Spring Roadtrip Day 6...A Rainy Day Down the Shore

 Day 6

Wednesday, 3/6/2024

     The weather forecast was for rain all day.  But, it wasn't supposed to start until 8A.  Looking out the motel window, I wasn't counting on a sunrise,  I went out anyway.

      Wildwood is a big beach town.  I realize it's a bit off season.  But, it was like a ghost town.

      This time of year, Wildwood is really quiet.  Most of the motels and restaurants are closed or under renovation.  A Google search for breakfast near me brought plenty of options.  All were apparently open at least according to the internet.  

       I walked past Bagel Time Cafe on the way back from the boardwalk.  The neon sign said Open.  But, they weren't.  This VW is parked in the back.

     The Pink Cadillac Diner was also supposedly open.  It wasn't.  All their website says is "Under New Management."  Fortunately, I had only walked two blocks in the rain to get here.

    This would eventually bring me to a place called the Key West Cafe.  

 

     The place was pretty quiet when I walked in.  Natalie was taking care of the customers and told me they would ordinarily be closed today.  But, someone called a few days earlier and asked if they could do a post Baptism party with thirty people.  So, they opened.  Of course, once they arrived, she was swamped.  She saw me getting my own coffee refill and didn't seem to mind one bit.

     The original plan for the day was to do some hiking in the area.  There are plenty of preserves with trails I could hit.  But, lets be honest, who really wants to do that in the rain. 

     There was one trail I too curious about to pass up.  It seemed really out of place in southern New Jersey.  And it was.  Imagine doing a search for hiking trails near me and this comes up...

     The images that come up with it show a trail leading back into a rocky landscape.  I was too curious to pass it by.  So, I went to investigate.   There's no trail and no rocky outcroppings.  It's just a string of small businesses.  Here's the really weird part.  If you click on the icon for Hartman Rocks Trail, it takes you here:   It's actually a trail in Gunnison, Colorado.  I've no idea why it comes up in New Jersey.

        My next stop was the Museum of Cape May County.  It's off season, so tour guides aren't always available, and they don't let people just walk through.  I did have a nice conversation with a volunteer about the early days of European settlement in the state.  

       There's also an interesting place called the Doo Wop Experience Museum.  No surprise, it was closed, too.  As for the rest of the day, with the steady rain, it was officially a washout.