A Weekend at Congress Hall in Cape May with the Motherhood

This past weekend I had the most amazing, unique experience.  The fabulous gals at The Motherhood invited me to take part in a weekend getaway at The Congress Hotel in Cape May a few weeks ago.  When I got the invite, I was elated.  Not only would I revisit a town I adore, but I was also going to get a chance to spend time with the women from The Motherhood, Emily McHann and Cooper Munroe, two women whose work I admire immensely.  When I saw the list of women attending along with me, I was even more enchanted with the idea of this getaway.  I accepted the invitation immediately and began to count down the days until our departure.

The women who shared the experience with me were indeed amazing, and I am still so flattered to have been included in the roster of bloggers from NY, Philly and DC.  They were: Amy from Selfishmom, Carol from NYCityMama, Shannon from PhillaburbanMoms, Ellen from BabyMeetsCity, Ellen from LoveThatMax, Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife,  Joey from Real Mom in the Media, Judy from Traveling Mom, Kim from Mom in the City, Liz from ThisFullHouse, Melissa from GirlyMama, Gayle from Everyday I Write the Book,  Monica from Macaroni Kid NYC East Side and Jill from Glamamom.  Wherever I turned, there was someone interesting to talk to and get to know.  It was a dream group of women, truly, and I learned something from everyone I met.

The Motherhood made sure that we experienced Cape May and Congress Hall, where we stayed, to the fullest.  It was one of the first press trips I’ve been on where we weren’t over-booked.  They included ample time for relaxation and left us to our own devices for several hours at a time so we could experience the resort in the way that we individually wished to.  I do have to say that in our brief visit, I had enough time to fall in love with Congress Hall.  It was one of the most authentic hotel visits I’ve had in a long time.  The hotel puts every ounce of its soul into the design, decor and activity offerings. It really takes hold of its history and origins and incorporates it into everything.

Curtis Bashaw, the hotel’s owner, spent a good deal of time with us and really educated us about the hotel’s history.  It opened its doors in 1816 as a boarding house.  Cape May was America’s first seaside town.  At the time, the inn was sparse but busy.  In the 19th century, it grew, along with Cape May’s reputation as a vacation resort and gained recognition as a summer retreat for the nation’s Presidents, like Grant, Pierce, Buchanan and Harrison.  In 1968, Bashaw’s grandfather took over the hotel, and it has flourished ever since.  It was purchased by the Cape Resorts Group in 2002 and underwent a $25 million renovation.

The resort has the vibe of a classic, airy beach house (like key chains that are old luggage tags, classic dishes and the rooms themselves feel like actual cabanas), but it is also sophisticated and first-class at the same time.  It takes real skill and attention to achieve that outcome.  The hotel is an L-shaped, 4-story building with porticoes the entire length of the building at the 3rd story level.  It faces the ocean — the “porch” is a fantastic place to sit in one of the many rockers for guests and while away the hours in peaceful bliss. They hold 80 weddings a year, and one was taking place while we were there.

Congress Hall’s philosophy is to provide memories for families, and after my visit I can certainly how they make them happen.  We were given options since we only had one full day to experience the hotel, and they all sounded wonderful. I had coffee at Tommy Folly Coffee Bar first thing in the morning.  I exercised by the sea. I took a bike from their shed and rode around Cape May, a seaside town full of Victorian homes and quaint shops.  I got a facial in their beautiful spa called the Sea Spa which was absolute bliss. I sat by the pool and soaked up the sun on a lounger, sipping a cocktail from the Cabana Bar.

The food at Congress Hall is exquisite.  The hotel has hired the most impressive chefs from all over the world.  The Blue Pig Tavern, located in the hotel’s lobby, offers delicious classic cuisine, and I can honestly say the food was heavenly.  The Rusty Nail, just a few blocks from Congress Hall which is also Congress Hall owned, offers inexpensive beach food with live music and tables to sit and dine by the sea.

Our most exotic and exciting culinary experience was lunch at Beach Plum Farm.  Just a few miles from the hotel, you would never imagine such an incredible farm with an emphasis on organic food existed.  They raise their own vegetables, herbs and livestock and ensure that all the hotel’s restaurants are served with fresh food.  Three mornings a week, their chefs gather ingredients for their daily menus directly from the farm.  To say that our meal, prepared by South American Chef Lucas Manteca, was divine is an understatement. We had fresh aparagus, beets, carrots, fish, chicken, potato salad, rosemary herb bread and various salads that were very fresh.  It was a culinary experience I’ll never forget. The staff prepared everything especially for us – mint juleps, a table set to the nines, a meal set for queens.  It gave me yet another opportunity to get to know this group of incredible women.  Curtis mentioned that they are going to start offering picnics directly from the farm in the near future to the hotel guests, a bonus as the food was just that good.  You must check out these photos taken that day to see what I mean:

My visit to Congress Hall was a treat like no other I have experienced in a while.  I plan to take my kids back, without a doubt, as it is also a hotel that is chock full of activities for kids. They offer Congress Camp, a camp for kids aged 4-12, which offers evening activities in July and August and painting and ceramics classes.  Their holiday offerings sound so interesting: on the 4th of July, they offer a lobster bake and an All-American Celebration with music, face painting, picnics, a choir and fireworks.  In December, they offer Winter Wonderland, which sounds beautiful where the hotel lights a big tree and the entire hotel.  As a matter of fact, Cape May is supposed to be all lit up at that time and I am definitely planning another visit later this year, if not before.  Cape May is a very easy trip from where I live in NY.  It’s just about 3 hours from NYC.  My husband and kids will adore it.  Cape May, itself, has so much to offer, too: Victorian homes, a light house, miniature golf, water taffy, arcades, custard stands and best of all, the seaside and expansive beaches.

I’ll be adding another post to Traveling Mom about the experience, as well, so stay tuned for that.  In the meantime, please check out my slide show below for photos from the weekend to get an even better idea of what you can expect from a trip to Cape May or Congress Hall.

If you’re planning to visit Congress Hall, you can receive a $100 Resort credit to be used during your stay at Congress Hall, Virginia Hotel, or beach shack. Reservations must be reserved online using the promo code MOMBLOG. They must be booked by July 31, 2011 for stays in 2011. The $100 credit will be applied at the time of checkout and is not valid with any other offers.

Disclosure: The folks at Congress Hall provided my visit free of charge, but all opinions expressed are completely my own.

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