Anatomy of a Way Beyond Wonderful Weekend

I'm up much earlier than I need to be this morning. I just saw T. Bone off for an exciting trip to an "Awesome" water park he's been talking nonstop about all week. There hasn't been time to write about our equally amazing trip to the Cape since we've been back. Looking at the rest of the week...the fast approaching weekend...heck, all of the month of August...it appears that there's no time like the present so here it goes.

Cape Cod, specifically Provincetown, is in the same good company as the other places we've been lucky to visit this year: there was too much to see and experience in the busy time we were there. It was another vacation that left me scratching my head as to why we didn't tack a day or two more on before or after the festivities that brought us to the tippy top of the peninsula in the first place. Forget work, don't remind me about vacation time, or mention cats and budgets. I have great memories of Cape Cod and Provincetown, which is a colorful city bursting with energy, yet chill at the same time. Such it is, I surmise, when your city is surrounded by the sea. We could have spent the whole summer there and still not shopped in all the stores, sampled all the restaurants, browsed all the galleries or beach combed all the shores. The narrow, cottage lined streets are a constant parade of dogs, people, dogs, bikes, dogs and more dogs while the beaches offer a serene respite from the flurry of activity. Driving on Commercial Street is more harrowing than getting behind the wheel in Manhattan at rush hour, and pedestrians have to be bold and brave to claim space on well traveled main drags (no pun intended).

We traveled with my Dad and Step-Mom so I had one of the most enjoyable, relaxing flights ever since having children. Grandpa and T. Bone played Uno and War while Grandma and Miss Bit played Tic, Tac, Toe and Hangman. My hubby and I were able to read almost uninterrupted for 2 hours straight! Everything went off with nary a hitch and before long we were packed like sardines into our "elite" rental car driving up to the Cape. It may have seated 7, but did not have room for as many suitcases.


We stopped not far out of Boston in quaint, historic Plymouth to see what's left of Plymouth Rock, view a replica of the Mayflower from a distance and eat copious amounts of lobster washed down with Sam Adams at a waterfront establishment. I was thankful that my Dad, the history major, didn't harass me too much for telling T. Bone that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella commissioned the Mayflower. Hello, 1620 is clearly engraved on the face of THE rock. I don't think my boy was listening though because both he and his sister had one thing on the brain...the beach: getting to it, getting in it. We ordered so much lobster that I'm ashamed to say we couldn't possibly finish it. We did eat every last noodle of our lobster mac and cheese dish, nonetheless, because even though it was 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity, there was no way we were leaving a single buttery, creamy, belly bomb of a bite.

Before we could even take stock of our quaint (as in closet-sized) rooms (at least they had ocean views), T. Bone and Miss Bit were bathing suited up and ready to take a dip. First they hit the beach and then they christened the pool. They were so exhausted by the time we went next door for dinner after dark that they ate a couple bites and then put their heads down on the table to take ten. Grandpa took mercy on their beyond tired souls and walked them home while the rest of us finished our tasty pizza carbonara. I think that maybe Grandpa was a little tuckered out too after all those cards.

Every morning started the very same wonderful way: breakfast on the patio followed by a walk on the beach followed by a swim. Low tide left the beach strewn with creatures and treasures much to the kids' delight. My hubby had just as much fun catching crabs and eels as the kids. Miss Bit was particularly fond of the mussels. T. Bone's best find was a starfish.

Unfortunately, once I saw what was crawling all over the ocean floor, I couldn't get in the ocean above my shins on the harbor side anymore. We made our way over to the ocean side one day and enjoyed the bigger surf and sandy bottoms at Race Point Beach. Although a sign posted warned of the seal pups, we didn't see any. Thankfully, we also didn't see their main predator: the great white shark. I'm glad I didn't know that 20 were spotted not far from where we were over the weekend until we were Boston-bound again. We did see a dolphin though. We had fun playing frisbee and football, and also free floating around in the waves.

Friday evening we attended the rehearsal for my cousin's wedding. Miss Bit was honored to be their flower girl. The dinner following the dry run was at a local inn and I'm almost sure that we were served everything on the menu. We were convinced that the ample number of substantial appetizers served was the meal, and then out came everything from lamb chops to scallops to plantains to cous cous to chicken piccata to pasta to grilled vegetables - and everything was delicious. (My cousin is part Italian perhaps you should know.) We were beyond full. The kids were thrilled to be served pizza at the kid's table. Shhh...so were we. I almost forgot I had kids. After the lovely dinner, toasts and dessert, we continued the evening's celebration in the front garden of The Prince Albert where many wedding guests and the brides were staying. The adults visited with each other and interesting passersby while the kids ran through the Inn and around the gardens making their own fun. I was surprised that nothing was broken considering the number of antiques and tchotchkes all around (see picture below).


The next day was the day of the big, beautiful event. Really everything and everyone was beautiful...the day, and even the light rain that fell for a few moments while we waited in the dry trolley. Just a little rain on the wedding day signaling good luck for the newlyweds.

The flower girl...

The family...

The wedding party...

The brides and their heartfelt vows...

The flowers...

The cake...

The venue - overlooking the water seemingly in the middle of nowhere, crisp white tables scattered with shining sea glass, simple hydrangea centerpieces, colorful paper lanterns, romantic white lights and candlelight. Table #3 was the kids table and it had the best centerpiece of all...a galvanized bucket filled to the brim with toys. Can you say brilliant?

After a delicious dinner everyone loosened up. I love this simple shot of T. Bone getting casual.

The dancing began. There's nothing kids love more at a wedding than dancing. There's nothing little girls love more than dancing with the bride. Miss Bit hit the jackpot...she got two of them and was absolutely awestruck. She boogied most of the night with whoever would twirl, swing or dip her. She was a riot during Single Ladies pointing to her ring finger whenever the chorus came on. Her new favorite song is Bad Romance. The boys took turns break dancing in between games of poker. The pit boss...my Dad, their chips...sea glass. At the end of the night they took handfuls out onto the deck and gave the brilliant aqua, azuline, celadon, citrine, topaz and teal treasures back to the sea making wishes as they released them. I hope they all come true because I'm quite certain my kids were wishing for more vacations on the Cape.

Hubby and I enjoyed our Cape Cod Cranberry Cocktail wedding favors on the deck after we tucked the kids in. Morning came early...especially since we set the alarm for 7:30 so we could get maximum beach time before heading back to Boston mid-day.

The vacation ended much the way it began: we drove down the Cape, stopped in Plymouth, but this time for ice cream, and then the boys played poker in the terminal before take off, but this time the chips were pistachios.

I could have taken at least one hundred more photos, but all I can say is that the wedding...the weekend is indelibly etched in my mind. I will forever cherish the memories shared with the ones I love made there. I'll forever remember that Cape Cod state of mind, and all of the big and little touches the brides added to make the experience just so special.

I'm in serious wedding withdrawal. Anyone need a darn cute flower girl?

Next family wedding...Miss Bit, Bermuda? Cape Cod? The beach, groom and date TBA.