Nantucket.

June 21, 2011.

Which way to the ACK?

We are going to Nantucket!!  Yay!

Last time we rode over to Nantucket we took the Hy-line Traditional Ferry.  The ticket price was around $45 included an island tour.  The tour was on a smaller tour bus with a great guide.  It went all over the island, showing lighthouses, historical landmarks, and the ever-exclusive Nantucket Golf Club (the one that wouldn't let Bill Clinton (President at the time) play during his vacation to the island because he wasn't a member...).  I would definitely recommend this tour to any first-time island visitor.  The tour doesn't allow fur-babies, unless of course you have a super cute couple of pugs and let the pooches do the talkin'.  ;)  We had our dogs with us and our tour guide was great about it.  She asked if there was anyone on the tour bus that had a dog allergy or had an objection (who could object to two pugs??), so off we were on the tour.

This time we didn't need the tour, our purpose was to see the town on Nantucket via foot/stroller, so we chose Steamship Authority instead.  Steamship has a great website for those of you that are pre-planners.  It also has a wonderful app for the IPhone that I downloaded.  It gives real-time schedules and ocean status (who wants to ride for a hour on 8 foot seas???).  Their traditional service (2 hours and 15 minutes) ticket was $35 round trip/per person.  The high-speed service (1 hour) was $70 round trip/per person. 

This morning we got up early (6:30) and made sure everyone had a lovely breakfast and was ready to get out the door by 8.  I looked up the drive from Provincetown to Hyannis and all I could find was 30-45 minutes, so I figured if we left by 8, then we would make it to the Steamship Authority dock in plenty of time to park, get the babe ready and make it on the ship with the dogs before the ship set sail at 9:15.  An ambitious goal, I know. 

Everything is going according to plan, we are driving along Rt. 6 towards Hyannis, and I happen to plug in the route for the GPS unit (we usually don't need it when driving the Cape) just to see what time exactly we should be arriving.  Well, once I did this, the GPS said we weren't arriving until 9:19...4 minutes AFTER the ship sets sail!

I whipped out the IPhone and used the cool little Steamship Authority App that shows the schedule for both the slower ship and the speed ship.  There was a speed ship leaving at 11.  Worst case scenario, we wouldn't be without our Nantucket; we could just take the 11am speed ship over instead.

Well sure enough, we arrived at 9:17...and watched the slow ship sail out of the harbor.  No biggie. 

We zipped over to Hyannis Main St.  and browsed the gorgeous little shops while we waited on the time to pass.  If you aren't able to make it to either island, then this is the place to check out Vineyard Vines.  It is a great "islands wear" clothing shop started by two very industrious young men.  The first shop opened on the island from which the guys crafted the company name- Martha's Vineyard, followed shortly by the Hyannis and Nantucket shops.  They carry a variety of polos, chinos, children's clothes, and my personal favorites: uber cool flip-flops, tote bags and belts! :) They even have a collegiate line (TN fans, it is listed as "Tennessee University" if you are looking for the UT tote) that definitely takes me back to my college days. :)

Cobble stone streets- Main St. and Straight Wharf.

After milling around town we headed back over to the Steamship Authority dock to purchase our tickets and park.  We found out the lot right beside the dock is for Seasonal Passes (not us), so we had to drive a couple blocks down the road and park there ($15).  I did notice there was a lot directly across the street from the dock where a gentleman was selling spaces for $10 (not affiliated with the Steamship Authority).  I would recommend parking in this lot next time.  The gentleman was very nice, friendly, and accommodating and his lot was sold out by the time we drove by to chat with him, otherwise we would have parked there!

After parking and walking the short little 5 minute walk back to the dock, we boarded the speed ship.  Dogs are only allowed to sit in a certain part of the boat (front facing) and there were several other dogs that has beaten us to the table seats, so we sat in a row facing everyone else.  Yep, us, the babe, and two Pugs on display for everyone's free entertainment. I wasn't sure how I felt about sitting there for everyone to see, however, upon further thought, it was actually "the best seat in the house" for us.  There was plenty of aisle room for the stroller.  The dogs could lay down underneath us and rest.  I could zip up the steps to the observation deck to catch some shots of the lighthouses and harbors as we entered and left.  Plus, we could eat our lunch while riding and play front-facing with Isabella.  It was also right beside the entrance/exit doors, so we were some of the first folks to head off the boat.

I should also take a moment to make note to those traveling with little tots- the speed ship is the way to go.  It is only an hour of riding.  It goes at speeds in excess of 40 mph, so you arrive quickly and children don't have time to get bored, as opposed to riding on the traditional ship at 2 hours and 15 minutes (one way trip). In comparison, I would have to say that Steamship Authority vessels are a bit nicer than the Hy-line ferries.  But, it is worth noting that Steamship Authority also sanctions an island tour (for approximately $15/ per person).  I haven't had the pleasure of taking the tour that Steamship Authority endorses, so I can't vouch for the content, but I would propose there isn't much of a difference between guides, sites, and personalities.

typical Nantucket transportation.

The ride over to the island was very calm, nice seas, which both Matt and I were VERY thankful for.  We disembarked the ship at Broad St.  We spent the next few hours browsing the streets and really taking in the Nantucket Island architecture.

While we were walking the town, I stopped in Nantucket Bookworks, a local independent bookseller, located at 25 Broad Street.  It is a quaint little bookstore, and I guarantee they know their clientele by name (I can confidently vouch for this, as I heard them greeting three different guests by name while I browsed the children's books!).  I purchased "Jenny's Pennies: a Nantucket Tradition" by Peter Saverine for Isabella's collection.  Typically she gets a book (usually specific to the location) any time we travel, so she is accumulating a nice little children's library.  I will post a little book review about the book later on, so check back.

quite possibly the coolest library.

I also discovered an author- Elin Hilderbrand- that writes (I believe them to be of the "beach read" variety) novels with a Nantucket backdrop.  I am going to pick up one and read it this summer, when I have a little free time.  I will be sure to blog about it and let you know whether or not it is a worthy read!

Post Office is located beside St. Mary's Our Lady of the Isle- est. 1896.

While we were browsing the town, I picked up a few postcards to send out to various family members, and one for Isabella.  The tradition goes as follows:  every time we are on vacation we grab a postcard of the location- write about our day, what we are doing, etc- then mail it to Isabella at home.  We try to get a postcard that has something to do particularly with the location, what we are doing or something we would like for her to remember later on in life.  This way, she can look back at all the places she has visited since she was a baby, and it is a great way to relive our vacation when we get home :)  I thought it would be fun to have a Nantucket postcard (Brant Point Light was our choice) mailed from the Nantucket island post office!

Wave Glass from a local antique shop

While we were walking out to Brant Point Light, we stumbled upon the most interesting little street, full of eclectic little shops.  This is what I love about the Island Life.  The houses, both rental and owned, were typical New England Cape/Island homes with immaculate lawns, gorgeous age-old roses, white picket fences- classic. Classic. Classic.  There were only a handful of homes for sale and many were in the summer opening phase.  They were having roofs updated, additions added on, typical natural wood shingles replaced.  I love the smell of new construction, mixed with the salty sea air.  It is so refreshing and rejuvenating.  Visually, looking at a house with the bright, crisp new shingles, it is so Cape Cod and beautiful.

Brant Point Light Nantucket Harbor, MA

Brant Point light is only 4 or 5 blocks from downtown Nantucket, so at most it is probably a 15 minute walk.  It is worth visiting, as it affords great views of the harbor and the beautiful sailboats entering and exiting the harbor, along with the beautiful beach houses that line the harbor sides.  It also has a very nice, white sand beach that many folks can be seen strolling on. 

We walked the 5 or so blocks back to the Broad St. Steamship Authority dock and caught the 3:15 speed ship back to Hyannis.  Paisley was asleep in the bottom of the stroller, Isabella was conked out in the stroller and Pugsley was huffing and puffing from his marathon length stroll around Nantucket, and we had basically visited or experienced everything we wanted to see this go around, so 3:15 was perfect timing.

Paisley in her Cadillac ride.

The nice thing about the speed ship is that 1. it arrives in an hour and 2. it has WIFI.  I already mentioned that the WIFI at our bungalow wasn't the greatest, so it was nice to browse the internet on my IPad versus having to do it on the phone.   No worries though, it was actually more rejuvenating to be "unplugged" so to speak, rather than always being in-the-know.

Be Blessed.


        

Cape Cod.

June 20, 2011.

Having already been to the Cape numerous times, I knew this would be a trip full of relaxation and rejuvenation.  This was EXACTLY what we were both looking for, aside from the obvious introduction of Isabella to the ocean and beaches. :)

Usually we stay in East Falmouth, Ma- Upper Cape.  There is a fantastic little inn that is pet friendly (we do NOT leave home without Paisley and Pugsley) and they are just the nicest family ever- they always remember us.  Who am I kidding??  They remember the Pugs.  East Falmouth is about 20 minutes out onto the Cape via Rt. 28.

This trip we decided that we wanted to stay further out the Cape.  We went all out and stayed at an inn that is situated in the Cape Cod National Seashore- more on this later.  By choosing to stay in the CCNS, that added about an hour and a half to our trip.

First, I should preface the entire trip by saying that we are adventurous folks.  We will give anything a shot once...note: once.  You will undoubtedly be asking whether or not we will do certain aspects of this trip ever again by the end of this post! ;)

Alright, so having stated the previous disclaimer, we had decided to cook our own meals.  Gasp.  I know.  Vacations are not for cooking.  I disagree.

So here is how a typical vacation looks:  wake up, search for breakfast (pay a lot for a floppy, dry pancake- if luck is shining down on you), do a couple site-seeing items on the agenda, oops hungry again, food search starts again, settling for a quick bite (usually unhealthy since there are other plans for the day and it needs to be quick), some more site-seeing (perhaps seeing the back of the eyelids during a nap??), and then topped off by a gigantic meal and at overpriced local eatery.  This eatery is not just any eatery, it is the one that overpaid for over-advertising in a local "must do/see/eat" publication/website (which upon further inspection doesn't list the BEST, opting instead to list those businesses that PAY for space...).  This eatery is the same place that serves a gigantic plate full of unhealthy grub that is just mediocre at best.  Harsh, you say?  Yes.  Reality is harsh.

Eat, sleep, repeat for the rest of the vacation.

No wonder why people come back from vacation exhausted!  I digress.  I think that example is more than enough to explain our attempt to cook our own meals. :)  Remember that relaxation and rejuvenation thing I mentioned before???

So, we decided we would take some staples:  peanut butter (for sandwiches, etc), bread, crackers, bananas, black berries (they looked great at the local market!), strawberries, Chobani yogurts (don't leave home without them!), and the utensils.  The rest we planned on purchasing locally, once we arrived, so it would be fresh and we could truly eat our way through Cape Cuisine!  We also took a small portable (propane) grill along, so that we would have a variety of cooking methods.  Coleman sells one that is small, flat and uber useful- this one is similar to the one we had.

The traveling day always seems rather mundane and boring to me, however, the more I think about it, the more interesting it becomes.

We were out the door in great time- aside from having to stop at my Sister-in-Law's house to pick up my cell phone (a quick 5 minute detour)- everything was right on track.  Our driving journey would bring us to the Cape around 3:30 pm...nice timing as check-in is at 3.

Well, if you travel as much as we do, then you will know the next statement is true:  it has to be Newton's Law 5,623 that SOMETHING will go wrong on a trip.  I will say, however, that my daughter has "lightened the load" so to speak.  Oddly, enough, I don't stress about hardly ANYTHING anymore.  It is what it is, life goes on, don't sweat the small stuff.

New York quickly came upon us, and unusually enough we made it through at the correct time (10:30-11ish) to not have to sit in the perpetual exhaust cloud that I-78 becomes when riding through the Bronx.  Tolls.  Wow.  I forgot that NYDOT has to be swimming in Benjamins.  There is no other way to explain the obscenity known as the George Washington Bridge Toll (See picture for full obnoxious viewing pleasure).   This toll came after already handing the grand state of New Jersey $1.50 to ride for approximately 30 minutes.

Connecticut is one of those oddly interesting states.  Isabella needed a diaper change, so we quickly zipped into a McDonald's (I needed a sweet tea, what can I say??).  First, I have to tell you that I have NEVER encountered a McDonald's that does NOT have a drive-thru!  Well, there is a first time for everything.  This McDonald's didn't have a drive-thru.  So, we parked and Matt ran into the establishment for the all important sweet tea while I changed Belle.  Well, out comes Matt with a large tea...notice I didn't say "large sweet tea."  Apparently at this awesome McDonald's they don't even serve sweet tea!  Sacre bleu.  The world has officially ended.  It is not enough that I have resorted to McDonald's (of all places) to get my sugary, goodness fix better known in the South as sweet tea, but this one (in the land of Connecticut nowhere) doesn't serve sweet tea.  To add insult to injury, this particular establishment also did not adhere to the optional $1 any drink during the summer, so Matt paid $2.69 for UNSWEET TEA!  Blasphemy.  Only a Northerner would do such a thing.  Good thing I don't sweat the small things, or perhaps I would have divorced the man.

So, for the next couple hours I sipped my tea like a true Southern Lady...by sip I mean, perhaps, if one were OVER estimating I drank 1/4 a inch of a large tea cup.  Nothing.  I couldn't do it.  I cannot bring myself to dishonor my sweet tea heritage.

We drove without incident all the way to the Cape.  We had already planned on stopping at a new Target we had found the last time we were up (of course, being new it is not in the GPS).  Well, we couldn't find it, so we ended up plugging in the local Wal-Mart.  This drive took us 45 minutes.  Ugh.  To get from I-195 to the Wal-Mart in Plymouth.  I thought Plymouth was a lot closer the last time we visited and toured the town.  Guess not.

We picked up the propane and last minute odd ball gadgets we thought we might need and headed onto the Cape.  From Plymouth direction, we actually ended up on Rt. 6, rather than Rt. 28, a quicker way to get to the Outer Cape!  See, there are positives in something negative.

The drive, like I previously said, was going to be about an hour and a half longer than our typical trip because we changed where we were staying.   What I didn't realize was that the 4 lane highway (speed limit 50) was going to merge into a 2 lane highway with a student driver in front of us...Yes, that's right folks, we got stuck behind a student driver.  And we ALL know how they drive. ;)  Below the speed limit.  Anyhow, we made it, fine and dandy, thanks to the student driver moderating the pace for the 20 some odd cars I counted behind us! ;)

Once we found our lodging: Outer Reach Resort- again, I will elaborate more on the establishment later- we carried all of our things in quickly- surprisingly, we traveling exceptionally light (all items were stowed in the back of my CRV) which made for again, a stress-less carrying session.  I quickly got all of our food out and arranged on the spacious counter, then I began to prepare our food (I should say that we stopped at a market and picked up shrimp for the first night).  I also said that I would quickly get all of the grill gear together for Matt (in the interest of time).  Well...problem.

I tried to screw the propane tank (one of those small handheld versions) onto the grill.  It just didn't fit.  I thought it was just the operator, so I waited on Matt to see if he could get it to fit.  Nope.  No can do.  Doesn't fit.  Well.  Isn't that a bummer?  So, Matt hastily heads out to the local Stop-N-Shop to see if he can have any luck there.  Reminder: Stop-N-Shop is a local grocer.  No high hopes there, for good reason.  He couldn't find anything that would work.  He did determine however that we were missing some sort of regulator valve from the grill.  So, we ended up having pasta (there was a microwave in the room) shrimp (it was precooked) and corn.  All in all, not a bad meal, but kinda funny now that we look back on it! :)  At the time, I just wanted something to eat.

About our lodging:  Outer Reach Resort.  First, if you have ever visited the Cape, then you know that many of the inns are 50s and 60s style bungalows, unless you stay at a bed and breakfast, or you want to pay +$400 for a resort.  Well, we prefer the lodging that is true to the Cape, so we stayed in a bungalow.  The room had a king size bed, a true refrigerator, microwave, and a huge kitchen/sink area.  The deck was lovely.  I could see the ocean from our deck and I must say the sunset on our first night was probably the best we have experienced in all our visits to the Cape.  Also, the week we visited the Cape was the week before peak Summer rates, so we got the room for a fabulous rate.  I read a lot of reviews online for lodging before we choose where we want to stay for vacations, however, I take what people say with a grain of salt.  Sometimes, people have 1.  unrealistic expectations, 2. a chip on their shoulder, 3. suppressed emotions that go beyond their review.  I know this sounds all very psychological, however, this is truly something I have learned about people and travelers.  My expectations are becoming more true to the locale I am visiting.  I am not going to expect the Taj Mahal in the middle of the Cape Cod National Seashore.  That thought would be unrealistic and untrue to a true traveling spirit.

You are probably wondering why this post didn't go up on June 20th...Well, the room we were in had WIFI, however, it didn't seem to be Mac support friendly, (one negative about the inn) so we had trouble getting the IPad to connect to their wireless server.  Thus, the reasoning for my publishing this after I returned home.  Hey, who am I kidding?  I just want to relive our vacation to the Cape for a few more days! ;)  Enjoy.

Be Blessed.