Some Thoughts About Cape May

Over this past Memorial Day Weekend, I went down to Cape May, NJ. It is a little beach town full of beautiful Victorian homes and charming little bed and breakfasts. This was my fourth time there. Yes, I like it that much.

The drive down wasn't too bad, considering it was the Friday before Memorial Day. The highlight was definitely the two teenagers who got out of their car and pulled down their pants to run alongside the car as it inched forwad in traffic. I fear for this country's youth.

We stayed at the Queen Victoria Inn, which was rather nice. They stuffed you every morning at breakfast and even provided turn down service, complete with chocolate every night. Very snazzy. The room was beautiful, full of little touches like Prince Albert in a can and such. Oddly, they put a flower in the toilet on the first day.

Over the next three days, I basically would wander around the various quaint shops, spending ridiculous sums of money on things I was convinced I couldn't live without (a gorgeous but useless crystal choker, for example), biked around for a few hours a day, sat on the beach to read, and generally acted like a bum.

It was sunny two out of three days; Sunday was overcast. Water that had the previous day been a deep deep blue, was now a greyish-green that I have only seen in the Atlantic. Despite lack of direct sunlight, I prefer those overcast days. Then again I have a bizarre interest in the whaling industry of the 1700 and 1800's, so who am I to judge?

Twice we went out to eat some truly excellent food. The first place was the Pelican Club, which is on the top floor of the tallest hotel in Cape May (6 stories!). Something very cool about eating while watching the sun go down on the horizon. The last night there we went to the Merion Inn, which used to be a gentleman's club, but they now serve women as well. Drank some very excellent wine, but for the life of me I can't remember what.

Part of me thinks that I could really live in a place like that: quiet, by the ocean, really good restaurants. Then I think about all that "city" life has to offer and I think after a month or so of those quiet beach town nights, I'd get antsy and need to hear some major siren action. Still, it is nice to dream...