Visitors Say Goodbye to Winter in Sea Isle

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Allison Hunter sat down on a deserted beach Sunday afternoon in Sea Isle City and sipped a cup of coffee. Having a large stretch of beach all to herself was one of the benefits of the last day of winter. “It’s nice to soak all of this in before everyone gets here,” she said of the inevitable arrival of the spring and summer tourists at the shore. “I came here for the quiet. I can only hear the ocean.” Hunter and others who came to Sea Isle for a getaway at the shore on Sunday didn’t seem to mind the blustery winds and 36-degree temperature that were part of winter’s last hurrah. Everyone said they were looking forward to the first day of spring Monday, but they also noted that the quiet offseason allows them to enjoy the beaches and other attractions without the crowds. Empty now, Sea Isle's beaches will be crowded when summer arrives. Hunter, who lives in Cape May Court House and works as an intensive care unit nurse in Philadelphia, simply wanted some time to relax by herself after putting her 3-year-old twins to bed. “I love it,” she said of the tranquil atmosphere. Daniel and Alma Ohl, a married couple from Center Valley, Pa., said they always find something to do in Sea Isle, even if it’s in the dead of winter. “We enjoy walks on the beach and the sunsets over the bay,” David said as he and his wife nodded their heads in agreement. On Sunday, they were walking their dog, Benjamin, while doing some shopping downtown. Alma and Daniel Ohl, along with their dog, Benjamin, stand in front of a digital sign showing the 36-degree temperature on the last day of winter. The Ohls have a summer vacation home in Sea Isle on 46th Street and Landis Avenue. Their family members have been vacationing in Sea Isle for the past 65 years. “When you come over the bridge, whether it’s the first or last day of winter or the middle of the summer, you just feel your blood pressure come down,” Alma said of the times they visit Sea Isle. Two other visitors, Andrew Dillon and his 12-year-old son, Liam, were using the last weekend of winter for some “guy-bonding.” They live in Southampton, Pa., and have a summer condo in Sea Isle on 44th Street. They were walking on the Promenade after grabbing some subs, chips and hot chocolate at Wawa. Other than an occasional walker or biker, the Promenade was largely empty when the Dillons were on it Sunday afternoon. “We often come down during the offseason, so this isn’t all that foreign,” Andrew Dillon noted of the lack of crowds. Andrew Dillon and his 12-year-old son, Liam, enjoy the weekend together. Liam, who is in sixth grade, has just started his spring break from school. Andrew Dillon said he was planning to take some time off from work to give himself a break, too. When they return home to Pennsylvania after their weekend in Sea Isle, they were planning to do some bowling and golfing together. Liam said he was anxious to return to Sea Isle in the spring for all of the family-friendly festivals the city organizes in Excursion Park. As both father and son prepared to say goodbye to winter, they also turned their thoughts to summer. “We were just talking earlier. He mentioned that he couldn’t wait until summer,” Dillon said of his son.