~ Sabbatical 2014: Where the Creek Meets the Sea

I had a list - pages full of things I wanted to do and see on Cape Cod.

One of them was float in a tidal creek.

To check this one off my list, we headed to the village of Brewster to see where Paine's Creek meanders its way to the sea.

It was like nature's very own lazy river!

Perfect for families with young children, 

we enjoyed playing in the warm sand and floating in the lazy waters,

parking close to the beach for easy access,

exploring the incredible sea life,

The boys chased this creature for a very long time. They told me it was something round with a tail. All I could picture was a stingray. When they came up out of the water with this horseshoe crab and a shout of victory, everyone on the beach stopped what they were doing to see what was happening. 

following the rock jetty to the ocean,

and just being silly!

Rumor has it that the change from high tide to low tide at Paine's Creek opens up the sea floor for several miles. I can only imagine the exploring the boys could do walking out on those flats! Some say the sunsets at Paine's Creek are the best on Cape Cod.

When we had had enough of the sea (can anyone ever really have enough of the sea)...

we enjoyed checking off a few more things on my list.

I knew I could not leave Brewster without finding this beautiful place.

 The Stony Brook Grist Mill, built around 1873,

where the red herring  fight their way upstream to spawn,

 and the miller grinds fresh corn into meal,

sits beside a busy road right in the middle of Brewster.

And if I hadn't done my research and put it on my list, we would have never discovered this lovely place. So glad we found it!

One of the last things we checked off our list in Brewster was a visit to the Brewster Store. 

Converted from an old church back in the 1900's, it's a step back in time to the days of the general store with its historic building and its quaint decor, where you can buy just a little bit of everything. We bought swimming toys, Cape Cod t-shirts, souvenirs, homemade fudge, postcards, penny candy, etc... The store is full of fun vintage housewares, kids toys that hearken back to simpler times, an old-fashioned candy counter, an ice cream parlor and nautical items that make you want to linger just a little longer in this sea-loving town.

If you ever make your way to Brewster, Massachusetts, don't leave without a trip down the lazy river, a quick jaunt to see the running of the herring, and a leisurely stroll through the aisles of the Brewster Store. But be warned, you may never want to leave!

Check, check, check!

~ Sabbatical 2014: Answering the Wild Call

"I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied"

~ John Masefield from Sea Fever 

When Ken decided to become a pastor, we told God we'd follow Him wherever He called. For many pastors, that means a life far from family. 

For us, it means we only see our families once or twice a year. It means most vacation time is spent traveling fourteen hours to see our family, to spend time with the ones we love and miss dearly. 

One of the joys of sabbatical is having the time to do that - to spend extended time visiting with those we don't usually get to see often, and it means having time left over to travel to places we don't normally have the time to see. 

This year we decided to end our sabbatical travels with time on Cape Cod. I have always wanted to go to the Cape. I have this insatiable longing to spend time by the water. Can't explain it, but all my boys agreed Mom could have this one week to indulge her inner "seafarer"!

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

~ Ralph Waldo Emmerson

The bridges onto Cape Cod are like beautiful pieces of art welcoming you to the Cape. We crossed the Bourne Bridge on our trip onto the Cape and the Sagamore Bridge as we left the Cape. 

 

There's a Cape Cod tradition that says if you spot a boat in the water as you cross the Cape Cod Canal, you will have good weather.

Can you see them?

Great weather is exactly what we had - seven days of gorgeous, sunny weather in the upper 70's. The little hurricane that swept through one night while we slept didn't steal any of our fun!

We stayed in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts in the mid-Cape region.

If you think of the Cape as a man's flexed arm, we stayed on the bicep. 

We rented the original Bodfish farmhouse, a 184-year-old home (c. 1830) in the village of West Barnstable. It was once part of the original 600 acre farm that included the little spit of land jutting out in the Cape Cod Bay known as Sandy Neck Beach.

The house really was one of the highlights of our trip. The acre yard was lovely, and the house was spotless with lots of character and charm and all the modern conveniences you could ask for. We loved it!

Our house was not far from the quaint, little village of Barnstable. They welcomed us with an Art Festival the day we arrived. 

Barnstable Harbor 

The Sturgis Library is the oldest building that houses a public library in the United States. It is also one of the oldest houses remaining on Cape Cod.

The First Congregational Church of Yarmouth was built in 1870. It sits just east of Barnstable on a hill overlooking historic Route 6A. 

Cape Cod has over 100 sandy beaches including the Cape Cod National Seashore. We were only able to see around 7 or 8 of them. All the little villages along the coast have several beaches that each have their own personality. Barnstable has several as well, including this one at the end of Bonehill Road. 

While we were there, we only saw one other car pull up. I would have liked to stay longer at this private little beach. 

While on vacation, our boys like to find as many places to have ice cream as possible. Our first Cape Cod ice cream was at Smitty's Homemade Ice Cream in Barnstable Village.

Black raspberry was by far the favorite flavor of the day!

This one chose not to eat ice cream. Maybe that explains the grumpy face!

Hitting the beaches on Cape Cod can be a little tricky and a little pricey! Some of them are private, resident only beaches and some have expensive fees for a day pass. Apparently, after 3:00 p.m., you can enjoy all the beach you want for free. Since it was late afternoon on our first day by the time we were ready to hit the beach, we were able to see Sandy Neck Beach for free. And who wouldn't want to be there late in the day when the light changes and everything takes on that lovely glow!

More on this lovely beach later.

When the day ended, I thought back to the several people who had said, "You don't want to go to Cape Cod." 

They had warned us of ridiculous amounts of traffic trying to cross the bridge onto the Cape causing huge traffic jams. We saw no traffic earlier that day. 

They had warned us that Cape Cod was just a tourist trap with lots of people. We had just ended our day on an uncrowded beach watching a beautiful sunset.

All I could think as I collapsed into my bed (which was the best bed I had ever collapsed on) was, "I feel like I've come home to the sea!"

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea." 

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh