April + Michael's Website

what to do in cape may

What’s there to do in Cape May?
We’ve been here twice, and it’s great. Here are some of the basics:

The Beach: You can’t miss it. You’ll need to buy a beach tag, and they are on sale at each beach entrance. We recommend taking your own refreshments, blankets, and towels. Most hotels seem to have beach chairs that you can borrow.

The Washington Mall: This is a strip of shops, ice cream parlors, restaurants, and bars right in the middle of town. It’s an outdoor mall—basically a closed off street, not a connected shopping mall. It’s marked in orange on the maps you’ll get at most hotels. Basically, turn right out of the La Mer onto Beach Ave., drive for ¾ of mile and turn right on Jackson St. It’s a few blocks off the beach.

Restaurants:

HENRY’S ON THE BEACH (702 Beach Dr. | 609.884.8826). This is a family-friendly restaurant, everything from burgers to spaghetti. It overlooks the ocean and is right near the Convention Hall.

UNCLE BILL’S PANCAKE HOUSE (Beach Ave. at Perry St. | 609.884.7199) is nice for an inexpensive breakfast (it’s right in front of the Congress Hall hotel, which is old and cool if you want to duck inside. We stayed here one year on vacation).

We’ve also eaten at the MAD BATTER (19 Jackson St., a few blocks off Beach Ave. | 609.884.5970). It’s a little more expensive, but also family friendly – mixed American cuisine. We think they also have pancake breakfasts.

In the mood for seafood? Try THE LOBSTER HOUSE (Route 9 and Shellinger’s Lane – You would have driven past it on the way into town | 609.884.8296). It’s pretty busy, so you’ll need reservations and there might be a wait, especially on Friday night. A real treat though. Especially if you like lobster or hammering away with a small wooden mallet at a tray full of steamed crabs.

Bars: CABANAS BEACH AND BAR GRILL is fun. It’s on Beach Ave. between Jackson and Decatur Sts. There are other bars in the area, so have a drink, take a walk, and investigate.

Arcade: What beach vacation would be complete without some Skee-ball and Ms. Pac-Man (yes, they still play both in Cape May). There is an arcade along with some trinket shops on the little mini-boardwalk area near the Convention Center. This is right on the beach, around Stockton and Howard Sts. Last summer we ended up with about 130 tickets from playing Skee-ball—just enough to trade in for a tiny bouncing rubber ball. Skee-ball is fun; the exchange rate is poor.

Rent a Bike or a Surrey: What’s a surrey? It’s one of those pedal-powered cars you'll see people riding  in along Beach Ave. It looks something like this:

Surreys are incredibly fun. They have two person surreys and surreys fit for a small family. You'll feel just like the Flintstones. Make sure at least one of you has strong legs, however, because it can be pretty tiring!

Try CAPE ISLAND BIKE RENTALS (Howard St., right off Beach Ave. | 609.884.8011), or SHIELDS BIKE RENTALS (Gurney St. between Beach Ave. and Kearney –|609.884.BIKE).

Victorian Houses: Cape May’s proudest feature are its restored Victorian Houses, and they are all over town. Just meander around in the neighborhood of Jackson St. and you can’t miss them. Inquire at the front desk of your hotel about guided trolley tours of the town that point out the most interesting houses.

Sunset Beach: Sunset Beach is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay. It’s a few miles west in an area known as Cape May Point. Here you will see a pretty amazing sunset over the water. Also at Sunset Beach is a concrete ship that sunk here after WWI . The wreck is visible only a few yards from the beach, and yes, it is really made of concrete. (For the whole story on concrete ships, and why anyone would build one, ask Mike. He loves talking about ships.).

There’s a trinket and kite shop there, and a snack bar for burgers and hotdogs. We recommend bringing bug repellent (April was eaten alive here one year while browsing for postcards—don't let that happen to you).

HOW TO GET THERE. From the La Mer, turn right on Beach Ave. and drive for ¾ of a miles or so, then turn right on Jackson St. In a few blocks, Jackson veers left and becomes West Perry which soon turns into Sunset Blvd. Follow Sunset Blvd a few miles to the very end.

Cape May Lighthouse: Often serves as the symbol of Cape May. You can climb to the top or visit the gift shop, or as we did, just drive around it in a big circle. What can I say? It's a lighthouse.

So these are just some highlights.

If you can’t decide where to start, just head on down Beach Ave. to about Jackson St., find a parking place and start walking. This is the CENTER OF TOWN (in our opinion – practically everything we list above is within a few minutes of this area). So get out the flip-flops and have an adventure!

getting around cape may

How do I get around in Cape May?
All of the hotels have free maps. Grab one and explore.

Here's a street map from www.capemay.com:
Download PDF

If you don’t have a map, just keep two streets in mind: Beach Ave. and Jackson St.

Beach Ave. is the street that runs along the ocean. The Peter Shields Inn where we are getting married is on this street. Practically all the interesting things in Cape May that we recommend are within a few blocks of this street. Just turn right out of the La Mer or Peter Shields and drive west for about ¾ of a mile and you’ll be in the thick of the action.

North, South, East, West?
On most NJ beaches, the ocean is due east, but in Cape May, when you’re looking at the ocean you are facing roughly SOUTH. This is because Cape May is on the extreme tip of NJ. So if you drive down Beach Ave. toward the middle of town from the La Mer, you are driving WEST.

mike's faqs

Where do you guys work?

Mike is an executive producer at The History Channel. It’s on East 45th Street in New York City, near the United Nations building.

April is a project manager at World Archipelago Inc., an interactive agency that designs websites. Her office is near Union Square and NYU.

Where do you live?

We live on West 69th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue in New York City. This neighborhood is called The Upper West Side since it’s on the west side of Manhattan, above midtown. We are about half a block from Central Park, where we sometimes run together.

Do you have any pets?

Yup, we have a cat and her name is Sandy. We got her from an adoption service that rescues cats from city shelters. She’s got a tortoiseshell coat and looks like she lost a fight with a paint gun. She loves to sleep in the inbox (but not the outbox, which is right next to the inbox).

Our first cat was named Penny, a brown tabby with white paws. But she passed away earlier this year.

When did you move in together?

Yes, we live together. We were officially married in a small civil ceremony in November and moved in together at that time. This wedding is the BIG DAY with all the trimmings—our chance to get together with the people who matter most and have a traditional ceremony.

Why Cape May?

Cape May is where we took our first vacation together in the summer of 2005. We stayed at Congress Hall and loved it. When we got engaged we thought Cape May would be a nice, family-friendly place for two families to meet.

la mer inn

Thought we'd post some pictures that we took of the La Mer in case you are or are planning to stay there...

Here's the La Mer from the southeast corner of the block (at Beach Avenue & Pittsburgh Avenue). See the pool on the right?

Now we're walking west along Beach Avenue towards the Peter Shields Inn:

This is the Morning Star Villa. Crazy confection of a building isn't it? It looks like they decided to cap on a 4th floor but it didn't blend in with the original architecture. Anyway, the reason I'm bringing up the Morning Star Villa is because it sits on Beach Avenue right between the La Mer and the Peter Shields. (And in case you were wondering...the Morning Star Villa is a private residence and/or vacation share, not a B&B.)

Continuing down Beach Avenue, past the Morning Star, and you'll see the white columns of the Peter Shields peeking out:

And here's the Peter Shields Inn from the right:

And the left:

And now you're at the end of the block, at Beach Avenue & Trenton Avenue.

Now if you turn around, right behind you is the ocean. This is what you'd see:

Or if Mike were there, this is what you'd see:

And here's me across the street from the Peter Shields (see the Morning Star Villa on the right?):

Hope that helps you get your bearings!

us and cape may

So why did we choose Cape May for our wedding location? While neither Mike's family nor my family are from Cape May or even New Jersey, Cape May holds a special place in our hearts because it was the first place we went to on vacation, back in July 2005.

Mike and I have been back to Cape May one other time, which was last summer, in August. We had just gotten engaged the month before, and getting married in Cape May was definitely a possibility in our minds.

First of all, it's just a cute seaside town, with the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and rows and rows of Victorian gingerbread houses. We thought our friends and family would really enjoy experiencing Cape May for themselves.

Secondly, it's a wedding-friendly town. Our first year in Cape May, we witnessed a wedding taking place on the front lawn of Congress Hall, (the hotel where we were staying that summer). And since then, we've researched many other places that were open to hosting weddings.

So we're really excited that you all will be joining us in Cape May in just a couple of weeks! (just 19 days, according to the countdown clock on this blog!)

Here are some photos from our first trip to Cape May:

And some photos from our second trip last summer:

the closest places to stay

Both the ceremony and the reception will take place at:

The Peter Shields Inn
1301 Beach Avenue (on the corner of Beach & Trenton Avenues)
Cape May, NJ 08204

Tel: 609-884-9090 or 800-355-6565

Website: http://www.petershieldsinn.com

The Peter Shields Inn is a white-columned, Georgian Revival-style inn with an oceanfront view. (Just cross the street and you're on the beach!!). The Peter Shields is located on the corner of a quiet block towards the eastern end of Beach Avenue.

Because The Peter Shields Inn is not quite in the "center" of town, the only 2 places to stay which are within (comfortable) walking distance of The Peter Shields are:

Angel of the Sea
5 Trenton Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
Tel: 609-884-3369 or 800-848-3369
Website: http://www.angelofthesea.com

La Mer Beachfront Inn
1317 Beach Avenue (closest cross street is Pittsburgh Avenue)
Cape May, NJ 08204
Tel: 609-884-9000 or 800-644-5004
Website: http://www.capemaylamer.com

Both Angel of the Sea and La Mer Beachfront Inn are on the same block as The Peter Shields. (The immediate surrounding blocks are all vacation rentals or private homes.)

More details:

The Angel of the Sea is a really cute "gingerbread-y" Bed & Breakfast (with a pink exterior, floral wallpaper, antique furniture, clawfoot bathtubs, etc, etc.). It is located directly behind The Peter Shields inn on Trenton Avenue. It's a B&B, so it'll be a little more "personal" than a regular hotel. Some things to note:

• They don't allow kids younger than 8 years of age.
• There are no elevators.
• Good rooms fill up fast and they may be fully booked already...but it may be worth calling to see if they have any last minute cancellations.

Room rates range from $135-$285/night. You can view pictures of all of their rooms here and more details about their rates here.

The La Mer Beachfront Inn is a "hotel"-hotel. It's a large building with modern exterior and interior, a parking garage, and all the rooms have a balcony overlooking the ocean (or so I'm told :-). There are elevators and the typical amenities you would expect from a hotel. Both the Peter Shields and the La Mer are on the same block on Beach Avenue (facing the ocean), they're just at opposite corners. Some things to note:

• They have a lot of rooms, so there may still be vacancies...I would call them ASAP.
• There's a pool!
• Members of the Kao and Stiller clans will be staying here!

Room rates range from $187-$279/night. There's pictures of their rooms here and of the rest of the hotel here, and you can download their rates here (you'll need a PDF reader...let me know if are having trouble accessing this).

Oh also both places have wireless :-).

I should probably also mention that yes, The Peter Shields Inn itself is also an actual "inn" (and restaurant). There's only 9 rooms, however, so there's a high chance that they're already booked. However, it's worth a try! (contact info above). Room rates range from $325-$395/night. You can view their rooms here and their rate table here.

In case the options above do not work out, don't worry...there are a ba-zillion places to stay in Cape May, and many of them are very, very cute and awesome. As mentioned on the travel card that came with your invitation, Mike and I have both stayed at Congress Hall (888-944-1816) and the Bedford Inn  (866-215-9507) on previous visits to Cape May and they are both wonderful. (While they are not within "walking" distance of The Peter Shields, per se, they are just minutes away by car, off of Beach Avenue, and within the "center" of town.)

More details about other places to stay to come in a future post. In the meantime, here's a pretty comprehensive list of the most popular Bed & Breakfasts in Cape May that you can check out.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to call or email us (see invitation packet for contact info) if you need help finding a place to stay! We'd love to help.

getting to cape may

Cape May is a lovely Victorian seaside town located at the southern tip of New Jersey, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay.

There are several different ways to get to Cape May:

By Air: Airports within driving distance to Cape May (from closest to furthest) are as follows: Atlantic City International Airport (45 mi); Philadelphia International Airport (90 mi); Newark Liberty International Airport (150 mi); JFK International or Laguardia Airports (170 mi); and Reagan National or Washington-Dulles International Airports (220 mi).

By Land: If flying into any of the above airports, you will need to either rent a car or take public transportation into Cape May. NJ Transit buses and trains have routes from Atlantic City, Philadelphia, New York City, and many other locations in New Jersey to Cape May. If driving, follow the Garden State Parkway South to Exit 0.

By Sea: If coming from the south or flying into Washington DC, you also have the option of taking the Cape May-Lewes Ferry from Delaware into New Jersey.

quick update

Some of you have gotten your invitations already. Wow, that was fast! My parents received theirs in record time (it left NYC on Saturday and got to L.A. on Monday). Since when does first class mail make it all four time zones in one business day?? Sometimes the US Postal Service surprises me...

Thanks for visiting our wedding blog, by the way. As you can tell, I am a little behind in updating this site with info about where to stay and how to get to Cape May. (Will be typing like mad today and tomorrow after work.) Sorry bout the delay...Please check back on Thursday or Friday for all the info!

love,
April

P.S. In the meantime, check out photos from when Mike and I got engaged last July! (Click on that animated Flickr box in the left-hand column.)

how we met

Mike and I met back in the fall of 2005. We were both working at A&E Television Networks at the time—April was producing websites at A&E and Mike was freelancing at The History Channel, producing a show called Guts & Bolts.

We were both making the daily trip by Metro-North from NYC up to AETN's offices in Stamford, CT (along with a bunch of other co-workers), and got to know each other during the commute. (I think the first time we actually talked to each other was on the platform of the 125th Street/Harlem station when some weird, persistent guy (who looked like Bluto from Popeye) was telling me how much he loved The History Channel and I was trying to figure out how to get out of the conversation when a familiar face (Mike) walked by. I called out to him and the weird guy got nervous and left. Thanks Mike!)

Our first "date" was on the day before Thanksgiving of that same year. We went to watch the floats get  blown up (inflated, I mean) for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It was really crowded. And freezing, I think. Romantic, huh?

welcome!

Dear Family & Friends:

Welcome to our wedding website. That's right, we're getting married!

We hope you can join us at the Peter Shields Inn in the Victorian seaside town of Cape May, NJ on Friday, June 22, 2007 as we tie the knot on the seashore! (Don't worry, we won't actually be on the sand. But don't let that stop you from hitting the beach afterwards!)

We'll be adding all the nitty-gritty details of our wedding on this website (including travel + accommodations info), so check back soon!

Love,

April + Mike

P.S. Invitations went out this past Saturday!