Fans of Cape May come from many walks of life
CAPE MAY – Did you know that to be a “shlocal” in Cape May requires fierce devotion? At many motels around town, we see returning families who match that image. They nearly stampede to the front desk to re-book their next vacation before leaving for home.
Although not widely known, the word is included in the Urban Dictionary and defined as “someone who goes to South Jersey (or anywhere) for the summer and lives there all summer, but not during the winter months. ‘Shlocal’ is a mix between shoobie (a derogatory term for tourist) and local. … It’s better than being a shoobie but not as good as being a local.”
This column has existed for just four months. Occasionally, a reader will email or send a message about something that piqued their interest.
One such reader is the Allen family — dairy farmers from southwestern Pennsylvania. The family farm, just south of Pittsburgh, has been passed down over generations. When you think dairy farm, picture hundreds of cows — his “girls,” as Ron Allen calls them. The family may be the only one in Smock, Pa., with a Cape May Star and Wave newspaper subscription.
The Allens remember when Carney’s was a place called Sids. Although they may not fit the definition of “shlocal,” they genuinely love Cape May.
How long has the Allen family been visiting Cape May?
“We have been coming to Cape May since 1959. I was almost 3 years old with my dad’s family (the Fenilis). We stayed at Colton Court’s Little Row apartments, which are no longer there,” Lisa Allen wrote.
“Cape May was a sleepy town with white clapboard houses and shutters. They were not colorful as we see them now; that changed after 1976, when then-President Carter proclaimed Cape May a historical landmark and provided federal funding.”
Lisa worked in Cape May for four summers during the late 1970s. Some of the businesses, such as Laura’s Fudge on the boardwalk and Atlas Coffee Shop (which is now Sea Salt), are no longer in existence.
“My children remember walking along the promenade away from the center of town, and the ocean splashing over the rocks, and they would run from the water — that was before the beaches were refurbished in the mid-’90s,” she wrote.
How many family members and generations travel with her to Cape May?
“Four generations are coming to Cape May: My mom, me, my children and my grandchildren. My father (deceased) used to accompany us. I remember they would dress up (men’s jacket and tie, and ladies in dresses, and some in mink coats) to go to dinner at the Lobster House, and to the Top of the Marq — Marquis de Lafayette.”
The Allen family’s drive to Cape May takes almost six hours. Seasoned travelers leave in the wee hours of the morning.
“With no traffic: 5.5 hours. My son left today at 4:50 a.m. and made it through Philadelphia from the Walt Whitman Bridge to the Valley Forge exit on the PA Turnpike in 5 hours and 10 minutes — no traffic on a Sunday AM. :). Normally, it takes us 6 and 1/4 hours because of traffic.”
Where do the Allens enjoy eating when on vacation in Cape May? Lobster House, Lucky Bones, Carney’s and Mad Batter: “Best happy hour and Margarita pizza at the Batter.”
“One of our favorites is the Lobster House due to its excellent menu and atmosphere. I want to try George’s Place and FiNS: Danielle, my daughter, and her family like YB.”
With their dairy farmer lifestyle, the Allen family is up early. Sunrise photos of the farm dominate Ron Allen’s Facebook page. It should be no surprise that some of his favorite activities while here in Cape May include early walks on the beach.
“We all enjoy the beach and its related activities. I look forward to having wine, sitting around the poolside tables with my mom and playing Gin,” Ron Allen wrote. “We look forward to the entire Cape May experience. Cape May is not like any other beach. It is not cement buildings, a crazy boardwalk — you can get that anywhere, which is what we love and always have.”
Noting that he is a teacher in addition to a dairy farmer, Ron wrote that he learns something every year about the history of the Nation’s First Seaside Resort — “that is a bonus!!! And of course, I walk around the beach and smell the salt air.”
They are fortunate to be teachers, providing them the time to visit Cape May in the summer, and being dairy farmers, they often provide their innkeeper with gallons of farm-fresh milk.
– By JOHN COOKE/For the Cape May Star and Wave
John Cooke, who has lived in the city full time since 2004 and is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May and former owner of the Victorian Hotel, has always been passionate about Cape May.
