Cape May, Valentine's Day, and Snow

People in Cape May were saying they hadn't seen so much snow "since...ever!" Cross-country skiers were spotted schussing across the beach. Mounds of plowed snow reached six, seven feet in the air. Yet the mood was warm, because people who braved the white expanses were there to celebrate Valentine's Day, come what may...

On Jackson Street, a monster 4x4 Dodge Ram pickup truck was stuck in its parking space, which it had carved out of the snow. No problem getting in the space, but when another car parked behind the 4x4, the big dog was stuck, and sat spinning its wheels as hopelessly as any mortal machine. I didn't think 4x4s with tires that come up to your waist can get stuck in snow, but believe me, this one did.

Many restaurants were closed for the season. Others, like the eminent Washington Inn, opened just for Valentine's weekend. Still others, like the venerable Lobster House, stay open all winter. Over the weekend, and especially on Sunday, Valentine's Day itself, it seemed that every restaurant that opened was packed tight.

So you had the paradox of there not being a quarter the number of people in town as populate it on a summer weekend, yet reservations at the best restaurants that were open--Washington Inn, Ebbitt Room, Copper Fish, Peter Shields Inn, Blue Pig Tavern--were as hard or harder to get.

Similarly, parking was very difficult. How could that be if there were so few people in town? Blame the snow. Most streets were plowed not all the way to the curb, meaning if a car parked as it normally would, that lane would be entirely blocked. So people looked to park on the main roads or in the few municipal lots.

I'll have more pictures from Cape May the rest of this week.

Tags: Cape May | photography | snow storms