The marine layer always knows.
Like a foggy wet blanket, it declares the unofficial end of summer near Labor Day without equivocation. One day it’s sunny with shirtless men and bedazzled women, tussling warm waves and overfed seagulls, traffic jams and standing-room-only trolleys.
The next day the coffee house line is nearly empty. Orders switch from frothy freezes to hot swirling creations.
Labor Day means no more tourists, mostly. It’s the demarcation line that defines two seasons: tourist and non-tourist. Admittedly, the line between the two has been blurring. Some residents argue that the tourist season is now year-round, and there is some truth to that.
But many locals still relish the initial exodus that occurs after Labor Day.
It’s a very palpable thing. It’s palpable because it is real — for 101 little reasons. There are many secrets after Labor Day, which make them hard to say out loud for fear of breaking the local code.
But every tourist town has them. The rules become more lax. Dogs can run on the beach, unbridled, and do what dogs do. Officially? No. Unofficially? Kinda sorta.
There are parking spaces for once, which means you can actually go downtown, assuming the destination is worth it.
The service gets better everywhere, with no reservations needed. Bartenders linger and chat. Locals might actually recognize each other in a restaurant or shop.
The rhythms of the town start anew, like a pocket watch that just needs winding.
The beaches stay pristine, instead of littered with inland trash. Crabs and tide pool fish emerge and say hello. Everything seems happier and unafraid.
Perhaps that’s the crux of it. It’s all about the things that remain: the colder air, softer meadows, trepid deer, bigger waves, desolate coves and moody clouds.
After summer’s end, it is about the texture of winter’s secrets. It’s the singular experience of staring at a vast ocean from your own quiet nook, reflecting on everything and nothing. And on any given evening, the thing that most likely remains is an unselfish, dappled sunset over the white breccia cliffs of Catalina Island.
