Our original plan for vacation was to sandwich a trip to Cape Cod (specifically: Sandwich, MA) in between two weekends at Alexander's Lake. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene threw a wrench into that plan, and our 2nd slice of Lake time had to be cut short. (You could say that our Cape Cod Sandwich vacation ended up being served open-faced.)
Despite the impending hurricane, we were able to enjoy three beautiful late summer days out on the Cape. We arrived Tuesday morning and within an hour were strolling on the beach and splashing in the waves with the Bonsteels and Chiaverinis.
One of the coolest parts of staying on the "bay" side of the Cape are the wave-free rivers that come and go with the tides through the grassy marshes. Late in the afternoon of first day at the Cape, we decided to check it out.
Gwen had a great time sloshing in the mud at low tide, while Morgan got a big kick out of whooshing in the incoming tide.
The girls enjoyed the rivers so much that we decided to go back again at high tide the next morning. We arrived at the beach just as it was opening, so we ended up having the whole beach to ourselves for quite a while.
The girls made sandcastles in the mud. Gwen chased sea gulls. Morgan explored the banks of the river, searching for "creatures" and eventually left with a full bucket of snails and crab shells.
After a busy morning at the beach, Morgan and Gwen chilled out with a snow cone before heading back to the beach house for lunch and naps.
Back at the beach house in the afternoon, Morgan showed off her "creature" discoveries to the rest of the gang. Then it was time to challenge Cooper to a sack race. (Bring it on, Lil' Bonsteel!)
On your mark... get set... GO!
For our last day at the Cape, we travelled to Centerville Beach on the ocean side of the Cape. Not surprisingly, the waves on the open ocean were much bigger (having a major hurricane brewing in the Atlantic didn't hurt, either). That didn't stop Cooper and Jeff from hitting the surf.
Rather than brave the waves, Morgan decided to comb the beach for shells. Along the way, she discovered that someone had dug a huge hole in the sand. (Who knew a hole in the ground could be so much fun?)
After a few ominously windy hours at the beach, we realized that our plan to spend the weekend at the Lake was going to have to change and we'd have to drive back to New Jersey a couple days early. But before leaving the Cape, we stopped in nearby Hyannis for lunch and sight-seeing.
Morgan begged and pleaded to ride the carousel on Main St. in Hyannis. When Gwen realized that she was big enough to ride on the horses, too, her face lit up with one of the biggest smiles you'll ever see.
On Thursday night, we headed back to Alexander's Lake. Friday morning gave us one last bit of beautiful weather (literally a "calm before the storm") before we loaded up the car to drive home.
Morgan and Andy got in their last swim of the summer. And, in an annual "last rite" of summer, Andy helped P-Pa take the dock out of water -- but only after Morgan and Mayie got one last chance to feed the ducks.
