Tag Archives: cape cod

Cape Cod Day 8…. turkeys, traffic and booze. The way most of our vacations end.

January 20, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Day 8 dawned bright and sunny and it was time to pack up and head for home. Of course packing means different things to men and women. It takes me considerable time…. seeing that I actually unpack my suitcases and put things away.

Remember? Me unpacked…

Husband’s idea of unpacked…

Men.

You really are a separate species.

The local turkey brigade came to wish us farewell.

And soon we were crossing the famous Sagamore Bridge and leaving Cape Cod.

It was a wonderful trip, and we enjoyed every minute of it. So much to see and do…. I’m sure we’ll go back someday.

Next step?

Boston.

And it’s horrible, absolutely inescapable, bumper to bumper traffic. If you can avoid it?

By all means, do so.

Cruising into New Hampshire on I-95 means one thing. The New Hampshire State Liquor store…. no tax!

If we drive to our vacation? We stop here on the way back…. you almost have to. It’s like a rite of passage for New Englanders.

Snow.

Lobster.

And tax free booze.

What’s not to love?

My haul this time included a few Game of Thrones inspired Johnnie Walker Christmas presents.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

And here’s a bone I’ll throw to all my food lovers.

Lunch.

At a riverside restaurant.

With an amazing beer selection.

And a list that went on and on and on…

To heck with the food…

I could just happily sit there and drink all day.

But yes, food.

Homemade chicken tenders and side salad for the husband.

And a massive portion of Truffle fries to accompany my chicken Caesar salad wrap.

So there you have it, the November Cape Cod trip.

The end.

Finito.

Done!

While I realize it took me until January 20th to finish this series, as I sit here typing this… I still have over 2 weeks worth of Williamsburg, Virginia Christmas vacation photos to sort through and post. So don’t be surprised if you’re seeing Santa and his reindeer right through April….

You’ve been warned.

that-would-be-great-kill-me-meme

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Cape Cod Day 7… Highfield Hall, some twigs and the last supper.

January 19, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

Since we were in the area we thought we’d check it out.

The Hall however, had other ideas and was locked up tight.

But there were twigs.

Lots and lots….

Of twigs.

Cleverly wound twigs.

Twigs you could walk through.

Big twigs.

Really big twigs.

Respect the twigs.

Got it.

There was also a sunken garden….

That was mostly dead since it was the middle of November.

But it had whimsical birds on a polka dot tree in the middle, so that more than made up for it.

Photo of the rear of the house we couldn’t get in.

Yes, it was a banner visit.

Good thing there were twigs so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Blah, blah, blah… I know, you’re getting bored and are silently screaming for food.

Our last meal in Cape Cod ended up being at the Stomping Grounds Grille in Buzzards Bay.

And while buzzards aren’t usually the best dinner companions…

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This place looked promising.

It was basically a lovely old home…

Retro fitted to a restaurant/bar.

And while I was walking around…

I discovered a theme.

A rock and roll theme….

And when I saw Jerry Garcia on the shelf?

I felt right at home.

See? My kind of place…

The cocktail list made me smile and order a few.

As we chatted with the very personable bartender who told me there was a turntable in the back room with an album collection…. and we could play anything we liked.

We were having such a good time I almost forgot to take pictures of the food, but here’s their stellar broccoli cheese soup. Soooo good.

Secret ingredient? Nutmeg.

I’m afraid I don’t even remember what the husband had…. but here’s my crab cake burger with side spinach salad and cole slaw.

Yum.

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Cape Cod Day 7… Woods Hole aquarium Part 2.

January 18, 2020 Rivergirl 15 Comments

So many wonderful creatures to photograph.

The bizarre…

To the beautiful…

And back again.

That’s a smile only a mother could love.

Seahorses.

Is there anything weirder…

Or more wonderful to watch swimming?

I think not.

This was the largest tank in the aquarium.

And the husband was fascinated by it’s largest occupant.

I think they were having a moment.

But we had to go upstairs….

And take a peek from a different perspective.

Not many aquariums will let you behind the scenes but Woods Hole is delightfully different.

You can chat with the staff who prepare the fish food…

Groan at some bad jokes…

And trade smiles with the residents.

I swear he winked at me.

I did not, but I do now.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I hated to say goodbye.

And by the looks of this guy, he was sorry to see us leave as well. To which I can only say…

dont-cry-for-me-sergeant-tina

Alright, I could have said something else.

But this seemed appropriate.

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Cape Cod Day 7…. Woods Hole and the aquarium

January 17, 2020 Rivergirl 25 Comments

The tiny village of Woods Hole.

Home to the famous oceanographic institute… where you can visit, but can’t park your car.

Also home to a drawbridge….

And some wonderfully odd ships popping out of nowhere.

Our original plan was to visit the institute but when we realized we’d have to park downtown and walk ( in a 20 degree wind chill, after just hiking the Knob in a 20 degree wind chill) we opted for the aquarium instead.

I’d read it was small and didn’t get my hopes up…

But they actually had a large diversity of marine life….

As well as some fascinating exhibits.

No, not all the fish were pretty.

But it’s the weirdos I like best anyway.

Like this fellow….

And his large friend.

Pardon all the background noise, it was rather crowded the day we went.

Did anyone else realize loggerhead turtles were so freakin’ big?

Here’s someone you don’t want to step on accidentally.

This next guy looks my husband’s grumpy uncle.

Imagine having that stare at you across the Christmas dinner table every year.

Fish scales can be counted like tree rings?

Another thing I didn’t know.

I was beyond thrilled they had Lion Fish.

They’re my favorite!

Okay, yes.

They’re poisonous as hell and would just as soon kill you as look at you…

But aren’t they grand?

I mean come on…

Wouldn’t you risk a little venom…

To sidle up next to one of these beauties?

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Cape Cod Day 7…. The Knob.

January 16, 2020 Rivergirl 35 Comments

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Yes, you read that correctly.

We visited the Knob.

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I admit to being Knob ignorant before a local told us about it….

But it was our last full day on the Cape and it was on our way to Woods Hole, so why not?

Of course I wasn’t exactly dressed for hiking…

But I never let improper footwear get in the way of a good time.

Most of the trek was through the woods.

But there were a few scenic spots along the way.

And a few blisters in the making later…

There it was.

The Knob.

And one adorable…

Very photogenic dog.

Who I made friends with while the husband…

Started talking politics with a nice guy we met along the way.

45 minutes and numerous dog photos later…

I finally got him on the move again.

Did I mention it was freezing cold with a biting wind?

Well, it was.

But we made it to the Knob….

Where I was glad to see they cared about their rocks.

Some Instagram girls were there ahead of us, making the most of the backdrop.

Until the husband promptly ruined it for them.

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Well, if you insist.

The view from the Knob.

Knob seen and photographed, we headed back.

With the inventor of Trip Advisor’s house in the distance.

Duly warned against rock theft, we continued back to the car…

And peaceful Quissett Harbor.

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Cape Cod Day 6… antiques, cocktails and dinner on the water.

January 15, 2020 Rivergirl 15 Comments

Because you know no road trip with my husband is complete without a visit to an antique store…

I’d managed to make it almost 6 full days without one, but my luck ran out.

He scoured the stalls…

Thoroughly perused the cases…

Chuckled at the creepy mid century Santas.

And then….

Bought a folding freight sled.

And if that wasn’t bad enough? The damned thing was from Maine!

Jesus wept.

And I drank.

It was the only appropriate response.

So we ended the afternoon at a wonderful waterfront restaurant…

Called Fisherman’s View.

Where I worked my way down the cocktail list.

Have you ever had Casoni 1814 in a mixed drink? Ooh la la!

I hadn’t… but will be looking for it soon.

Food?

Yes, they had that too. But since it was late afternoon and I wouldn’t be cooking when we got back, we opted to stay and wait for the dinner menu…

And watched the non stop crabbing…

As well as some tugs escorting a barge through the Cape Cod Canal.

Crab cake appetizer for me….

Butternut squash and apple bisque for the other half.

And as evening rolled around…

Neither one of us managed to get past that night’s specials.

Scallops Spaghettini for me…

Beef tenderloin for the hubs.

Both were superb…. and I cursed the the fact that we hadn’t found this place earlier in our trip.

Replete…

We took a short walk around the harbor.

Enjoyed the sunset.

And the view of that wonderful restaurant lit up in the distance.

Back at the resort condo, the husband was knee deep in the impeachment coverage on MSNBC.

A guaranteed way to kill my buzz…

So I escaped upstairs to my nook overlooking the living room to read….

And (not quite) drunkenly play with my phone.

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Cape Cod Day 6… Sandwich Glass Museum oddities.

January 14, 2020 Rivergirl 31 Comments

Day 6 found us in getting a late start in Sandwich.

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At a museum filled with glass.

For 62 years beginning in 1825, Deming Jarvis’s glass factory put this little Massachusetts town on the map.

The history of glass was on display…

And some of it was fascinating.

Parts of the museum are interactive…

And we timed it just right to witness a glass blowing demonstration…

Which I thought I’d videoed, but apparently didn’t.

Either way, the chandelier hanging overhead was impressive. Though I’d hate to have to dust it.

Glass..

Glass.

And more glass.

Well, what did you expect…

Yes!

Chickens!

Lots…

And lots of glass chickens.

Clearly they knew I was coming.

They were salts…

And paperweights…

Art glass…

And breast pipes.

Yes.

There was even a bosom shell….

Which I’m sure was very comfortable.

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There was also a lily foot shoe..

And the chance to have dinner with a dead man.

Who could pass that up?

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Cape Cod Day 5… P’town, the breakwater and the seashore.

January 13, 2020 Rivergirl 27 Comments

Provincetown is home to charming inns…

Narrow streets…

And lovely little homes whose lawns you could mow with a pair of scissors.

I don’t want to say they’re too close together….

But, yeah.

They kind of are.

All roads seemed to lead to the ocean…

So we did as well.

Which is where we found a breakwater… made of rocks!

That I totally wanted to walk, even in the rain….

To which the husband said not no…

But Hell no.

First Landing Park? You’re looking at it.

Sign… grass.

Duly noted and photographed.

With the weather getting worse, we gave up….

And drove back to the resort along the National Seashore.

Which… in the rain, from the car,

Looked like this.

Oh well….

At least we were safe from the sharks.

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Cape Cod Day 5…. P’town in the rain.

January 12, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

Done with our climbing for the day, we explored Provincetown.

In the rain…

From our car.

If I’d had foul weather gear like this fellow…

I might have been more inclined to wander.

P’town is tourist mecca in the summer.

Jam packed with people and bumper to bumper traffic.

On a rainy day in early November?

A veritable ghost town.

Oh well…

At least we didn’t have trouble finding a parking spot for lunch.

At the Squealing Pig.

Good drinks…

Great clams…

What more do you need?

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Cape Cod Day 5…. and we’re climbing.

January 11, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

The Pilgrims Monument in Provincetown. We came, we saw, we climbed.

And climbed. And climbed. And climbed….

Photo of my husband wondering why we don’t take relaxing vacations on the beach like normal people.

Completed in 1910 to commemorate the Pilgrim’s fist landing in Provincetown on November 21, 1620…. the tower is 252 tall and rises 350 feet above sea level.

(Those are Christmas lights radiating down from the top, not support wires. Because hey, if your monument is held up by wires? Even I’m not climbing it.)