Tag Archives: photos

Cape Cod Day 4…. the Oak Bluffs Victorians.

January 8, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Martha’s Vineyard is lovely.

An oasis of windswept rugged shores…

Small fishing communities…

And marshlands.

But the sun was going down and there was still too much left to see! The husband told me we had enough daylight for one more site, so I knew it had to be Oak Bluffs.

map 16

Everyone we spoke to recommended we go there and see the marvelous Victorians, so we did.

Not really sure where we were going, or where they actually were, we found a narrow street…

And a few rows of small houses. Yes, they were cute…. but I figured that couldn’t be what all the fuss was about.

And then we turned a corner.

And the houses got larger.

And larger.

And larger still.

In a word?

Stunning.

One after another, lined up facing the ocean.

It was quite impressive.

Naturally, I’m hanging out the window like a crazed canine clicking away, taking pictures of as many as I can.

Pretty close.

Just imagine her holding an iPhone….

I wanted to get out and walk but the husband was having none of it.

Yes, the day was ending….

But… but…

I know I didn’t photograph them all!

( It wasn’t until I returned home and did a little research that I realized we had missed the most famous part! Next time. )

Sun setting…

We headed back to the ferry….

And got ready to say goodbye to the beautiful Vineyard.

Uncategorized

Cape Cod Day 2… Beer. More beer. And a sunset at the beach.

December 26, 2019 Rivergirl 27 Comments

Heading back to our resort after lunch we stopped in at Devil’s Purse brewery in South Dennis.

It’s an unassuming little place in a warehouse, with a beam for a bar…

And slab topped barrel tables with no seats. Personally I’m not fond of this concept, but space was limited and they probably don’t want to encourage you to linger.

That being said their beer was good. Very good… and we enjoyed our time there.

Sadly, they didn’t do flights which is my preferred way to sample a new brewery’s offerings.

But they did offer 4 ounce pours… (at roughly a dollar an ounce!) and we tried quite a few.

They specialize in European style beer and we specialize in never liking the same one. The Pollock RIP IPA was too bitter for me, while the Shore Laddie blackberry porter was too rich for him. But we both loved their plum saison Season In Hell…. enough to buy a growler to take home.

The tasting room is also dog friendly which is fun.

No, Fido wasn’t drinking. His owner just wanted a good picture.

Sound like anyone you know…?

Back in Hyannis, we decided to stop at the Cape Cod brewery which is by far the largest and most popular.

But as with most things, size doesn’t matter.

(Sorry fellas, but it’s true)

Saturday afternoon at 3:45 and the place was packed. Though why that was, I really can’t say.

When we got to the bar…. we were told they were closing in 15 minutes and wouldn’t be able to do a flight, but we could order a small pour or two.

Please explain this reasoning, because I’m confused. You do flights, but won’t give us one because you’re closing soon…. but you will pour us multiple smalls. What’s the difference?

And to that…. closing at 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon. WTH? When we asked why they closed so early on the weekend, we were told it’s because their workers want to have fun too.

It’s a good thing the entire restaurant and bar industry doesn’t follow this trend….we’d all be forced to have fun at home.

And no one wants that.

But, it was beer and we must drink. Which we did, though I wish we hadn’t…

Personal table top ring toss games aside, their beer was as flat and uninteresting as their let’s close early! business plan. We drank 4 between us and I couldn’t even finish one of mine.

I. Left. Beer. On. The. Table.

Yeah, that’s bad.

And yet we had bartenders tell us this is the tourist’s preferred brand.

Okay, they have a gift store.

And heavily merchandise their product.

But it will take more than that to get me to drink it again.

We drove back to the resort at dusk, remembering that the desk clerk recommended we watch the sunset at the nearby South Cape Beach State Park.

So thank you Sea Mist Resort desk clerk.

We took your advice.

And ended our first full day at the Cape….

Surrounded by natural beauty….

Fresh ocean air…

Beautiful colors…

And a growing appreciation for your part of the world.

Uncategorized

Merry Christmas Eve interruption…

December 24, 2019 Rivergirl 35 Comments

As you’ve probably guessed… (Or if you hadn’t? You should have.) we’re currently off on another adventure.

And have been for the last 11 days.

Yes, our annual Christmas vacation.

No holiday stress. No decorating. No cooking. No family drama. We leave it all behind, and have since December 2015.

Why?

Because I used to be Christmas crazy.

221144-I-Christmas-Harder-Than-You

I spent a fortune, I decorated everything that stood still…. (yes, I’m ashamed to say there was even a tree on my toilet.)

I drove myself nuts finding the absolutely perfect gifts for people who didn’t appreciate it and cooked the absolutely perfect meal for family who couldn’t care less and always complained.

Maybe my mother dying was the catalyst. But in 2015 we took a trip to the Poconos…. had a blast, and never looked back.

Do I miss the beautiful live fir tree in the living room?

016

Yes.

I also miss all the crazy outside lights.

195

The well house…

The stone wall…

The funky alligator….

And reindeer who were annually buried up to their butts in white stuff.

The lights in the windows…

And on the bushes.

The sparkling balls on the table…

That caught the sun and turned our living room into a Christmas disco.

The running reindeer on the garage.

007

The ribboned garlands….

Yes, I miss it all.

But do I miss the 2 solid weeks of work it took to get everything set up (in the snow , ice and wind) and the solid week of work it took to take it all down (in sub zero temperatures with ice and wind) ?

No. I most definitely do not.

But rest assured I’m not totally Grinchy this year, I did put up a tree.

tree

This trip? Williamsburg, Virginia until Dec. 30th. Meeting old friends and getting our geek on in a marvelous area filled with American history.

Colonial settlements? Check.

Revolutionary War? Check.

Civil War? Check.

I just hope 2 weeks is enough time.

And I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess there might be a few pictures to post when we get back.

Oh, don’t be so dramatic.

I should be done by …. June.

Uncategorized

Cape Cod trip, Day 1. Boston traffic, the resort and yes, food. (for those of you who keep screaming for food pics)

December 20, 2019 Rivergirl 36 Comments

No trip south of Maine can escape Boston traffic… and in a word?

Okay, technically that’s 2 words.

But it still sucks.

The Tobin Bridge is attractive…

But directly after that is the Callahan Tunnel, which is not.

Of course my aversion to it may have something to do with the fact that we’re always bumper to bumper in the dark and instead of the posted 40 mph speed limit? The husband is flying through at 80 while darting in and out of traffic trying to get 3 inches ahead of the next car. Driving is a competition dontcha know…

Blah, blah, blah.

Safe trip…. hello Cape Cod!

We stayed at the Sea Mist Resort in Mashpee, Massachusetts which is considered the Upper Cape.

mashpee

And it was a good base from which we could explore.

Quiet, wooded and off season? It was practically deserted, which is how we like it.

IMG_8423a

We had a one bedroom townhouse with two bathrooms and a cathedral ceiling.

A nice full kitchen with granite countertops and wood floors.

It was clean, and spacious…

Although when it came to the living room furniture and color scheme?

Yes, it was bland.

But hell… clean, quiet and spacious trumps ugly any day.

Did I mention there were 2 full bathrooms? That’s unusual in a one bedroom timeshare condo and I took full advantage…. giving the husband this smaller one.

It was a little odd having a window in the bedroom that looked out on the living room….

But it made for a nice little reading nook when the husband was knee deep in MSNBC every night.

The bedroom was a good size with a super comfortable, although not king sized, bed.

It also had a full length mirror which earns it an extra star in my book as none of them ever do.

After unpacking, (which looks like this for me…

And this for him…

(Men. How is it possible we’re the same species?) We headed out for a late lunch/early dinner.

Mashpee Commons was nearby and one of the largest shopping centers on the Cape. While attractive and filled with interesting stores and restaurants, it was also a nightmare when it came to parking. We circled and circled… and circled some more until we squeezed into a tiny spot. Christ! It was the dead season of November, I can’t imagine what it would be like in the summer.

We landed at Bobby Byrne’s pub…

Where I got in the Cape Cod spirit with a cranberry and grapefruit cocktail. (Or two)

When you’re in the Cape, it’s all about the cranberry.

I wanted the huge gigantic pretzel, because seriously… it was huge.

But went with the grilled chicken quesadillas and sriracha crema instead.

Damn! They were good.

Husband had his usual French Onion soup which I swear… contained at least a pound of cheese.

Then we shared a chicken broccoli alfredo.

Which was delightfully rich and garlicky.

Did I mention the beer was extremely cold?

Literally, ice cold.

(Are you food picture screamers satisfied? Day 1 and you got multiple food photos. You’re welcome… now be quiet.)

Bellies full, we grocery shopped to stock the kitchen…. and then called it a night.

One more picture…

Because skylights in the living room require an after dark selfie….

Uncategorized

We interrupt your normally scheduled program…

November 15, 2019 Rivergirl 44 Comments

So I hope you’ve been enjoying my White Mountain vacation series. I know I tend to go a little overboard with the pictures, but what can I say?

I’ll have you know it took me an entire week to wade through the 1704 shots I’d taken and distill it down to a reasonable essence.

Alright… yes.

The essence is going to run halfway through December, but just think how long it would have gone on if I hadn’t distilled.

imagesDQF4YNKQ

Sorry, that was harsh.

Khaled had me feeling a little street.

Anyhoo… the reason for this post?

Remember when I told you we were going to have to cram a few vacations in before the end of the year because the husband wasn’t retiring? Well, good news! We just finished vacation week number two and are probably on the road returning from Cape Cod as you read this.

imagesNN5MN9VB

Yup.

That means another tsunami of photographs from our coastal Massachusetts adventures.

Nope.

Sorry, I can’t.

Hard to believe that in all the years I’ve lived in New England, I’ve never visited that region…. and though we’re going off season, I’m sure we had a blast. My plan was to hop the car ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard as well but we’ll play that by ear as I don’t know their winter schedule.

So sit back and enjoy the (virtual) ride.

Because you followed me, silly.

Now pay the price and enjoy the modern version of your 1950’s neighbor’s slide show.

Uncategorized

White Mountains trip…. Day 1. The resort.

November 1, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

As you know, we use our timeshare when we travel. Some of the resorts we choose have been fabulous… some less so.

The Grand Summit Resort at Sunday River?

From the outside? Not bad.

Good location, up a long driveway, past a babbling brook… nestled in the mountains.

Technically it’s a ski resort, so yes…. there are ski slopes.

Inside?

Rustic decor, heavily ski-centric.

With questionable carpet choices.

Which did not improve when we made our way upstairs to our condo.

Yeah.

This literally made my head swim every time I had to walk on it.

See? It even made the camera dizzy.

The only good thing I can say about it is they are in the process of ripping it up. Though sadly, not soon enough for us.

While I usually book the larger 2 bedroom unit for extra space, an extra bathroom and a larger kitchen…. this was a last minute deal and I had to take a 1 bedroom. Never having been here before, I have to say I was not impressed.

It was really small.

And as basic as I’ve ever seen.

The “full” kitchen? Not so full.

It also went a little heavy on the moose theme.

While it was clean and the bed was comfortable…. the smoke alarm went off everytime we made toast, which must have endeared us to our neighbors since we’re up with the sun most days. The shower head was so low the 5’8” husband hit his head every time he attempted to wash his hair, and the kitchen cabinet doors stuck to the frames like glue. If you managed to pull them open? The shelves wobbled.

Thankfully we only slept and showered there because the noise from the heating unit would probably have caused me to drink a Drano cocktail had we stayed any longer.

Of course they did provide some stellar reading material on the coffee table….

And a nice big tree in front of our balcony…

With a stunning view of the 6 slot parking lot. The slots everyone jockeys for because otherwise you’re hoofing it down the hill to the auxiliary lot.

Yes… 6 spots up front. For a resort that has hundreds of condo units as well as a hotel and restaurant. Smart planning, that.

Oh well.

The restaurant was fun.

Appropriately named Camp, it was modern rustic.

And we enjoyed it.

Who doesn’t want to be lit by an upside down canoe?

Tasty seasonal cocktails…

And a light dinner later….

We called an end to our first day.

Uncategorized

Because everyone needs a drink.

October 27, 2019 Rivergirl 24 Comments

Bird baths.

They’re not just for birds anymore….

These little guys never used to drink here until an apple tree sprouted in my garden bed a few years ago.

Now they’ve realized they can safely climb onto an overhanging branch and jump in.

Like I do…

0bc7bbf468e86b158aaf7d4aa4eb2058

Actual photo of me last Saturday night.

Pardon the quality of these shots, but it was dark and I was shooting through a window.

IMG_E6198

I’ve often wondered why the deer don’t stop to slake their thirst.

IMG_E6197

Now, I have proof that they do.

Uncategorized

More random critters.

October 19, 2019 Rivergirl 12 Comments

The photo files need purging again so…

Mother woodchuck and her last baby.

The other 3 have taken off for parts unknown.

And I get the feeling this final child isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack.

Someone needs to tell him we eat from the bowl, not sit in it.

Or lie in it for that matter.

Our beautiful buck is back.

IMG_1355 (2)

Which makes me nervous as it’s hunting season.

Fingers crossed no one breaks up his family.

This little devil was perched on the feeder bar waiting for an unsuspecting meal the other morning…

I saw feathers on the lawn later in the day, so mission accomplished.

The flies have been thick for the past few days and target the deer mercilessly.

It’s my opinion this doe was sticking her tongue out at the flies…

And not the photographer.

Finally, who needs video games….

When you’ve got real live angry birds right on the back lawn?

Uncategorized

Some random photographs….

October 10, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

Because sometimes I want to share, and they just don’t rate a blog of their own.

A few shots of my local area.

I’m blessed to live in such a beautiful state.

Top that for sunrise color. I dare ya!

As you’ve probably guessed by now, when we travel…. I take a lot of pictures. The husband is quite patient with me and usually pulls over when I point out the window, squeee! and yell pull over. He never wants to photograph anything, so I had to laugh a few weeks ago when he stopped along side something and asked me to take a picture of it for him.

I did….

And am seriously hoping it doesn’t end up in our barn in the near future.

This is not what you want to be following during a traffic jam on Route 1. I saw pink hippos in my dreams for many nights after that.

And finally…

Me.

IMG_E6186

No makeup, just a smile…. and the realization that laying out in the sun this past summer has bleached my hair to the point where I now have dark roots without ever having dyed it.

What the Hell?