Packing up and getting ready to leave
So Ja had this crazy idea to leave tonight. But, I think that's pretty much been forgotten as it is now 9pm and we are still tidying up the place and getting it ready for check out. i guess that is one of the perks of staying at a hotel or resort, you just get your stuff ready and you go. Still, it's a quiet nice. Our last night before we head back home. Long drive back as we are hoping to just drive straight through.
We were talking about favourite things today and Courtney said that she just liked spending time with us, and buying her new cuddly lobster toy, and eating lobster and swimming and playing. I can think of lots of good memories this trip. I can also think of the worst and that is the beds. They were so hard, especially as we were here for a week. I think I've gotten just to a softer bed with a pillowtop! I can't wait to just get back home and plop in my bed.
The last couple of days were so different from the start of the vacation. First of all the sun came out. It seems like the whole world also came out here as roads, restaurants, beaches suddenly became packed with people.
Thursday, we lounged around much of the morning and played on the beach. Turns out Jeremy has toughed it out and the desire to be like the rest of us and go bare feet on the sand and made him swallow his dislike for sand on his feet. Of course, he gets every opportunity to now complain when he gets it on his hands. Save when he is playing and digging in the sand. Feeling the end of the trip draw near, I suddenly had the urge to buy something. The girls went to Harwich in search of shops, but instead found shop, the Potted Geranium, a cute little gift shop. Some nice things, but not what I was looking for. Many times I was temped to just buy something, anything...but I didn't. I think I have shopper's remorse, always pining for what I could have bought at some store that I'll never go back to. Ja says I do it everytime that we travel and it's the shopping that I like, not the buying. But, I'm not sure that I am convinced.
On our way back "home", I took a little detour to stop and a small bridge/dock where I had noticed some boats and a little bypass over the water. Nice spot fo pictures I had thought. When we unloaded out of the car, we quickly discovered that the two people already on the bridge were fishing for blue crabs, the same ones that are in Maryland, they told us. We learned hot to fish for crabs, using simple gear. Bait, some raw chicken, mesh back, net, long string, bucket and patience. Also, a tip to keep your fingers to yourself when you try to get them into the bucket. They are feisty and crabby and will take a chomp at you.
After Jeremy's nap, we zipped into the car and headed north to Gray's Beach or Bass Hole. A magazine depicteda gorgeous bordwalk over marshes. We checked it out and it was an amazing sight. Glad we snuck that it. We had dinner at the Lobster Boat. I thought it was OK. Ja loved the twin lobster meal for $20, and the kids - ugh. they've been eating hot dogs and french fries. I guess, it's a holiday.
Today, after Ja took Margaret to the bus station for her solo trip into Boston then into Toronto, we headed to Chatham. I read that you could take a little shuttle boat to an island and visit a beach where you could see seals. We'd heard that they were in abundance this time of the year, so much that sharks were coming inshore to feed on them. I tried calling the shuttle to get more information, but the number no longer worked. So, as we are explorers, we headed towards Chatham and somewhat used the force and very luckily we found it. Not the fisherman's pier, but a little dock amidst a cute little neighbourhood, where a boat took us ( just us) to South Beach.
All, I can say right now is that it was amazing. We only spent an hour there, but it's someplace that if we come back to Cape Cod, we would come again and stay for longer than the hour. The boat service is on demand, and we could only really afford 1 hour in time because of Jeremy's napping needs, we could have stayed there for longer. It was beautiful and we didn't even walk much of it. Seals? We did see one. Playing the in surf. No swimming allowed on that beach, for us humans. But that's ok, this place was amazing. Idyllic. We were so lucky to have gone. The boat ride over was great too. We all loved it. Jemmy a bit wary, but he did it. He was also a real trouper with all that sand in his feet and hands too. Back on the boat for the short 10 min. ride to "land", and we headed back into Chatham which is a real bustling Cape Cod town. This is where we want to be next time. I'm not sure if we'll be able to be beachfront, but we realized today that where we were was really more of a beach town, where as, Chatham and some of the other spots we visited were really more seaside town.
Lunch was uneventful, a quick sandwich place, maybe even bordering on bad. Lots to see and shop for. But, we were running out of time.
Back at the beach house, Jeremy finally settled in and had a good 3+ hour nap. We were all waiting for him to wake having spent the afternoon frolicking in the sea and swimming pool. We were starving. When he finally did, we left our latest for dinner, just past 5pm, a bit worried that we would have to wait for a table. We ate at the Hearth & Kettle. It was OK, not great. Ja's chowder was pretty good though. I liked having all the vegetables though - I'm always surprised by how little they are offered in restaurants.
It's near 10pm and I'm exhausted. I'm sure there is something that I've missed and I will upload pictures when I get back, this connection is just too slow.
We were talking about favourite things today and Courtney said that she just liked spending time with us, and buying her new cuddly lobster toy, and eating lobster and swimming and playing. I can think of lots of good memories this trip. I can also think of the worst and that is the beds. They were so hard, especially as we were here for a week. I think I've gotten just to a softer bed with a pillowtop! I can't wait to just get back home and plop in my bed.
The last couple of days were so different from the start of the vacation. First of all the sun came out. It seems like the whole world also came out here as roads, restaurants, beaches suddenly became packed with people.
Thursday, we lounged around much of the morning and played on the beach. Turns out Jeremy has toughed it out and the desire to be like the rest of us and go bare feet on the sand and made him swallow his dislike for sand on his feet. Of course, he gets every opportunity to now complain when he gets it on his hands. Save when he is playing and digging in the sand. Feeling the end of the trip draw near, I suddenly had the urge to buy something. The girls went to Harwich in search of shops, but instead found shop, the Potted Geranium, a cute little gift shop. Some nice things, but not what I was looking for. Many times I was temped to just buy something, anything...but I didn't. I think I have shopper's remorse, always pining for what I could have bought at some store that I'll never go back to. Ja says I do it everytime that we travel and it's the shopping that I like, not the buying. But, I'm not sure that I am convinced.
On our way back "home", I took a little detour to stop and a small bridge/dock where I had noticed some boats and a little bypass over the water. Nice spot fo pictures I had thought. When we unloaded out of the car, we quickly discovered that the two people already on the bridge were fishing for blue crabs, the same ones that are in Maryland, they told us. We learned hot to fish for crabs, using simple gear. Bait, some raw chicken, mesh back, net, long string, bucket and patience. Also, a tip to keep your fingers to yourself when you try to get them into the bucket. They are feisty and crabby and will take a chomp at you.
After Jeremy's nap, we zipped into the car and headed north to Gray's Beach or Bass Hole. A magazine depicteda gorgeous bordwalk over marshes. We checked it out and it was an amazing sight. Glad we snuck that it. We had dinner at the Lobster Boat. I thought it was OK. Ja loved the twin lobster meal for $20, and the kids - ugh. they've been eating hot dogs and french fries. I guess, it's a holiday.
Today, after Ja took Margaret to the bus station for her solo trip into Boston then into Toronto, we headed to Chatham. I read that you could take a little shuttle boat to an island and visit a beach where you could see seals. We'd heard that they were in abundance this time of the year, so much that sharks were coming inshore to feed on them. I tried calling the shuttle to get more information, but the number no longer worked. So, as we are explorers, we headed towards Chatham and somewhat used the force and very luckily we found it. Not the fisherman's pier, but a little dock amidst a cute little neighbourhood, where a boat took us ( just us) to South Beach.
All, I can say right now is that it was amazing. We only spent an hour there, but it's someplace that if we come back to Cape Cod, we would come again and stay for longer than the hour. The boat service is on demand, and we could only really afford 1 hour in time because of Jeremy's napping needs, we could have stayed there for longer. It was beautiful and we didn't even walk much of it. Seals? We did see one. Playing the in surf. No swimming allowed on that beach, for us humans. But that's ok, this place was amazing. Idyllic. We were so lucky to have gone. The boat ride over was great too. We all loved it. Jemmy a bit wary, but he did it. He was also a real trouper with all that sand in his feet and hands too. Back on the boat for the short 10 min. ride to "land", and we headed back into Chatham which is a real bustling Cape Cod town. This is where we want to be next time. I'm not sure if we'll be able to be beachfront, but we realized today that where we were was really more of a beach town, where as, Chatham and some of the other spots we visited were really more seaside town.
Lunch was uneventful, a quick sandwich place, maybe even bordering on bad. Lots to see and shop for. But, we were running out of time.
Back at the beach house, Jeremy finally settled in and had a good 3+ hour nap. We were all waiting for him to wake having spent the afternoon frolicking in the sea and swimming pool. We were starving. When he finally did, we left our latest for dinner, just past 5pm, a bit worried that we would have to wait for a table. We ate at the Hearth & Kettle. It was OK, not great. Ja's chowder was pretty good though. I liked having all the vegetables though - I'm always surprised by how little they are offered in restaurants.
It's near 10pm and I'm exhausted. I'm sure there is something that I've missed and I will upload pictures when I get back, this connection is just too slow.
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