Day 2 on Cape Cod: Hyannis and Chatham

The weather continued to be cool and sunny today, but with stronger winds.  We decided to explore a couple of the towns south of the campground, starting with Hyannis.

Hyannis has little houses near the water that are used by artists to sell their work.

The harbor was a busy place with charter boats, whale-watching boats, and ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Downtown Hyannis has many shops, as well as the JFK Museum.

From there, we followed Route 128 along the coast to the town of Chatham, where we picked up some groceries and made a stop at the Chatham fishing pier, where commercial fishermen bring in the day's catch.  Gulls and seals were on hand in case anything happened to be dropped their way.

Dan is enjoying all the beautiful work boats in this area.

In late afternoon, we headed out for some cycling on the Cape Cod Rails Trail again, going northward.  We didn't make it to Wellfleet, given the late hour, but it was a pleasant ride anyway.  

A day at Cape Cod

After a late breakfast, we went to the visitor's center for Cape Cod National Seashore to check on where  we were allowed to walk with the dog.  Any of the beaches, we were told.  So we went to Coast Guard Beach and walked along it, though Ranger did not seem to enjoy the noise of the surf and the soft sand.

From there, we drove a few miles north to the Nauset Lighthouse, which is the one shown on the package of Cape Cod Potato Chips.

We returned to the campground for some lunch and relaxation.  In mid-afternoon, we headed out on the Cape Cod Rails Trail, southboard, and after a little over four miles of cycling we were in the town of Orleans.  Dan replaced his bike mirror which had broken, and we walked around a bit before heading back to the RV.

Dinner was leftovers, followed by another campfire.  With temperatures in the mid-60's in the afternoon, falling to about 50 at night, it's perfect for enjoying the warmth of a fire.  

Arrival at Atlantic Oaks RV Park, Eastham, MA

Monday was a very good day.

Partly because of what did NOT happen:

1. We did not have to have the RV towed into a repair shop when it did not start up at the time we were ready to leave.  Dan found a loose connection to the battery.  I believe that he can fix anything mechanical or electrical.
2. We did not have our RV go up in flames along Interstate 495, as did one we passed along our route.  Actually it was just the van that was pulling the camping trailer.  How they managed to get the trailer unhitched from the burning van and a safe distance away was a mystery.  
3. I did not permanently lose the spare Honda key.  After about a half hour of hunting everywhere, in every pocket, all over the car and RV, I retraced my steps from the earlier dog walk and found the key at the spot where I bent over to pick up after Ranger.  Sigh.

And what DID happen was that we got settled into Atlantic Oaks RV Park along Route 6 in Eastham.  And we went from the tall hemlocks of Boston Minuteman Campground....

 

to the scrubby oaks, sandy soil, and fall flowers of Cape Cod.

This campground is very nice.  It is located right along the rails-to-trails bike path that runs for twenty-some miles, so we could get into either Orleans or Wellfleet without going out on busy Route 6, which is busy even at this time of year.  The campground is run by the daughter of its founder, with its "sister campground" run by his son and family.  The campstore is well-stocked, the person at the desk was helpful in providing maps and suggestions of things to do, and our site is spacious and flat.

Ranger definitely had a good day, in that it began at the dog play area at Minuteman CG:

and ended at the dog play area at Atlantic Oaks.

For Ranger's people, the day ended with a campfire, which felt good with temperatures in the 50's (at that time of day).  So far, it's been in mid-60's during the day and 40's at night.  It is definitely fall in New England!

Visiting Eugene, Part 2

I had good intentions of taking some photos today, but I never got around to pulling out my camera.

We stopped at Sean's in Arlington around noon to pick up the family cradle which Sean had stored since Philip's birth.  It was tricky to get it into the back of the SUV but we managed.

Then on to Gene's for another afternoon of eating, drinking, telling stories, and so forth.  Philip continued to be Ranger's best friend, taking him out on the beach three times for walks (really runs).  Unlike yesterday, it was warm and sunny today, so my turn at beach-walking with the dog was very pleasant.

Gene again outdid himself with cooking: Pasta with tomato sauce and sausage, salad, bread, and lemon meringue pie for dessert.  

Today, Gretchen was able to spend time with us, as well---good to catch up on news of her parents and so forth.

We are back in our cozy RV now, relaxing in preparation for packing-up and heading out to Cape Cod tomorrow.  Hoping for somewhat warmer temperatures for the early morning dogwalk--- for today's walk at 7 am it was 40 degrees!

Visit to Eugene's

Saturday remained drizzly and very cool all day, not a great day for being outside camping.  Fortunately the plan for the day was to visit Gene at his new apartment in Revere.  In late morning we drove to Arlington to pick up Sean, Veronica (age 12), and Philip (age 8), who squeezed into the back seat while Ranger rode in the back compartment.  The distance was only about ten miles, but being that it was Boston, it took about 30 minutes to get to Revere with heavy traffic and many traffic lights. 

After years of living in a tiny third-floor apartment in a house in Cambridge, Gene is now in a sixth-floor (top-floor), contemporary style apartment about twice the size right along the public beach in Revere.  With a corner unit, he has views far out across the water.  More immediately on this day, there were views of kite-surfers braving the cold and wet to skim along the waves down below.  The apartment has two spacious bedrooms, two baths, and a large open living room, dining room, kitchen area with big windows that let in lots of light.

Gene had made a huge meal of chicken, rice, green beans, sweet potatoes, and salad---delicious!  He also made a chocolate cake which he served with real whipped cream and mixed berries.  

Ranger was a bit antsy being in a new place (with an elevator!) but after exploring all the rooms he settled down on a small rug that Gene brought out especially for him.  Over the course of the afternoon, he had two walks along the beach with Veronica and Philip which he seemed to enjoy a great deal.

The drive back to the campground seemed long in the traffic and the dark, and upon return to the camper, I settled for a bowl of instant oatmeal for dinner and crashed early.  

Arrival in Boston area

Today was another day of travel, leaving New Tripoli, PA by  8:30, traveling through the Allentown area, and connecting with I-84 at Milford, after a slow by pretty trip along Route 209, though the Delaware  River National Recreation Area.  Through New York and Connecticut on I-84 (with delays for road construction several times in CT), we took the Mass Pike to our destination:  Boston Minuteman Campground in Littleton, MA.

We have stayed at this campground before, and it's a good one.  Our site has a patch of forest on one side for privacy, and we're close to the showers and office.  They have recycling (YAY!) and the showers are clean and  hot.  What else could you want?

After a dinner of cheeseburgers, we had the first campfire of the trip, and it's getting cool enough that it felt good.  Last night it got down to 44 degrees; tonight is supposed to be in the mid- to upper 40's.  What a change from the summer-like weather we have been having in Virginia!  Glad I packed all those long pants and long-sleeved shirts!

Ranger is happy to be out of the RV for awhile.  The campground seems to be full this evening ( a Friday) and there are lots of dogs around. There is a nice dog playground nearby, so he is a happy camper.

Tomorrow, we'll be picking up Sean and family and driving up to Eugene's new home in Revere.  It's been four years since we last visited up here, so there will be lots of catching-up to do.  

Heading north

Our poor little RV has sat in our driveway for six months now, and it is time to get it OUT and moving!

We headed out this morning, going north on I-95 to Washington, then picking up I-270 to Frederick, Maryland, and then Route 15 to Gettysburg.  So far....sort of good.  There was, as always, traffic around DC.  From Gettysburg, we should have gone straight north to Harrisburg, but we meandered through York, Lancaster, and Reading, with much road construction and town traffic.  It took seven hours to reach today's destination: the Allentown KOA which is really in New Tripoli, PA.

Ranger was more than ready to get out of the RV, and he exhausted himself chasing the frisbee in the dog park. Brother Bill came over from Slatington for dinner, and some beer was consumed, despite the many prominent "No Alcohol" signs around the campground.  

Trying to figure out the best route for tomorrow, as we head for Boston.  Anything to avoid NYC traffic!  

But it is good to be out on the road again.  Temps tonight should be in the upper 40's, good for sleeping.