Duckies Galore and Winnona’s Transformation

Monday September 23, 2013
Cape May, New Jersey

 

 

Our time in Cape May is winding down so this is the last of our looks at this cute little town.

If you missed the beginning of our wonderful walk around Cape May seeing her gorgeous Painted Ladies, you can read it here.

We are walking back to the car.  Winnona has an appointment with Cape Carpet Cleaning late this afternoon and we need some lunch and to get everything off of the floors and upholstered surfaces.

 

 

As we walk along Beach Avenue by yet another huge hotel called Congress Hall, which takes up an entire block from Beach Avenue to Lafayette Street, I see they have cabanas on the beach across from the hotel.  Aren’t they cute and reminiscent of Victorian Seaside days.  That’s the point of them obviously.  But it works. 

 

The Congress is just too huge to get into a picture in any meaningful way.  It takes up an entire block in both directions.  You’ll have to come see for yourself.  Here’s some teaser information for motivation.

In our literature it gives its date as 1879, the year after the fire and says it was one of the earliest hotels, built in 1812.  The current hotel is the 3rd one built on this site.  The hotel served as the summer white house for President Harrison, one of five presidents who resorted in Cape May.  Wish we had time to go inside and see the lobby.  It takes forever to walk up the side and across the back to get to the mall.

 

We walk up the Washington Street Pedestrian Mall on our way.

 

 

It reminds me of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall right down to the clock which unlike Charlottesville’s does have the correct time.  We say we aren’t going to stop along the way but then each of us sees just one thing we must investigate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mine is a bath shop with giant duckies in the window.  At $17.95 each they are pretty pricey but if I had room in Winnona I’d have taken one home to scare the daylights out of Moby and Handy.  Just for fun you know.

 

 

 

They have LOTS of Duckie family members in tubs and buckets. 

 

 

These two are my favorites.   Love that hat! I think of this as Chef David.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But if you want to see a REALLY BIG RUBBER DUCK….

I mean 40 feet tall. Check out this link Laurie Owen shared with us.  If I were any where near by I’d for sure turn out to see this.  We laughed and laughed just at the story.  WHAT FUN!!

 

On down the mall I wonder if the shops were always connected to each other when it was a public street.  I can’t remember if our mall’s stores are connected but I’m gonna check when we are back there.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we see this little thing parked right on the mall.  What in the world is it??

Turns out it is the Shoprider Flagship 4 Wheeled Scooter and you can get it at the mark down price $13,09.89 $5,799.95 from allegromedical.com.  You save $7249.95.  I suppose it’s a limited time offer!

Pretty cute though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David sees a store he can’t resist and  off he goes. 

 

I’m sure if we weren’t pressed for time we would lunch here.  But we have to get back.  NEXT TIME.

 

 

 

 

 

Just off the mall we find the original Cape May Fire House. 

 

Can’t resist this either.  Will we ever make it back to get Winnona ready??

 

 

What a beauty!!  Clearly kept with loving care.

 

 

 

Maybe if these had been used in the 1878 fire so much would not have been lost.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like this was the fire hydrant in use at the time.  1875 is the date.

 

 

 

Just before we reach the spot where Ruby is parked we pass in front of what the sign says is the Southern Mansion. 

 

Not on our “tour” but interesting just the same.  It is clearly some sort of guest house from the signs saying “guests only” in the parking lot.  But you can tour it at 12 and 2 any day for a mere $10 each.

 

 

 

 

 

That wraps up our visit to Cape May and now for the reason we came here in the first place.

 

We do arrive back in time to get some lunch and do some cleaning up and moving of things so that Cape Carpet Cleaning can have hopefully unlimited access to all carpet and furniture.

 

 

Well we get everything off the surfaces they will need, if not off every surface, in time for Matt and Kenny when they pull up in the drive after a long day’s work.  At this point it is about 3:30 and they have been at it since about 7:30 this morning doing other appointments. 

First, they have to set up all the equipment.  Other than doing his own house I’m betting this is the first time Matt has set everything up to work in his own driveway.  Boy are we lucky!!  Just look at the equipment in his van.

 

 

 

 

They clean everywhere.  Under, over, around and through. 

 

They do yachts here in the harbors so they are used to tight spaces.  And they use hardly any chemicals which means we can actually sleep in here tonight after they are finished.  I really love that.  I think only the spot remover has anything in it but just hot water.

Kenny asks if I want to see the dirty water extracted as they go.  He pours it down the drain and it is absolutely disgusting. NO picture of that.   The beige carpet and upholstery didn’t look that dirty but obviously they were. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am amazed that even while still wet everything looks SO much cleaner. 

 

The patterns which I love on the sofa are much clearer.  The sofa is in partially down position in order to allow it to dry.  It just looks great and so does the carpet.

 

 

They even clean the throw rugs and mats.  Talk about a thorough job.

 

 

 

We are so grateful to Kenny and Matt for doing such a fantastic job and to Matt for squeezing us into his very busy after tourist season fall schedule.  Not only that but he made a spot for us to driveway dock AND left his giant drying fan in the coach over night to speed up the drying.  Talk about going the extra mile.

Can’t thank you enough.   David, Winnona and I are really happy campers!! 

They look pretty pleased with their work don’t they?  And well they should be!

 

 

This one is for you, Jody.

 

This shot, that Kenny took, is especially for my friend Jody, Matt’s dad, who told me and didn’t exaggerate that his son was the best carpet and upholstery cleaner anywhere.   Thanks Jody, Winnona is looking very fine!!  You are justly proud of your son.  He is a complete pleasure to work with. 

 

 

 

We will be coming back to Cape May next time we need a really superior job done on Winnona’s interior.  So there will be a ‘next time’ for all those things we didn’t get to.   Although we may well never wear shoes inside again, it looks SO great!!