Tag Archives: travel

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.

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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.

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Cape Cod day 4…. where we search in vain for a lighthouse to explore on Martha’s Vineyard.

January 7, 2020 Rivergirl 39 Comments

Who doesn’t love a lighthouse? Raise your hand.

If your hand is up, go sit in the corner while the rest of the nice people enjoy this post.

We didn’t have any luck exploring the first lighthouse we’d found since it was on private property, but hope springs eternal.

Decisions, decisions.

East Chop has a lighthouse?

Decision made.

Yay!

A lighthouse….

Boo… a gate that closed it to the public.

0 for 2, we headed to the next one. We’re nothing if not persistent.

Onward!

But apparently not that way.

In case you’re wondering? I’ll take that house, right there.

Oh, alright. I’ll take Idris Elba as well.

So… Gay Head Light.

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We found it, parked down below and walked through the gate.

Then we saw it.

It…

And the gate that blocked the entrance to it.

May I just say…. WTF Martha’s Vineyard?

Strike 3. Okay, I give up.

There it is, a perfectly nice lighthouse.

I’m sure it was marvelous inside, not that we’ll ever know.

But the views of the Aquinnah Cliffs?

Admittedly, pretty wonderful.

Wind?

A wee bit.

Goodbye hairdo. Next trip to the Vineyard? I’m wearing a hat and never taking it off.

And because every vacation post must have rocks?

Rocks.

Rocks that mark the sight where the lighthouse originally stood.

Rocks.

Rocks with the late afternoon sun.

You’re welcome.

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Cape Cod Day 4, Black Dog Tavern, Vineyard Haven.

January 6, 2020 Rivergirl 33 Comments

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If you live in New England, I can guarantee you’ve seen numerous bumper stickers, t shirts and assorted swag with the ubiquitous black dog silhouette.

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But on day 4 of our fabulous Cape Cod adventure, we had lunch at the real thing.

The original Black Dog Tavern on Martha’s Vineyard.

For a sweetly illustrated history, click here.

It’s a rustic little place…

With some fabulous views.

Filled with maritime history as well as the flavor of the sea….

And on the day we had lunch there?

Even an adorable real life black dog on the beach.

(No worries… it was a cool day, he had water and his owners checked on him regularly.)

Cocktail?

Don’t mind if I do….

Since we were at the Black Dog, I tried a Black Dog Orange Crush.

Which might have to become my new favorite way to wake up the day.

Happily sipping, we enjoyed watching the ferry.

The boats..

The harbor…

And local craft beer disappear.

But yes, the food. We came for food…

Quahog chowder. Thick, creamy and delicious with homemade croutons made for a nice start.

What’s a quahog you ask?

It’s a large hard shelled clam.

quahog

Isn’t that just typical human behavior?

Name your pet, then kill him to find out how old he is.

Sorry Ming, you deserved better. And I sincerely hope you weren’t in our soup.

I was in the mood for a good chargrilled burger and this one didn’t disappoint.

The husband? He inhaled two dozen mussels.

Replete, we said goodbye to the real black dog….

The views…

The pier….

And the original Black Dog Tavern.

Fervently wishing they would come to Maine and build one on our coast!

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Cape Cod Day 4 … a special moment in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard

January 4, 2020 Rivergirl 30 Comments

When we left Edgartown I saw a sign saying Menemsha, and something in the deep dark recesses of my brain sparked.

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To be honest, I didn’t even know why until I got there.

The art wasn’t familiar.

Neither were the warnings about jellyfish and nude bathing…. two things that should never be experienced together.

So while the husband made a new friend…

I walked around wondering why this particular place had called to me.

Wind?

Just a wee bit…

It was a lovely spot.

And as I wandered…

I realized what I was doing.

I was walking in my late father’s footsteps.

He was an artist….. and had painted this very spot.

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That’s why we were there.

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Because all my life….. I’d seen the word Menemsha on a few of his paintings and never knew what it meant.

I lost my father when I was 15.

Much too young…

We missed so many things.

But for a moment, on this day….

He walked with me.

And my heart was full.

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Cape Cod Day 4, Edgartown (and because you knew there had to be some…. rocks.)

January 3, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

First stop on Martha’s Vineyard?

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Edgartown.

A beautiful place to visit…

A nerve wracking place to drive.

The streets are narrow and many of them one way.

Which is charming…. until a delivery truck blocks your only egress.

But let’s get back to beautiful.

Park your car and walk…

Because that’s the only way you’ll discover all the wonderful nooks and crannies in town.

Since we were there in November, off season…

We practically had it all to ourselves.

Full of old world charm…

And coastal breezes…

I highly recommend an extended stroll.

And the required clothing souvenir from the Black Dog.

(Okay, I bought 3… so sue me.)

I could have easily walked and shopped all day but the husband will only tolerate so much of that.

So we headed out.

And drove past mile ….

After mile….

After mile…

Of stone walls.

Seriously, I thought they would never end.

Some houses had them in the front, to the sides and around the back.

Some sections of the road had them lining both sides.

And speaking as someone from Maine, which has it’s own fair share of stone walls…

I must say, this section of the Vineyard put us Mainers to shame.

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Cape Cod Day 4….Martha’s Vineyard

January 2, 2020 Rivergirl 15 Comments

The forecast for Veteran’s Day was warm and bright so we decided to book passage on the Steamship Authority’s car ferry over to the Vineyard. This is something I’ve always wanted to do and I was tickled pink. Having no idea where, how much, or when…. we dropped by the ticketing office the night before and were rewarded with these –

Free tickets for the husband.

How sweet was that?

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We reserved a spot on the 9:30am ferry from Woods Hole and were told to arrive half an hour before departure. Ever the type A personality, I made sure we were there 45 minutes prior and as soon as we pulled up, they pointed us towards the 8:15 freight trip and boom!

We were on board.

With a giant load of Christmas trees.

Being used to small Maine island ferries, I was amazed at how large these ships were.

And how clean, and how spacious, and what great views they afforded.

We happily roamed around taking pictures…

And found a snack bar!

Okay…. it wasn’t open off season, but still. If you want a snack on a Maine ferry? You better dig in your purse for that crushed pack of Nabs from 2003.

And then, before we knew it….

We were there.

Approaching Vineyard Haven.

And yes, it was just as beautiful and quintessentially coastal New England as you would imagine.

Here’s another ferry getting ready to depart, so you can see how large they are.

We had booked an 8:30pm trip back, so we arrived ready to spend the whole day exploring.

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Of course none of the tourist information kiosks were open this time of year and we had no utter clue where we were going. ( I didn’t find this map until we were ready to leave.)

So we just drove.

Past weather beaten waterfront homes…

And homes…

That had their own private lighthouses.

How cool is that?

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Cape Cod Day 3…. Plymouth harbor, The Rock and finally, some food.

January 1, 2020 Rivergirl 25 Comments

So the lovely path through the park brought us to downtown Plymouth and the harbor.

It’s a pretty spot.

And at low tide you get a really good view of the rock retaining wall.

There were more scallop shells…

And piers..

And a statue of the Governor who spelled Plymouth with the ‘i’ that drove me crazy the entire time we were touring the Plantation.

Seriously… it was painful.

But then…

In the distance…

In the middle of what appeared to be a mausoleum…

Surrounded by pillars and wrought iron gates….

And guarded by a Ranger was…

Are you ready for what everyone who visits Plymouth Massachusetts has to see?

Brace yourself.

Here it comes….

The one, the only….

Plymouth Rock!

Yup.

That’s it.

I can’t say I really even knew what I was expecting…. but I’m pretty sure it was more than this.

To be honest, it was a rather bizarre experience. You know you have to find it, you know you have to see it, you know you have to photograph it (though I resisted the selfies some people took) …. but when you finally sidle up to the railing and look down?

Okay, it’s a rock.

And we all know I have a soft spot for rocks, but…

But alas, that’s all there was.

The Ranger told us they had to protect what was left because for years people would come and chip and chisel pieces from it for keepsakes. My first thought was, you should have started sooner.

So there you have it.

We came.

We saw.

We photographed the most famous rock in America.

YOURE-WELCOME

Plymouth, Massachusetts.

They have a park…. for a rock.

Ya gotta love this country!

And now… for my oh, ~~not~~ so patient food photo people.

Liquid refreshment at the East Bay Grille in Plymouth.

A wonderful restaurant with a view, potent cocktails and seriously good food.

I started with Risotto Balls.

And as balls go? They were top notch.

After a pomegranate martini, I went for the Autumn Punch. It sounds sweet, but the tart cranberry and acidic orange juice cut it perfectly.

The husband went with some kind of saucy fish…. blame the martini, but I don’t remember which…. brown rice and grilled butternut squash.

While I…

Can you guess?

Cognac cream sauce?

Ooh la la!

And yes, of course we had dessert.

New York style cheesecake for the hubs.

And a mouthwatering mountain of Tiramisu for yours truly.

It’s a shame we were only in Plymouth for one day because I could easily have eaten there every night.

Vacation Day 3 officially over.

Only 5 more to go!

No worries, at this rate it will only take a few more weeks worth of posts.

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Home.

December 30, 2019 Rivergirl 27 Comments

We’re back from 2 fabulous weeks in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Safe, sound and buried in dirty laundry.

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It was a wonderful trip…. and yes, you’ll hear about it ad nauseam in the near future.

But while I tried to keep up with comments on my mobile, I’m afraid I didn’t have the time ( Or the inclination, let’s be honest! ) to read all your blogs while we were gone.

Apologies.

I was busy biscuit and gravy-ing my way across the south….

And that requires dedication.

( Not to mention larger pants. )

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So here’s hoping you all ring in the New Year with the ones you love!

(Or the ones you can tolerate with a few drinks under your belt… whatever works. )

new years

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Cape Cod Day 3… Plimoth Plantation grist mill and some (literally) corny jokes.

December 30, 2019 Rivergirl 23 Comments

The tickets we purchased at the Plantation were actually in 3 parts. The site itself, a grist mill off site and a replica of the Mayflower down at the harbor. Three different locations for one price, how could we lose?

Apparently very easily as it turns out….because after we bought them, we found out the replica Mayflower wasn’t even in the state, but in Mystic, Connecticut undergoing an overhaul for the 400th year anniversary they’ll be celebrating next year. Thanks for that. It would have been nice knowing before I paid to tour it.

And the grist mill?

While attractive…

Turned out not to be so historic after all.

Yes, the Pilgrims eventually built a mill in 1636 after 10 years of grinding corn by hand. And yes, it was somewhere on Town Brook in Plymouth, though no one knows exactly where.

The mill pictured here was actually built in 1970 with many of it’s parts coming from a salvaged mill near Philly. How’s that for historical accuracy?

But we paid our money so here it is… upstairs, big stones.

And downstairs, big wheel. I won’t bore you with the more technical details on the inner workings.

But I will share the picture and video of this poor girl sifting cornmeal. The mere thought of having to do that all day makes me appreciate the little blue Jiffy box I use to make muffins soooo much more.

And it was even louder in person, trust me.

Naturally I had to visit the gift store and buy some freshly ground meal which is when we passed this:

Feel free to groan.

I did.

Sadly I only caught sight of this book when we were leaving and didn’t have a chance to flip through it. Who knew Yetis brewed beer?

Leaving the grist mill, I spotted a scallop shell.

In Tennessee we saw painted bears, in Vermont painted cows, somewhere I can’t remember painted lighthouses.

In Plymouth?

Painted scallop shells.

To each their own…

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Cape Cod Day 3… Plimoth Plantation. Goats, beer, a cranky llama and the Mooflower

December 29, 2019 Rivergirl 26 Comments

Continuing through the English settlement we saw garden plots…

And goats.

Who liked a good chin scratch.

I mean really liked a good chin scratch. This guy followed me the entire length of the fence.

We met a young man chopping firewood…

Who when asked what was in his flask, replied “Beer, of course. The water will make you sick.”

We discovered beer was quite popular in those days.

And if I had to cook all my meals in that contraption behind the women?

I’d drink beer everyday as well.

Colonists popped out at you everywhere…

Some friendly…

Some not.

This woman was the Governor’s wife and therefor had a slightly better home. With wood floors and a proper chimney.

Although the quality of workmanship seemed about the same.

Finished with the colony, we moved on to the museum with it’s eel pot…

It’s sea suit.

And because I knew you’d ask…

And it’s Mayflower provision list.

250 lbs of bacon and 280 lbs of butter… That will hold me for 8 weeks, but what will the rest of you eat?

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Though I do have to say, that list seems a little suspect. Considering margarine was invented in 1868 and Rice Krispies in 1927…I highly doubt they were aboard the original ship in 1620.

WTH?

But the museum did have the Mooflower….

And an anatomically correct, trouser wearing, sea going cow vessel?

Makes up for a lot of historical inaccuracies.

Last up was the petting barn where we found…

Yes.

One rabbit…

Apparently the pilgrims ate everyone else before we got there.

But then we saw…

So we met Hyacinth.

And may I just say?

She was a bitch.

I tried to pet her and almost lost a finger. She tried to head butt a few children and looked ready to go 12 rounds with a service dog that walked by.