A truly memorable memorial day weekend.

A 4-day beach weekend. That's what we just had. Good food & drinks. Even better friends & company. Tons of laughing and Catch Phrase (new fave game, btw). Hot, hot sun & perfectly chilled, salty Atlantic Ocean water to cool off in.

Cape May, NJ -- A place I'd hit up again in a second. Quiet beach town with beautiful Victorian homes, covered front porches with rocking chairs & massive fans - right up my alley. Morning coffee was so peaceful. You can walk or ride a bike everywhere in this haven - away from heavy traffic, sirens, and questionable characters (minus Jeremy hehe). I felt like I traveled back in time.

We bunked up at The Wedding Cake Cottage on Washington St (coincidence this was a wedding gift, too!) in the historic district. I don't think any further detail is needed given the available picture. Just. Plain. Adorable. Not to mention the heated pool surrounded with a perfectly manicured backyard, and massive back deck equipped with gas grill and plenty of patio furniture for all 8 adults & three kiddos. The perfect setting for a low-key holiday weekend. And it was. 

Beach time during the day was key because the weather was unseasonably warm -- 90's and higher during peak hours. Great for balancing out my spray tan vs. regular (farmer's) tan battle that ensued all weekend. A quick dip in the pool to cool off & de-salt from the ocean remnants & 15 minute walk back to the cottage was fully taken advantage of. For sure my favorite time of the day during a beach vacay -- 4pm: pre-shower but post-beach. Little pool time. Perhaps enjoy a cocktail of some kind or a refreshing Corona with extra tart lime, while the sun peaks away behind the shaded portion of the yard and your parched skin can finally relax and breath. Favorite time, for sure.

Sunset Beach was a hit for all -- "adults" & kiddies alike. Pebbles in all shapes, colors & sizes covered the entire beach. They were mesmerizing to search through (again, for both "adults" & kids), sifting for Cape May diamonds or just interesting souvenires to take home with us. The sunset itself wasn't too shabby, either, which was a relief since that's the name of the beach.

Other evenings were spent playing in the yard with the kids, grilling out on the back deck, enjoying the night sounds & the friends surrounding us, having more than enough to drink resulting in some incredibly competitive 2am rounds of Catch Phrase, which the ladies CLEARLY won (every time) since it's a game about listening & paying attention...sorry guys. 

It was a perfect long weekend. Many young couples have these sort of vacations & travels each year with the closest of friends -- we don't usually. It was a pleasant change of pace for us, and something we've all agreed to make a yearly tradition. Every Memorial Day Weekend (when we're usually the ONLY lame-o's in Baltimore NOT at the beach or out of town), we'll head to a new destination...explore a new place. Or head right back to The Wedding Cake Cottage and Cape May -- I don't see a single thing wrong with that.

A huge, huge, HUGE thanks to Larry & Katie for one of the best wedding gifts we could have received & for prompting our new traditions!