes that I needed to revisit for my museum blog, VisitingaMuseum.com.
The first one was Mount Gulian in Beacon, which I had visited over the Summer and now needed pictures of the Christmas decorations. The other was Knox Headquarters Homestead, which I had visited several times between the Summer and the Halloween holidays. The decorations at both homes did not disappoint me.
Mount Gulian Historical site for the holidays
Since I had taken the formal tour of the house over the summer, the docent who led my tour then just gave me an overview of the Dutch holidays and explained the decorations.
The beautifully decorated front doors
The main staircase decorated for the holidays
While my tour guide finished with his first tour, I toured the house on my own.
I started in the basement looking at the Colonial kitchen, which is the only thing that survived the fire that burned this historical house to the ground in the 1930’s (the current house is a recreation of the original home).
The colonial kitchen decorated for the holidays
The decorations around the kitchen area
I made my way upstairs and continued the tour on my own.
The elegant Dining Room
The table was set for Christmas lunch
Then I toured the other rooms and made my way to the Library.
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and Christmas ornaments
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and wreaths
The old Parlor was set up for the upcoming Children’s tea
The old Parlor Room was set up and decorated for a Children’s Tea which was the week after Christmas but I still got to walk around and enjoy the decorations. The Christmas tree was elaborately decorated for the event.
The Christmas tree surrounded by pictures of the Order of Cinncinatti
I ended my tour when the next group of visitors arrived. While the tour guide greeted them, I took one last tour of the dining Room. It just a beautiful room.
The fireplace in the Dining Room with a picture of the last descendant who lived in the house as a baby over the fireplace
After the tour of Mount Gulian, I had time before my tour of the Knox Homestead to tour Downtown Beacon and have some lunch. The downtown really nicely decorated for the holidays.
Downtown Beacon decorated for the holidays
The snow had fallen the day before giving it the early Christmas look
The beauty of the mountain tops after the sun
The snow bound downtown
The beautiful falls downtown
Downtown Beacon is really a picturesque place with wonderful restaurants and shopping and interesting street art. It is a wonderful town to explore and window shop.
The beautiful decorations downtown
For lunch that afternoon, I ate at Noble Pie at 137 Main Street, a small restaurant specializing in homemade sweet and savory pies. What a treat. I had not had a piece of homemade pie in a long time and you can tell the care they have in their product in each bite.
It was a tough choice but I decided on the Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and the Apple Pie a la Mode with a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with the ice cream from Del’s Ice Cream in Rhinebeck, NY.
The wonderful Chicken Pot Pie with a flaky buttery crust
The delicious Apple Pie a la Mode with Vanilla Ice Cream
The restaurant was nicely decorated was nicely decorated for the holidays
After a wonderful lunch and a full tour of the picturesque downtown on both sides, I headed down to the Christmas Open House at the Know Headquarters . I had wanted to go early because it was so cold and it got dark early.
The lights turned on before I left Beacon giving it more of a Christmas feel
I got to the Knox headquarters for their Christmas Open House just before nightfall so they were still setting up the outdoor lights. The house looked so picturesque with the snow on the trees and grounds.
All the rooms were decorated for the holidays with costumed actors talking about life in the house during the Revolutionary War Christmas era.
The Parlor decorated at Christmas
The spirit of the lady of the house
The decorations in the Parlor
The ghostly figure in the mirror in the decorated Dining Room
The Knox office in the house with a costumed soldier to explain the plan
The decorated stairs and bannisters for the holidays
The upstairs bedrooms were well appointed and decorated for the holidays
A soldier met us at the top of the stair and explored the war years to us
The Dining Room
The last room of the afternoon I visited was the Dining Room where the Dining Room table was decorated for the holidays. This had been a trend during that period where the top of the table was decorated to impress guests.
The whole Dining Room was beautifully decorated
The Army Captain explained what entertain was like during the war years for officers and soldiers
The outside of the home was lit with a bonfire and torches
The temperature really dropped that evening and it got cold! The poor actor who portrayed a soldier standing guard was really cold. He really knew what these men must have felt.
The soldier standing guard outside the homestead
The Knox Homestead when I left that evening
The torches that lit the property on a cold winters night
After the Open House was over, I had not realized how early it still was so I decided to take a detour and visit Kingston and Woodstock to see how those town’s were decorated for the holidays.
My first stop was Woodstock, where I had spent many relaxing Christmas’s after my father passed. I needed to clear my head and spending time in the mountains with some peace and quiet helped me tremendously. I found the town quaint and had an almost Currier & Ives feel about it. It still means a lot to me at the holidays.
I always love the Woodstock Christmas tree. It always looks so unusual
The Dutch Reformed Church where I spent many Christmas Eve’s
The manager scene outside the church
The retail district around the Green at the holidays
It was so cold out that no one was outside. The restaurants were pretty quiet that evening as I could see no one wanted to venture out. It was a big difference from four months prior when it was 60 degrees and sunny in the evening. I had the whole downtown to myself that evening.
The restaurant’s were decorated to the hilt. This used to be Joshua’s where I ate Christmas Eve the years I came here
I walked around the quiet Green admiring the Christmas tree and peeking in the business windows. I could not believe that Christmas was going to be next week.
The Village Green the week before Christmas
I finished my tour of Downtown Woodstock and it was still early so I headed to Kingston. I had missed the Snowflake Festival this year because I was in Salem and Woodstown for the Christmas Hour tours so I wanted to see how the town was decorated.
Kingston is always so nice at the holidays and I wanted to see how the town was decorated. It is another picturesque town.
Downtown Kingston ‘Stockage District’ with the snowflakes
I got to Kingston late in the evening around eight in the evening and for some reason Kingston likes to roll up its sleeves at 8:00pm. I walked around the downtown and had the streets to myself.
The Kingston Christmas tree in the ‘Stockage District‘
The Dutch Reformed Church at the holidays
I would have thought there would have been bells during the holidays and it was just very quiet in the evening around the church.
The Senate House barns
One last tour around the Downtown before things closed for the evening
The merchants compete for the best windows
The windows in Kingston could compete with any other town
It was a nice way to end the day walking around this beautifully decorated town enjoying all the wonderful lights and displays all to myself. I knew I needed the relaxing as Finals week was here and the last day of class was on Thursday night. I could not wait to be done with classes.
Finals week was a rough week for everyone being so close to the holidays. I could see that a large portion of my students had no desire to study for their finals and their grades reflected that .
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the first third week of January.
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until thethird week of January.
December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the third week of January.
I had to clean the house, finish my cookie baking for gifts and do all the laundry and pack. I was leaving for my mother’s for the holiday and then two days of work and rest in Cape May. There was a lot of picture taking and cultural sites to visit.
Decorations for the holidays in Murray Hill at the Union League Club at 38 East 37th Street
I was able to get into New York City just before Christmas and I will tell you there is nothing like Manhattan during the holidays.
Nothing says ‘Christmas’ more than Macy’s on West 34th Street, my home away from home for seven years of my life working as a Manager and then a Assistant Buyer. It still is an amazing Christmas store.
I explored the City and ran around Manhattan visiting as much as I could in a day. I would be leaving for my Mother’s on the morning of the 24th, so I wanted to get things done.
Macy’s Herald Square on the Broadway side of the first floor
My first stop was Macy’s to see their windows and to see how the stores were decorated. They really did a nice job on the inside of the store and their windows I thought were the most unique of all the department stores.
Macy’s Broadway Christmas windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Passing Penn Station at Christmas
I walked around the Murray Hill neighborhood in Midtown enjoying all the holiday decorations on all the buildings.
I passed this tree outside one of the office buildings in Midtown
Gem Saloon in Murray Hill decorated for the holidays
Touring through Bryant Park during the holiday season is always a lot of fun. You always see such interesting vendors during the holiday season. The skating rink was packed with skaters and tourists filled both.
I continued to tour around Midtown, walking into stores and parks and admiring the decorations. After a long semester of classes and projects, it was nice to get my mind off work and school.
I continued the walk around Midtown up Park Avenue and passed the decorations at Grand Central Terminal. This is when you see the City at its best during the holidays.
My last stop before I left the City was an extremely crowded Rockefeller Center where every tourist from every walk of life was taking pictures from every direction. I had to elbow my way around the complex and I still got some wonderful pictures.
The Angels at Rockefeller Center at Christmas
The complex at Christmas time
The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center just known as the ‘Tree’ to us
After I left the skating rink, I walked around Saks Fifth Avenue. Their windows were not that exciting this year as they just featured clothing from the Couture floor. I could see under all the glitter that the store was having problems. I saw the cracks that I had seen at Macy’s years ago. We will see how this plays out.
The front of Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue minus their Lightshow and exciting windows
It was nice to just walk around the City and enjoy the decorations and get my mind off work. It was going to be a long day of getting ready for the holidays and then a trip to Cape May to just decompress.
Christmas Eve Day was a whirlwind of activity. I had to head to Downtown Hasbrouck Heights and pick up flowers for my cemetery visits, then head to Downtown Wood Ridge to Mills Bakery for doughnuts for my mother for breakfast Christmas Day. Then I visited my family before I left for my mother’s. It was a busy morning.
The store was so beautifully decorated inside and out
How magical the store looks inside for Christmas
The back of the store sells all sorts of Christmas treasures
This is where I buy all my flowers to pay my respects at the cemeteries and they always put a nice arrangement for me at a fair price. Plus I love looking at the decorations at the holidays.
Then it was off to Mills Bakery for pastries. The baked items at Mill’s are always fresh and the selection is wonderful.
Mills is always so nicely decorated at the holidays
The beautiful Christmas cakes at Mill’s
The holiday cookies at Mills always smile at you
The elegantly wrapped Gingerbread houses make the perfect gift
After I finished my shopping and made my visits the my family, I had a quick lunch at Bella Pizza on the Boulevard for a slice of pizza before I left for my mother’s. The Sicilian slice was really good and hit the spot for the long trip.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard decorated for the holidays
The Sicilian Pizza is fantastic and did not affect my appetite for dinner
After lunch, it was the four hour trip to my Mother’s . Thank God the traffic was not bad. Once I left the Newark area, it was smooth sailing. Even when I had to make a stop at one of the rest stops, the new rest stops were nicely decorated.
On the way into Rehoboth Beach, there is a farm where I always admire the decorations. It may not be that elaborate, but there is just something about the way they decorate that I always admire.
The farm outside Rehoboth Beach
The pictures don’t reflect how truly beautiful the farm is decorated. I could not get the correct lighting
Since there was no room at the house, I stayed at the Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Coastal Highway and I highly recommend the hotel at the holidays
The Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Costal Highway at Christmas time
The hotel is really nice with a large lobby and Breakfast Room and an indoor pool. The hotel was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The lobby at Christmas time
The Christmas tree in the lobby
The Breakfast Room where meals are served in the morning
I met the rest of the family at my mother’s after I had settled in and then we left for Christmas Eve dinner, which she calls our ‘Jewish Christmas’ meal at Confucius Chinese Restaurant.
Confucius Chinese Restaurant at 57 Wilmington Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach
Dinner is always an experience at the restaurant offering some of the best Chinese food in Delaware.
We started the Christmas Eve meal with Salt & Pepper soft Shell crab
They serve the most amazing Duck Springrolls
The Pork & Chive Dumplings steamed or Fried are mouthwatering
The entrees here are top notch and the dishes that came out of the kitchen were excellent that evening. Even for a busy evening, one dish after another was amazing.
The Moo Shu Pork here is one of their specialities and one of our favorites to order. We had to get two orders just so everyone could have one.
The Kung Pao Chicken without peanuts is one my mother’s favorites
The Tang Lake Chicken is one of my favorites and I highly recommend it
The House Special Lo Mein is another favorite of mine
The House Fried Rice is one of the best I have tasted
We had to add some greens to the Christmas Eve dinner
It was a wonderful dinner and it was nice to catch up with my family. It is tough when all of us are scattered throughout the country. It is one of the few family meals we have during the year.
After dinner was over, we all met back at my mother’s house. Before I left Downtown Rehoboth Beach, I took a quick tour of the boardwalk and the town’s Christmas tree. It is always a nice site and very festive.
The Gazebo by the shore all lit up for the holidays
Christmas Eve in downtown is quiet and beautiful
I got back to the hotel that evening and slept soundly. All those weeks of final projects and running around caught up with me. There is something about the Hilton mattresses that give you the perfect night’s rest.
My perfect Hilton bedroom
Christmas morning was a whirlwind of activity. I had to meet my family for breakfast later in the morning and help with dinner at my mother’s before her guests arrive. Since I love breakfast, I started with an early morning meal at the hotel.
It was a very nice breakfast with a good assortment of hot and cold items. Since the howl was not that busy, I got to talk with other families, who like myself there was no room at the inn at their relatives home.
The Breakfast Room at the Hampton Inn
The Breakfast Room and Lobby at the hotel
The selection of hot and cold items makes a nice breakfast
Creating the perfect breakfast sandwich
The morning would be a whirlwind of activity as we had to finish last minute preparations at the house, getting appetizers in order and do some last minute preparations work and clean the kitchen. It would be a very nice morning and afternoon.the kitchen.
Helping my mom in the kitchen at Christmas has become a new tradition for my brothers and I . For years we were told to stay out but as my mom is getting older it is a lot of work so we all enjoy helping out. It has become a family affair.
The Dining Room set for Christmas dinner
The Dining Room table always looks so elegant
The decorations in the house
Simple but elegant
My mother kept it simple at Christmas and did not go overboard but the house always looks so nice at the holidays. The table was set so beautifully and my mother likes to keep the tradition of name cards, which is really nice.
My mother kept dinner simple this year and we had a lasagna with a salad and garlic bread . We were all working and was tough doing all fancier dishes we had cooked in the past . Still it was a nice meal.
We started with a simple meat and cheese anti pasta
The most amazing Christmas dinner Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Dressed Salad and roast pork
My mother hosting dinner with much pride. She is an excellent cook and host
It really was a nice Christmas Day. It gave us all a chance to be together with our mother and her friends and catch up with one another’s lives. My brothers and I did the clean up and helped with dessert.
Christmas dessert, my brother baked the cookies, my mother baked her wonderful apple pie and my sister in law brought a very rich Russian chocolate cake
My brothers and I with our mother at the end of the evening on Christmas Day
We really had a wonderful Christmas but like most holidays it zipped right by and the night was over. The next morning we met at our mothers for breakfast and each of went our own separate ways afterwards. I was heading to Cape May, NJ by ferry while my brothers both headed to New York City. I would meet up with them later in the week for lunch in Manhattan. My mother got some time to relax after we departed.
I love the trip over to Cape May from Lewis, DE. The ferry is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and even on Christmas Day a few years ago is always busy at the holidays.
The terminal and their restaurant inside are always so nicely decorated for the holidays
The ferry takes only an hour and a half compared to the five hour drive around southern New Jersey. On a beautiful sunny morning, the views are amazing.
The Lewes Terminal in the summer months
Getting ready to arrive
Cape May at Christmas time is one of the most magical places especially at night. The lights and sounds and music, plus the tours and the restaurants is the reason you will never be bored here. I took a ride through the back roads and made to the heart of downtown and to my hotel in no time Cape May in no time.
The Chalfonte Hotel where I normally stay when I am in Cape May was closed season (the hotel is not insulated) and I stayed at the Southern Quarters, the sister hotel next door. Somehow I keep getting the room on the top floor of the hotel and it holds a lot of memories for me because it’s where I first stayed when visiting Cape May.
The room at the top of the Southern Quarters has a great view of the neighborhood
I was finally able to relax and decompress for a few hours. I ended up sleeping for three hours. This trip to Cape May was about relaxing and picture taking for the blog so it would be another working vacation for the next two days. I would be spending a lot of time time visiting the Congress Hotel to revisit restaurants and take pictures of the decorations.
The front of the Congress Hotel was decorated to the hilt
The Congress Hotel at is decorated for their “Winter Wonderland” promotion at Christmas time. The hotel is a spectacular time to visit the hotel with the public rooms fully decorated and the lawn area in the back set up like a Christmas Village with a decorated tree, amusements, shops and refreshment stands. It was packed both nights I visited.
The beauty of the lobby at The Congress Hotel
The hotel sometimes reminds me of ‘The Overlook Hotel’ in the movie in the movie in ‘The Shining’
The Courtyard of the hotel
The Christmas tree on the lawn of The Congress Hotel
The Christmas tree by the shops
The Congress Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels at Christmas time. Every inch of that hotel is decorated. Before I went to dinner, I walked the halls and the grounds. Most of the amusements were closed for the evening but I figured I would come back during the day to see the shops and what else was going on.
I revisited the Boiler Room Pizzeria in the basement of the Congress hotel for dinner as I had back in 2018 and in 2021. The food and service here is wonderful and the place was packed.
The pizzeria at the Boiler Room
Like I said, I was on a picture taking mission and had to eat the same things I ate six years earlier(which I did not mind) and I had a Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza, which was the meal I had at the hotel in Christmas Eve when I stayed at the hotel.
The lighting might have been a bit strange but the food was excellent The Caesar Salad was delicious and could have fed two people.
The Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza is a treat
The Boiler Room bar area was really busy at night
Even in the post Christmas, the whole hotel seemed mobbed. I would read later on that one guest of the hotel complained that there were so many outside visitors to the hotel that the registered guests couldn’t enjoy all the special things at the hotel. My feeling was tough! That is how the hotel makes money and I did not hear the hotel complaining about how many guests there. There were a lot spending money.
After dinner was over, I decided to walk around the downtown area and admire Washington Mall, which was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The Washington Mall is so festive
The Washington Mall at night
Even by the hotel, the light show continued as many of the B & B’s and businesses had heavily decorated for the holidays.
The Bed & Breakfasts were nicely decorated for the holidays
Cape May’s Downtown Square Park
The trees in the park were fully lit
The Gazebo in the park was an array of lights
The colorful Christmas tree in the gazebo
Downtown Cape May at night during the holiday
The unique Victorian Mansion on the walk back to the hotel
Even closed for the season The Chalfonte Hotel was decorated for the holidays
The next morning was a clear and sunny day. The temperature was nippy but not cold. I could not wait to start the day.
The view from my room at the top of the Southern Quarters
Since food service was closed for the season at the hotel, I walked down to Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, my go to spot every Summer and holiday season. Right after the New Year, they normally close until it gets warmer.
Uncle Bill’s is one of the best places at the shore to have breakfast
Decorated for the holidays
The Christmas Village at Uncle Bill’s
I love coming here for breakfast when I am in Cape May and they make the best French Toast, Scrambled eggs and Pancakes. I saw someone having the Pancake platter with scrambled eggs at the next table over and that is what I ordered.
The Pancakes and Sausage at Uncle Bill’s are cooked in Claire’s butter giving it a sumptuous taste and the pancakes an extra crispness
The pancakes and eggs here are excellent
After a great breakfast, I paid the bill and walked around Cape May. It was a warming day in the 40’s and downtown is a nice place to work off breakfast. I headed back over to The Congress Hotel to see what was happening in Santa’s Village. The hotel was in full swing with people taking rides on the trains and Merry go Round. They were ordering pretzels, hot chocolate and other holiday snacks at the snack bar. I just thought it was fun.
The Merry go Round at the Congress Hotel
The lines were long for families to rise the trains
The lobby was just as spectacular during the day as at night
After walking around the hotel grounds and tiring of the crowds, I went out to explore the community and investigate historical sites in the area. It took me to corners of Salem County that I had never seen before. There were some historical locations in Upper Cape May County that were still on my bucket list. I knew they were closed for the season but I wanted to know where they were located.
My first stop was the the JW Grady House which is in the middle of nowhere where.
The JW Gandy Farmstead at 26 Tyler Road in Oceanview, NJ
The JW Gandy Farmhouse was closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring
The next site I wanted to visit was the historic Tuckahoe Train Station. This Victorian Train Station was the hub of activity at the turn of the last century.
The Tuckahoe Train Station on Route 659 Railroad Avenue
Both historical sites were closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring do they would another trip to Cape May.
It was a lot of twists and turns to come to these remote sites and then I headed back to Cape May to walk around before dinner. I walked through the downtown again and walked through the park to see the Christmas tree again but during the day.
The Gazebo during the day
The Christmas tree was just as spectacular during the day
I relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the afternoon and then went to dinner in North Cape May to Viggiano’s on Sunset at 109 Sunset Boulevard in West Cape May. I had seen the recommendation on my Dining Club and had passed it many times and wanted to try it on this trip.
I really enjoyed my meal that evening. I keep it simple on the rather cool night. I started the meal with a bowl of the Wedding soup that contained tiny meatballs and kale that seriously warmed me up. The temperature had dropped that evening so it was the perfect appetizer for dinner.
The wedding soup at Viggiano’s
The delicious Wedding Soup
For the entree, I wanted something that was filling and could warm me up on this cool night and I picked the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was loaded. With butter, cream and cheese, which I had not had in a long time.
The Spaghetti Carbonara
The perfect comfort food on a cold night
After a wonderful dinner and a relaxing evening, I walked back to the hotel through town admiring the lights and decorations on all the homes and businesses around West Cape May and Downtown Cape May.
The decorations as you enter West Cape May
The decorations in West Cape May
The decorated homes and B & B’s by the hotel
I walked along the beach on the way back to the hotel and work off dinner. It was so quiet that evening. In the post-Christmas season, the nights were much quieter this time of year. By the time I got back to the hotel, I got ready for bed and fell asleep.
The next morning I packed up the car and then headed over to The Congress Hotel again but this time for breakfast at the Blue Pig. Like I said before, it was all about the pictures and I ordered the same thing I ordered back in 2018, the Eggs Blackstone with Orange Juice, Hot Tea and a side of Potatoes. It was just as good as it was six years prior.
I had not been back to the restaurant in seven years (there are always so many places I wanted to try between here and Wildwood) and it was a treat to come back. The prices were still pretty reasonable for the meal that you got and the food is excellent.
My breakfast at the Blue Pig Tavern
The Eggs Blackstone Poached eggs on top of Cheddar Cheese biscuits with spinach and bacon and tomatoes with Hollandaise Sauce and Hash-browns. Decadent and delicious. Breakfast and lunch.
The weather was really gloomy that morning so I checked out and headed home. My original plan was to stop in various shore towns to see what they were doing for the holidays but it started to downpour when I left Cape May and I figured I would stop in Point Pleasant and see what activities were happening on the Boardwalk.
I knew Santa was making a plunge at the aquarium so I stopped there . It really was a miserable day. Stopping at the Boardwalk though made it better.
The Sea of Lights event at Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk
As festive as the Boardwalk was it never stopped raining. Not the most pleasant place to be in the rain
The Boardwalk was surprisingly busy for such a gloomy day because the show of shows was inside the aquarium itself with the beautiful “Sea of Lights”. I must have missed Santa (I met him along the way during my holiday adventures) but I was exhilarated by the display of twinkling lights inside the aquarium showcasing the exhibitions. Santa could not have done any better. What a show!
The ‘Sea of Lights’ at the Jenkinson Aquarium
The aquarium was spectacular that day with all the twinkling lights
I cut my trip short because of the weather. It was a misty day and I did not want to linger down the shore. I took a quick tour in downtown Point Pleasant where there were nice decorations dotting the street lamps and many of the merchants had interesting display windows. I still thought they did a better job decorating the downtown during Halloween.
Downtown Point Pleasant decorated for the holidays
Before I headed home, I took a quick trip to Bayhead, NJ and toured their decorated downtown. They had interesting and very clever decorations. Whether it was the Santa in front of the Bayhead Firehouse or the twinkling lights and garland along the bridges, Bayhead is a very picturesque town at the holidays.
Downtown Bayhead, NJ at the holidays
The downtown is filled with quirky little shops, interesting restaurants and a great bakery. In the summer months, the town is especially beautiful. The sounds of the waves and seagulls is nice on a late Summer afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a gloomy rainy day and not much fun to walk around. I headed home from here. Until the warmer months.
The Bayhead Chapel at 442 Main Avenue at Christmas time
Before I left Bayhead, I took a chance and stopped by the Bayhead Historical Society, which was open that afternoon and was still open when I got there. I got to see their display of a ‘Victorian Christmas’.
The Bayhead Historical Society in Bayhead, NJ at Christmas time
The “Victorian Christmas” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The “Victorian Christmas Tree” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The Historical Society is a ‘hidden gem’ in the area with an interesting “Historical Map” exhibition and outer buildings with nautical displays. The museum has limited hours so try to visit it on the weekends when it is open. Their “Victorian Christmas” display was really nice with the vintage decorations and antique ornaments that were displayed on the Christmas tree. Many of these ornaments once decorated the members mother’s and grandmother’s Christmas tress in the past and I thought fascinating to see generations of decorations on one tree. After my visit to the museum, I headed home into the gloomy rainy evening.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s when I returned home was filled with running around doing errands and laundry. I had been running the whole month and it gave me a chance to catch up. On the day before New Year’s Eve, I met my siblings for lunch at Jing Fong, a Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown. This had been a former Dim Sum palace on Elizabeth Street but moved to its new location at 202 Centre Street after they lost their lease. The food is still spectacular.
The food was excellent and we had a variety of Dim Sum for our lunch that afternoon. The only bad part of this restaurant is that it has limited space and they need to turn the tables over quickly which is annoying when you want to sit and relax and talk after your meal is over. They are a bit rude of asking you to leave (this happens to everyone who dines there. Check the TripAdvisor reviews).
The Steamed Pork Buns
The Shrimp Spring Rolls were perfectly cooked
The Fried Pork Dumplings
The homemade Soup Dumplings will melt in your mouth
The Pork and Chive Dumplings
For dessert, we had the Egg Custards, a Portuguese tradition comes through Hong Kong
The menu is really interesting and the carts have all sorts of delicious goodies to choose from. The only problem with the restaurant is when they rush you out the door when you are finished. After lunch, we went up to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. It was crowded but it still fun to see again.
I never get tired of seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and it was spectacular this year. It was really impressive.
That evening we went to the Marriott Marquis for dinner at the second floor Broadway Lounge, where I had my graduation dinner many months before. My brother had really enjoyed it the year before and invited us to join him and his wife for dinner. The food and the views are amazing!
I had the most amazing Chicken sandwich for dinner that night. I tried to keep it simple since we had a big lunch. I ate the whole thing.
I highly recommend the Chicken Sandwich
Yum!
Before we left, my brothers and I took a family shot at the restaurant. It amazes me sometimes that we are still kids at heart even in our fifties.
My brothers and I at the Marriott Marquis after dinner
After dinner was over, we went our separate ways. One of my brothers headed home and my other had plans for the New Year’s celebrations. I had wanted to visit Philadelphia for the afternoon and checked on the Macy’s Philadelphia’s website and discovered that the Annual “Lightshow” and “Dickens Village” were still open and that December 31st was the last day the display would be open. I made the reservation for 2:00pm and off I went on a early train from Penn Station in Manhattan. Everything in and around Penn Station was still heavily decorated for the holidays. The whole station was quite the Christmas site.
I was only here for the morning before my trip to Philadelphia but it really is a beautiful building and what a food court! The place was so nicely decorated for the holidays with wreathes and garland all over and interesting decorations tucked here and there. This was another picture taking trip to update a blog I did on visiting Philadelphia during the holidays.
The trip on the Acela took about an hour and I got into Philly with plenty of time before the lightshow, so I went to have lunch at the Dutch Eating Place in Reading Market. I had wanted to go to Carmine’s Cheesesteaks, but Carmine had retired and closed his restaurant a couple of months before, so I went to my second favorite place and already knew what I wanted to order. The hot Turkey platter with extra gravy.
I can’t tell you how much I love Reading Terminal Market with its food stalls, colorful displays and especially the isles and isles of delicious food. I swear there is one good restaurant after another in the place and it is not a place for someone on a diet. The rule here is to indulge.
Rows of delicious baked goods just outside of Beiler’s bakery
The lines of people there on New Year’s Eve. This is the best place to ring in the New Year
The ultimate place to eat from them all and one of my personal favorites is the Dutch Eating House where really will enjoy some of the most Pennsylvania roof
After lunch was over (and trust me I was stuffed), I needed something sweet and I needed a doughnut so I walked across the aisle to Beiler’s Bakery.
Beilers Bakery has the most amazing treats
Beilers Bakery on one side and Beilers Doughnuts
The selection of great baked goods at Beilers Bakery
I can’t tell you how mouthwatering the bakery items are at Beilers. All the items are baked on premise at the Reading Market and the turnover is quick so everything is always so fresh. From buttery cookies and cakes to heavily iced doughnuts, the selection is extensive and all the toppings and fillings are freshly made and the doughnuts are made right in front of you.
The doughnuts are freshly made, iced and filled right on the spot and sold just as quick
The selection of doughnuts are so mouthwatering and delicious
The Glazed Doughnuts and Lemon Filled were the best on this trip
The Lemon Iced and filled is just the best
There’s nothing like a Beilers Glazed Doughnut
After a wonderful lunch and an even more wonderful dessert it was off to Macy’s for the light show. My appointment to see the Dickens Village was not until two o’clock so I got to see the show both before and after the show. I took one more walk around The Reading Market before I left.
I always love the excitement of the Market
I thought I would have time to stop at Bassett’s for ice cream but maybe the next trip
Macy’s was just around the corner from the Market and I have to say I love the Macy’s here is just so beautiful and classic. I still have a hard time calling it Macy’s considering it was the old Wanamaker’s store since its inception. This beautiful grand dame of the department store industry was so much nicer when it was Wanamaker’s.
Macy’s Center City Philadelphia-The old Wanamaker’s Department Store
The Windows at Macy’s Philadelphia were nicely decorated similar to the windows in Manhattan
The Macy’s Windows based on the New York windows
Window Two at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Three at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Four at Macy’s Philadelphia
There were beautiful restaurants, luxury departments and it was always nicely decorated for the holidays. Macy’s does a nice job, but it was a different store in the 80’s and early 90’s. I still see traces of the old store in the movie “Mannequin” when it was still Wanamaker’s.
The movie trailer for “Mannequin” was shot at the store in 1986
The famous opening scene that was shot in front of the old Wanamaker Department Store
My favorite song from the movie “Mannequin”
The movie “Mannequin”
I can still see traces of the old store here and there. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays and it was really pretty in the store. The displays were very colorful and the main rotunda was so festive. It was not the same as the old Wanamaker’s but more like a Macy’s store in New York.
The Rotunda of Macy’s Philadelphia (former Wanamaker’s)
The beauty of the Rotunda decorated during the holidays
The decorations in the Fine Jewelry Department
The Eagle in the Rotunda
The Women’s Accessories Department during Christmas
The Men’s Department during Christmas
The decorations of the main floor
I have seen the light show about five times now and I know I can see the whole thing on YouTube, but it is still fun to see it live in the store and hear the organist play the famous pipe organ. It really is an exciting show. I love the music and I love the way they display the story line. Julie Andrews does a nice job narrating the story.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
One of the reasons I came down to Macy’s Philadelphia not just to see the windows, see the Lightshow but I made a reservation to see the Dickens Village, which was a relic of Strawbridge & Clothier created in 1984 by the former rival of Wanamaker’s.
The Macy’s Dickens Village is now located on the Third Floor of the store which was the old Executive Offices
The start of the tour of the “Dickens Tour”
The start of the “Dickens Tour”
The Dickens display with Charles Dickens narrating
The Dickens display with Scrooge confronted by members of the Charities
The Dickens display The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Dickens display of Fuzzywink’s Party scene
The Dickens display Meeting Ghost of Christmas Present
The Dickens display Nephew Fred’s Party
The Dickens display Scrooge meeting the Ghost of Christmas Future
The Dickens display The end of the story with a Revelation by Scrooge
The Dickens Village is a lot of fun to walk through and it is a fun way to learn the story and understand the lessons about the story. It is nice to see that Macy’s is keeping these traditions going (for now). After seeing the Lightshow and walking through Dickens Village and walking around the store to see the decorations and what the store looks like, I walked around the downtown. I swear, it has not changed much since my last visit. Most of Market Street is still as dumpy as it ever was in the past. They really need to build more housing downtown to bring more people to the downtown. I found out when I got home a few days later in the New Year that Macy’s will be closing this store in March 2025.
The closing of Macy’s Downtown Philadelphia-For the second time since Wanamaker’s closed
On my way back to the train station, I stopped in the Christmas Village by City Hall and stopped to see the Christmas tree. This was the last day of the Christmas Village as well. Most of the stores were closed by this point but a lot of food vendors were open and the skating rink was really busy in the late afternoon.
During the holiday season, I also like to see the light show at Macy’s (which I still call Wanamaker’s) and visit the tree at City Hall. Philadelphia has its own magic at holidays. There is such a beautiful holiday market that surrounds City Hall with all sorts of artisan crafted foods and handmade products. There was a slew of singers, actors and musicians that were entertaining the public.
Downtown Philadelphia’s Christmas Market in 2024
The City Hall Christmas Tree may not be as big as the one in New York but no less nice. It was beautifully decorated and at twilight, covered with colorful lights. A lot of people were taking pictures around it or were getting ready to skate around the makeshift skating rink. It is not Rockefeller Center, but the affect was just as nice, and it really did put me in the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas tree by City Hall in Center City Philadelphia
The beautiful downtown Christmas tree with Downtown Philadelphia in the distance
After touring the Christmas Market, I left to take the train home. I did not want to get caught in the Manhattan traffic of New Year’s Eve. The train station was beautifully decorated with lights, wreaths and a huge tree and it was nice to just sit back and relax until the train came. On the way back, the city was all lite in front of me. The boat houses on the river were lit with Christmas lights and boats passed by lit up as well.
The Christmas tree in Penn Station in Penn Station in Philadelphia
The tree was truly beautiful at the end of the Christmas season
When I got back to Manhattan, I made my way out the back door of the station and headed up Eighth Avenue to get home. I did not want to deal with all the nonsense of Times Square on this cold night. The Hudson Yards were so beautifully decorate for the holidays with the white lights with the backdrop of the buildings.
The Hudson Yards on New Year’s Eve
It was surprisingly quiet at the Hudson Yards at 6:00pm.
I just wanted to get out of Manhattan before it too crazy in Times Square. I celebrated New Year’s Eve in a quiet way. The privacy of my Living Room watching the ball drop at Midnight. I had fallen asleep on the bed and woke up around 11:50pm and almost missed it.
It had been a productive December for me with travels all over the Tri-State area, classes concluding and now three weeks off to relax before the Spring semester began. The weekend after New Year’s Day I spent travelling to light shows at the Bronx Zoo and The Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the last weekend before the Epiphany. There was a lot going on this last weekend and I rushed to everything. It was a great weekend.
My blog on the Lightshows during the holiday season of 2024:
After the holidays were over and I returned from my trip to Cape May for three days, exploring all the museums and historic sites that were open while enjoying the extension of the holidays, I got to visit a few of the local “Lightshows” on the last weekend they were open before the Epiphany. These are interactive exhibitions of lights and museum that should not be missed and are fun to walk through.
These started in Cape May and continued on through my last walk through Brooklyn on the last night of “Lightscapes” on one of the coldest nights of the New Year. Even with the weather turning bitterly cold, some of the nights there was not wind and made these nights out a true delight. You get caught up in the beauty of all the lights and music.
My adventure of lights began after Christmas with my annual trip to Cape May, NJ. Cape May is one of the most dazzling towns to celebrate Christmas. The only town to rival it is Rhinebeck, NY and they are neck in neck for the holiday season. The parks, hotels and the downtown Washington Street Mall are always decked out for the holidays.
The Park in downtown Cape May, NJ
Cape May Park in Downtown Cape May, NJ
I love this annual lightshow because it is free and part of the holiday magic that makes Cape May, NJ so special. This walk through the ‘Village Green’ of Cape May is part of what is so wonderful and shows the holiday spirit of Greater Cape May during the Christmas holidays.
The glittering tree in the park
The park glitters and shines
The Gazebo is always brilliant at the holidays
The Christmas tree is always amazing in Downtown Cape May
The decorated homes of Cape May, NJ near the beach
The houses in Cape May lit up for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May lit for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May
The Washington Mall during the later evening in Cape May
The beautiful Christmas lights and decorations continued at The Congress Hotel just off the downtown. The hotel is always so beautifully decorated like the town and is a wonderful place to stay at Christmas time (I stayed here in 2017 for Christmas and loved it). I ended up eating at the hotel for both breakfast at the Blue Pig and dinner at the Boiler Room (you can see these reviews in my Christmas blog from 2017 updated in 2024):
The inside of the hotel’s foyer always decorated to the hilt for the holidays
The Courtyard of the hotel decorated for the holidays
The beautiful Christmas tree in the courtyard is always a treat to look at every holiday
After I left the hotel, I just walked around Cape May and there is always a light show to see. So I walked around town, had dinner and just enjoyed the lights for two nights.
The light tree in one of the parks in Cape May
I ate at Viggiano’s at Sunset 109 Sunset Boulevard for dinner my last night in Cape May after touring around town
I started the meal with a delicious Italian Wedding Soup
This was followed by a delicious Spaghetti Carbonara
The food at the restaurant is very homey and delicious. The dinner was a perfect way to end my tour of Cape May’s downtown area and all the decorated homes. The two days I spend there always refresh me after the holidays.
When I arrived home from the Christmas holidays with my family, I had the week off before the college I work at resumed classes. I had not planned too many activities so I decided to update some of my older blogs by visiting places I had once visited during the holidays and planned to visit some of the popular light shows in the tri-state area.
The first thing I did when I returned home was visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The crowds started to go down after the holidays and I got to visit it later in the evening so I could take better pictures. There is nothing like Rockefeller Center at Christmas time. It is in a league all its own.
Visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmas is always exciting
You have not experienced anything at the holidays until you have seen the tree at Rockefeller Center
Across the street, Saks Fifth Avenue was decked out for the holidays. The decorations and lights were beautiful and made up for their windows which were decorated with just clothes this year.
Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue at Christmas time
There were three light shows I wanted to visit on the last weekend of the holidays and it took some coordinating. On New Year’s Eve, I took the train down to Center City Philadelphia to see the lightshow at the old Wanamaker’s store which is now Macy’s (Thank God I did as they announced after the holidays that Macy’s will be closing this location in March 2025). This is always a treat. I had not seen it since 2016.
See my Blog on visiting Philadelphia at Christmas in 2016:
The front of the store made famous by the movie ‘Mannequin’
The trailer for “Mannequin”
The windows at Macy’s Center City
The opening of the movie “Mannequin”:
The inside of Macy’s Center City in the movie “Mannequin”
The beautiful decorations of Macy’s Philadelphia at Christmas
Preparing for the lightshow in the main Rotunda
The magnificent decorations on the first floor
The famous eagle on the first floor
I saw the Lightshow twice, once to take pictures and once to film it. It is the same show I have seen several times, narrated by Julie Andrew’s but I never get bored from it. It really is a holiday tradition.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
The Finale
The Video of Part Five: The Finale
The Finale always gets an applause
After the Light-show was over, I walked around Macy’s. It is not the same store it was when it was Wanamaker’s when all the floors were open and they had all the magnificent restaurants. Wanamaker’s was top notch. Still I saw traces of the old store here and there. You can still see all the beautiful architecture and lighting.
The Rotunda after the Lightshow
Macy’s at Christmas
Macy’s at Christmas time
After I left Macy’s, I walked around Center City Philadelphia and walked around the City Hall complex. This was pretty much the last week of decorations and the holidays before they started to take this down.
City Hall in Center City
The lights continued with the Philadelphia Christmas tree downtown
On the other side of City Hall was the last day of the Christmas Mart
The outside Christmas Mart had its own gardens and Christmas lights
After I had toured both the store and the downtown area, I headed over to Reading Market for lunch. I love coming here for meals when I am in Philadelphia. There are so many places to choose from.
One of my favorite places to eat when it is open is the Dutch Eating Place inside the Reading Market. I love their breakfasts, their burgers but especially their Hot Turkey Platters. They are the best. Sitting at the counter, you can always have a nice conversation with someone.
The food at the Dutch Eating Place is always top notch and very homey. The Hot Turkey Sandwich was the Thanksgiving dinner that I did not have this year.
After my tour of the Reading Market, a short walk around downtown Center City and tour through Macy’s (with almost no merchandise on the shelves in certain departments, it was signaling to me that there was a problem in the store), it was time to head home. There were even more beautiful Christmas lights at Penn Station with their Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree at Penn Station in Philadelphia
After the holidays were over, Macy’s announced that the Center City store would be closing in March. So much for coming back or a ‘Mannequin’ remake.
Macy’s closing their downtown store in Philadelphia in March 2025
Over the weekend of the Epiphany, I arranged to see three more walking tours before they all closed for the season. One was the Holiday Lights tour at the Bronx Zoo, another was the Christmas Walking tour of the Armour-Stiner House in Irvington, NY and the last was one of my favorites, The Lightscape tour at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Each of these were more beautiful then the next with the only problem being is how cold it got those evenings.
The well lit welcome to the Bronx Zoo at the entrance by Astor Court
The fountains by Astor Court
Astor Court dazzling that evening
The wonderland of lights by Astor Court
The Christmas Tree light show just off Astor Court
The Light-show is captivating
This holiday light presentation was ongoing and beautiful. I just wished the music could have been louder. The main Christmas tree had so many unusual light displays.
The beautiful lights during the show
The main Christmas tree
I loved all the lights on the tree
I ended up watching the show three times for over a half hour and it still keep changing to something new
The tree display
The tree lights were captivating
After I left Astor Court, I just followed the pathways around the zoo and enjoyed the lights and displays. The show either seemed bigger than I remembered or I missed a lot on my last trip in 2019.
Walking along the pathways with all the displays
The pathways lit to create a Fantasyland
What I love about this show is the different themed sections of the show and how the zoo sets the show up. The Nautical displays were on the side of the Zoo that I entered and were the first set of lights I saw.
The nautical lights
The Nautical lights
Stingrays in the Nautical lights
The fish display
The Jellyfish display
The seals were one of the bigger displays in the zoo
One of the indoor displays was interactive
The multi lights and interactive puppets by the zoo sign
I liked the light structures
The giraffe sculptures
The reindeer lighting the way
The colorful flowers lining the paths
The light sculptures line the paths of the zoo
The puppet masters entertained us in the park
Then I headed down paths to visit all sorts of exotic animals and their colorful habitats lined the paths.
The flamingoes
The Turtles
The ant eater
The colorful parrots
The penguins
The Emu
The Alligator
The crowds are sparse at this time of the year and this is the best time to take pictures
It was the weekend of the Epiphany when I visited so the holiday decorations were still up
The park was so nicely decorated for the holidays
The beautiful snow flakes
I next went to the jungle themed part of the park and visited all the animals in the wild. This is where all the bigger displays were located and you got to see all the zoo related animals.
Where the wild animals were located
The friendly giraffes
The friendly faces of the giraffes
The playful monkeys
The elephants
The Rhinos
Lions and tigers
Walking down the well lit paths
The Rainbow tunnel
The Wild Wolves
The Green Tree by the Dancing Crane Cafe
I had to stop for a while to warm up and have something to eat. I tried to stop before I got to the zoo but there are only delis that surround the park. I had not eaten here years and the food had always been pretty good.
The Chicken Fingers here were excellent and the portion size was very fair
The fries were really good as well and had just come out of the fryer
I have to say that I was very impressed by the food and the service. Everyone could not have been nicer and it was a very pleasant and relaxing dinner.
As I resumed my walk down the paths of the zoo, I walked through the most amazing colorful tunnel, where everyone was taking pictures.
When you can walk through this alone it is really amazing
My part of the zoo I traveled through was the Magical Rain Forest with its colorful flowers and exotic animals.
The beautifully lit Totem pole
The colorful flowers lined the paths
The colorful butterfly’s
The colorful flowers in the Rain Forest
The beauty of the walkways
This was such a colorful frog
Another playful frog in the Rain Forest
I thought the frog with the toad was very clever
These colorful birds lined the path
The colors of the frogs in the Rain Forest were amazing
This beautiful Diamondback turtle was last animal I saw before I left the Rain Forest
The temperature really started to drop this evening and it was in the thirties when I left the Bronx Zoo. Still it was an amazing night. The show was so dazzling that night and dinner was surprisingly good that night that I did not mind.
The 125th sign all lit when I left the park that night
The Swan Gate as I was leaving
It got really cold at the end of the evening but it was such a great night. The displays were amazing and the musical light shows were a lot of fun. It is something everyone should see once. It is even better later in the season when there are no crowds and you can take great pictures.
The decorated Rhino was one of the last thing J saw when I left the park
On the Sunday of the last day of the Christmas season, I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see their lightshow ‘Lightscape’ which I had seen a few years earlier. It was the last night to see it and it was crowded and really cold.
The problem was that the weather had turned really cold and it was in the low thirties even in the early evening. So I really had to bundle up for these visits. The show itself was well worth the trip.
The map would take us all over the gardens
The lit tree army the entrance of the gardens
Then I entered the ‘Canopy of Light’ with its magical lights and music
At the entrance of the show was the breathtaking ‘Canopy of Light’
The beautiful multi lights with music
The lights moved to ‘Let it Snow’
I continued down the path to the Japanese Garden and saw the most spectacular light and water show in the lake of the garden.
The colors and fountains swayed to the music
What gorgeous colors
The movements and music were wonderful
The amazing water show in the Japanese Garden
The end of the show was beautiful
I ended up seeing the water show twice because I knew they would not let me turnaround to see it again. The I turned down the path.
The lights in the trees were amazing
The field of white lit roses
A closer look at the white roses
I continued down the path to the next display
I next moved on to the main lawn where the sculpture ‘Singularity’ was displayed. You could not stare at it too long or it could hypnotize you.
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
I walked around the Water Lilly ponds whose flowers would bloom again in the summer but had sculptures of Butterflies floating around in them.
These were called ‘Butterfly Effect’
The ‘Butterfly Effect’
I love the way the sculptures swayed and moved in the pond to the music. The Yellow Magnolia, the Garden’s restaurant was open that evening and was packed with people eating dinner. There was no way of getting in so I moved on down the path.
The pathways were lit with all sorts of colors
The next sculpture was ‘One Small Thing’ and the sculpture ‘Halo’ that lit the way in the back of the Gardens.
‘One Small Thing’
The lights alone the path for ‘One Small Thing’
The came the sculptures for ‘Halo’
The next interactive and musical sculpture was ‘Alumine’ which looked like trees in a Dr. Seuss book. Colorful and fun!
Walking through the ‘Alumine’ sculptures
The experience of walking through ‘Alumine’ is like walking through ’Whoville’ in the winter
The lights here changed color every minute and were so amazing.
As I left ‘Alumine’, the next series of sculptures were light shows with dazzling colors and music. This is what made this show stand out more than the shows of the past.
The beautiful lights lit the path through dormant trees
The colors kept changing
As I walked down the path, I entered ‘Rainbow Road’ with it colorful disco lights and energetic soundtrack.
The outdoor lights and music makes you feel like you are in a discotheque
I stayed here the longest to listen to the 70’s soundtrack
The music was fantastic that night
I moved on to the area of the gardens between where the crocuses will grow in two months and near Daffodils Hill was another amazing display entitled ‘Anemonia’. These sculptures looked like futuristic lamps.
The ‘Anemonia’ sculptures
The ‘Anemonia’ lit beautifully
The next light display rivaled the ‘Happy Waters’ was ‘Interface’, a display of memorizing lights and music. I stayed for three shows as it was so dazzling.
The ‘Anemonia’ sign
The lights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The sights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The show ended with some of the spectacular lights
I then walked through the ‘Neon Network’ to get to where the Cherry Blossom Esplanade dazzled everyone in April with its beautiful, fluffy pink blossoms. It was other bright colors showcasing this part of the gardens.
The ‘Neon Network’ sign
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’ led to the last spectacular displays of lights in the Cherry Blossom Esplanade, ‘Winter Reflection’, a celebration of lights, trees and snowflakes.
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’The
Video on ‘Winter Reflections’:
The tree brightly lit in ‘Winter Reflections’
The dazzling colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
To really appreciate the shoe of ‘Winter Reflections’ you had to walk up the pathways overlooking the Esplanade.
The pathway through the Cherry Esplanade was spectacular
The lightshow for ‘Winter Reflections’ was most entertaining from the top of the hill
The video of the show from the top of the hill show it’s true beauty and entertainment:
One of the most memorable show off ‘Lightscapes’
After I saw the show twice before I headed out of the gardens. I walked through the ‘Winter Cathedral’ which had been the biggest part of the light show a couple of years ago. This is most impressive.
The ‘Winter Cathedral’ at the end of the tour
The lights are so spectacular in the evening
The last display before I left the park was the ‘Lantern Garden’ at the original area of the gardens entrance.
The sign for ‘The Lantern Garden’
The ‘Lantern Garden’ at the end of the garden
The ‘Lantern Garden’
I exited the gardens after almost two hours of walking around and it started to get cold outside. It was still really busy in the gardens as the later ticket holders will still coming in.
The exit of the show at the Eastern Parkway entrance
Before I returned to Manhattan, I had a quick dinner at Bahn Mi Sandwich on Washington Avenue. Their Vietnamese sandwiches are always wonderful.
After cold night in the gardens, I stopped to have a sandwich and eat inside the restaurant. It was so nice and warm and the sandwich was excellent. I ordered the Shredded Chicken Banh Mi and it was delicious. Lots of steamed chicken tucked inside a chewy bun with fresh vegetables. I really enjoy their sandwiches.
The sandwich was a perfect way to end the evening
Before I left Manhattan for the evening, I walked through Bryant Park on the way back to Port Authority. The Christmas tree was still up surprisingly and the most of the food vendors around the skating rink were still open.
The Skating Rink at Bryant Park at the end of the holidays
The food vendors were still open at the end of the season
The Christmas tree was still ablaze at the end of the 12 Days of Christmas
Bryant Park is so spectacular during the holidays
For anyone who says New York City or even Philly for that matter are boring during the holidays have not walked the parks and streets. There are so many beautiful and spectacular things to do and see.
You all have to experience them for yourself in eleven months!
Post Christmas visit during the Philadelphia Flower Show 2025:Macy’s Closing
What was sad though when I returned two months later for the Flower Show, it was announced that Macy’s was shutting down the downtown store as part of the store cuts as Macy’s was downsizing the company.
Macy’s Closing at the Wanamaker’s Building
Almost all the inner city stores like Brooklyn and Philadelphia were going to join stores like Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. It was a sad day for Philly.
Macy’s during my day of touring
Sad day in Philly
It reminded me of when B. Altman closed in New York City
The display windows said it all but had been very festive just two months earlier
The once elegant Men’s Department
The mannequins for sale
Me with the ‘Mannequins’ on the first floor
Me with the decorations that once adorned the first floor during Christmas
It’s so sad to see where John Wanamaker once walked and Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall once danced down the aisles has now been reduced to thisbargain sale
The empty cases were once filled with beautiful jewels and fancy perfumes
All the Christmas decorations from two months before were all sold
The beautiful atrium where I watched the light show a few months before
The Accessories Department
No one was near the Eagle that day
The back part of the Atrium
The sadness of the Clothing Department
The Cosmetics Department had nothing left
The beautiful embellishments around the Cosmetics Department of the Eastern States. This is of Massachutes
This is the New Jersey emblem
Where Kim Cattrell and Andrew McCarthy danced in the film
The lion guarding the stairs
The actors dancing in the film “Mannequin”
The front of the old Wanamakers store where the opening scene of ‘Mannequin’ was shot
Not what John Wanamaker envisioned for his store
It is a sad day as this was once one of the most beautiful and creative stores in the country now reduced to a bargain sale.
Louisa’s Chocolate Bar at 106 Jackson Street in Cape May, NJ
Louisa’s Chocolate Bar is a quirky little candy and dessert store in the Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May that has an impressive array of chocolate bars and rich desserts in this tiny space right near the well-decorated Village Green.
The tiny shop is lined with small batch chocolate bars from boutique brands that are either small batch companies or Fair-Trade Chocolate brands. Louisa’s even has their own private-label brand of chocolate bars that are made in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
Small batch chocolate bars
One of my favorite private label candy bars is their Milk Chocolate with Salted Caramel ($8.00), pricey but delicious. The combination of flavors is interesting and you really can taste the saltiness in the caramel.
Lots of small batch chocolate bars are featured at Louisa’s Chocolate Bar
Another brand that they carry is the Vorges line that I knew from my days of working at Bergdorf-Goodman. These exotic flavored chocolate bars come in such flavors such as Dark Chocolate with Bacon and Ginger Chocolate Bars ($10.00).
Vosges Chocolate bars are a delicious treat
What is really nice is that you can also have dessert at the store as well. They have four fresh desserts like bread pudding and chocolate cake ($8.00 a slice) and freshly made hot chocolate which the manager was making when I was visiting and it smelt so good.
The fresh desserts offered at Louisa’s Chocolate Bar
The diverse and interesting Chocolate bars at Louisa’s Chocolate bar along with holiday treats.
Louisa’s Candy Bar at 106 Jackson Street
History of Louisa’s Cafe:
(From the Louisa’s Website)
Long before the farm to table trend invaded America. Louisa’s espoused this philosophy and served food to match. The tiny but iconic eatery was established in 1980 and has been dishing out incredibly fresh and delicious food in the small historic yellow building ever since. The menu is all regional fare, fish caught from the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, plus vegetables, fruits, herbs (and beautiful fresh flowers) from West Cape May’s Beach Plum Form, augmented by produce from other New Jersey farms.
Louisa’s Restaurant, Catering and Candy Bar Dessert businesses.
The kitchen philosophy is to cook simple, expertly seasoned dishes that are lovingly prepared and made from fresh, first-rate ingredients. The menu changes often but the one constant you’ll find here is the dedication to a great dining experience.
Hot Chocolate available in the winter months
Louisa’s opened the Chocolate Bar in 2012.
Louisa’s Chocolate Bar at Christmas time 2022
Louisa’s Chocolate Bar lit at night for Christmas 2022
Louisa’s Candy Bar at 106 Jackson Street in Cape May, NJ
Louisa’s Candy Bar is a quirky little candy and dessert store in the Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May that has an impressive array of chocolate bars and rich desserts in this tiny space right near the well-decorated Village Green.
The tiny shop is lined with small batch chocolate bars from boutique brands that are either small batch companies or Fair-Trade Chocolate brands. Louisa’s even has their own private-label brand of chocolate bars that are made in Marine Park, Brooklyn. One of my favorite private label candy bars is their Milk Chocolate with Salted Caramel ($8.00), pricey but delicious. The combination of flavors is interesting and you really can taste the saltiness in the caramel.
I swear it was full steam ahead for the rest of the holiday season. December for me just keeps getting busier. From the time we finished the Victorian Walking Tour to after the Epiphany my feet never touched the ground. Christmas tree sales kept me busy on the weekends, class finished up with my final exam night on the second week of December (I am very proud to say that I gave out 28 A’s, 2 B plus’s and 2 B’s) and then I really got busy with my volunteer work.
After the weekend with the Victorian Walking Tour and the Washington’s Crossing event, it was off to visit Lillian again. I had just seen her at Thanksgiving and here it was three weeks later, I was out on Long Island for another family event. The facility she lived in really does a lot of nice things for the families.
Lillian and I with her Christmas present, Petula the Pup from FAO Schwarz
I had given Lillian a choice, would she like me to come out for the Family Dinner or the the Family Concert the next week? I unfortunately could not do both. Work was getting busy and I had two Christmas parties to plan. So we decided on the Family dinner. We really had a nice time.
We joined her roommate, Marie and her two daughters for dinner that night. The facility had a nice dinner for us with roast beef, mashed potatoes and broccoli that was surprising well cooked and seasoned for a nursing facility and they gave you plenty of it. We had a nice time chatting and getting to know one another when Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance and greeted all the residents and their families. The two staff members who played the roles did a marvelous job with it and made it extra festive.
After dinner and a tour around the building greeting other residents and their families I said my goodbyes to Lillian and her roommate and her family. I had a long trip ahead of me as well. I could tell that Lillian was a little sad by it but I said that I would see her at Valentine’s Day and we would see each other after the craziness of the holidays was over. That is when I surprised her with the small Petula the Pup that we both used to sell in both of our time in the Pre-School Department at FAO Schwarz. She was very surprised and touched by it. It must have triggered something because I saw her cry a little. It made her happy that someone remembered (Please see the blog on Day One Hundred & Thirty-Lillian passed away three weeks after our dinner together).
The next morning myself and the volunteers who work with me at work had our Christmas party for the residents of the Maywood facility that I work with on my job with the County of Bergen for our Post-Stroke & Disabled Support Group. We had entertainment with Van Martin Productions and we decorated the tables with garland and candy and the room for the holidays. The whole affect was very festive.
The ladies who are part of the group that comes to our events had a wonderful time. Each one of us baked a special dessert for the event and at all the place settings were chocolate Santa’s and candy canes for each resident. We served desserts and coffee to everyone, handed out gifts to all and had a wonderful afternoon of good food and wonderful entertainment.
That evening, I hosted an Italian dinner at my home for the ladies who volunteer for me. Taking everyone to a restaurant gets expensive plus at the holidays everyone rushes you out so I found it more personal to have it at my house.
I cooked the entire meal and served it. We started the meal with homemade mini-meatballs that I made a few days before, sautéed shrimp and cheeses for the appetizer and for dinner I made chicken cutlets, spaghetti with marinara sauce, garlic bread and a nice salad all with the accompanying wines. We had a wonderful time and did a lot of laughing that night.
Chicken cutlets and pasta.
As I was serving dessert which I made an assortment of cookies and cakes, the noise got louder. Other guests joined us later and there was a lot of catching up to do. It was a enjoyable way to spend our last day together before the holidays.
The next day I joined a friend that I had not seen for almost two years for lunch in Sanducci’s at 620 Kinderkamack Road in Paramus, NJ (see review on TripAdvisor). It was just nice to finally catch up as it had been a long time since we talked. We both agreed that our lives had us running in different directions. We spent our afternoon laughing at things from years ago and in our current lives. It is nice to spend time with friends at the holidays. I had not realized that Nancy and I had not seen one another in two years!
After lunch, I had to prepare another dinner as we held our annual Men’s Association Christmas Party at the tree-stand to end our season of selling. That Friday night, we had four trees on the lot and by the time the party was over we sold them out. We sold 338 trees (one was stolen, and one was donated) during the holiday season and that was a new record for us.
The Christmas tree stand site the night of the party
I made a batch of stuffed shells for dinner and a batch of chocolate brownies for dessert. I never know what to make as it is a potluck, and all the guys bring something different but two years earlier three of us brought baked ziti. So, I know shy away from that. That and I wanted something quick because I was still tired from cooking the night before.
Our former President Mike and VP Roy at the Christmas Party
It a fun evening of great food and conversation mostly dwelling on the success of this year’s sale. God, can some of these guys cook! Our former President, Mike, makes a venison chili that is always the highlight of the dinner especially on a cold night. The stuffed shells were put under the warmers and were a big hit. I never have to sell brownies to anyone. I was sure they were gone by the end of the evening.
The HHMA Christmas Party at the tree stand
The weather started to drop that night and after an hour at the party it went down to 35 degrees. Even sitting by the barrel fire, I could not take it anymore. I said my goodbyes by 9:00pm. I was exhausted from a week of cooking and had still more to do over the weekend. I had to plan two menus for that Sunday and had to have back to back meals. One of the guys later on told me that a group of them were there until 2:00am. Not a night I would have been out.
What was left of the trees the night of the party
I had to sleep in that Saturday morning because I was worn out from the running around that week but there was food to prepare, a house to clean and a table to set. I needed a break from it all to put me back into the spirit of the holiday so before I started all the prep work, I went to Ringwood Manor for their celebration and to see the decorated house.
Ringwood Manor every year is beautifully decorated by a group of volunteers. The house was open for tours of life in the Victorian Age. Each of the rooms was decorated to the hilt with garland and plants and all sorts of decorations.
The Ringwood Manor Dining Room
Ringwood Manor has an interesting history. The area around Ringwood, NJ was the center for iron ore manufacturing and was a big player in munitions during the Revolutionary War because of both the amount of ore in the hills and the strategic location near New York City.
In 1807, the land was bought by Martin J. Ryerson who built the first home of the property which was a 10 room Federalist style home. In 1853, Peter Cooper bought the mines and the home and it became one of the biggest suppliers iron ore to the Civil War effort. Peter Cooper’s partners were his son, Edward and his future son-in-law, Abram S. Hewitt.
The Ryerson section of the house decorated for the holidays.
The home became the summer estate for Mr. & Mrs. Hewitt and added on to the house in 1864, 1875, 1900 and 1910. The home then had 51 rooms and was designed in the Classic Victorian style with furnishings from all over the world. In 1938, the home, it contents and grounds of the estate was donated to the State of New Jersey (Ringwood Manor Park History).
The Dining Room at Ringwood Manor
The tour was self-guided and you could take as much time as you wanted seeing each room. There was a docent on hand to explain all the decorations and furnishings as well as the purpose of the room. One of the points that was made when I was visiting the decorated homes during the holiday season was that Victorians never decorated every room in the house like on the tours.
The Christmas Tree in the French Drawing Room
They decorated maybe the living room and dining room with a tree and garland. Only the wealthiest families would decorate more than that because they had servants to maintain it. Trees and garland were used after the Civil War because Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert was from Germany and brought the Pagan tradition of putting a tree inside the house with him to England (Victorian Christmas History).
After my visit to the manor, it was off to Auntie El’s Farm at 171 Route 17 South in Sloatsburg, NY (see my review on TripAdvisor and LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com) for some baked goods and a tour of the farm. I roamed through the farm stand who just like us were wiped out of Christmas trees. I bought cake truffles ($5.00 each) and a Caramel Apple Cake ($10.95) for my Christmas dinner and munched on Apple Turnovers ($3.50) and Cider Doughnuts ($1.00) while I was there looking around the bakery. In the farm stand area, they have to most delicious jellies and jams to choose from and other gourmet products.
Auntie El’s desserts!
The Christmas department at Auntie El’s
When I got home, I spent the rest of the time cooking for our Engine One Brunch for Company members and families on Sunday morning and then for my Christmas dinner with my family on Sunday night. I never left the kitchen.
That Sunday was a busy day for me as I had to pull off two back to back meals. In the morning from 10:00am-1:00pm was the Engine One Brunch and after clean up and saying goodbye to everyone was the early Christmas dinner with my family from 4:30pm to 9:00pm. I had never done back to back meals before and don’t plan on doing it again. Way too much work!
I got to the firehouse at 8:30am that morning and had to deal with a major mess. The Department Christmas Party had been the night before and they did not clean it properly. So the first thing I had to do was clean all the tables, throw out the garbage and mop the floors. That took almost an hour.
Then I had to clean and set up the kitchen for Brunch. Once I got that done, I set the buffet table for the food and then put all the table clothes on the tables in the main room. Then I set up and started to cook and set the tables for breakfast. By the time I was done with all of that, the first guys started to arrived to help me.
Me setting up breakfast
I cooked an elaborate breakfast menu for the members of our company, our honorees and family members.
Me in front of the Brunch Buffet Table
It really was great meal. I prepared two egg casseroles, one with bacon and the other with Italian sausage, a French Toast Souffle, homemade waffles (I drag that waffle iron all over), fresh fruit salad and then I baked a cinnamon crunch coffee cake, blueberry muffins, a chocolate chip pound cake and brought in assorted bagels from Panera and doughnuts from Mills Bakery in Wood Ridge. There was something for everyone.
We had a wonderful time. About 54 people showed up for breakfast and did people come hungry. We did not have much left. Our Lieutenant, Bernie Valente, gave the welcoming speech and greeted everyone for brunch and wished everyone a happy and safe holiday season. It was a nice morning of good food and conversation.
The Engine One Members at the Brunch
After the Brunch was over, I said my goodbyes to everyone and had to clean and mop the room again. That took some time but the place was spotless when I left.
I ran home and thank God, I had already cleaned the house, set the dining room table and prepared the house for guests. I was able to take a 45 minute break before my family showed up for a pre-Christmas dinner. I relaxed on the couch for about twenty minutes before my family showed up. I was so grateful they showed up late.
What a great time we had that night! My Aunt Dee and my cousins, Wayne and Bruce came to dinner and we had a wonderful time. Since I was joining my brothers at my Mom’s house for Christmas Eve and Day, I would not be seeing my aunts and cousins this year.
I cooked a four course meal that was my pride and joy. We started with an assortment of cheese and crackers, sauteed shrimp on toasts and mozzarella sticks with a bottle of bubbly to toast the holidays. We had a nice time just catching up with work and family events.
About an hour later, I served dinner. I kept it simple this year making chicken cutlets, a potato puff and string beans with butter. It was the perfect evening of good food and conversation. My cousins told me about work and what was going on in their lives and my aunt was telling me stories about her upcoming holiday events. We always have a nice time.
For dessert, I had the desserts from Aunt El’s. I served the caramel apple pie and the cake truffles. I have to admit that they were all a little sweet but still good. There was a layer of caramel and chocolate on the top of the apple pie. It was a nice way to end the evening.
After a week of cooking for five parties and dinners, I took a break from the kitchen and planned a couple of Christmas events. The first was I attended the Hasbrouck Heights High School Holiday concert. I had a nice time listening to the choir and jazz band. The school was packed with people filming the whole thing. I have never seen so many cells phones out.
The one event I had gone to last year was the holiday concert at Carnegie Hall and looked forward to seeing it again. The ‘Home Alone Concert’ with the New York Philharmonic had been sold out as was the ‘Holidays with Brass Concert’. So I scoured the internet to see if there were tickets left to the concert and I was in luck. It looked like someone had given up their two tickets and grabbed the second to last ticket for the concert and it was on the isle! What a concert!
First, I love going to Carnegie Hall during the holidays. It is so beautifully decorated for the holidays and everyone from the staff to the concert goers are in the festive spirit. The concert was called “Under the Mistletoe” with the New York Pops with singer, Ashley Brown who had originated the role of “Mary Poppins” on Broadway.
Here is Ms. Brown preparing for the concert I saw on December 22nd.
What a wonderful concert! Ms. Brown was accompanied by Essential Voices USA which was a choir that sang during the concert. They opened with much excitement the songs “Deck the Halls” and “It’s the most wonderful time of the Year” and then introducing Ms. Brown singing “Jingle Bells” and “Winter Wonderland”. The rest of the concert was filled with traditional Christmas songs and a lot of holiday cheer.
The Carnegie Hall Stage before the show at Christmas time
In the middle of the second act, Santa came down the aisle near me and greeted the crowds. I swear I was having a somewhat rough holiday season missing my father and all and when I saw Santa, I really believed it was him. I was so happy to see him as was everyone else in the room. I could see how emotional people were and knew they felt the same way. It looked like everyone just wanted to believe that night and we are talking of a crowd of concert goers who were in their fifties, sixties and seventies. I guest you are never too old to believe in Santa. It has been a rough year for everyone.
The inside of Carnegie Hall decorated for the holidays
The concert ended with a big sing-a-long with Santa, the Essential Voices USA and Ashley Brown leading the “Jingle Jangle Sing-Along” with the songs, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “Here comes Santa Claus” and ending with “Jingle Bells”. Even Santa joined us singing! I swear, that whole concert hall rocked with people singing all the classics and it brought the house down. People were on the feet applauding at the end of the concert. I had never seen so many smiling faces in one spot in a long time.
The Sing a Long with Santa
The next morning, was still singing the concert in the back of my mind as I was preparing breakfast at the firehouse for the Department’s Annual “Santa Around Town”. A group of us got to the firehouse early to wash the truck, so I cooked the traditional Engine One breakfast before we started the wash and decorating. I made a pancake and sausage breakfast for the guys. We had a ball eating, laughing and talking about upcoming holiday plans.
The Brothers of Engine One Hasbrouck Heights before ‘Santa Around Town’
We then got to work washing the whole truck and preparing it for the long trip around Hasbrouck Heights greeting residents with holiday cheer and assisting Santa handing out candy canes to all the kids. It is a long evening but we really lucked out with the weather. It was warmer than usual around 45 degrees and people really came out to see Santa. We had large families of kids and dogs taking group shots with Santa. It is nice to see that people still do believe (See my Blog: The Brothers of Engine One participate in “Santa Around Town” December 23rd, 2018). We had a great time that night.
The next morning it was off to visit my immediate family for Christmas. I know I have visited Woodstock, NY and Cape May, NJ in the past for the holidays (as you have seen in this blog) but it was time to join the family again on Christmas Day. I had not spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my mother and brothers since 1981 and the last time I had spent Christmas with my Mom was in 2010 so it was something I was looking forward to this year.
I spent my morning visiting cemeteries, paying my respect to my aunts, uncles, cousin. grand parents and finally my father, dropping off flowers and arrangements to all locations. I say a small prayer and send my wishes. I think this important at the holidays.
Then it was off for the four hour trip down to my mother’s in Delaware. It really was a wonderful Christmas with my family. We all had not been together for the holidays for such a long time. The last several years I would go down after the holidays and we would spend time together then. Since my father’s passing this is the first time the rest of us have been together as a family.
Christmas Eve was always a lot of fun in my family growing up. We would go over to my parents long time friend’s house from 1969-1981 until my parents divorce. Christmas Day was with my Aunt Elaine and my cousins from 1969-1990 right before my aunt passed away. Those were very special Christmas’s and I will always remember them. Since then it changed from year to year as was Christmas Day. All of us kids moved around the country and with school and jobs everything kept changing.
Somehow the stars aligned this year and we were all available. It really was a nice four days and it was fun connecting with everyone again. My younger brother came up with my niece and my older brother with his husband, so the extended family was all there.
We went to Confucius Chinese Restaurant at 57 Wilmington Road in Rehoboth Beach for Christmas Eve dinner (see review on TripAdvisor) and it was packed that night as if everyone in town had the same idea we did. We spent most of the evening either yelling over the table or saying hello to the dozens of people my mom knew in the community. The town was hopping for Christmas Eve and there were cars all over the place with people eating at restaurants up and down the downtown area.
When we got home after a wonderful dinner and tour of the downtown Christmas tree, we just relaxed in the living room and talked. It was nice to finally catch up with everyone in a peaceful environment. In the back of my mind, I still could not believe how Christmas creeped up on us this year or that it was actually Christmas Eve. I slept like a rock that night.
The Lo Mein is amazing here
As are the Soft Shell Crabs
A delicious Christmas Eve dinner
The next morning it was all hands on deck as I was helping my mother in the kitchen after breakfast. After a quick bowl of cereal and a shower, it was off to chopping, cutting and rolling in the kitchen. My mom said she would need my help in the kitchen helping with dinner which was a surprise as she never lets anyone in the kitchen when she is cooking.
I helped her make the breaded broccoli, the pigs in a blanket, making sure that she tied the crown roast the right way (it took some time) and stuff it and then arrange cookie trays for the dessert. Four of my mother’s friends joined us for dinner so there would be ten of us and did we eat that afternoon. My mother is an amazing cook and host and knows how to entertain at the holidays.
Cooking in the kitchen with my family
We had a nice afternoon of reminiscing about family Christmases of the past, what my mother’s friends were up to and how all of our lives were going. It was a nice evening of good eating and wonderful conversation. My brothers and I even cleaned the whole kitchen for my mother so she could relax and enjoy her guests.
Christmas with my family
The next two days we spent at my mom’s house just catching up and relaxing and my brothers and I each hosted a meal for the other members of the family so that we could give my mom a break from cooking for a large group of house guests.
In the afternoons, pretty much everyone did their thing and then we would meet up for meals. My brother and my niece brought their little French Pug named “Boogie” up to my Mom’s so she would not be lonely. God, did we spoil that dog with attention and treats. She was the cutest most well behaved dog and what was funny was when I was lying on the floor watching a movie with my family, she plopped down next to me on the pillow and slept.
Boogie sleeping next to me
Our first afternoon after Christmas, our family met at “A Touch of Italy” restaurant at my mother’s recommendation. The food was excellent. The most delicious thin crusted pizzas I have had in a long time. The pizzas, pastas and sandwiches are delicious here. For dinner the next night, we went to ‘Big Fish’, a local seafood restaurant my mother wanted to try.
It was now two days after Christmas and people looked like they were having family dinners before everyone had to go back to work. The place was mobbed! Our waiter, Scott, really handled the table well with our ten people. “Big Fish” (see my review on TripAdvisor), is a local seafood restaurant whose most popular dishes is everything fried. A friend of my mother’s said that she always has the fried shrimp when she is dining there. So that is what I had for dinner.
The inside of Big Fish Grill at 20298 Coastal Highway
They were like heaven in every bite, sweet and briny and the breading was cooked perfectly. The potatoes and vegetables were also perfectly cooked. Between the entree and appetizers, there was no room for dessert to the shock of my family. Me miss dessert?
The Fried Shrimp meal at Big Fish Grill is excellent and should not be missed
Our last morning was tough. My brothers were leaving for home and I was heading up to Cape May that evening to go to the theater to see “The Actors Carol” at the Cape May Theater and spend the night at the Chalfonte Hotel. It was baby steps back into the family Christmas and I still wanted some time alone for the holidays.
My mother made a big family breakfast and then we said our goodbyes over a fritata and sweet rolls. It was nice being able to spend some time with my brothers who live in other parts of the country and my niece who was off from school. We chatted on about the holiday and what we were doing for New Years and then it was off to travelling for all of us.
For the first time, I took the Lewes-Cape May Ferry from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey (see review on TripAdvisor). It was about an hour and a half and had it been a warmer sunny day it would have been a beautiful trip. When I got there, I sat outside and watched dolphins swim by us. Of course, it had to be a cloudy day and then started to get cloudier and sprinkled so I spent the rest of the voyage inside watching a tourist film. I was able to watch the bay go by and it is quite a site. There is a beauty to the Delaware Bay.
I got into Cape May within the hour and settled at my hotel. I had just been at the Chalfonte in September for the Firemen’s Convention and the town was still hopping with tourists. It really has become a big destination for the holidays. It is funny though to see the main hotel closed for the season. It really does look haunted at night when only the spotlight is on it. The place was buzzing when I left nine weeks earlier.
The Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May at Christmas time (the main hotel is closed)
I settled into the Southern Annex (see review on TripAdvisor) and took a nap before the show. It had been a long but fun four days. It was nice to just relax and be by myself now. It was funny what a year can bring to you and how different you can become. I guess I was no longer that person that needed Cape May or Woodstock anymore. They were perfect for their time in my life but even I felt it was time to step out in the world again.
The Southern Quarters right next to the main hotel
My usual bedroom at the Southern Quarters on the top floor attic room. What a view!
The Christmas welcome at the Southern Quarters
The room has a wonderful view of all the decorated homes
The show was funny that night. “The Actor’s Carol” was a take on the classic “Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The star of the show within a show was a Prima Donna whose best acting days were behind him and made everyone miserable in this small town production. He was in turn visited by three ghosts from his past to show him how he got to where he was in life. It was not the most original show but very clever in premise.
After the production was over, I looked for a place to eat but a lot of the popular places were either closed for the holidays or closing for the evening. Just wanting a snack after the show and before going to bed, I stopped at Dellas 5 & 10 at 501-503 Washington Mall (see review on TripAdvisor) in downtown Cape May for dinner. This small drugstore has a soda fountain and restaurant in the back like Woolworth’s did years ago. The food is very good and the burger I had was well prepared. I had fun as the only customer talking with the waiters.
Washington Mall during the holidays
I walked all over downtown Cape May that night as I had the year before. It just seemed different this year as the experience was surreal. It was still Christmas to me but I just felt changed by the last four days. Still downtown was beautiful with all the lights on the trees, the creative window displays and the bells from the church sounding in the back. The gazebo in the main square still had the Christmas lit up and that put me back into the Christmas mood.
The Gazebo in downtown Cape May
I got back to the hotel and slept like a log. All this driving and running around got to be too much on me. The hotel annex was really quiet even though it was full of guests. I did not hear or see anyone in my time at the hotel.
Their Christmas tree in the downtown park is always spectacular
The next morning as I checked out, I was surprised to see Uncle Bill’s Pancake House at 261 Beach Avenue (see review on TripAdvisor and DiningonashoestringinNYC@Wordpress.com) open this year. It was locked shut last Christmas. I guess they figured the town was busy for the holidays and trust me, a smart choice as the restaurant was busy. They have the best breakfasts and their pancakes and scrambled eggs are cooked in butter so there is some extra caramelization to them. The service there is always so friendly and welcoming.
Uncle Bill’s at 261 Beach Avenue at Christmas time
The pancakes at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House are the best
After breakfast, I walked the downtown again, walked all through the Congress Hall Hotel, where I stayed last year for Christmas (See Day One Hundred-This is Christmas) and then visited the Physick Mansion for another Christmas tour of the house (See TripAdvisor & VisitingaMuseum.com). It is always a nice tour and the mansion is so nicely decorated for the holidays. The tour like everything else in Cape May was busy. It was sunny and around 48 degrees that morning.
After the tour, I left Cape May, probably to see it later again in the Spring and then headed up the Jersey Shore line to visit Margate and the Lucy Elephant statue (see my review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). I had not climbed the top of the elephant yet and since it was a nice day wanted to take the tour before the statue closed for the day. I drove up the shoreline to Margate, NJ and got there by 2:00pm.
I got on the tour which was just about to leave and we climbed the whole statue and got to the top of the ‘howdah’, the transport on top of the elephant. That was the reason why I went the statue. I had not been able to go to the top in 2015. It is the most beautiful view of the ocean and the best part is that it got warmer toward the afternoon. I was able to walk around the statue and by the beach and it must have gone up to 50 degrees.
The top of the Howdah
I decided since it was early to double back to Ocean City, NJ and have some lunch before I drove home. What a spectacular afternoon walking in the Boardwalk. It was crowded because of the weather and surprisingly this late into the holiday week, a lot of the businesses were open.
I was able to go to Johnson’s Popcorn at 1360 Boardwalk (see review on TripAdvisor), which had a line ten deep, for caramel corn. They were making it in small batches and when I started eating it was still hot from the machine. There is nothing like warm caramelized corn on a cool day.
My favorite is the Cheddar and Caramel Corn combination. It never arrives home full!
After that, I went to Manco & Manco Pizza at 8, 9 & 12th on the Boardwalk (see reviews on TripAdvisor) for lunch. Their slices were the best. They make a good sauce and it was so busy that the pies are coming constantly so it was fresh. This is a real Jersey Shore pizzeria and the attitude of the guys working there showed it. You have to visit the Jersey shore Boardwalks to know what I am talking about. As the sun started to go down, it was time to leave. It was getting cooler. I got home later that evening in good time because there was no traffic.
Manco & Manco Pizza is always busy all times of the year
New Year’s Eve was just sitting at home relaxing and calling friends. It looked like everyone was bunking in this year and the fact it went down to 10 degrees on New Year’s Eve night I could not believe all those crazy tourists were sitting in Times Square. I went to bed right after Midnight.
Later that week, I did make a trip up to Woodstock, NY to see their Christmas tree before they took it down but it was down already. The town just seemed depressed when I arrived. I had not been up here since Christmas of 2016 so it had been over a two years since I celebrated a holiday up in the mountains. First, it had a cool damp feel to the town but since you are in the mountains it can be that way. Also, since the holidays were over, a lot of decorations were already down and usually you would keep these up until the Epiphany on January 6th.
Downtown Woodstock, NY during Christmas
The worst was several of the restaurants and clothing businesses that I had remembered from a few years back had gone out of business so there were empty storefronts. It just did not seem like the magical place that I had enjoyed three separate, wonderful holiday season’s. I really wanted to see the tree in the square but you can’t have it all. Still I had lunch at Shindig located at 1 Tinker Street (see review on TripAdvisor) and they have the best burgers and mac & cheese around. It was nice to sit by the window on this cold but sunny day and watch the world go by. I just walked around the town on this quiet afternoon.
Shindig at 1 Tinker Street in Woodstock (closed June 2022)
It is a new bar/restaurant in 2024
The Epiphany brought my only church visit to Corpus Christi Church and the service was nice. The church was still decorated for Christmas so it was the last thing to keep me in the spirit of the holiday. We had our Installation Dinner at the fire department a week later but that is another story Check it out on my blog, The Brothers of Engine One HHFD below.
Overall, it was a nice Christmas. Different from the last five years since my father’s passing but it was time to move on and enjoy the new family traditions we are creating. I was ready for the change.
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