Cape Cod with college friends, September 13 and 14, 2003
This year’s trip got off to an inauspicious beginning. The date proved to be a poor choice (for which I take responsibility), as MN had to withdraw due to circumstances related to an unexpected job change. My Wife, too, experienced a welcome but unexpected job change, and suddenly there were two of us limited by an academic year calendar. When MN pulled out, we dropped plans for a Vermont bike trip (too far), and instead the remaining three of us settled on a short weekend trip to Cape Cod. The nights of Sept 12 and 13 were the last two nights of the season at the Mid-Cape Hostel in Eastham. JB had visited this particular hostel about a half dozen times before, and I was looking forward to visiting it for the first time.
JB arrived sometime around Wednesday. I couldn’t get away until Wife came home from work on Friday, and arrived in Eastham about 7pm, and JB and I rushed to catch the sunset from ?? Harbor. JL arrived soon after, and we headed back to the hostel.
The Mid Cape hostel’s interesting feature is that the guest accommodations consist of cabins that hold up to 6 people for $88. This is a perfect situation for a family, or for a small group of friends who want to stay up late and shoot the breeze. Contrary to rumor, they do not have dirt floors, although the shower and sink facilities are in the main common building. There is also one outdoor shower in the back of the common building. Showering outdoors is a true simple pleasure.
Upon gathering together, the three of us made a beeline for Stop and Shop, where we bought supplies for two dinners and desserts. I had already brought supplies for breakfast, having volunteered for the job previously. Working together to create a meal is a strangely inspirational activity, one which I had enjoyed with JB on many occasions, but was new to JL. I don’t know if JL feels the same, but I think sharing the duties of cooking, cleaning, and setting the table is a great way to build intimacy and camaraderie, although I admit it does tend to get stale after a few days. As always, I am left in awe of JB’s improvisational cooking skills.
JB suggested a plan for the following day (Sat): there is a sailboat rental in Wellfleet which he has taken in the past. We could buy a “Box Lunch” in Welfleet, sail across Welfleet Bay to Great Island, and enjoy a hike and lunch on its sandy shoes. We calculate that the distance to Wellfleet, about 10 miles, would make a great bicycle ride, and can be done mostly on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. If the weather holds, we have a perfect plan.
Our ride to Wellfleet was leisurely (~11 mph) and refreshing, with stops along the way for some of the top Cape Cod sights: the Three Sisters lighthouses, the Nauset light, Marconi station, and the Cedar Swamp trail. I had seen all these spots before, but they were certainly worth another look.
We arrived in Wellfleet a little later than planned, so we enjoyed our Box Lunch on a public picnic bench. Because of the late hour, and the now-overcast sky, we decided on an abbreviated sailing trip. This was exactly the right thing to do. Just one hour sailing out in the bay and back, with lots of digital photo poses during the trip, was enough to provide a pleasurable experience without getting boring. On the bike ride back to Eastham, we were able to push ourselves just a bit and raise our average speed to around 17mph. The reward awaiting at the hostel: a cool outdoor shower! (separately, of course!!)
One of the great things about a hostel is the ease of meeting and chatting with various interesting people whom you would not normally get to meet. JB had a spirited political discussion with a fellow New York liberal woman from NY. She had an English accent and radiant sexuality that was striking in a woman her age (JB estimated about 60). This, of course, led to endless ribbing that JB should “get it on” with her, perhaps in the outdoor shower. Alas, his mind was focused on a young Bulgarian woman who had just left on Saturday morning. I had a chat with Dani, a young woman (and Brooklynite) from the baggy-sweatshirt-and-knit-hat school of fashion with a nosering that made her look as if she had a permanent booger problem. She claimed to have no home, and was roaming around the country for a while.
A splendid rice-and-beans dinner by JB was capped off by a roasted marshmallow dessert on a roaring fire. And of course JL’s Bourbon made a perfect nightcap. The plan for the following day: a guided bird walk at the Audobon Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary.
We arose a little later than planned, and had to grab a quick breakfast and pack up the cars to make the bird walk. The walk was a little disappointing: not enough wildlife, and too far away. JB quickly got bored, and started pointing the camera endlessly in my direction. A frantic panicky call from Wife didn’t help much, complaining about our lack of money.
The Audobon sanctuary did pay off in another way, though. We decided that we should go camping there as our 2004 trip. The catch? One of us had to become an Audobon member. JB and JL graciously decided to buy a membership for me, as the group’s only state resident.
The rest of the day was a little aimless, the result of poor planning. We finally decided to check out the Sandwich boardwalk which, as it turned out, was the site of a boardwalk festival. JB stated that he was impressed by the setting, although I know he would be have been more impressed if there had been no festival.
The weekend ended, for me, with another frantic Wife telephone call. I said my goodbyes and rushed to her aid. Next year I will have to make sure she can visit her parents for the duration of my trip.
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Things to improve:
I personally would like to see us stick to two basic principles:
1) Keep expenses as low as possible
2) Keep it fitness-oriented (hiking, biking, etc)
I think we fell a little short of these on the 2nd day. This was mostly due to poor planning. I think next year we should set a tentative plan for each day, with leeway enough for last-minute changes. We should also touch base in the Spring to make sure we have enough camping gear to make this work.
