Cape May Weekend
The initial plan was to go to Montreal. Logistics-wise that spelled IMPOSSIBLE for 5 friends to make in time with all the travel requirements. Then two weeks before 4th of July weekend we decided to move it to Cape Cod. Car was rented, but the search for a place to stay was fruitless. Seemed everyone had decided to go spend the weekend there. Absolutely no vacancies in any bed and breakfasts that we could afford and then the scariest part of it all was the likelihood we would be caught in the midst of the exodus of Manhattanites out of the city. A 4 hour drive taking about 6 hours was too much. And so Kristine came up with a great idea: Cape May.
Jorge changed plans to go instead to Vermont for some horseback riding so it was Desiree, Kristine and her fiance James and I who found ourselves en route to the southernmost tip of New Jersey on Saturday morning. No other day seemed more perfect to go anywhere. The sun was out, bright and accompanying a cool breeze without the humidity that the forecasters had warned.
Cape May was at the very end of the Garden State Parkway and after a two and a half hour drive punctuated with a lot of giggling and exchange of stories about politics, international policy and gossip, the first sign of Cape May came into view: yachts on the bay.
Along the promenade of Beach Avenue, we had a view of the stretch of sand that was lined with umbrellas, sunworshippers and fit tanned men playing beach baseball (delicious!).
The crowd along Cape May Beach
We brunched on pancakes and omelettes and then searched for a bike rental place. We ended up strolling the town on foot, visiting the galleries and I, the cathedral by the sea and taking pictures. We found a small store that had a Christmas theme year round and hearing it play Christmas carols in July was really awesome.
Cathedral by the Sea
The town reminded me of Cold Spring, New York. Houses were painted in bright colors, sometimes in refreshing pastels. One house, which became one of our favorites was called the sugarplum house where everything was painted in purple from the picket fences to the shutters to the stairs and balustrade. It was way too gorgeous (though I doubt if I'd paint my own house as such, really).
Sugarplum House
James was the perfect patient driver to us, the only thorn among the roses who sacrificed his plan to sidetrack to Atlantic City post-Cape May. He had to relent to the women's request to divert to an outlet near Six Flags where for an hour and a half we did enough damage to our charge cards. But what makes women happy but shopping anyway?
And so after having consulted our checklist of things to do while in Cape May:
*play on beach CHECK
*walk on Promenade CHECK
*eat seafoods CHECK (we stuffed overselves at the Lobster House)
*buy souvinirs CHECK (Desiree and her mask will attest to this)
*ride bike (ooops, we didn't do this one)
We finally came to the culminating item on our agenda: the Cape May lighthouse at the Cape May Harbor. The regal looking structure could be seen from the main road and coming closer to it was breathtaking. For a bunch of people who are either to lazy to climb a long twisting stairway to the top of the structure however or way too fearful of heights to have any appreciate for the view, we ended up having our pictures taken on the ground with it as a backdrop.
Cape May Lighthouse
Perfect weather stayed through with us until the end of the day. A perfect day indeed to be with great friends in a beautiful picturesque town with great food, lots of laughter and lots of fun.
That is what long weekends should always be about.
Jorge changed plans to go instead to Vermont for some horseback riding so it was Desiree, Kristine and her fiance James and I who found ourselves en route to the southernmost tip of New Jersey on Saturday morning. No other day seemed more perfect to go anywhere. The sun was out, bright and accompanying a cool breeze without the humidity that the forecasters had warned.
Cape May was at the very end of the Garden State Parkway and after a two and a half hour drive punctuated with a lot of giggling and exchange of stories about politics, international policy and gossip, the first sign of Cape May came into view: yachts on the bay.
Along the promenade of Beach Avenue, we had a view of the stretch of sand that was lined with umbrellas, sunworshippers and fit tanned men playing beach baseball (delicious!).
The crowd along Cape May Beach
We brunched on pancakes and omelettes and then searched for a bike rental place. We ended up strolling the town on foot, visiting the galleries and I, the cathedral by the sea and taking pictures. We found a small store that had a Christmas theme year round and hearing it play Christmas carols in July was really awesome.
Cathedral by the Sea
The town reminded me of Cold Spring, New York. Houses were painted in bright colors, sometimes in refreshing pastels. One house, which became one of our favorites was called the sugarplum house where everything was painted in purple from the picket fences to the shutters to the stairs and balustrade. It was way too gorgeous (though I doubt if I'd paint my own house as such, really).
Sugarplum House
James was the perfect patient driver to us, the only thorn among the roses who sacrificed his plan to sidetrack to Atlantic City post-Cape May. He had to relent to the women's request to divert to an outlet near Six Flags where for an hour and a half we did enough damage to our charge cards. But what makes women happy but shopping anyway?
And so after having consulted our checklist of things to do while in Cape May:
*play on beach CHECK
*walk on Promenade CHECK
*eat seafoods CHECK (we stuffed overselves at the Lobster House)
*buy souvinirs CHECK (Desiree and her mask will attest to this)
*ride bike (ooops, we didn't do this one)
We finally came to the culminating item on our agenda: the Cape May lighthouse at the Cape May Harbor. The regal looking structure could be seen from the main road and coming closer to it was breathtaking. For a bunch of people who are either to lazy to climb a long twisting stairway to the top of the structure however or way too fearful of heights to have any appreciate for the view, we ended up having our pictures taken on the ground with it as a backdrop.
Cape May Lighthouse
Perfect weather stayed through with us until the end of the day. A perfect day indeed to be with great friends in a beautiful picturesque town with great food, lots of laughter and lots of fun.
That is what long weekends should always be about.