INDEPENDENCE DAY & MORE

Just a few more days before we celebrate our nation's birthday!  All around Frenchtown there will be Independence Day actitivies--and we are lucky to have one of the country's most famous historic sites just a short drive down Route 29 from Frenchtown itself:  Washington Crossing State Park!!! 

"On December 25, 1776, the icy waters of the Delaware River provided the setting for one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution. The Continental Army had little to celebrate that Christmas and seemed beat by hunger and cold. After crossing the rough winter river at night, General George Washington and the Continental Army landed at Johnson’s Ferry, at the site now known as Washington Crossing State Park. At 4 am, they began their march to Trenton where they defeated the Hessian troops in an unexpected attack."

Happy July Fourth!  Happy Independence Day!

I hope you'll be able to visit our quaint little corner of the world over the weekend or make plans to come another weekend during the summer.  Frenchtown, NJ has so much to offer our visitors, from adventure sports such as cycling (the Cycle Corner) and kayaking (Paddle Creek), to relaxing activities from one of the area's best-known spas, Euphoria Studio, to family activities such as bicycling down the D&R Canal Path that runs parallel to the Delaware River and has beautiful and scenic vistas of Bucks County, PA, or renting a tube from Delaware River Tubing and float down the river for a few hours surrounded by nature, or how about some good old-fashioned family fun of going to the local roller skating rink, the Frenchtown Roller Rink!  We have included much of this information and activities on the NJ side as well as the PA side of the Delaware River listed on our website.  Just click on the Concierge tab for more listings of things to do.  But we are also fortunate to have publications such as Skylands Magazine (online and print) providing information on new events and activities that are taking place in our area.  They just did an incredibly nice write-up on The National Hotel in their print and online publication:

Lisa Frederick and Zack Rovner

It was a wonderful treat to have this publication focus on our establishment.  They always have a lot of information about area activities, and are very supportive of local businesses and events.  On our end, we also try to be supportive of our local shops, vendors, and community events.  Being part of the Frenchtown Business and Professional Association (FBPA) definitely helps all of us know what we're planning, how we can support each other, and moreover, how we can provide a wonderful experience for out-of-towners who make the time to visit Frenchtown, while always maintaining high standards of service and products available to our local residents.  On a micro level, The National Hotel also makes a point to support local sustainable farmers, and we are very lucky to reside in an area of the nation that allows us to turn these fresh ingredients into flavorful and delightful dishes.  Having Lisa Frederick leading this area of the business has brought us many accolades from our dining guests, and she continues to push herself and the kitchen staff to always exceed expectations.

And then there's the Second Saturdays planned (thanks again to our FBPA) with live outdoor music filling the streets of Frenchtown throughout the summer months, as well as Frenchtown's own 13th Annual Bastille Day Fete, July 16th, noon to 6 p.m., featuring street performers, clowns, a puppet show, live music, and more.  Mark your calendars for this special day!

What an extraordinary month July is going to be.  If you're planning to make a day trip, there's plenty to do in Frenchtown and in the surrounding scenic areas, on the NJ side, and the PA side.  If you're making plans to stay a little longer, then feel free to contact our General Manager, Marlon Aranha, who will help you make your stay memorable and customized to your needs.  Ask him about our Summer Celebration special, where you'll receive a special discount to be used in the Restaurant during your weekend stay.  But there are other special packages too, that you'll find on our Hotel page of our website.  Just scroll down to find one that will enhance your stay in Frenchtown, or speak with Marlon and he'll create a special program for you.

And after our 2nd annual National Palooza II, we feel completely energized to continue to provide community programming that is fun for everyone, whether you are a local resident or coming to our little town from far away.  From our weekly Thursday Open Mic Night, to our Saturday Night Live Music series, to our Sunday Musical Afternoons, to our bi-weekly Tuesday Trivia, and our monthly 3rd Sunday People's Poetry (poetry open mic), we have activities the whole family (or just the adults) will enjoy.  And we've just added a bi-weekly Wednesday Scrabble Night to our menu of activities, so there's now another night of easy and relaxing fun to enjoy in Frenchtown.  We wrote about much of this on our last e-newsletter.  Did you catch our very own bartender EXTRAORDINAIRE, Donna Jane Sampler, doing a fire-breathing act?  OMG!!!  Fantastic!  And then she went right back downstairs to our wonderful cellar pub, The Rathskeller (a.k.a. The Rat), and continued to chat up clients and get to know newcomers to our town.  Donna is a fantastic bartender, always caring, always attentive, and always making everyone feel welcome.  I see her, and I feel the need to hug her!  She's just one of my absolute faves.

Lisa Frederick, left & Kasey Goyette, right

But I'm just echoing what our patrons tell us time and again.  And they compliment Donna just as they compliment the other members of The National Hotel family.  You know I've written about Lisa before (and today--because she absolutely deserves praise in so many ways--from choosing a fabulous menu, to how she interacts with her staff and everyone who enters The National Hotel--just gracious, welcoming, always warm!!), and about Kasey Goyette too...but I just wanted to share just a few extra kudos for Kasey just now...SHE IS A FANTASTIC WOMAN!!!  She not only served up some fabulous libations during The National Palooza II, as she always does every night of the week she works, but she also helped in so many ways--went out of her way, in fact, during our June 4th event--that she deserves a medal.  And of course, we are grateful to our wonderful friend, Kristine Marinelli and Jodi McGill, for volunteering and stepping in to be our fun cheeleaders, all-around guest welcomers, and "fun girls."  Thank you!!! 

Kristine Marinelli & Lisa Frederick

And if you want a few glimpses at what happened, visit our youtube channel for some of the webclips, such as:



As we approach the day that honors the birth of this great country, Pete and I feel its significance more than ever this year.  Yes, it's a time when families get together, picnic blankets hit the ground, and people light up their grills to have some summer fun.  Yes, it's a time when people get in their cars and take a little vacation taking advantage of the three-day weekend.  Yes, it's a time when many towns put on their Fourth of July "best" and some even feature fireworks, parades, or concerts.  But for us, having delved deep into the history of The National Hotel, studied the area's revolutionary past that predates even the creation of Frenchtown, NJ itself, it is a date that grants us the opportunity to remember the conviction and determination of those who came before us and took a stand to create a nation that would give new life to so many generations that followed, and invite people from all over the world to set roots in this wonderful land.  We honor this country's birthday, a unique place in the world, where one can truly become a citizen of the nation, equal in every way to his/her fellow citizens.  We are blessed to be here, to be citizens, to be a part of this great nation, contributing to its growth--even in our own miniscule way--but creating our own legacy for our daughters just the same.

I invite you to leave a comment here (or as you seem to prefer, to email me directly at marie@thenationalhotelnj.com), visit our facebook fan page, follow us on twitter, visit our youtube page, or continue to read our blog.  Thank you for your patronage, and here's to a fantastic summer ahead for all of us!!!

MEMORIAL DAY WISHES, LOOKING BACK AT THE MONTH OF MAY AND AHEAD TO JUNE

Life is good! Yesterday I had the good fortune of being interviewed by Tom Drake, from NJ Skylands Magazine.  He surprised us by also taking a webclip of The National Hotel in addition to the write-up that should be online soon and in the July issue of the print magazine.  This follows a very nice write-up about The National Palooza in this week's Bucks County Herald.  Thank you for helping us spread the word about what is sure to be an even better installment of our annual outdoor live music festival!

This Friday, June 3rd, be sure to tune-in to WDVR (89.7 FM), at 2 p.m. when two of the artists who will perform in The National Palooza II, CC Coletti and Top Soil, will be interviewed during their Bleecker Street Café (12 - 3 p.m.), hosted by Chris Poh and Ed Peterson Folk.  You can even listen to it live by clicking on the link in the navigation bar on their website!

General John A. Logan

It's been a fantastic month of May, and today being Memorial Day, I feel as though I've been given the gift of a day to reminisce, a day to enjoy, a day to look ahead.  Today is a day that the nation pauses to remember our fallen heroes who have given their lives in our nation's service.  This special day, originally called Decoration Day, and officially proclaimed Memorial Day in 1868 by General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Waterloo, NY was proclaimed the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson--although many towns and generations have claimed bragging rights for establishing this special day.

Add to this special day the fact that it is is the unofficial start of summer for many--passing thunderstorms and all.  I'm looking out my window and everything looks so green and fresh.  The temperature is just perfect right now, although I know it will increase later on.  But for right now, it's a perfect way to start the day.  And this echoes how I feel about the whole month of May.

From finally being able to hang the beautiful flowers that now grace our porch, to being able to feature musicians right there on our front porch, where everyone walking or driving by can share in the enjoyment of beautiful music, May has been a good month to us.  If you joined us yesterday to enjoy the music of James McBride, you know that I'm not exaggerating when I say that we were treated to a top jazz musician and his accompanying artists, where we ended up having people who ate in our upstairs Bar area, standing by the entrance to the Restaurant, just to be able to listen to James McBride and to see his band.  He's not only an award-winning musician, but also a critically acclaimed author, whose books, Song Yet Sung and Miracle at St. Anna have received high praise.  His book, The Color of Water:  A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

James McBride

And yesterday's program followed on the heels of a ton of musical programming at The National Hotel.  From Mike Pfeiffer, to The Delton Walker Band, to Dallas Vietty, and 15 Keys, it's truly been a spectacular month.



Music wasn't the only highlight of the month--from our terrific weekend Additions to the Menu that continuously receive rave reviews from our lunch and dinner patrons, to recent reviews about our hotel guest suites and our travel guests' experiences posted on TripAdvisor, our spirits are soaring!  Here's a little snapshot of one of these reviews:

My husband and I just returned from a weekend stay at the National. We went for a quiet getaway for our wedding anniversary but what we got was an EXPERIENCE. The National is unbelievably charming. It's updated decor is classic and elegant but does not take away from the feeling of history. This building was constructed in the mid 1800's! Our room was clean and nicely decorated with a gorgeous and extra-large bathroom that included a soaking jacuzzi tub. The GM, Aldon, was one of the nicest, most personable and accommodating people we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was attentive but not intrusive, and really takes pride in his job at the National. After we enjoyed the delights of the fabulous Frenchtown, we were elated to come back and discover live jazz being played in the dining area! The breakfast the next day (homemade blueberry muffins, quiche, and fresh orange juice and coffee- yum!) was the cherry on top. We only regret that we were not able to enjoy the food in their dining room. We WILL be back.  

I hope that you'll help us make June an equally fantastic month, by sharing your feedback, giving us your thoughts on other ideas to help improve your experience at The National Hotel.  I really thank those of you who have reached out to me via email or have shared your comments with Pete in person.  As always, stay up-to-date by liking us on facebook, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and following us on Twitter.  You can certainly feel free to post a comment here too.  Thanks for your constant and continued support!

UN-COMMERCIALIZING MOTHER'S DAY WHILE PLANNING FOR THE DELTON WALKER BAND'S PERFORMANCE ON 5/14 & THE NATIONAL PALOOZA II ON 6/4

May 14th in Frenchtown is going to be a fantastic day.  The Frenchtown Business and Professional Association (FBPA) has put together the first of a series of outdoor concerts/music programs, on the 2nd Saturday of every month, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the motorcycle parking lot.  Aunt Martha will be the first and of the series.  Thank you, FBPA!!!

Delton Walker performing on the porch of The National Hotel

beautiful antique & vintage cars are always passing through town

But that's not all that Frenchtown has to offer this Saturday the 14th...we'll be treated to an incredible night of jazz, 9 p.m. - 11 p.m., when The Delton Walker Band will perform at The National Hotel, $20 pp (includes a complimentary glass of wine or beer).  Delton has established himself as a new up-and-coming Contemporary Jazz artist, having studied with Tony Hayes, Willy DuPont, and Jesse Jones, Jr.  Most recently, he has studied under the direction and guidance of Walter Beasley, that helped springboard the release, "Back in Your Arms Again."  For ticket information, contact Pete at 908.996.3200 or visit Delton's website.  I have to thank Delton Walker for performing live with no cover charge, on May 1st.  It was one of those perfect spring days where people watching from our porch was the most natural thing to do.  And Delton's beautiful rendition of contemporary jazz, was an instant attraction to those inside and those walking  (or driving) by--and we have some beautiful automobiles that always grace our roadways, especially on the weekend.

Here are a couple of webclips from his recent appearance at The National Hotel:

Actually, I can already fast-forward into June; it's certain to be a wonderful month for us, with the next installment of The National Palooza II, our all-day outdoor live music festival in Frenchtown, NJ on June 4th, 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.  The day's festivities will start with the DelVal HS Jazz Band, led by their music director, Steve Cooney.  The National Palooza will then feature:

• CC Coletti
• Pawnshop Roses
• Top Soil
• Citizens Band Radio

Additional acts will keep you entertained in between the music breaks.  Please visit http://www.thenationalhotelnj.com/events.aspx for more information or to purchase advance tickets for the day.

But back to May...I hope those of you who celebrated Mother's Day had a truly enjoyable day.  It couldn't have been planned better, weather-wise.  Our porch was full of patrons enjoying the warmth of the day.  And inside, the flowers lunch and dinner guests bestowed on their mothers, made the entire first floor radiate with happiness.

Delton Walker performing live

Can we say thank you to these patrons any louder for choosing The National Hotel as the place where they wanted to honor their mothers on this special day?!  Actually, I have often questioned why we're honoring our mothers on this "Hallmark-mandated" day, when as mothers we do soooooooooooo much year-round for our children.  I'll confess that I used to resent this "mandated" day, because I felt that mothers didn't need a day of recognition, but rather, appreciation for all they do year-round.  Well, the same holds true for fathers and grandparents.  Reality, however, tells its own story, which is, that we often overlook those closest to us, because we're working so hard to put food on the table, or so busy building "a better life" for our family.  And so, introspection aside, I honor those women around me who are mothers and those women who are no longer with us, but were mothers long ago.  My wish is that we not only celebrate the mothers around us, but also the families who appreciate those mothers day in and day out.

This is a special day that everyone can enjoy, especially if we remove the "commercialization" value attached to it.

Anna Jarvis

I learned over the weekend that Mother's Day originated in the hills of Appalachia, in the US, where Anna Jarvis, a homemaker there organized a "Mother's Work Day" to highlight the awful conditions of the children in that community, 150 years ago.  When she died, her daughter, Anna, worked to institute this day in 1908.  Others, such as Julia Ward Howe, who as a pacifist and feminist (who had written the Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier), felt could champion causes on a political level.

My children asked me on Saturday, "What do you want for Mother's Day?" Truly, I had no answer, because I feel as though I have everything for which I could ever wish.  I have two beautiful and intelligent daughters, a wonderful husband, a doting mother, a loyal and loving brother, a mother-in-law who adores me, a sister-in-law who confides in me and loves me, and extended family (blood and in-law) that has shown me love, trust, and affection.  On days like this, when I have the opportunity to truly think about my values and my life on a macro-level, I feel like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music:  "I must have done something good..."  And there are days when I feel as though my life is just so absolutely full, that it's just...too full.  Too much to do, too many responsibilities, too many demands.  But whether for better or worse, we have these holidays that shine that spotlight on us, and allow us to think about all the positive things we have in our lives.


So to Hallmark I say:  "Thank you!"

And I echo this gratitude to our executive chef, Lisa Frederick, who truly outdid herself planning a special Mother's Day menu just for that day, separate from the Additions to the Menu that we feature regularly starting Thursday for the weekend.  She is already working on planning a fabulous menu in honor of the fathers in our lives for next month.  Call us at 908.996.3200 for information on this special menu and to make reservations.  It's sure to be a great day!

We'll keep updating our website with more information, as well as our facebook fanpage, our youtube channel, and our twitter page.  Please continue to post your comments or email me your feedback.  I really do appreciate all of your comments and ideas for future planning.  Again, thank you for always showing your support of The National Hotel in so many different ways.