You don't often get to barter labor for lodgings. Those "I Love Lucy" episodes where you have to wash dishes if you don't have enough money to pay for dinner? Seldom happens.
But at the historic Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey, you really can stay free. And get your meals free. In exchange for doing a little, shall we say, "housework." We not talking dusting and vacuuming. We're talking painting, scraping, landscaping, cooking and laundry.
Each year, the 132-year-old hotel invites volunteers to help open the National Historic Landmark for summer and shut it down for winter. So far, people from 27 states have showed up for the weekends, offering 10 hours of labor in exchange for some good old Southern cooking and a room by the shore.
And a chance to visit a lovely, historic town full of
Victorian-style, or "gingerbread" houses. The pretty downtown area is filled
with little shops, cafes, nice restaurants and taffy and fudge stores.
The beach offers skeeball addicts a small arcade. And
you'll have miles of white sandy beaches to wander. If you're the
gambling type, Atlantic City
is about 40 minutes away. So if you can't find someone to go to Cape
May with, vacation alone. Comfortably. You have people to eat dinner
with and time to sightsee.
Actually, the weekend isn't completely free. The hotel charges a $35 non-refundable registration fee. Probably to make sure people commit to the weekend they choose. Still, amortized over a weekend, that comes out to about $15 per night for a room and a buck per meal. Meals, by the way, come with heaping servings.
Keep in mind that, as a hotel built in the late 1800's, most rooms do not come with bathrooms. And there's no air conditioning. However, there are private bathrooms in the hallway, as in you shut the door and it's all yours. But you wouldn't be there in high summer (which some people pay $300 a night for) so heat shouldn't be a problem. And imagine a hotel where you can open the windows. You don't get many of those anymore.
I've volunteered twice. And I wrote
about it a few years ago. At the time, I enjoyed it for the opportunity
for an inexpensive beach weekend. I didn't "click" with any of the volunteers, either time. They were
friendly, though.
The group skews older and many are return volunteers. I would have to be in the right mood to do it again. On the other hand, if you've never been to Cape May, or would like a weekend at the shore, it would be a great chance to visit inexpensively.
The Chalfonte has two work weekends this year, both in October. If they're full, you still can get on the mailing list for the spring. When they have room, the hotel is happy to "hire."
Photo: Bob Reid
Travel through boldlygosolo, a blog for vacationers setting out solo.
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