3rd House Journal: Cape Cod Interlude

[View from The Tides motel, Falmouth MA; 8/23/14]

A couple of weeks ago, we got away for a long weekend at Cape Cod, to the same place we stayed last September - right on the beach overlooking Nantucket Sound and alongside Falmouth Harbor. We may as well have waited and gotten cheaper September rates as the weather was cool for August, and the town was clogged with summer traffic. But it was still lovely, and we mostly avoided driving. I slept for 9 or more hours each of our 3-night stay and napped on Saturday besides. I was exhausted, but also the sound of the gentle waves on the beach right outside our windows all night lulled me into much needed restful sleep.

[View of The Tides from the Island Queen; 8/24/14]

On Sunday, we walked from the motel up the harbor to take the Island Queen ferry out to Martha's Vineyard. I'd stayed out there a number of times in the past, but D had never been. It's a short ride - about 35 minutes - out to Oak Bluffs, where the Island Queen docks. The views on the way are beautiful, whether back towards the mainland or of the island with its classic lighthouses and sandy bluffs.

[West Chop Light, Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard]

The island's Vineyard Transit Authority shuttle buses are an easy way to get around, and cheap at $7 for a day pass. We hopped on the first shuttle up to Edgartown, where we had delcious omelettes in a charming little cafe, Among the Flowers. After wandering a bit around town, we hopped another shuttle down to Vineyard Haven for a short bit of wandering in the shops, then back on the shuttle to nearby Oak Bluffs, which turned out to be the most appealing of the stops. I knew about all the gingerbread cottages from the mid- to late-19th century that surround the park and overlook the harbor. But I didn't know how lively the harbor area was, with lots of open-air dockside bars, cafes and shops. It made me wish we'd spent more time there, although I was glad that D got a chance to see some of the other parts of the island. Maybe another time.

[Dockside at Oak Bluffs]

Our last day in Falmouth was quite warm and D indulged me in some beach time, despite his sunburn from the ferry and island wanderings on Sunday (we got him a hat from the famous, and ubiquitous, Black Dog and put up our beach chair umbrellas, so he was properly covered). I took one good dip in the warmish south Cape waters, then we headed home. All too short a stay.

[Falmouth Harbor, 8/22/14]