Massachusetts: Part 3

After parting with a pile of cash at the tourist knick-knack store, we wandered Provincetown’s Commercial Street until we settled on The Lobster Pot, where I debated having a lobster supper but eventually ordered a thick slab of halibut with mashed potatoes. When the waiter told us they had crème brulee for dessert, we didn’t hesitate.       It was quickly growing dark by the time we finished, but Anna wanted to find the large tower we’d seen in the distance and perhaps climb it. When we arrived and saw the long set of stairs, we were disappointed to learn it was part of a museum that had been closed since five p.m. so we had to settle on taking photos.           We took the direct route back to South Yarmouth via Highway 6, which I can’t say I’d do again in the dark. It’s a winding, two lane highway with so many turns that not only is passing not permitted, it’s blocked by concrete islands and reflective yellow metal bars that cast odd-shaped shadows from car headlights. Coupled with an impatient driver’s bright lights in my rear mirror, the thirty minutes felt like hours.   Just one of the many lovely houses in Provincetown Beautiful water view near Commercial Street in Provincetown Exhausted, we considered driving back to Provincetown again the next day to visit the furthermost point of Long Point Light Station, but after learning it was only accessible via a rough hike on a path that would be impassable at high tide, we decided to skip it. As I was still hoping for more time at a marsh, we decided to take a much shorter drive to North Yarmouth to the Bass Hole Marshes which we could easily enjoy from the comfort of a wooden bridge. We also walked along another section of the marsh at Grays Beach with huge grassy dunes on the opposite side, which is where we found a shaded corner in order for me to take some second trimester photos of Anna.       Bass Hole Marshes (look closely at bottom photo to see fish)    

 

     

 

Grays Beach--water, dunes, and marsh, all in the same place! 

  We finished Anna’s photo op in the late afternoon at another beach near a marina and country club where the blue water made a lovely coordinated backdrop with Anna’s dress. The temperature had dropped significantly by supper so we decided to drive directly to The Skipper Restaurant and Chowder House where I gave in to my impulse to order a lobster roll.   To say it was incredible is just not enough. The large gluten-free bun was bursting with big pieces of meat that I dipped into melted butter. I lost track of how many napkins I used. When the waitress came by to check on us, she couldn’t help smiling.   “You look so happy,” she said, laughing.   “I am!” I replied. “I’ve been waiting and waiting to try one of these and it’s worth every penny.”      

Enjoying another great meal at the Skipper!

  I hadn’t planned to take in two meals at the Skipper but there was a lovely symmetry to starting and ending there. I wished we had more time on the Cape but we had a flight to Virginia booked so we had to return closer to Boston. We took Highway 3A along the sea toward Plymouth so when we crossed back over a different bridge, it didn’t immediately register with me that we’d left the Cape behind.   Endings are important to me, especially when I have waited a long time to realize a dream. The fact I’d missed saying goodbye to the Cape was a small event but still hit with a dull thud.   We arrived at Plymouth and parked at the first beach we found, driving down a bumpy path that made an Alberta logging road look smooth by comparison, gave up, and returned back to the regular parking lot. This was the coolest day by far, with a cold wind that left us shivering. We drove into the historical district but before I could join Anna near a floating Mayflower replica boat, I finally succumbed to the weather and changed into jeans and thick sweatshirt.   One of the beaches in Plymouth Mayflower replica Even in October, there were tons of tourists. We joined the group hovering around the famous rock with 1620 carved into it—set down in a protected iron cage away from human hands—and wandered around, marvelling at the old homes, but I admit I know very little about the actual history of Plymouth itself other than the Mayflower. There wasn’t time to visit the Plimoth Plantation, which I think would have been very interesting, but we did take a short rest in an ice cream shop which also served up a thick clam chowder that warmed me.           After leaving Plymouth, we continued our journey north on 3A, travelling through Hingham, a town with such huge, jaw-dropping homes that we kept saying, “Look at that one! And that! That can’t be a house, it must be a hotel.” On and on we drove along winding roads until we arrived at Hull and the difference in architecture size was so abrupt that I said, “Ah, where the normal people live, hey?”   Weatherwise, the day never improved. Even in my warm clothes, I still shivered when we decided to take a short walk along the beach before getting some supper, the wind whipping the waves of Massachusetts Bay under a cloudy sky and reminding me that this was the north Atlantic.   Nantasket Beach We ate a disappointing dinner at a local restaurant; even my glass of wine was poor. This was the only low point food-wise on the entire trip so I’m not complaining all that much. Before we left Nantasket Beach, we had a great breakfast at Toast and wandered into a gift shop where we had a terrific conversation with the woman working there who, when she found out Anna was my daughter, congratulated her on her upcoming baby and said sadly that her daughter and grandchild were on the other side of the country!   I am one of the lucky ones, I know, with one daughter just up the road in one direction and the other only a little further in the other, and now a coming grandchild close enough to see every day. Each moment with these incredible daughters of mine, at home and abroad, is precious and not to be taken for granted.       If you like what you’re reading here, please follow me by entering your email address in the box at the bottom of the page. Thanks!