In the days leading up to our trip, Ashley and I kept referring to the fact that we would need to ride the ferry to get to Martha's Vineyard. So, Sassy and I were lying in bed Monday evening talking about what the next day would bring. At the end of our conversation, she asked if each of us would be riding the ferry. When I told her yes, her eyes widened like saucers and she said, "Wow, Mama. That fairy must have really big wings!" It made my night, to say the least...
Getting to the ferry was a bit of a logistical nightmare. We planned to leave on the ferry at 9:15 AM, and we barely made it! We knew the main parking at the ferry dock was full, so we went to the secondary lot, and that was full. So they sent us to the tertiary lot, where we found a spot, and saw the shuttle pull away as we unloaded. We waited for the next shuttle and arrived in time, but were forced to board with all the bike-riders. Ah, well... We were on board!
It was HOT! Seems to be a trend, huh? Cape Cod was experiencing very hot weather compared to the average high of around 78 in July. For whatever reason, sitting on the ferry wasn't nearly as refreshing as it might sound. There was very little breeze, and the floor of the boat was black and sandpaper-like. H-O-T. It was still a beautiful ride! Once we were able to get a nice big ice water for Sassy, she was very pleased!
Despite the heat, I felt compelled to take a few pictures of our view...
So, we got off at Martha's Vineyard, and this is about what happened...
Have you ever built something up in your mind a whole lot, and by the time you are in the middle of it, you are just too exhausted to even enjoy yourself. Yep, that was us. We had all these grand plans to hop from bus to bus and see all that the Vineyard had to offer: The Aquinnah Cliffs, the lighthouses, Edgartown, etc...
Not so much.
We barely made it beyond The Steamship Authority and into Oak Bluffs before we were regretting this trip. I hate to sound so negative, but that's what we were feeling. We immediately found a place to stop for lunch, hoping that after a meal and some air conditioning, we would feel refreshed and ready to explore! We decided on Sharky's Cantina. When we arrived, it was about 5 minutes until they opened for the day. However, they decided to remain locked until well past 10 past the hour. Grr...
Luckily, there was a cool blue door on the side of the building that made for a great photo background!
The food was excellent. I had a vegetarian burrito, and it was the single best meal I had on our trip. Sassy got a little toy shark with her kids meal, so she was happy!
After lunch, we headed directly behind the shopping area to the MV Campmeeting Association, wherein you could take a walking tour and view the gingerbread cottages. It's actually a large religious meeting place with a gorgeous open-air church in the center. Originally Methodist in affiliation, the church is now largely interdenominational, and one of the locals told us that while the church seats 300 or so, there are usually thousands that meet for Sunday services.
The cottages were so neat! It must be a very strange place to live, however, as there were a TON of tourists walking about. The locals went about their business... we saw many folks sipping coffee and reading the newspaper on their porch swings! Many people offered neat histories of their particular cottage, and were more than happy to answer questions. A neat place, but I can't imagine that wouldn't get old, you know?
After we were finished with our cottage walk, we returned to the main strip, did a little shopping (I had to get some Black Dog gear, right??) and may our way back to the ferry.
The ride back was exceedingly more enjoyable. We armed ourselves with snacks and ice cold beverages, and it was much less crowded and mush less scorching hot. Some of our views were just gorgeous!
Once we drove all the way from Woods Hole back to Dennisport, we barely had a moment to relax before we were off to Keith's family cottage in Eastham for dinner and socializing.
Talk about a beautiful property- their cottage was tucked at the end of a gravel road in a fabulous woodsy area. Sassy LOVED it!
We did lots of catching up- talked school and jobs and family and fun... grilled some hot dogs, shared some laughs...
When dusk began to settle in, Keith took Sassy out to hunt for logs so that they could build a fire. Dawn's Mom and sister came over, with Dawn's niece "A" and the girls had a blast roasting marshmallows and making s'mores for everyone.
Mmmmmmmmm....
Later, we sat around the fire and Sassy had Keith's Mom, Marcia, wrapped around her little finger in no time flat. Marcia became her official "hammock" attendant. She actually moved her chair away from the fire to sit closer to Sassy and push her in the hammock. At one point, Sassy must have been chilly, so as Marcia was walking away to retrieve her a blanket, Sassy calls out to her (no joke), "And a PILLOW!" I was basically mortified, but everyone was roaring with laughter, so I'm glad she was able to provide the entertainment for the evening...
We took a few "friends" pics and said or good-byes, making plans to meet up with Dawn and Keith once more Thursday.
There's really nothing better than realizing that time and distance have no bearing on true friendship.
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.”
~Elisabeth Foley
2 sweet tweets:
Your quote is so true! Anyone being around us while we sat and talked would never have known that it had been 4 years since we last hung out...btw...You forgot to mention that Sassy developed a great Boston/New England accent when calling for Marcia
Great pictures, they tell a great story! I love seashells and use to collect them as a child.
I wish I had them all back now because I really want to make a seashell windchime!
I just wanted to let you know I have an award waiting for you at my blog. Enjoy! ^_^
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