Listen, I have no business referring to Cape Cod as "The Cape". That is surely reserved for people who live there and/or those like Mary who have spent their growing up years vacationing on the island. I have now been there once. But, OH did I love it. I mean, I really, really loved it. And as Joe keeps telling everyone, I have practically planned out the next 30 years of our family vacations there, so I'm using it. The Cape!
Mary's family owns a cottage on Cape Cod that has been handed down for generations. It is New England old ramshackle, cedar shingle covered cottage perfection. Old wallpaper, uneven floors, antiques everywhere, original kitchen perfection. You know the smell of an old house? To me it's a great smell, so homey. It had that. Her parents were up there staying for a couple of weeks so Mary and I left the big kids with the Dads and took the babies with us for a long weekend on the Cape.
The drive should have been about 8-9 hours with stops for the kids. And I don't know how it happened, but in BOTH directions we made navigational errors that resulted in a 12 hour drive. We can't even be trusted with a GPS. However, on the way back, we did end up driving through the most delightful little town just north of New York City, Mount Kisco, (not to be confused with Mount Crisco. I know, I'm hilarious) and also saw MOST of the Connecticut countryside. On accident. I didn't realize CT was so hilly/mountainous. It was gorgeous.
And you know what? Mary and I NEVER get to have un-interrupted conversations, so even being in the car for 12 hours without most of the kids was a joy. We drove through all sorts of cities on the eastern seaboard that I had previously thought were small towns. New Haven (where Yale is), huge place, with a downtown skyline and everything. Same with Mystic and Bridgeport, among others. It tickled me to no end to pass through Rhode Island and Massachusetts as I've always been fascinated with New England.
Cape Cod itself was wonderful. Let us not forget that Dawson's Creek, though filmed in NC, was set on Cape Cod. And I never understood how the kids were always walking everywhere. But now I do. There are small towns/villages everywhere around the island and so many of them are walkable. The place we stayed was one block off of the town's main strip. All day long we could pop up the street within 5 minutes or less to grab a coffee or lunch or visit the boutiques. The rest of the time was spent walking the neighborhoods or to the beach or sitting on the big screened in porch and gabbing. I tell you, I didn't realize how uptight my body has felt recently until I was completely relaxed up there. I had my first lobster, first clam chowder, and first true outdoor shower. We read, played with the kids, enjoyed the cool breezes and did what could be described as "nothing". It was marvelous. And on Sunday morning, as the hour of going home drew closer, I could feel my body starting to tighten up again. Ugh.
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| Early morning snuggles with Mary. |
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| Being entertained by Big (Mary's Dad) |
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| A was so happy to spend hours playing on the porch. |
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| Sweet time with my girl. Not matching on purpose. |
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| In nearby Chatham |
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| YUM |
Janie and Big: I can't thank you enough for this weekend. It was such a gift. Mary, thanks for sharing your parents and letting me tag along. Joe and Matt: Thank y'all for the time away and for wrangling the rest of the crew. I can't say this will be a one time thing. (Love ya!)
And to my dear Cape Cod, I'll see you in October. xoxo
