Every summer growing up, my family and I would pack our lives into the car for two weeks on Cape Cod. It was a tradition, and within that tradition we had an infinite number of other traditions; a list of food to eat, games to play, places to visit, and other things we just had to make sure to do during our time there. Traditions like these are something my family has always valued enormously, and it's something I've never taken for granted. Having something to depend on and get excited about year after year instilled great comfort and gratitude in me from a very young age.
I hadn't been back to the Cape for a couple of years, so when Jim and I returned a couple weeks ago as part of our East Coast whirlwind, I was flooded with excitement, comfort and gratitude once again.
Post-Labor Day Cape Cod is delightfully quiet, cool, and moody. Don't you just love off-season beaches? It was sunny enough during the days to bask at the beach, cool enough at night to snuggle with blankets by the fire, and quiet enough to enjoy restaurants and shopping in Provincetown (and to feel like we had beaches to ourselves).
-------
Here are some shots of my first few days back East. Low tide walks, oyster farming, deck sunsets, beach hangouts and blue skies. That sunset was one of the most spectacular ones I've ever seen (and I didn't even include the most fiery ones because the photos just didn't do it justice. Anyone out there have tips on sunset photography? It's hard).
Some of my favorite Cape traditions and memories:
- Fried seafood and onion rings at Liam's - Nauset Beach
- V+T's on the deck with an ocean view after a long day in the sun
- Outdoor showers - 'nuff said
- Shopping and walking around Provincetown
- Dunk in the frigid Atlantic til numb, then thaw out on a towel in the sun
- Dirt bombs from the Cottage Street Bakery (if you've never had the doughnut/muffin delight known as a dirt bomb, get on it)
- Mini golfing then a cone from the Sundae School
- Catching sunsets whenever possible
- Freshly shucked corn + Fancy's squash rolls + lobstah
What were your family traditions growing up?
