From Cape Cod to Connecticut

Although our rental had ended, our time on the Cape was not done yet. Since Nana Banana, Sport, and the Hannens were starting their week we hung around for another two days.

We hadn't gotten miniature golf in during our first week, so we jumped at the opportunity to get in a round with everyone. We had just enough people for two teams of five. Aunt Suzy got to go with all the girls. They were a lively bunch and everyone took turns helping Abby keep the ball on track.

The other team had a higher average age by far and walked a little more gingerly, but it didn't stop us from strutting our stuff on the course. This crew has forgotten more about miniature golf than the other team knows and used that experience to teach a lesson or two. It certainly was a fun afternoon and no one got too competitive.

After golf we got some pizza at the Red Barn and snapped this sweet picture of Nana Banana with all of her granddaughters. There is a whole lot of love and personality in this picture, that's for sure. 

Speaking of love and personality, we got this picture of the OG Bowes family before we left town. This summer on the Cape marked the 52nd year that Nana Banana and Sport have spent at least a week of vacation on Cape Cod and it will always be a special place for the whole clan as a result. 

When we left Cape Cod we had a plan and a packed schedule. In three days we were going to hit four college tours as we began the process of getting Callie to think about where she wants to spend her college years. Boston is the ultimate college town and we did our best to show Callie a range of schools. We hit BC, BU, MIT, and Tufts. All were incredibly cool campuses but Callie enjoyed BU the most, especially because of how it is built right into the city.

We can never visit Boston without seeing the Basak family. Amit, Una, Maya, Sachin, and Anjin are dear to us and are always so generous with their time and space. Amit prepared lobsters for us and enjoyed teaching Callie and Reese the proper way to get the meat out. This certainly came with a whole lot of messiness, but that was nothing compared to the fun and laughter. We are always lucky to get time with them.

Our New England tour took us next to Madison in time for the 4th of July parade and everything that went along with it. We met the whole Skonieczny crew downtown where they had a prime spot reserved along the parade route. It is an absolutely fantastic parade that highlights all that is good about a small town like Madison. And John got to keep pointing out all the people he knew.

After the parade we headed back to Mike and Kristen's for some quality pool time. That obviously made Reese's day, but we all had fun hanging out with the crew. John did not impress anyone with his Marco Polo skills, or lack thereof. And the entire Bowes family was a step or two behind since we don't get as much regular pool time. 

The 4th of July celebration continued with the concert on the town green. Kristen had prepared an incredible picnic dinner that we all got to enjoy. Mike and John's high school graduations took place right off this green over thirty years prior to this and neither one of them could have predicted they would be hanging out like this with their families all these years later. It doesn't get much better.

Time with the Skonieczny's also means time with Kristen, Ella, Ethan, and Eli, who are just wonderful folks. It's amazing how easy of a friendship it is. Whenever we get together it is as if we had just seen each other. And of course we also want Callie and Reese to spend as much time with Ella as possible so all of her adventurous spirit will rub off on them.

Just when you thought we couldn't fit in one more thing we made a final stop in Fairfield to see the McBeans and catch up with them before beginning the drive back to Kentucky. Michelle kept the beach vibes going and brought us down to their club where we took advantage of their chairs and table to enjoy one last ocean view before heading back to lake country. 

While it wasn't planned, the fact that our last stop was at the house of a dermatologist worked out well for Reese who had suffered a close encounter with a solo stove earlier in our trip. Jason went to his office to get some medication and bandages to properly treat the burn and instructed Sarah in the appropriate daily treatment moving forward. We left the McBeans at the crack of dawn the next morning and tied a bow on another fantastic summer trip.

Our Favorite Cape Cod Rental Yet

 We have rented more than our fair share of places on Cape Cod by this point in our lives, but we hit the jackpot this time around.

Our rental cottage was just north of the Orleans roundabout and right on Town Cove. It was a two-bedroom cottage with great amenities, but what really set it apart was the outdoor space. Beautiful yard and right on the water. The views couldn't be beat from morning to night. The hammock, outdoor shower, firepit, and access to kayaks sealed the deal.

Hopefully one day we will return.

We have been to Cape Cod a lot as a family but we are still finding fun things to do and see. It was a short trip from the house to Nauset Beach to take in the ocean as well as the light house that continues to move further back from the eroding coast with each year.

If you are only in town for a week it can be hit or miss, but when the Wellfleet Drive-In has a good movie you have to take advantage. We were lucky and caught Inside Out 2 as the first of two movies. We left before they started Garfield and felt just fine about it. There were no complaints.

And since we knew we would be there for a whole week we bought an Eastham beach pass and headed down to South Sunken Meadow beach, which is where John spent a lot of time as a kid. You can't go wrong on the bay side where the water is warmer, the beach is less crowded, and you can have a lot of fun at low tide.

Although the girls are old enough where they are getting more interested in the UV rating and getting a summer glow they both still love playing together in the water and sand. Reese is definitely the ringleader and would live in the ocean if possible. We could spend every possible minute at the beach and would still not be enough for her.

Walking the flats at low tide is a lot of fun but you also have to stay on your toes. The shallow waters of the bay are filled with all sorts of sea creatures and this picture captures Sarah and the girls caught in the midst of a slew of crabs. They were larger than one would think and were determined to pinch all the feet they could. 

We also got some frisbee time in and enjoyed the sunset while Callie played music on the portable speaker she refused to leave behind. We must admit the music added to the ambience. 

Just when we thought there was nothing new for us to do Sarah made plans for a day trip to Martha's Vineyard. We got an early ferry out of Woods Hole, rented bikes for the day, and had a fantastic adventure on the beautiful island.

We biked to Edgartown along the bike path and stopped at a farmer's market before we hit the main drag. And where is the first place Reese wanted to go on this quaint island? Lululemon. Callie and Sarah each got a Martha's Vineyard shirt from a local store, Reese bought a Lulu tank top she could have purchased anywhere. But everyone was happy, so we can't really complain.

On the bike ride back we stopped at the Jaws bridge and swam for a little bit. Then we had dinner in Oak's Bluff before we caught the ferry home. Everything about the day was great except that somehow biking ended up hurting John's foot. Who knew that a man who runs every day could be laid low by a bike ride?

During the week we also managed to make our way to Chatham to watch the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. It is a great experience to see a game at these small town venues that have a strong community following and good baseball. Unfortunately for us the game was called after the fourth inning because of the heavy fog that rolled in and didn't leave. 

It wasn't until the second to last day that we left the girls sleeping in and took the kayaks out on Town Cove. This picture captures the view of our place from the water. We could have kayaked out to the ocean if we wanted to but just chose to circle around the cove for an hour or so to get a good look around. 

Our usual trips to Provincetown involve shopping and whale watching. This time we exchanged the whale watching for a sand dune tour. It was worth checking out and we enjoyed hearing the history of the dunes and the various shacks in the dunes. Since these are now protected the experience is very different from when John and his family got to run wild on the dunes.

Sarah and Callie did get an opportunity to run up and down a down when our tour guide stopped at one point and let us out of the truck. Orange Theory had clearly prepared them well for the incline but not so much the sand.

We couldn't leave Provincetown without a good dinner though and we found a great restaurant on the main street. Reese was very excited at their mocktail menu and ordered a strawberry daiquiri. The meal was good and was a fitting end to another great day.

Sport and Nana Banana joined us for the last day of our rental and the day before they started their own week on the Cape. It is always great to spend time with them but being on the Cape makes it even more special. Not pictured here is the late night trip John and Sport made into Boston to pick up the Hannen family as they were joining everyone on the Cape.

Few things capture all that is great about the Cape better than family at the bay watching the sunset. As beautiful as the picture is it still does not do justice to the whole scene. We have always loved spending time on Cape Cod as a family and can't wait to get back. 

Just like that - summer begins

Sarah has loved Orange Theory since she first started in January 2023. This summer, to keep Callie in shape she invited her to join in the fun. Unfortunately for Callie, this meant she had to go with Sarah to early (5am) classes during the week even while school was still in session. She was a trooper and seemed to really enjoy the structured workouts and her mom enjoyed that she could still lift heavier weights. Callie still got her on the treadmill though.

Since we always capture the first day of school we figured it was worth getting the girls on their last day of sophomore year and 7th grade. Callie is now halfway through high school and Reese only has one more year of middle school. Everything is moving so quickly, except for Reese, who still had to wear her boot for a little while longer.

It doesn't take long to shift from school into summer mode and camp is certainly a major catalyst for that. Callie enjoyed year at Cathedral Domain, the camp she first started attending back in first grade. She and her friends have always enjoyed their time there and can't wait to go back.

We have pictures like this one from when all these girls were probably half as tall. And now many of them spend even more time there as counselors than as actual campers. Callie had a great time as always and it was the perfect kick off to her summer.

Reese started her summer with a different camp experience. It was a Wyldlife Camp in Missouri that started with a 12-hour bus ride departing from Lexington at 5:30am. These girls are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with excitement for the week ahead. And Reese was especially happy because she got her boot off just days before. Reese came back with nothing but raves about the camp and hopes to do it again next year.