Watch the Blue Shutters Dips Take the Plunge on New Years Day 2012!

Watch our four crazy "Blue Shutters Dips" (and a suprise guest) take their annual New Years Day plunge into the Atlantic at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester.

Come for our Chili Cook Off...and Celebrate Valentines Day!

You're invited to join us on February 11 for the second annual Blue Shutters Beachside Inn Chili Cook Off! Bring a pot of chili for other guests to enjoy and get 25% off your weekend stay. Our judges will choose a winner that Saturday evening, and the chili champion gets a gift certificate for a free return visit (last year, our second and third place winners got prizes too, courtesy of guest judges from Topside Grill and Cape Ann Brewing Company). If you’d like to come and stay a night or two and just taste the chili, that’s OK too.

We rolled out our "snow girl" once again to help make another point -- this could be a great way to spice up your Valentines Day (just a few days later). While we'll be enjoying chili on Saturday night, there will be time for a romantic dinner, a glass of champagne by the fire, a quiet walk on the beach and much more that'll help you celebrate Valentines Day.

Last year's Chili Cook Off was a big hit -- call or email us to make a reservation and get in on the fun in 2012!

Scenes from our Winter Escape Food & Wine Tasting

Snow fell throughout the day and a nippy wind blew across the beach, but a group of lucky "friends of the Blue Shutters" were able to enjoy a "Winter Escape" at our January Food & Wine Tasting. A big thank-you to Traveling Vineyard Wine Consultant Kathy Hill and Langham Hotel Exectuive Chef Mark Sapienza, who outdid themselves with this event. The wine was great and the food was awesome, but when you paired the two....wow! Check out these photos and you'll get a sense of some of the fun we had this night.

There'll be other Food & Wine Tastings later this winter and spring, but coming up next is another event that promises great food and lots of laughs -- our second annual Chili Cook Off on February 11. Call us for more details on these upcoming Blue Shutters winter and spring specials.

Snow on the Water

Last week we saw "smoke on the water" and this morning snow covered the beach. We've always insisted that winter at the Blue Shutters was among the most beautiful times of the year here -- and that's especially true when there's a fresh coat of snow on the ground. Here are some shots from this morning -- look closely and you'll see guests Vicki and Barbara on the footbridge heading for a walk on the beach. Why not treat yourself and come walk the wintery Good Harbor Beach yourself? We'll have the fire going to help you warm up when you get back.

Smoke on the Water

For those lucky enough to check out our Good Harbor Beach webcam this morning, there was a different sight -- "steam" coming off the water. You never know what you'll see from the Blue Shutters on any given morning, but you can always be sure it'll be beautiful.

Celebrating the Patriots...and a Favorite Gloucester Spot

One of our favorite places in Gloucester is the Topside Grill -- a great spot for lunch or dinner...or a drink and some friendly conversation at the bar. And one of favorite past-times during these winter months is watching the NE Patriots. Tonight, we were lucky enough to do both, as innkeepers Patty, Ed and Tony stopped by to help send off the Topside crew for a winter break. It just so happened that Patriots were beating the Denver Broncos silly this night, and we were there as the Pats finished up their 45-10 blow-out. Patty decided to ring the bell at the Topside bar after each Patriot touchdown (and there were many) and then at the game's end to celebrate the victory. Here you see Patty ringing the game-ending bell with a few friends. From left: bartender Antoine, Patty, Topside "top-dog" Doug Silva and Patty's new pal Amy. Topside will be closed until April -- and we'll be there as soon as it opens. And we suggest you do the same!

Check Out the Menu for our Winter Escape Food & Wine Tasting on January 21!

Our "snow girl" may not have convinced you to think about the Winter Escape Food & Wine Tasting on January 21, but the details on the menu for that afternoon/evening should do the trick. Here's what our experts -- Langham Hotel Executive Chef Mark Sapienza and Traveling Vineyard Wine Consultant Kathy Hill -- have come up with:

2008 Zeffer Hills Charonnay paired with New England Farmstead Cheeses

2010 Bailando Bonardo paired with Charred Tuna Carpaccio Crostini with Fennel Pollen, Anise and Chile Oil

2010 Richebois, Ventoux, paired with Coppa Panini with Dried Cherry Moustarda

2009 Chesterton Cabernet Sauvignon paired with House Cured Snake River Pastrami Sliders with Sweet and Sour Slaw

Fissata Red paired with White Chocolate Mango Parfait.

We're sure you'll agree that this is a pretty amazing menu -- and what's even better: it's all free for guests who stay with us that Saturday night. And if you want to stay Friday as well, we'll give you a 50% discount for that second night.

There's still time to sign on for this special event -- call or email us today!

Come Enjoy a "Winter Escape" at our January 21 Food & Wine Tasting

We came up with a "Winter Escape" theme for our January 21 Food & Wine Tasting -- we figured everyone will need a break from the snow and cold by then. Ed and Tony recruited the Blue Shutters "snow girl" to help spread the word. Once again, Langham Exeutive Chef Mark Sapienza and Traveling Vineyard Wine Consultant Kathy Hill have put together a selection of red and white wines paired with a special tasting menu. There'll be plenty of time before and after the tasting to walk the beach or head downtown -- and then warm up by our fireplace. And if you're lucky, you'll meet the "snow girl". It's all free for guests who stay with us that Saturday night -- and we're tossing in a special discount for a weekend stay. Call or email us for details -- and reserve your spot!

Summertime (Almost) in January at Good Harbor Beach

There's innkeeper Patty sitting in the front yard with friends Karen and Joe sipping wine. And in the background, you'll see beachlovers enjoying the sunshine on Good Harbor. Is this a photo from this summer or fall? Nope -- this shot was taken this afternoon, on January 7, in the middle of winter! Temps were in the 50s, the sun was out and Good Harbor Beach was a busy spot. Come see for yourself -- and if you do, make sure to stop by and say hello (we might join you for a glass of wine). Speaking of wine, we're planning a "Winter Escape" Food & Wine Tasting on January 21. Call or email us for details.

A Different View of the Good Harbor Footbridge

Here's an awesome Good Harbor Beach photo that we just needed to share. It's another shot taken by Marie Pelletier of Salem, who is a frequent visitor to the beach and the Blue Shutters along with her husband Jack. We've spotlighted a lot of Marie's work here and on our Facebook page, including a number of photos of the footbridge. In a note she sent along with this photo, Marie points out that "the color was really different that morning." We think the colors are beautiful, the sky is breathtaking and the angle a bit different than many photos we see of this oft-photo'd footbridge. Why not bring your camera out to Good Harbor Beach this month and see what you can do.

Join Us for our Wine & Food Tasting -- Coming Saturday January 21

The Blue Shutters Wine & Food Tastings are back, with the first event of 2012 scheduled for Saturday January 21.

On that afternoon, Langham Hotel Executive Chef Mark Sapienza and Traveling Vineyard Wine Consultant Kathy Hill will join forces to put together a fantastic selection of red and white wines paired with a menu of food items (that's Kathy on the left and Mark on the right in a photo from one of last year's tastings). Check back here details on the wines and the food menu.

We'll hold this late that Saturday afternoon, giving you plenty of time time to walk the beach (before tasting) and head into town after we're done (but most folks end up spending the entire evening sipping wine and eating right at the Blue Shutters).

This special event is free to guests of the Blue Shutters -- all you need to do is book a room for that Saturday night. If you're here for the wine tasting, you can add Friday night for half the usual rate.

And if you're into chili -- either eating or making chili -- ask us about our Chili Cook-Off scheduled for February 11. We had our first last year and it was a big hit. There'll be discounts for that weekend as well -- and plenty of chili, of course!

It's our way to get you to experience one of the Blue Shutters' most popular events -- and to see how wonderful Cape Ann can be during the wintertime.

Call us today to book a room and reserve your spot.

Blue Shutters New Years Plunge 2012

A year ago, the Blue Shutters crowd started a new tradition -- a New Year's Day Good Harbor Beach plunge. This year the same group -- the Dips: Deb, Kim, Mary and innkeeper Patty --donned their swimsuits and headed to the beach with a bunch of of the Blue Shutters clan along for morale support. Here are some shots from the January 1, 2012, plunge. Thanks to The Dips for a great show!