We have a group of close friends who we have gone camping with for many years. As we got older, camping evolved into spending a weekend at each other’s summer retreats. For the last three years the group has met in the summer in Cape May. Each trip is an adventure in itself and this one felt particularly special.
The nation’s oldest seashore resort
Cape May calls itself “the nation’s oldest seashore resort.” It is full of beautiful historical homes from the early 1800s, majestic beaches and a sunny boardwalk with shops. It is the most southern point in New Jersey and played an important role in the underground railroad.. Believe it or not, it is as far south as Washington DC.
We stayed at the Chalfonte Hotel, built in 1876 by Civil War Colonel Henry Sawyer (who we heard a ghost story about). Although our group has now been there a few times, we explored portions of the Cape that we had not seen before and the experience this time felt special.
The visit was also enhanced because Janet thoughtfully booked a wing of the hotel almost exclusively for us, so that we had a kitchen area, patio and porch to ourselves, increasing the opportunities for laughter and meaningful conversation.
Some friends missing
Although getting together with this group is always meaningful, it’s important to note that several people were missing this year. Dana’s mom passed away immediately before the trip, so he and Sara could not join us. Marie is likewise caring for an ill parent and was replaced by her daughter Elaina, who was a delightful addition. On the positive side, Andrea and Scott joined the trip for the first time since our camping days.
A torrential beginning
Weather does not always cooperate for seaside vacations, and this one started off with some torrential rains, which made traffic stand still. Although Sherry and I arrived without incident, those who came even slightly later than us had a miserable drive lasting more than five hours.
Music at the heart
The Chalfonte is a home for music and musicians. We were treated to the Thursday night Howard Street Ramble, with some great rock & roll, folk music and bluegrass from late afternoon until well past midnight. The concert began outside in the rain, and quickly transitioned to a new concert space indoors.
A special moment happened at breakfast the next day when our server Gino Hannah took out his guitar and gave us a short private concert including a song in Portuguese and a cool new original song.
Nature Reserve
The wet weather lingered into Friday and we modified our plans and visited the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, a salt-marsh and forest area famous as a major resting and feeding area for migrating shorebirds.
It felt good after the rush of traveling to take a slow stroll through the trees and tall grasses and to spot critters large and small.
Friendly Bike Ride
Many of us like to cycle. On Saturday, we headed out to a local bike trail for some sunshine and pedaling. After a time, the group broke into three distances and paces, managing a distance between 20 and 40 miles.
I enjoyed the flat even pavement and felt good trading off the lead with Janet for our 25 mile ride at a 15+mph pace. We even picked up a stranger who decided to draft behind us. Lou & Scott shot out ahead of us, managing a much faster ride for their 40 miles.
Time at the beach
Relaxing is not something I allow myself often, but the opportunity to hang at the beach was refreshing after the strenuous ride. This year the winds were calmer than in the past and the air less humid. It felt great to sit under the shade of our umbrella and crack a book open while enjoying the company and fun interruptions from the group.
An adventure at sea
We decided to try something completely different this year. I rented a pontoon boat (for the first time ever) in Wildwood. I knew it was destined to be a good journey when everyone arrived at the allotted time (a very rare occurrence with this group). Once we were all situated we explored around the marina and then headed into the salt marshes to enjoy the bird watching and anchor for our dinner.
Getting the anchor back up was an adventure in itself as it had deeply embedded itself in the mud! Many thanks to first mate Scott for getting it safely back on-board.
Once our dinner was complete we motored over to Sunset lake, enjoying the variety and complexity of the homes overlooking the water, and appreciating the stunning sunset.
The group gently ribbed me for arriving back to the rental dock 90 seconds before our scheduled time, but it could not have been too bad because we brought back the same 12 people we left with.
A memorable adventure
When were returned for our final night, Lou led us up several flights of stairs to the cuppola, the highest point of the hotel for a view of the water. We could not see a thing because of the spotlights in our faces, but we did share a minute of laughter and one last group picture.
The trip got reviewed to critical acclaim. Here are some samples:
“A great weekend with the best peeps.”
“That was a fantastic and memorable weekend!!”
“…the boat was a home run!”
“Thanks to Janet and Lou for organizing and including us.” “Agree. Although let’s be real. Thank you Janet for organizing all this , and thank you Lou for marrying Janet.”
“Thanks everyone for making an amazing weekend. We have the best friends.”
Since I get the final word here (it is my column after all), these are some of my favorite people. We know each others buttons and gently tug on them in good fun. We connect and explore where we are in life’s journey, and we all are experiencing something. That is comforting and helps to ground me – and hopefully I helped in return.