ONE LAST TIME

My family has been vacationing on Cape Cod for as long as I can remember. It was our summer place and over the years we spent several weeks to a month enjoying Nauset Beach in East Orleans, exploring many of the small towns along the Cape, fishing on Town Cove, band concerts in Chatham on Friday evenings, and all those predawn walks along the beach watching the most incredible sunrises and collecting shells. So many wonderful, cherished memories. And so, after many months of planning and coordinating our schedules, my siblings and I opted to meet up in Orleans and enjoy a few days together retracing our footsteps from long ago and making new memories. Our last family get together at the Cape was in 2017.

Since I already had the camper, I opted to stay at two different campgrounds during my extended time on the Cape. The first campground, Shady Knoll is located in Brewster and it was very nice, quiet, and spacious with ample privacy between campsites. And just so happens that it was also very close to a huge dog park which Lenny thoroughly enjoyed. The post dog park ritual included a flea and tick exam for him and me. In fact, I ended up pulling off several ticks from my t shirt and surprisingly none off of the fur ball. Not sure how he managed to repel those varmints but he remained free of any unwanted hitchhikers for the duration of our time on the road. Guess he didn't need that flea and tick collar after all. But it was, a nice insurance policy.

The second week of our time on the Cape, Lenny and I took a brief break from each other and he stayed for 5 days at Derbyfield Kennel in Harwich. This short timeout was a wonderful opportunity to explore the Cape with my sibs without having to worry about what to do with Lenny. Plus, he received another spa treatment prior to picking him up and I'm sure he enjoyed that. He certainly looked and smelled much better. The kennel operator stated..."he's welcome back any time". Lenny must have read the book, "How to win friends and influence people". Smart critter that Lenny.

The second of two campgrounds. This one is called Atlantic Oaks and is located in Eastham, just a few miles North of Orleans, where my brother, sis, and sister in law stayed during our time together. A bit more crowded than then first campground, but the nice showers, the laundry, and location more than made up for the lack of real estate between campsites. Plus, truth be told, I did not spend a whole lot of time there during our sibling visit, except to sleep.

OH NO!!!! NOT AGAIN!!! Yep, had to do some laundry in between campgrounds. Going to the laundromat is perhaps the most torturous activity while traveling on the road. I hate it....and as Jack Nicholson once said....."I'm using the word HATE here".......and so am I.

My sister arrived a few days before my brother and his wife and so we were able to spend some quality sib time together catching up and enjoying a few GREAT meals together. She is very familiar with the surroundings on the Cape as she once lived there for a time many, many years ago. We both agreed that if money was not an issue, we could both live there and be quite happy and content. And on that note, a few reference pics shot by my siblings who are much better photographers than me.

Thankfully, all of us are foodies and enjoyed some great seafood while vacationing together. This place, called the Land Ho, is located in Orleans. While "land ho" is a nautical term, shouted by the ship's watch to let the crew know that land has been spotted in the distance, the Urban Dictionary also defines this term as "prostitute that is not at sea". Who knew???

If pizza is on the menu, my bro has to have it. Think I have had more pizza on this trip than I've had in the last 12 months. I'm not complaining at all, as it's one of my favorite foods, however, think I need to tone it down a bit after getting home. Back to more salads and veggies.

My sis treated all of us to a play in Chatham one evening. A small, but very nice venue and very reminiscent of the local playhouse in Sheridan, which is called the Carriage House Theater.

No trip to the Cape is complete without a visit to Provincetown aka P town. And the Lobster Pot is just one of those iconic places in P town that has been featured in one of Anthony Bourdain's reports. In fact, he used to work there so it was a no brainer to stop and sample the goods.

The lobster bisque to die for. Should have gotten a bowl instead of a cup.

Lobster egg rolls.......simply amazing!!!! Thanks Anthony, GREAT recommendation!!!!

Didn't take the tour, but the hearse looked pretty cool.

And so, after spending 5 days together it was time to pack up and head for home. A wonderful time with my sibs and sister in law in a place that brought back so many fond memories. I have decided that this will be my last visit to Cape Cod, however, I am disappointed that we did not have enough time to go to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket this round. Perhaps in the next lifetime. Many thanks to my sibs for a most enjoyable visit and a chance to reflect back on so many years highlighting our adventures together as a family. Unfortunately, my mother was unable to join us this time but I can hear her saying......."the Cape is my happy place". We all know and understand the reasons why.