As a small, yet seemingly popular summer town, Cape May is the place I have been able to call my home for the last eighteen years of my life. This little town is the most southern point in New Jersey, where it is nearly impossible to be any more than ten minutes from the ocean.
Most people seem to know our unique town only from what they see during those summer months. The humid mornings at the beach, those one-of-a-kind sunrises and sunsets, our signature fresh seafood restaurants... it's things like these that visitors think of when they hear the name Cape May. There are old Victorian-built homes that they can not help but be fascinated by. Different ice cream shops can be found on most blocks, with lines going out the door and around the corner on those breezy summer nights. Yet, if this is all you think our home has to offer, you don't really know our home at all.
The real individuality of our town comes after those summer months have come and gone, when the more relaxing offseason arrives and we finally have our town back for us to enjoy. The charm Cape May has to offer this time of year is something only we know and love. This is what makes living in this small town special to not only me, but to so many other people I share it with.
During the fall, when the leaves slowing change and the weather finally starts to cool down, the feeling of the entire town begins to shift. School buses begin taking up the roads just as the beaches begin to clear out. The bright flowers taking over the yards of the old Victorian homes are instead replaced with Halloween pumpkins or ceramic Thanksgiving turkeys. The scent of the air is no longer salty or refreshing, it becomes crisper and resembles that of wood burning in a fireplace. This is a side of Cape May most are unaware of, but I'm thankful that I've been able to experience it.
Once winter is in full swing, our town becomes a magical place. Christmas lights filling almost every front yard and telephone pole. Besides the occasional car or two, the streets are completely empty and the world is silent. When the snow finally visits and blankets each and every surface, the town that was once hectic and busy now becomes serene and peaceful. Summer vacationers don't know the frustration of making plans this time of year. The only places that ever seem to be open are the movie theaters and bowling alleys, and even they get boring after a while.
Of course, I would take this any day over an entire year that is as crazy as our summers are. I would never change those cozy nights stuck inside from a snowstorm, watching movies and drinking anything warm we can get our hands on. These are the parts of Cape May you never get to see during the summer and everyone else just misses out on.
If you ever have the chance to see Cape May once the summer has ended, take it. There's more to this town than meets the eye, especially when you're so focused on the elements during our busiest time of the year. Small things, whether it involves changes in the weather or decorations for each holiday, or big things, the entire community coming together in times of need or sharing spirit, are what makes this place special. They are what makes Cape May beautiful even after that summer sun sets and everyone else returns home.
