Provincetown and such

We drove along the cape into Provincetown. I have to say that I was not overwhelmed. The drive was pretty and you could see the ocean and the bay at the end. But the parking was nonexistent or very expensive. We tried to find a place to stop and really didn't see anything that made it worthwhile to pay the exhorbitant parking rates. So we kept driving and started back. It was less than 30 miles and we can come back if we want to see something.

We wanted to find a restaurant to stop and have lunch. There were many restaurants that had take out only. There were lots of pizza places - not what we had in mind. The one restaurant we found in Truro said that they did not start serving lunch until noon and it was only 11:35. We could walk around the very tiny downtown or we could sit there and wait. We decided to move on. Another restaurant which billed itself as a bakery and bistro had no place to sit down inside and all of the outside tables were full. They only had sandwiches anyway. We finally found a small Thai restaurant. Let me say that Thai food (Asian food actually) is not the same on the east coast as it is in Portland. Disappointing.

We decided that since it was a warm day that we would go back to the beach. That was lovely. We watched the tide go out pretty dramatically and you could see the vary large expanse of sand with grass. We sat in the sun and watched the many children playing in the shallow water and having a great time. We listened to teenage girls on a blanket nearby discuss things that they knew nothing about. (Was I ever really that young and silly?)

I realized that we were watching the west and that the sun would be going down right over the bay. So I suggested that we come back and watch the sunset. Bob insisted that we were looking north not west. It didn't matter what map I showed him or what logic I used-he insisted that he was right. But he agreed that after dinner we would come back and watch and see who was right.

Guess who? We did watch a really pretty sunset. I do like the sunsets that are absolutely clear and you can watch the sun slip into the ocean. This was not one of those. This was one with a few clouds at the horizon and it was also very lovely. While we were sitting and holding each other (it was pretty cold) we would cuddle and kiss every once in a while. I heard a camera click behind me and turned to the young man and wanted to know if we should get out of his way. He replied that we were actually the subject of his picture. He got some of us just being together and promised to email them to me. All in all a very pleasant way to end a day.

This morning Bob and I both felt lazy and like we did not want to do much. I really wanted to clean the trailer. It gets pretty dirty. So I dusted, swept, mopped, and scrubbed and it feels much better. I doubt that we will do much today but enjoy being here and the pleasant weather. The campground is not nearly as full as I thought it would be. Apparently it is still very early in the season. They do have a very short season. We do need lazy days like this regularly.

Enjoying Cape Cod

It was a busy day today. It rained last night and was a little damp and chilly this morning so it seemed a good day to get some repairs done. Always something. Do not go trekking without your mechanic. The repairs went pretty quickly and we were done early. The sun started to come out and it had all of the beginnings of a beautiful day.

We biked a quarter mile down the road to a seafood place that had been recommended. I wanted fried clams and Bob wanted a salad. They didn't have any salads today. They wouldn't take credit cards. Bob got very irritated. I decided to get my clams to go and we would go back to the trailer and Bob could make himself a good lunch. That worked out well. (The clams were scrumptious.)

We then got back on the bikes and started down the bike path. It is 22 miles long and our campsite is located at about mile 17. We headed towards Orleans, the nearest town. It was about 4.5 miles. The path was well paved and fairly scenic. There were parts that were simply boring. Other parts were along ponds and very nice. When we got to Orleans Bob was pretty tired, so we went for coffee, did a little shopping (Bob got some great new sandals), and then headed back. Unfortunately about one half mile before the campground the path goes under the road and there is a steep uphill coming out of the tunnel. Bob decided that he wanted to see if he could do the uphill without the aid of his battery. He did it, but it almost did him in. He almost lost his balance and his lunch. The good news is that we were really close to the campground so we could get back and he could rest. He promised me that he would not do that again.

We then drove back to Orleans and we both got pedicures. This is the only way that I have found for Bob to keep his toenails cut short. (Very important because otherwise he stabs me with those things in the middle of the night.) This was a brand new nail shop that had only been open for a month and was being run by two brothers and a sister. They did a nice job.

It is chilly tonight. We thought about a campfire, but decided that we would rather not.

The weekend campers are starting to arrive. I understand that this place will be packed - not only the campground but the entire cape. Glad we have a spot and do not have to drive around much - except to the beach and Provincetown, but without the trailer. Looking forward to another great day tomorrow.

A day at the beach

It was really warm when we woke up today - 60 degrees. We had a late breakfast outside. This is the first breakfast we have had outside in a long time. It was very nice. Did I say nice? It was very nice. We really took our time getting moving and just enjoyed being out there.

We decided that it would be better to drive our bikes to the bike repair place than to bike there and wait. Good idea. They said that they would have them by the end of the day. So no biking today.

We tried to go to the recommended place for lunch but we walked in and the smell of fish was overpowering. Bob absolutely could not handle it. So we decided to try another recommended fish place and it was closed on Wednesdays. (Bob had joked on the way that it was going to be closed. He was right and felt guilty for jinxing it.) We had lunch at an Italian place. They had puttanesca but it was not as good as Bob's. The waitress spent a lot of time with us and told us that she is pregnant. She told us a lot about the area and we enjoyed talking to her. There is a jazz band playing there on Saturday night. I told Bob I was going and he could go or not go, it was up to him.

We got our stuff together and headed for the beach. It seemed sunny and warm and we couldn't bike so beaching seemed like a good idea. As we were gathering our stuff the manager of the campground told us to bring jackets because it is often cool at the beach. Wrong. It was sunny and very warm. I put on a bathing suit but Bob just sat in his shorts. We stayed for about two hours and felt toasty. I wandered into the water and cooled off. We were on the Cape side so it was very calm and very warm and there were almost no waves. The kids were playing in the water and having a grand time. The parents were getting hot and irritable. Interesting.

There is so much that I want to do here. The manager of the campground tells me that it will be full this weekend and very busy. I can only assume that the whole place will be packed. So we are trying to decide what to do when there are not many folks and what will be good when the place is packed. Amazingly the beach was almost empty. That was fine with me.

Picked up the bikes and they are repaired and ready to go. We were both so tired out from the sun that we just sat at the site. The breezes started up in a short time and I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Bob keeps saying that this is what he has been looking forward to doing. I hope that the weather stays this nice. (They are predicting some thundershowers tonight but sun in the afternoon.) Tomorrow will be a biking day in the afternoon I think.

Oh what a beautiful morning

Oh what a beautiful day.

I understand that the weather in Cape Cod at Memorial Day is not usually very good. For a change we have lucked into good weather that was not expected.

We knew we had a very short ride so we really took our time getting started this morning. Usually when we travel from one site to another we are up and going and leave by 9 am. But because we had such a short ride and our campsite was so nice we really took our time getting started. That was actually very nice. We should do that more often. The ride was easy and fairly short. I was very surprised to realize that we did not see the ocean on any part of the ride. We drove right down the middle of the cape and there were trees on both sides and no ocean to be seen.

Along the ride Bob and I started to laugh at town names again. There was Sandwich (north, south, and east Sandwich), At Sandwich the exit also took you to Mushpee. (didn't sound like a very good Sandwich) But the next exit was Chase. Bob starting laughing and said that we were going to Chase the Sandwich to Mushpee. Where do they come up with the names of these towns?

The drivers continue to be extremely aggressive. Libbi I really loved your comment about your son in first grade. I am worried that Bob will continue using those bad names and our grandson will pick it up. We already had that issue come up with our daughter about 38 years ago. What is it about drivers that they are so impatient. They don't get there any faster. It has really been a joy to be traveling at such a leisurely pace and have nowhere to be in a hurry. It gives me a whole new perspective.

We are at a campground that is right inside the National Seashore. There is a bike path that goes right behind the camground for many(?) miles in each direction. I will tell you more about it when we take some rides on it. This campground is not as well maintained as the last one, but it is nice and well situated. The weather was in the mid 80's and we will be here for a week, so we put up the stove on the outside of Honey. We drove to the nearest grocery store and bought some ribs and we barbequed ribs for dinner - and actually ate them outside. We have had some outside lunches, but we have not had outside dinners since St. Augustine. It was very pleasant.

The closest town is Orleans - about 4 miles away. While we were there we found a bike repair shop - the bikes do need some work on them (my fifth gear won't work and Bob's odometer is kaput) We stopped in and they were very nice. A bike ride and lunch while waiting for repairs sounds like a good way to spend the day. We also found a hardward store and Bob got some lumber needed to make some repairs on the shelves that he made for our clothes (which keep falling down - the shelves and the clothes.) Also very nice. Lots of motels and cottages here for rent. We have gotten directions on things to see and beaches that look good. It will probably be very busy here this weekend and I am glad that we are staying put.

Salem Massachusetts

The weather is absolutely perfect. I must admit that I never thought I would say that on this trip. But it was in the low 80's today and very pleasant.

Bob has continued to be very tired and I think it may be that he has not been sleeping well. We don't know what to do about it. He slept better last night and felt less tired today. I am thinking that maybe he has what my little sister has - she reports being very tired. It is probably just going around. But that has not stopped us from enjoying the trek. We just go slower.

Today we drove about 40 miles to Salem. The ride itself was interesting. First, all of the houses are bigger than I am used to seeing. That is probably because they have to spend all winter locked up in their houses, huh? There is, of course, a lot of traffic. The drivers are pretty aggressive. Bob starts to call them bad names. When I call him on it we begin to notice how little good it does any of them. But they continue to be aggressive and act as if they are getting somewhere faster.

We had been warned that Salem is pretty touristy and that the tours and the Witch Museum are not worth the money. But we understood that the Witch Dungeon was a good sight. So we found a lucky parking place - Bob really does have great parking karma- and went into the Witch Dungeon. There was a short play taken from the actual transcript of the trials and then there was a tour of some recreated jails. The actual jails had been torn down in the 50's to make way for a mall. Apparently at that time there was not much effort being made to preserve historical spaces. The play was scary in that it was so easy for the girls to make the outrageous accusations. Anyone who was accused of witchcraft lost their property. Some folks obviously got very rich off this. Those who pled guilty were allowed to go free. Those who maintained their innocence were hung. Scary right?

The jails were also scary. Prisoners had to pay for their own upkeep. If they did not have money, they did not eat. If you had lots of money you could get a bigger cell. Some of the cells were no wider than the human body was round. In other words, if you were in one of those small cells you could not lie down. You could only stand. Apparently some prisoners who had been accused and claimed innocence died before they even got to trial. The whole thing only ended when the girls accused the wife of the governor of the state of being a witch. Then suddenly it stopped. Could that happen today?

I then went into a museum about Lizzie Bordon. (She was accused of killing her mother and father with an axe.) Bob did not want to go in so I went by myself. The museum presented information on all the players, the facts that had been learned before trial, the opening and closing statements at trial as well as summaries of the witness testimony. There were also diagrams of the house. She was acquitted, but the question that the museum asked was whether she really did it. I came out not sure, but leaning toward believing that she did. Interesting.

The rest of Salem was pretty touristy, or too far to walk, so we went back to the car - stopping for a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone. Yummy. I am being careful on my diet, but you cannot give up everything.

We had campfires at our site both last night and tonight. Very relaxing. There are enough trees that I could actually sense that there was more oxygen - maybe it is just that I miss the people to tree ratio that we have in Oregon. Tomorrow on to Cape Cod. It turns out that the campground that we have reserved for our visit in Cape Cod is owned by the brother of the people who own the one that we are currently staying in. That bodes well. I hope it is as nice.

Boston

We got up early yesterday and drove to a nearby motel where we got picked up by a little tour bus. The driver was clearly from Boston and sounded a little like the guys on Car Talk. We then drove into Boston (after picking up others) and began the tour. The tour lasted for 6 1/2 hours and was filled from one end to the next with information on Boston from the historical stuff to bits of our driver's youth. We visited the Old North Church and learned that Paul Revere hadn't actually lit the lamps. We saw downtown, uptown, Havard and MIT, and the Longfellow house. We saw the USS Constitution. We saw very old graveyards and very narrow streets. We saw lots of amazing architecture, both old and new. We had a great lunch - Bob had shepherd's pie and Boston cream pie (two of his favorites) and I had a great lobster something. I cannot begin to recount all that we saw. There was so much that I cannot remember where we were.

Although the traffic in Boston is terrible, they have done a good job of building tunnels and subways to move it around the city without affecting the city. I was very impressed with the public spaces and the sense that the city is for the people even though the entire city is an historical monument. I had no idea what the Freedom Trail was. For those of you who also are in the dark, it is a path that goes from one historical place to another. It is either painted red or is red bricks. Many people walked it. We walked part of it, but generally bussed from spot to spot with some short popouts and some longer stops. It was overwhelming. I am very glad that we decided to come here.

Bob was feeling very tired when we started the trip so he sat in the bus when we stopped. But I jumped out at every opportunity. By the time we started back I was exhausted. I actually fell asleep for a few minutes on the bus trip home. We had a very quick dinner and went to bed early. (I would up with a pretty good size headache. I think that I did not drink enough water. But the headache is gone now so that is good.)

We spent the day in the campground just taking it easy and enjoying the green and the quiet. There is a small animal that looks like a minature squirrel that is running all over the place. I have fun just watching them chase each other.

We talked about whether to go back to Boston and walk around on our own and decided against it. There is so much to see in this area. I really want to see Salem so that is where we are going tomorrow.

Now outside of Boston

What an incredibly beautiful ride from Burlington Vermont to here. The green mountains were indeed very very green. Spring is here and everything was covered in a blanket of green. The views were spectacular.

Comments on the day. Green seems to be the color here. The Vermont license plates are green with white lettering and the New Hampshire plates are white with green lettering. My favorite laugh of the day was the town of Contoocook. Bob looked at the sign and said Can Too Cook? Good laugh. For some reason both Vermont and New Hampshire do not post signs telling you what restaurants are at the next off ramp. They do tell you if there is food, but you have no idea what kind. For those of us who are not particularly interested in McDonald's it means you have to get off at the exit and drive up and down and see what is there. We gave up and went to a rest area and made lunch in Honey.

That being said, I do understand why people would like to live in Vermont. I did not realize how small the state is and that it is 49th in population. (I then spent some time figuring out which was 50th by going through my maps alphabetically. Guess which one - Wyoming). But there is a real pride here in the state and I really do like the priorities.

Bob was just amazed at how quickly we went through Vermont and New Hampshire and got to Massachusetts. He keeps thinking of states in terms of the size out west. He is amazed when we go through a state in little more than an hour.

We are at a very rural campground about 30 miles from Boston. It is interesting how we wound up here. I really did not intend to go to any big cities. It is too hard to camp. So I spent quite a bit of time going through all of the various routes to get to Cape Cod and the various campgrounds and state parks. There is a web site called RV Parks Review.com. I always check it to see what others have found at various campgrounds. For the msot part we have found that the recommendations are pretty accurate. We could not find a spot with good recommendations between Burlington and Cape Cod except here outside of Boston. So, rather than drive a while and stay two nights and then drive some more - we are spending four days here outside of Boston.

I am surprised at the amount of trees and at how rural it is here. We were set up by 2 pm even though we had the fun of the trailer coming off the stack of wood to hold it up and we had to start all over again. We have a lovely spot that feels like a campground in rural Oregon. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and changing the sheets on the bed (that is quite a chore). After dinner I drove to the nearest grocery store and realized after I had picked up all of the groceries that I did not have my wallet. I called Bob and he could not find it. I drove back to the campsite and he called right before I got here and said that he had found it. Scary. I was so tired by the time that I drove back again and put the groceries away. I need a good night's sleep. (Bob does too - he did not sleep well last night.)

Tomorrow we take a tour of Boston - it will be a long day.