A Quick Getaway

 My husband and I spent the weekend in Cape May with friends. It was our first time venturing out by choice—taking the girls to college doesn’t count—since the pandemic began, and we were careful and stayed in state.

 

New Jersey currently has a good handle on the virus, and our friends are as careful, if not more so, than we are. We investigated ahead of time all the precautions that were being taken, and only when we were confident did we agree to go.

 

But we were still nervous.

 

It’s strange taking a trip during a pandemic. Every outing requires advanced planning. We packed our own Covid bag with wipes, gloves, and Lysol spray. Entering the bed & breakfast—which had its own precautions that made us feel completely safe—we wiped down everything in our room and sprayed the heck out of it. Yes, the coughing that ensued probably freaked everyone else out, but we knew it was from the fumes. J

 

Unless we were in our bedrooms, we were masked. I regretted not feeling comfortable enough to hang out inside and explore the beautiful B&B, but they had a wonderfully wide front and side porch and it was lovely and relaxing to sit there and eat or people watch or just talk. It was great spending time with other people.

 

 

Walking around town was beautiful, with gorgeous architecture and summer flowers still in bloom. And everyone, or almost everyone, was masked. We found great restaurants that had outdoor seating, did some window shopping and had a lovely time on a whale-watching boat, despite not seeing any whales. We toured the lighthouse, temperature checks and all. And avoiding crowds of people isn’t as isolating when you’re with friends.

 

 

By the time we were ready to leave, we were way more relaxed about being out of our homes. My mind stopped its racing and I almost felt normal—well, as normal as I get.

 

Our friends still like us—I think—and we’re planning our next vacation, although this will probably be when the pandemic is over. It gives us something to look forward to, and in the meantime, it was a nice, safe, break.