Cape Cod, MA September 2015

Packing for our next adventure.

Sunday, September 20, 2015 was travel day.  It’s a 5 hour flight and a 3 hour time change so we left the house at 7:15 a.m. and arrived at the resort around 8 p.m.

The flight was uneventful except a little delay loading the plane.  We made it all the way down the jetway and about to step into the cabin when the flight attendant said they were fixing a seat at row 10 so anyone further back would have to wait.  It was only about 15-20 minutes, then they finished boarding and off we went.  We still arrived on time.  Waited what seemed like hours but was probably 30 minutes for our luggage to start ejecting from the chute.  Then off to the rental car counter.  Every time we’ve been to Cape Cod we get lost getting out of the airport. There has always been so much construction that when the directions say “turn right”, the road is barricaded off with no alternate directions.  Anyhow, construction is now done (around the airport for the time being) and the directions worked perfectly…until… we got on the Cape.  The directions from the resort said “Route 6 to Exit 2”.  The signs said “Route 6A or Route 6B”. Of course we didn’t have a map yet.  It’s always something.  We picked one and I plugged the resort address into my phone. Glenda, the Good Witch, guided us right to the front door. :twothumbsup: The check in man was nice.  The condo is big and clean but in need of updating.  Furnishing are old and dated, typical of timeshares these days.  It’s a loft unit with the kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom downstairs; bedroom and bathroom upstairs.  Walk in closets both up and downstairs  This is perfect.  We don’t have to share a bathroom or a closet! 

Nice private patio with a woodsy view. 

After we dropped off our bags we went to Mashpee Commons and had dinner at Bleu', which is a nice French Restaurant.  We shared an order of escargot which was really good.  I had Steak Au Poivre with Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes.  De-lish.  Paul had Duck which he enjoyed.  We shared Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate Mousse. M-M-Good. I may have to go to Belgium.  Service was good too.

Sorry, forgot to take a picture of my dinner before digging in! 

This morning first thing on our agenda is the grocery store to stock up on beverages and snacks.  Then, who knows?  

What we did Monday September 21, 2015

First stop was the grocery store as planned.  My biggest decision of the day was which coffee to buy.  Ya’all know I like everything Italian.  So ‘Wicked Italian’ (how can you not love the name?) **OR** ‘New England Coffee’, family coffee roasters since 1916.  When in Rome. 

Then we had to go to the liquor store to buy Baileys and Beer which always seems weird to me when we travel because we can buy alcohol in our grocery stores at home.  Then we zipped through Marshalls in the same shopping center for Paul to pick up some long pajama pants.  He only brought shorties and its cold here at night. I might have bought a top. :wink:  Back to the condo to drop off the goods and then out for an early lunch since we had skipped breakfast.  We went to Cook’s so Paul could get started on his Fried Clam fix.  He’s always on a mission to judge the best clams on the Cape and last time we were here Cook’s was one of his favorites.  I had shrimp which came with about 8,000 fries.  After lunch we ventured into Hyannis.  This is what my lap typically looks like while he's driving:

We mowsied up and down the streets.  Hyannis is where the JFK Museum is.  We took the tour last time we were here.  Paul wasn’t interested in going to the museum again.  

                                          ^ Those bros.

^Paul, always with the historical markers.

I found the coolest mug in a chotchski shop.  It doesn’t have a handle, the ceramic folds over creating a little pocket so you can wrap your hand inside of it.  I thought it was kind of pricey and wasn’t going to get it but Paul bought it for me.  Okay. He can stay. ;) At another little shop I found a cute tiny ceramic dish.  I had a glass dish that was in the bathroom that got broken and I’ve been looking for the perfect size to replace it.  The elderly man at the register was cute as a bug.  He had asked if I needed help while I was wondering through the store.  When I went to the counter to pay, he was doing something, then turned and said “I mustn’t keep a lady waiting”.  I said “I like the way you think!” He said “My Mother and my wife taught me well”. He must have been at least 90. 

^Cutest painted lampshades in lieu of mannequin heads in a store window.

We stopped into The British Beer Company so Paul could get a brewsky.  

The weather here is just perfect.  72° with a slight breeze.  A perfect Zolft day! 

^Love this!

Back to the condo and down to the indoor pool.  First stop Jacuzzi; then into the pool.  When we got back to the condo Paul went out to the patio for a cigar and some computer time.  I took a nap. 

Dinner was at the Quaterdeck Restaurant in Falmouth. When Paul checked the reviews there were a lot of complaints about the wait to be seated.  I called for reservations and she said she’d put us on the call-ahead list.  We got there and it was packed.  They seated us right away so the call-ahead thing really worked.  They had “two lobsters with salad” special but they were already out of it.  She recommended the Stuffed Lobster.  I got mine with salad and green beans.  Paul ordered the same with coleslaw and rice.  I didn’t care for the salad.  It was firm greens but they were too weedy.  The lobster was amazing.  The “stuffed” part was lobster meat tossed with butter and topped with breadcrumbs.  SO GOOD.  

I actually couldn’t finish it.  I ate most of it but I think it’s the first time ever that I haven’t finished lobster! No dessert for us... We may need to find the Fitness Center at the resort.  ;~}

Tuesday September 22, 2015

This morning it’s beautiful again on my little patio. A little chill in the air but clear with a very slight breeze.  There’s just a little traffic noise in the background but the birds are singing a happy tune in an effort to drown out the mufflers.  

The agenda du jour is to meet Kristin for breakfast. I've know Kristin since her old CK days.  We've stayed in touch over the years via Facebook. She works at the Red Cottage.  She said she could meet us there or elsewhere.  I sent her a message and said Paul wanted to know if she’d rather go elsewhere on her day off.  She responded and said they “DO” have the best breakfast in town or she could meet us at the Marshside.  The Marshside is the restaurant her Mom used to own. We ate there last time we were in Cape Cod. Anyhow, we’ll touch base this morning and make a plan as soon as Sleeping Beauty is up and about.  My guess is the Red Cottage.  Then we’ll explore the little town of Dennis and who knows what else.

The only other things we have planned at the moment is tomorrow we’re probably going to Martha’s Vineyard and Thursday we’ll probably go to Provincetown (or maybe Friday).  I want to eat at Central House at the Crown where Michele Ragussis is the executive chef.  Saturday is a Beer Fest so we’ll probably check that out.  Sunday we head home but HEY, quit pushing the week away already! 
Time to SF&P (shower, fluff and puff) and get this day going.  

Wednesday September 23, 2015

Yesterday we had breakfast with Kristin and her hubby at the Red Cottage as planned.  Good thing I had Glenda to guide us along.  It’s definitely off the beaten path.  It's actually nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood.  Food and company were excellent.  I had the Truro:  One slice of Bananas Foster French Toast, two eggs, choice of meat (bacon), toast (marble rye) & side dish (homefries).  Paul had the Classic Eggs Benedict and shared my piece of French toast.  Everything was super delicious.  It was so great to spend a little time together. She is the cat Queen, she has four kitties now.  Meow.  

^Holy Huge Breakfast Batman

Bye-Bye til next time.  
Then we ventured up Route 6A to Brewster and went to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (and Aquarium).  The Aquarium had some pretty cool sea creatures.  When we went in to pay admission, they have Regular and Senior rates.  Paul said “two tickets”.  There were two men behind the counter.  One of them said “are you a senior?”  Paul laughed and said “well look at me, don’t I look like a senior?” The other man said “we can’t judge”.  The first man said “I believe you’re a senior but I’ll have to see the birth certificate of the lady!” HaHaHa. I’m finding I really enjoy the elderly men here! 

The Museum was meh but the Aquarium was cool.  It’s not huge (actually pretty small) but they had cute turtles and an open display with hermit crabs and little critters that looked like small stingrays called Horseshoe Crabs and some starfish and other little critters that looked like eels but I don’t remember what they were.  Then there was a big Calico Lobster and a rare Blue Lobster that was huge. Their tanks were too dark to get pictures but take my word for it, they looked delicious.  #SorryNotSorry.  

 ^crab hiding

 ^I see you

 ^Trying to hide under the gravel

My favorite was the Jellyfish.  Aren’t they adorable?

They also had a walking path which goes to the ocean but we didn't wander that  far.

These looked kind of like pomegranates but they are actually Ruba Ragosa which will bloom into flowers that look like poppies.   

On the road again until we got to Chatham.  We stopped and wandered through the stores and stopped for an ice cream at Buffy's.  

It's not gelato in Rome but it will have to do! 

^Dog friendly town.

The only purchase was a little duck for my “ducks in a row” collection at work.  It's a hockey duck.  Go figure.  BTW I’m going to miss two of Cedar’s games this weekend.  Drat. 

On the road again and stopped at a little bar on a wharf for a cocktail.  Vodka Cranberry.  Be kind to your kidneys.

Not a very good pic of the boats in the marina but you get the idea.

Back to the condo and ought oh.  There’s a note on the door to call the office.  No hot water.  The lady said the boiler went out and they had to order a part and it won’t arrive until Thursday.  We had two choices.  Move now to another unit or move in the morning.  Okey dokey then.  Pack er up and movin on out.  Luckily they had another loft unit available.  It’s set up pretty much the same.  On the plus side, the old school TV in the bedroom is bigger.  The last one had a screen about the size of my laptop.  Not that we watch much TV but sometimes he likes to watch TV before drifting off to sleep, like Monday night when he watched the end of the football game.  I had not taken pictures of the upstairs in the last unit so here’s a couple of this one:

It's pretty big

^This is my new view from mi-patio. Things could be worse!  LOL

We ended up having a late low key dinner at Bobby Byrnes Restaurant and Pub. It’s just around the corner and down the road and they are open late.  I had Beer Battered Fish and Chips with Coleslaw which was really good.  It came with a piece of something they called Cheesecake but it was more like Cool Whip with Graham Cracker Crust.  We shared that and headed back to the condo.

Not sure what we’re doing today.  We were going to go to Martha’s Vineyard but we decided to wait and do that tomorrow.  We drug our feet figuring out which boat to take over and by the time we got back to the condo it was too late to make reservations.  It was actually okay because Dana (Kristin's hubby) said to go out of Wood Hole, not Hyannis.  Good to know.  Prince Charming is up and said he'd like to venture to Falmouth today.  That's where we had the amazing lobster dinner but it was late so all the shops and sites were closed.  Maybe later we'll spend some time at the pool.  Dunno.

Today is Thursday September 24, 2015

Yesterday we started off in Falmouth and went to Seafood Sam’s for early lunch (no breakfast again).  Paul had the fried clams (of course) and I had the butterflied shrimp.  He said the clams were good but not as good as Cook’s.  I thought the shrimp was better at Sam’s than at Cook’s.  On the way back into the touristy part of the town we passed an old church, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church (1888), so Paul pulled over so I could take some pictures. 

Then we pawk’d the cahhh and wondered through the stores.  

This is a monument and dedication to the local military members who lost their lives in various wars.

We went into the Visitor’s Center.  We had an ulterior motive to use the restrooms.  All the shops say they don’t have public restrooms and restaurants have signs that say customer’s only.  Anyhow, I talked to the lady working the counter and she gave us a map to the scenic route along the ocean to Woods Hole which is actually where we catch the boat to Martha’s V.  We stopped at the Nobska Lighthouse.

Then into Woods Hole where the parking is fairly non-existent.  All of the parking lots are marked for MBL ONLY (Marine Biological Laboratory). They also have an Aquarium there they we might have gone to but no parking lot. They have metered parking on the street.  The meters take quarters only and lots of them.  We finally found a spot and paid the piper.  We walked around a little and went to the Landfall for a beverage. Nice location right on the water. He had Guinness and I had a Mojito.  It wasn’t the best Mojito I’ve ever had and the bar tender wasn’t very friendly.  Off the list for future trips.  Back to the car and meandered our way back to the condo for some Jacuzzi/pool/reading time.  I ran up to the store and on the way back there were wild turkey crossing the road in front of the condo.  I parked and snuck over to take a couple of photos. 

Why did the turkey cross the road? ^  
To hang out with it's three friends. v

 Dinner at Villagio.  It’s a converted house that was built in the 1700’s.  OMG it was amazing. Chef Jay gets :twothumbsup: I had Seafood Zingarella: Lobster meat, jumbo shrimp and sea scallops sautéed with asparagus, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, simmered in a Sambvca cream sauce served over pasta. 

Our server warned me that it was a very large portion so we skipped sharing an appetizer and I didn’t order a salad.  I figured I’d just dive into the seafood. Paul had Veal Saltimbocca which was also de-lish. The server got two points off.  One for bring our meal when Paul was only half way through his soup (one of his pet peeves) and another because I had to ask for a refill on the water because both of our glasses had been empty when he passed by the table and looked but didn't come back with more.  Other than that the service was great. 

We both brought back half. 
It's another gorgeous day in the neighborhood.  My patio is quiet this morning. The birds must have gotten up early and moved on. We decided to rearrange our plans a little and go to Provincetown today; Martha’s Vineyard Friday.  That means today is a road trip day.  

It’s about a 1½ hour drive up the Cape.   We'll take in the sites, have lunch at Central House at the Crown (Michele Ragussis) and tonight we'll have leftovers.  Yep, it's all about the food!  

It’s still Thursday but I don’t know if I’ll have time in the morning so I’m updating now just in case. 

This morning we headed out early and ventured up to the tip of the Cape, Provincetown.  We parked and scoped out Central House at the Crown just to see where it was and then go back later for lunch. 

********this part is about the Michele Ragussis experience so feel free to skip down if you're not interested in my CelebrityChefGirlCrush********

Rewind - So for those of you who don’t know her, Michele Ragussis was on Food Network Star a few seasons ago (Season 8).  She made it to the finale but didn’t win.  She was my favorite from Day 1.  I’ve been “Facebook Friends” with her since the competition.  Last week she posted something that looked completely delicious so I commented and said we’d be up this week and asked when she would be working.  I’d hate to drive up there and find out it was her day off when our schedule was flexible.  She said they were closed Monday thru Wednesday this week. 

The first time I watched her cook on TV I’ve wanted to meet her and try her amazing creations.

Fast forward to today.  We walked up to look at the menu and the hostess started talking to us. I told her we’d be back in a little while but was really there to meet Michele and try her food. She said “she’s around here somewhere” and went on to say that she’s really good, so good she (the hostess) is afraid she won’t be there long before she gets snatched up by someone else.  Off to my left I could see Michele approaching.  I said “there she is!”  She walked over and said hello and I introduced myself and said I was the one who messaged her last week.  She said “YES! I remember.  I’m glad you made it, what are you going to do while you’re here”.  I told her we were going to wander around a little then come back for lunch but when we did I needed a selfie with her!  She said “of course”.  She was super nice and very friendly.  We walked up and down the main street for a while and then made our way back.  When we were seated our server said he hadn’t seen her but if he did he’d have her come over.  We ordered, still no Michele.  I was starting to think I should have snapped a picture when I saw her the first time because if I didn’t get one I would be bummed.  Then she walked in and came right over to our table and started talking to us.  I got out my phone and she said “selfie mode?”  I gave the phone to Paul to take the picture.  She said “I just ate beets, do I have beets in my teeth” and flashed a big smile.  I said “no, they’re beautiful!”  She laughed. Seriously, nice pearly whites!  I scooched over in my chair and she sat next to me for the picture. 

*love*Love*LOVE* this pic.

She said she has something in the works for a show but she can’t talk about it.  She also said she stays in touch with the others from the group.  She’s doing the Oyster Festival in October with Martie and Linkie and that Nikki (she calls her Wilder) is coming to town next month and they are doing a competition right outside of the restaurant.  They are both going to cook and people will eat and judge the winner.  I said “of course YOU’re going to win”.  She said “of course *I’M* going to win!” She said she’s also working on something with kids and if that works out it will be a lot of fun.  Paul asked her if the Food Network show has brought a lot of fans following her.  She said yes and that surprisingly she has a lot of fans in Texas.  We talked about how the weather has been amazing this week. She said this weather is why she lives here.  I told her in Phoenix we’re still in triple digits.  We’ve gotten down into the 90’s but still some 100° days.  She said she couldn’t live in that kind of heat.  People ask her all the time how she can live in the cold.  I said “it’s only miserable three months out of the year and then it’s beautiful in Phoenix the rest of the year”.  She said “same here, three months in the winter then beautiful the rest of the year”.  She said she had spent the past few days on the beach and there must have been about 30 seals playing in the surf.  I said I had watched the video she posted.  So cute.

Then she left and our food arrived.  I ordered the Lobster BLT and Paul ordered the Lobster Roll.  OMG SO GOOD. 

About half way through my meal she walked by and looked at me and put her arms out to her sides like “well?”  I gave her a thumps up and she said “delicious!!!!”  Paul had noticed she kept walking out of the restaurant and into the building next door and then back again.  When we were leaving she walked up and he said “I keep seeing you walk back and forth.  Is there another restaurant over there that you’re cooking at?”  She pointed across and said “office over there” pointed back behind us “kitchen over there”.  I said it was great to meet her, she said  “I hope to see you again sometime”, quick hug and we were on our way. 

So nice, super friendly, same as she is on TV.  Paul even said for someone with her claim to fame she was really down-to-earth.  I’ve met a lot of celebrities in my “Hollywood” days and sometimes they are not as you would hope they would be.  Michele is awesome.

********end Michele Ragussus FanFare********

After lunch we strolled up and down the main street in and out of stores.  A grouchy store clerk said "no pictures" right after I snapped this one.

We left and drove up to the Nauset Lighthouse.

In 1879 The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable (first telecommunication line from France) was completed and ended in this little shack. (above) It was the first time USA could communicate with Europe in minutes instead of days.  
And that's your history lesson of the day.  ;~}
Here's the monument sign, as best I could get:

We walked out to the observation deck overlooking the ocean.

Then we stopped at the National Park Service, Department of Interior.  There’s a little museum of artifacts. 

^This picture is what they call a Kettle.  They were formed from glaciers melting leaving a ‘pot’ shaped salt pond. 

We got back to the condo a little before 6 and just relaxed for a while.  Paul wanted to watch Thursday night football so we went to a sports bar/pizza place down the road.  Dino’s.  Voted best pizza on the Cape.  It was good but I don’t about the ‘best’ rating.  

Friday September 25, 2015

Martha's Vineyard is the agenda de jour. 

Sorry - spacing is wonky.  Blogger has a mind of its own! 

What we did Friday

Martha’s Vineyard.  We drove down to Woods Hole and hopped on the Steamship Authority Line to Vineyard Haven.  

We walked around there a little then bought a ‘day pass’ bus ticket and went to Oak Bluffs.  

^Oh look, Paul reading a historical marker.

We had lunch at Nancy’s.  We sat upstairs at a window seat overlooking the harbor.  

The view was great.  Paul started with Clam Chowder which he said was very good and then we split Fish and Chips. I’m on food overload, so dialing back a little. The fish was cod which I like.  Paul only likes mild fish and he thought it was too mild, as in no flavor.  It was lightly breaded and there wasn’t seasoning in the crust either.  Overall it was okay but didn’t make my list of recommended dining mostly because of the service.  It started off okay and then she had too many tables and forgot about us.  We left there and wondered up and down the streets and around the famous Martha’s Vineyard Gingerbread Houses.  

In the center is a pavilion called the Meeting House.  Story goes, back in the day people used to camp out there.  They would decorate their tents with rope to differentiate whose was whose.  Over time the tents turned into permanent structures as they would add on.  The “gingerbread” trim on the houses is to represent the ropes people used to use to identify their tents.  Hmmmm.  I had not noticed all the trim was different until we read that.  No two are alike. 
BTW, that was your history lesson of the day. ;~}

^Curly hair is out of control, or as Courtney says #embracethechaos! 
From there we walked back to the bus stop and went to Edgartown.  We had an ice cream.  Mine was good but Paul’s wasn’t frozen enough so they plopped his cone into a cup. Then he couldn’t get the paper off of his cone.  Vineyard Scoops, off the list!  

^Meep-Meep, view while sitting on a bench eating ice cream. 

We walked around the shops and down to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church where they have stained glass windows made by “THE” Tiffany.  

After that we meandered our way back to the bus stop.  Of the three main towns on Martha’s Vineyard I thought Edgartown was a little boring.  Paul said “WHAT???”  Maybe they just started to all look alike.  Dunno.

We took the bus back to Vineyard Haven and arrived with 10 minutes to spare before the 5 p.m. ship was going to sail.  The next one wasn’t until 7:15. Although we could have gone back to Oak Bluffs and taken the 6:30.  Paul checked the MV book to see if there was anything we might have missed worth staying for but we decided to head back.  Off the ship and onto the parking lot shuttle to the Palmer lot.  Steamship has three parking lots in Woods Hole. There were two ladies sitting by us who said they had NO IDEA where they parked.  The driver said “get on the bus, I stop at Palmer first and if you’re car isn’t there, we’ll drive around to the other lots until you find it”.  How nice was that?  I asked if they knew what the car looked like.  Ya know, all these rental cars look alike.  They laughed and said “that we know!”  They were a hoot. They pretty much laughed at themselves the whole ride. They were old friends, one lives in NY and the other in WI and they had met in Cape Cod to celebrate their 60^th Birthdays. 

We stopped in Falmouth at Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub for my mandatory vacation Irish Coffee.  Then back to the condo for an hour or so before heading out to another restaurant in the Mashpee Commons, Asia for dinner.  It’s Chinese, Japanese and Thai.  We split an order of egg roll.  He had Won Ton Soup and Beef Teriyaki.  I started with sushi (Salmon Roll) and then opted for shrimp with veggies.  No dessert.  Not a bad food day for me and activity was high.  Fitbit said I walked over 13,000 steps and almost 6 miles.  

Today is Saturday September 26, 2015

Our last full day on Cape Cod.  It’s another beautiful morning on my patio.  I finally got a picture of the squirrel that scurries around the patio.  

 ^First he gathers his nuts.  Then he enjoys his nuts v

My dear friend Mike was a squirrel lover so every time I see a squirrel it reminds me of him.  
So far the wild life at the resort has been squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey and last night we saw a frog out by the front door.  Ribbet.    

Today I think we’re going to the Beer Fest.  This evening will be either the Haunted History Tour in Barnstable or the Graveyard Tour in Falmouth.  I have info in the Haunted History Tour.  I need to see what I can find out about the Graveyard Tour.  I only saw it mentioned in the “things to do” section of a visitors book. 
Time to SF&P and get this show on the road. 

What we did Saturday

We lingered on the patio over morning coffee then Paul decided he wanted to go back to Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub for lunch.  

I had the Gaelic Grilled Cheese (Irish bacon, tomato and cheese) with sweet potato fries, coleslaw and a Cape Cod Lemonade.  He had a burger.

As we pulled into Falmouth there was a big car show going on put on by the Falmouth Classic Car Club. After we ate lunch we walked over and spent quite a while weaving in and out through the cars.

^"Almost" my dream car. This one is a '55. Mine would be a '56 or '57, T-Bird, pink please.

^Check out the back seat of this of this '65 Cevelle SS "muscle car"? 

A *WALKER*. Yes folks, that's what it all comes down to!

^ Paul checking out an old Jag XKE.  There was a '62 and a '65.

^'63 Plymouth Fury, Stationwagon. I do believe this was the original SUV.

Then we drove over to the Fair Grounds and parked for the Brew Fest.  The guy checked my ID but not Paul’s!  So weird.  Then he sent us to the girls to buy tickets.  Tickets were $60.00 per person and no discount for the designated driver.  She was telling us it was such a great deal because you could sample unlimited amounts of beer from their 50+ vendors over a four hour period of time. :crazyeyes:  Em No.  We had only planned on staying about an hour.  I don’t even like beer.  Paul probably would have had two max.  Can you imagine what it would be like leaving there after people were non-stop drinking for four hours? You know they would want to get their money’s worth.  Call me old but it just doesn’t seem very responsible for an event organizer not to encourage people to have a designated driver.  Let them in free.  Give them a different color wrist band and don’t let them have beer.  If they are caught sipping their buddy’s beer, fine them $60.00.  Seems easy enough to me.  Move out of the way, old lady coming through.

We went back to the condo for about an hour and Paul had a beer on the patio. Not $60.00.  Then we headed up to Sandwich for the Graveyard Tour.  We got there early so we walked around the town for about an hour.  The Graveyard Tour starts off at the Glass Museum.  There were about 45 people there for the tour and one guide. He said he usually has a buddy that helps him but he's already left town for the season.  They only do this tour once a month and October will be the last one before they get snowed out for the winter. We walked to the Old Town Cemetery, about 5 minutes up the road.  It was pretty interesting.  The tour guide is a historian.  When he moved to town he was surprised there wasn’t a Graveyard Tour and asked if he could start one.  They told him to knock himself out.  He was really informative.  The cemetery was established in 1689. The last burial there was in 1927. The town has established a preservation program for maintenance.  He explained the different types materials used for headstones and the different symbols and what they mean. 

^The goal when creating a cemetery was to have a peaceful resting place.  Mission accomplished.

He told us info about some of the people buried there.  Some of the headstones, after the name and dates, said “taken from the evil to come”.  That was a typical inscription pre-revolutionary war.

 ^Some of the headstones had the images of the deceased carved into them v

^Some had skeletons and when coupled with wings, signified death and spirit.  

A lot of them had wings which signified ascending to heaven for eternal life. Some had lambs as in the Lamb of God. Some had religious symbols. Some had leafs pointing down signifying death.  Death is pretty obvious, no? 

That counts as your history lesson of the day. ;~}

When that was over we had planned on going out to dinner but neither one of us were very hungry so we decided to go back to the condo and have the leftovers from the other night.  I think we’re both kind of ‘over it’ with going to restaurants. It was only 53* when we got back to the condo.  The cooling trend has started.   

Sunday September 27, 2015

It is kind of chilly on my patio this morning.  41*.  This is the coldest its been since we arrived. I just checked the weather back home 86* now, high of 102* expected.  ~sigh.

This morning its time to start packing (again) but this time to head for home.  Checkout time is 10 a.m. and our flight is at 4:25 p.m.  It’s about an hour and a half (+) drive back to Boston depending on traffic.  I imagine a lot of people leave the Cape on Sunday.  We might stop at the Plymouth Plantation and take the tour on the way back to the airport.  TBD.  

Not to worry, I'll post pictures of whatever we happen to do.
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We checked out of the condo and headed to Plymouth but we didn’t go to the Plantation this time.  We went to the Waterfront and walked around.

^Wild Flowers growing out of the Sea Wall. 

We wondered through another old cemetery.  I don’t know why we are both so attracted to old cemeteries but we love to walk through them.  I like to look at the old headstones and he likes to read the inscriptions.  Cheap entertainment! 

Then we walked to this beautiful old church.

^National Memorial Pilgrim's Church 1897

We were going to go to Woods Restaurant so he could get his last fix of fried clams but instead we passed a place on the water that looked nice so switched to Plan B. 

♫♪I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay♫♪

♫♪Watchin' the tide roll away, ooh♫♪
♫♪I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay♫♪
♫♪Wastin' time♫♪

...waiting for lunch, soaking in this beautiful view.

I had a Lobster Salad (I just can’t get enough of those sea bugs).

He had a BBQ Brisket sandwich.  Both were very good. 

Then we walked back to the car passing Plymouth Rock along the way.  It’s very anti-climactic.  It’s caged in and not nearly as large as you would expect.

Back on the road and he had a mini*freak*out because Glenda told us to take 44 West instead of the 3 to the 93 which was the way we had come into town from the airport.  He was sure we were going the wrong way.  From the 44 she sent us to MA-28 and then to the 93 and straight into the airport. TYJ. 
Little known fact about GPS.  It stands for Get Patti Somewhere!  
I'm pretty sure we would have been lost everyday with the assistance of Glenda the Good Witch! 
We arrived in plenty of time to return the car and catch the shuttle to the gates. Paul got the full *strip search/pat down/feel up* on the way out of Phoenix and the *half search/wand everywhere* on the way out of Boston. He loves the TSA.  

The flight home was full so as soon as everyone was buckled in we actually left a little early.  We arrived in Phoenix about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. 

Current temp was 102* at 7:12 p.m.  ~blah. 

I was very happy to see my dogs.  Can't wait to see my Sis.

We have new hardwood floors that replaced tile in our entry, family room, dining room and kitchen which was done while we were gone.  My sister did an amazing job supervising the work and the flooring company did a fantastic job with the demo and installation. 

It’s Monday and time to get to work.

BTW, I did the :happydance: on the scale this morning.  Maintenance Baby!!!