A different kind of spring training

I've been to Phillies Spring Training in Clearwater a couple of times (that's what happens when you go to college in Florida).

But the Phillies didn't always travel so far. In 1898, they got ready for the baseball season in Cape May.

Read all about it here.

Vote for Cape May

Cape May is up for Budget Travel's "Coolest Small Town" competition. So if you have a second, click here and go vote. The folks in Cape May will thank you for it!

For your calendar: Slow Foods Fourth Annual Winter Festival

FOODIES! This one's for you. On January 21, the Washington Inn in Cape May is hosting the Slow Food Fourth Annual Winter Feast, which is put on by Slow Foods South Jersey Shore.

For $50 per person ($70 if you want wine pairings), you'll get a five course meal of local and in season (yes, in winter) foods, including lamb, a local fisherman's stew with roasted garlic aoili, shaved winter root salad and beach plum cheesecake.

Slow food doesn't mean snails (though that's the group's logo). It means eating local and fresh foods - I know a lot of readers do this anyway, which is why I think some of you might enjoy this dinner.

I'm so bummed I can't go.

If YOU want to go, get your tickets soon. Last year's dinner sold out.

Tackling the Ocean Drive 10

Hello from winter hibernation! I know I've been posting less, but I've been a busy bee in other areas of my work and professional life. Oh and the holidays completely zapped me.

But I'm back. Hooray!

So some news. I pledged before that I'd be running the Ocean Drive Marathon. I started the training in late December and realized that my heart wasn't in it. My body wasn't in it, either. I only had two weeks off between the Philadelphia Marathon and starting training for the next one. My body was tired. I needed a running break.

So I took it and, instead, signed up for the Ocean Drive 10 miler. So this will be my fifth year in a row running that race.

I'm not taking it easy, though. I'm setting a lofty goal: I'd like to run the race in one hour and 18 minutes.

This isn't going to be easy. My fastest time in this race was a 1:19:55 in 2009. My fastest time in a 10 miler is a 1:19:21 in the 2009 Broad Street Run. I ran both of those races before I hurt my hip. In my best middle distance race of 2011, I ran an 8:23 min/mile average pace (the Ocean City Half Marathon). To hit 1:18 in a 10 miler, I'll need to run 7:48 min/miles.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But a few reasons I'm doing this:

1. I'm comfortable with this distance. Since I hurt my hip, I've run half a dozen races in the 10 miler/half marathon distances. I know how to pace myself, and I know how to carry myself through that length of distance in a race situation, which I don't know how to do at the marathon.

2. I'm comfortable with this course. I've got it DOWN. I know its quirks, and I can plan and train for them.

3. I need a challenge. I trained for the Philadelphia Marathon with a goal of finishing. I did that, but the training was boring. I miss speed workouts and tempo runs. Training for a 1:18 will bring that back into my running schedule.

4. I'm OK if I miss the goal. Really, I will be. The race is just the icing on the cake. The training, at least for me, is what's important, and I miss training hard. I'd be thrilled if I finished anywhere under 1:19. Setting the goal as 1:18 just makes it easier to visualize.

I've found a bunch of people on twitter who are running the marathon or 10 miler for the first time, so I'll put together a post soon about where to stay/eat/etc. For you non-runners, I think it'll still be interesting because the information could apply to anyone doing a spring trip to the Cape May area. At least I hope!

January 4 and 5: Shore Sales

On January 5, you can snap up great deals at Congress Hall and Star Inn in Cape May. But you can only get them ON JANUARY 5.

I know a bunch of you have taken full advantage of this sale before (some of you for a few years now). So if you want in, click in on Thursday and book away.

You can book dates between January 5 and April 5. Some exclusions apply.

Want to get a good deal at the Chelsea in AC? Book now - their sale is running today, January 5.

Down the Shore with Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was down the shore yesterday, making stops at Uncle Bill's in Avalon and the Lobster House in Cape May. She posted a few pictures on twitter, too, including the photo above.

She's a shore girl, having spent her summers in Sea Isle and then Stone Harbor. Welcome back, Taylor! Hope you had a nice stay, and come back this summer if you can :-)

Ho ho ho

Before heading to Rhode Island, we did a quick trip to Cape May to wrap up holiday shopping. We stayed at the Victorian Motel. I'd never stayed there before, but it's located right behind Congress Hall so I've seen it. Not bad - very serviceable and clean motel close to the center of everything.

We got into town verrrrry late on Friday night, and in the off season, our options were limited, so we hit the Ugly Mug for some bar food, and then the Brown Room at Congress Hall for a post dinner drink. I snapped this photo on our way out:

Pretty.

The next day, we did a 10 mile run (from the hotel to Sunset Beach, then to the Lighthouse and back with a leg thrown in down Beach Avenue to check out construction of the Convention Center), followed up by brunch at Tisha's. We wrapped up our shopping at Whale's Tale, Madame's Port, the Fudge Kitchen, the Toy Shop and Sensia.

Nice trip. I wish we could have stayed longer, but that was not our pre-Christmas trip this year.

Anne Hathaway to get married in Cape May? Her family thinks so

The New York Daily News is reporting that Anne Hathaway's family would like her to get married in Cape May.

I agree.

So I'll put this out there: if anyone is doing a follow up story on this, drop me a line at jenmiller27 [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll be your "expert" on where I think she could get married and why Cape May would be perfect for such an event.

Site of the Day: RetroStockPix.com

AMAZING. RetroStockPix.com is amazing.

This site has taken the archives for Aladdin Color, Inc., which was founded in 1953 as a company that made brochures for motels, car dealerships, amusement parks and more.

The photos from those brochures are on the site, which makes them even better because they're super styled and posed (side note: as far as I know, a nine year old me is still in the Avalon Campground brochure).

The site has pics from around the country, but a chunk of them are from 1950s and 1960s Jersey Shore. You Wildwood fans are going to be VERY pleased.

I've been sharing some of my favorites on my Tumblr page - if you have some time today, take a look through. This one's my favorite so far.

It's probably too late to buy prints as holiday gifts, but I'm booking this one for future presents, and place where I'll go when I'm ready to decorate a new office.

Merry Christmas to Me

What an amazing piece of history!

The Cape May Handbook was published in 1977, one year after Cape May was designated a National Historical Landmark District. It showed people how to restore Victorian homes. This book was crucial at the time. The historic designation meant that people couldn't knock the homes down anymore. Instead, they had to be restored, and this book was the guide on how to do that correctly.

It makes me wish I'd been around in Cape May then - for the fight to save the old buildings, and then the work to turn them all around.

Even from a 2011 viewpoint, the photos of some historic buildings as taken in the 1970s in fascinating. Holding the guide that helped people return them to their formal glory is just wonderful.

Two odd things, though:

1. It feels like my old piano books.
2. How the heck did it end up at a used book dealer in New Hampshire?? I'm glad that this dealer though to not only keep the book but list it for sale online. It's a treasure.

And the decade is...

...the 1950s! Ann Delaney and Anonymous, step on up for your prize of...well, a thank you and a congrats :-)

Since I'm feeling a little retro and it's chilly outside, how about a holiday tune from THE BEST SINGING GROUP EVER?!?!



Love the Ray Conniff Singers. Funny thing is? I'd never seen a video of them singing before. And this is exactly how I pictured them to be, right on down to the cardigans.

Thank you, internet. Thank you.

Guess the Decade

Anyone? Leave your guess in the comments.

The picture appeared in Ben Miller's The First Resort: Fun, Sun, Fire and War in Cape May, America's Original Seaside Town, which I'm re-reading. Nifty project.

Speaking of projects, I started a Tumblr. I'm still trying to figure out the best use for this kind of program, but it's been fun posting pictures so far.

Here Piggy Piggy

So I cut off my hair. For a good reason - I said goodbye to my mermaid waves.

I tweeted this photo, but people had less to say about the hair than about the four blue pigs you see in the background.

That narrow closet is my new running wall - medals and a bag from the Philly Marathon are hung from the wall. The pigs are part of it. They're Blue Pigs that I bought at Congress Hall in Cape May - one for every year I've run the Ocean Drive 10 Miler.

The 2008 Ocean Drive 10 was my first long distance race ever. I was so dazed and thrilled after the race, that I bought a Blue Pig and wrote my time on its tag.

In the 2009 race, I dropped more than 15 minutes off my time. So of course, I had to buy another pig and do the same thing.

2010? Not so great. I'd been training for a marathon and had to drop out because of a hip injury right around the time of the OD10. I was tempted to just say screw it and run the full marathon that is part of this race weekend, but common sense said I'd probably hurt myself. Still, I ran the OD10, and of course, got a pig despite some controversy.

By 2011, I had a streak going, so of course I ran the race again despite that medal incident from the year before. I ran seven races in 11 weeks, and this was one of them. No picture of a pig in my post about it, but there is a picture of my dog (who just turned 10, by the way).

Which brings me to the 2012 race. I will NOT be running the OD10 next year. Instead? I'll be doing the full marathon.

Maybe I'll have to buy two pigs to honor the occasion.

Anne Hathaway Should Get Married in Cape May

Congrats to Anne Hathaway, who got engaged over the weekend!

May I recommend Cape May was a wedding spot for the happy couple? A few reasons why:

1. Hathaway's a Cape May girl, and says she's gone there "every summer of my life.". Her mother has appeared on stage at Cape May Stage. When she dropped out of the limelight after this incident, she came to - of course - Cape May. Even did a little karaoke while she was in town, and a little birdie told me she's a regular at Carneys. Bottom line: she likes it there.

2. Weddings are big business in Cape May. I'm writing a feature on the town right now, and one prong of the story is how many weddings happen every year. So there's plenty of vendors who can handle a celebrity to do.

3. Cape May is one tank of gas from New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Her family's form North Jersey, and she lives in Brooklyn. Close but not too close - an easy to access spot for her guests. Plus, there's a private airport nearby if she or her guests should need it.

4. Cape May has venues that can hold big, classy affairs - and small ones too. C'mon Anne. Why not have the wedding I'd have if I wanted to invite 150 people (which I do NOT - I PROMISE)? My I suggest here or here? From what I'm told, both require at least 150 guest minimum. You could do that in a jiffy. And I'd be more than happy to help. Just drop me a line.

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Let's do the news, shall we?

The casino formerly known as the Atlantic City Hilton is becoming a 'locals casino.' Whatever that means.

The Atlantic City Expressway tolls might be privatized.

This is...bizarre.

Watch those Sea Isle beach tag prices.

No smoking ban for Cape May beaches. BOO. According to tweets from the meetings, locals opposed it. Really?! That strikes me as very odd and backwards.

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

WHY?! (also - love the name of the media outlet I linked to)

More on the new guy running the CRDA.

New casino-to-be-this-spring Revel is bringing in a Vegas person to run entertainment.

Cape May might be creating a new park.

And: Cape May as seen through the eyes of a Pittsburgh newspaper.

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Hey I'm back! I'm sorting through a TON of emails, so let's put up some news in the process.

Check out these Shore made duck decoys.

The Ocean City bike path is riding ahead.

This is bad. And so, of course, is this.

The Beach Theatre was demolished today. BAD MOVE CAPE MAY.

The West Cape May Lima Bean Festival is on October 8. I'm NEVER in New Jersey for it. Bah.

North Wildwood plans on removing the seawall.

A sit in in Sea Isle.

Boardwalk Empire's second season premiered last night. Here's more about AC from the 1920s.

The Ocean City Half Marathon is on Sunday - and yes I'll be there, probably wearing purple.

I will NOT be at the Asbury Park Relay Marathon this year, but if you are, please note that the start time has been moved from 10am to 7am. Early birds will like that one. If I could run the race, I would.

This is awful - and I will have much more to say about this at another time this week.

My trip was fun. I was underwhelmed by OBX, but that's not a big shocker, is it?

News from around the South Jersey Shore

The Wetlands Institute Wings & Water festival is this weekend! Have I ever mentioned that my dream job in high school was to work there or in Australia researching the Great Barrier Reef?

This weekend also marks the start of the Cape May Food & Wine festival.

And the Nuns' Beach Surf Contest.

Once again, the ACES train shuts down in the off season.

Wow. Just wow.

All the Way from Cape May

I took this photo last night at Congress Hall's full moon party. Lovely night, lovely sight.

Almost as soon as I returned from Wisconsin, I turned around and headed down the shore for an assignment. I'll be posting about both trips soon. Hint: boy do mid westerners love their Bloddy Marys....

Oh, and I saw this in Cape May as well, specifically in the parking lot for Higbee Beach. Make sure you read the license plate.

Post-Irene Deals

Based on the traffic jams yesterday, looks like a lot of people were headed back to the shore.

If you want to be one of them but didn't have a rental or hotel room, now might be your chance to get a good deal. Yup, it's post-Irene special time.

Here's the few I know:

Cape Resorts - which runs Congress Hall, the Virginia, Star Inn, and Beach Shack in Cape May - is offering discounts if you book this week at one of their properties. Call and ask for details.

Avalon Campground - the place where I spent all my summers as a kid - is accepting walk ins. Just give them a little time to clear off your site. Call first, though. They announced this yesterday and may have filled back up.

Bally's, Caesars, the Golden Nugget, Resorts and Harrah's are all have post-Irene specials on room rates, meals, entertainment and special package deals. Call for details.

The Annual Stone Harbor Sidewalk Sale has been pushed back to this Saturday at 9am. It's always a zoo, and for a good reason. Lots of deals.

That's just what I'm seeing. Anyone else have something to add?

UPDATE: The Scarborough Inn in Ocean City is running a 20% off deal. Call for details.

Don't forget - signed books for $15 through September 6.

P.S. I ended the Jersey Shore Fact of the Day series a week early because of the storm. Doesn't feel like a good fit right now.