Day 8: Cape Cod

On Wednesday we were heading off to Cape Cod, so we didn’t feel the need to rush in the morning. We made some breakfast and then packed up our bags knowing we would be hitting the beach.

On our way to Cape Cod we stopped in Plymouth. That was a pleasant surprise. I had never been there and had no idea the town was so nice. Naturally our first stop was Plymouth Rock. That has to be the single most overrated piece of American history. The physical rock itself and the story behind why it is what it is were very underwhelming. What made it worse was that as we parked in Plymouth we went through a prolonged spat with Caroline where she asked “why are we stopping here????” a dozen times. Telling her we were seeing history and following that up with the image of a mere rock did not help my credibility.

Next we went over to the Mayflower II, which is a full replica of the original Mayflower. Allyson took the girls on it while I walked around town with Nolan in the stroller. The girls all seemed to like the Mayflower and I enjoyed grabbing a coffee with Nolan so it worked out. Allyson’s family, on her Dad’s side, are verified descendants of the Mayflower passengers, so it was good for them to see the boat and enjoy that connection.

After Plymouth we made our way out on Cape Cod. Our target was the National Seashore. It was about an hour drive from Plymouth and it took every bit of that due to the complete inability of the drivers to be able to merge. This was a constant problem in and around Boston. Not all-around poor driving, but poor merging. Nearly all of the half dozen traffic jams we experienced were due to a back up because of a simple merge. It was ridiculous.

We ended up at Nauset Beach in Orleans, MA, which is along the Eastern shore of Cape Cod. We parked and struggled down to the beach area with Nolan whining and crying the whole way. It got stressful between Allyson and I, so it was a bit tense as we lugged all our stuff across the sand to find a spot on the beach. It was hard to stay upset with anyone in that area though. I now understand why everyone heads out to Cape Cod. It is beautiful out there!

It was a perfect day to be there too. It was really hot and sunny and the water was cold, a great mix. We all played in the water and in the sand. Allyson and I took turns managing Nolan who was a challenge. It was typical toddler stuff. He can’t walk in the water, especially with the waves. And he get sand on his hands and then rubs his face, which is probably a torture method in some places. It’s all innocent stuff but it’s super difficult for Mom and Dad to manage. After about an hour we sat him in his stroller and let him cool off in the shade with a snack.

The rest of the girls were living it up. It’s easy to forget how much kids love the ocean. The sand, the waves, the rocks and shells. They love it all. Fortunately for Mom and Dad all four of our girls decided to take rock collecting seriously in this trip. So we have the pleasure of literally lugging rocks around and then sorting out where to pack them. Again, innocent…..but maddening. Sam is the worst offender due to her love of extremely large rocks. We spent close to three hours at the beach before deciding we should head back.

I would remiss if I didn't note the shark warnings along the beach. This was the first time I've been at the ocean and seen legit shark warnings. In fact, the lifeguards monitored how far out people were going and would call you back if you went more than about 20-25 yards from the shore. One of the lifeguards explained that even at short distances from shore the depth of the water quickly increases, and it introduces the risk of sharks. Fortunately we had no incidents.

I would also be remiss if I didn't point out the badass tattoo I gave myself the night before. I was complimented on this tattoo, which is hilarious because it says "Happy Independence Day" 😆

The drive back was also filled with backups on the road due to the inability of others to merge. It’s a bad enough issue that I feel justified in noting it again. It was fun for Allyson and I to watch half the girls eventually run out of steam and doze off in the car.

Dinner was a mix of leftovers which worked well because we were all worn out from the beach day. On Thursday we have a rather short drive over to Rhode Island, so we should be able to sleep in, if Nolan complies.