Parking Season in Cape May
In Cape Mayhem, I sent Meg Daniels, the amateur sleuth heroine, to a romantic Cape May inn, alone, in the middle of a cold spell in January -- and, she still had a good time.
Unlike many shore towns, Cape May never quite goes to sleep in the winter. The town does, however, slow down as much as it ever does in the six weeks between New Year's and Valentine's Day. There are still things to do and places to go (as you can find on this website) but most Januarys you'll find you have a bit more elbow room while going, doing and, this is my favorite part, parking. I like to think of January in Cape May as the parking season. I visit simply to revel in the abundance of parking spaces available in close proximity to almost any destination.
Going to the mall to pick up a few souvenirs? Park right behind the store. Shopping make you work up an appetite? Why walk the 1.25 blocks to the restaurant? Hop in your car and park directly behind the restaurant. Looking for something to do after lunch? Think it's too cold to head out to Sunset Beach to watch the sun sink into the Delaware Bay? Think again. You'll feel all warm and toasty watching the sunset from your front row parking space.
You may be thinking that this approach makes me sound lazy, self-indulgent and environmentally irresponsible. Okay, you're right. I would have to agree. Most of the year. I would never dream of moving my car from one spot to another when browsing along the Washington Street Mall in July. But this is parking season. What better way to celebrate than by taking advantage of all the season has to offer?
I should point out that I sent Meg to Cape May in January without a car so she never actually got to experience parking season to its fullest extent. But, as I mentioned above, she still enjoyed visiting the town in January. So don't feel that you cannot come without a car. There is still much to do and much to see. The ocean, the beaches, the architecture are still on display even if you only want to view them from the front seat of your family auto.
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