Montauk, NY

Seasonal places have two distinct states, tourist and non-tourist, and visiting them out of season can feel like visiting the ruins of a once-great land. Except in this case, they are temporary ruins. The lights will go back on, the closed signs will disappear, and the machines will all start moving again.

And of course the people will follow. The biggest change is obviously the people, and not just the sheer abundance of them, flowing into the empty spaces like sand, but also the accompaniments of culture they bring with them. Visiting out of season allows you to see the world without them, a different world. The bare mountain offers different sort of enjoyments than it’s snow-covered brother, the empty winter beach is an other-worldly joy of its own, the quiet town brings a different set of interactions and conversations.

A parting thought: the next time you find yourself dismissing a destination because it’s out of season, think about it again.