Picture this vacation: Four nights in a fabulous one-bedroom condo for less than $80 a night. No traffic in the streets, plenty of seats in the restaurants and coffee shops, free parking at any spot in town. And since I stayed in the center of town, all that free parking was at most a five-minute walk away.

It was early March, and I was in Provincetown, MA.

Yes, Provincetown. Over the years it’s gotten so pricey that it’s become an alternate version of New York City.

But the solitude, quiet, and outta sight light this tiny beach town offers are there year round, and I found them at bargain prices in the offseason. I’ve been to the Cape tons of times in the summer, and I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be at the beach when the crowds are gone and the weather was colder. I finally made it two weeks after the last blizzard and three weeks before the brutal winter of 2015 was officially over, and it could be one of the best trips I’ve ever done.

I went to do some research for a project I’m working on, but I also got the lo-fi, serene getaway I was hoping for so I could reboot after a particularly crazy year. So what’s it like after the crowds leave? A little strange at first—I hit no traffic on the drive down, and after I found a parking spot, walked down Commercial Street all by myself. As I saw PTown through this less-crowded lens I realized that it wasn’t completely deserted: Far Land Provisions served three meals a day, and the Wired Puppy offered caffeine and snack fixes all day long. The Marc Jacobs store was open but the rest of the retail stores were closed with signs thanking everyone for a great season.

I knew the beach was there year round, and I was dying to see what it would be like. In particular, I wanted to see if a winter sunset at Race Point Beach would be as spectacular as the Technicolor ones I have seen in the summer. My first day was a sunny one and I knew from experience that I better go check out the sunset because I may not get a second chance. I took a quick walk to the harbor for a preview, then jumped in the car and drove up to Race Point Beach to see the main event.

Race Point is located at the Cape’s knuckles, and it’s my favorite beach. I love it for its geography. It’s the end of the state and is nice and remote—even when it’s full of people. And when the conditions are right, it puts on a jaw-dropping sunset show that makes you forget how painful the drive to the Cape can be, and how much credit card debt you’ll rack up during your stay.

I was so hell-bent on seeing the sunset that I ignored the “roads closed” signs on my way up. The winter completely snowed in the road to the parking lot, so I couldn’t make it to the beach itself and had to watch from the last drivable section of the road.

I don’t scare easily, but my five-minute excursion to Race Point freaked me out. A car left as I arrived, so I was there by myself. And I have never felt more alone. The winds howled as I sketched out a crime novel based on my own demise (“’Didn’t she see the signs?’ they’d all say after the body was recovered in late April …”), and I had to give the car door a little push so I could get out. I don’t know if I imagined this or not, but I swear I heard icicles crashing in the surf and saw waves tossing around giant pieces of slush as they tried to make their way to shore.

My respect for Mother Nature has always been strong, but it reached stratospheric levels as I stood next to my tiny rental car and watched the sun set over Race Point. It was breathtaking. The savage conditions amplified its natural beauty, and experiencing the two extremes really opened my eyes to what a heavy, heavy price the beach pays in the offseason. Maybe that’s why being there in the summer, after it’s safely made it through another year, can be so special.

Pilgrim Monument

The rest of my time in PTown was equally wonderful. A fun, unexpected highlight was walking around PTown during and after a steady, peaceful snowfall – I got a chance to bond with a few locals and see a whole new side to the town. I’ll be writing about other parts of the trip soon – especially my day at the Provincetown Public Library.