Highlights from our fall getaway

Nantucket

I am so glad that James enjoys boats and the water so much!  

Monday we took a ferry to Nantucket for the day.  We saw the Point Gammon and Bishops and Clerks lighthouses on the way over.  Near the entrance to Nantucket harbor is the Brant Point Lighthouse, and the Old Brant Point lighthouse, along with the pair of range lights, which are now used to guide ships.  

 

This summer James read the book "Cheaper By the Dozen".  It was fun to go to a location mentioned in the book, and see the lighthouses and house referred to in the book as "The Shoe".  It reminds me of my parents when they were first married, and how my Dad wanted a dozen kids.

The Sankaty lighthouse was recently moved away from the eroding cliffs.  I loved the sign posted.

One of our highlights on Nantucket was a tour out to "Great Point".  I'm sure it won't surprise you that there is a lighthouse at the farthest point of the island.  It was very interesting to find out more about Nantucket... the wildlife, their rules restricting building new property, and the price that some of those summer homes are going for!  From the lighthouse we had a great view, and we enjoyed watching all the seals.

We had a little time to spend at the Nantucket Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum.  There are lots of shoals near the island, which can be quite hazardous for boats.  There were lots of brave souls who risked their lives to save others.  Nantucket also features a 1746 windmill and some pretty large pumpkins.  It was a great day, especially enjoying the sunset on the return trip. 

Cape Cod

The Nauset Lighthouse was very close to where we were staying, and they gave tours Sunday afternoon.  James nearly choked when the guide asked him if he had ever been up a lighthouse before.  After sharing that his wife was a lighthouse enthusiast, the guide said that the woman who was there just before us had been to about 230 lighthouses, and asked if we had been to that many.  James was happy to report that I had been to even more.

The Nauset Lighthouse flash alternates white and red.  The Three Sisters Lighthouses were unique in that there are three lighthouses right next to each other in order to provide a clear reference of location (different from the twin lights at Chatham further south, and other single lights.)

We visited several places right in Eastham (where we were staying).   We visited First Encounter Beach, "the site of the first encounter between Native Americans and the Pilgrims".  We enjoyed views from Fort Hill.  We had a beautiful evening at Coast Guard Beach.  We saw surfers, seals, waves, a sunset over the hill that looked like a fire, and a great big moon reflecting on the water.

More Lighthouses

Later that day we visited Highland Light, Chatham, Stage Harbor, Bass River, and Hyannis.  We had a nice hike among the sand dunes out to the Stage Harbor Lighthouse.

Provincetown Whale Watching

One of the first things we did on Cape Cod was go on a whale watching trip, from Provincetown.  It was a great trip.  We saw several humpback whales.  Some while they were feeding, and others further out while they were just hanging out.  Before the whales surface there is a “green area” and then a spray.  The birds also tend to gather to where they come up, in anticipation of gleaning the extra fish/food remnants.  We had a few whales that surfaced pretty close to the boat.

From the boat we saw the three lighthouse at the tip of Cape Cod.  Long Point Lighthouse, Wood End Lighthouse, and Race Point Lighthouse.  

 

Lunch in NYC

On our way to Massachusetts, we took a stop in New York City to see my cousin and her daughter.  While the weather was overcast and drizzly, it was still a highlight of the trip.  James speaks fondly of his success in navigating the traffic!

Games

It took me almost a year to convince James to play my "Train Games" with me.  The good news is that he really likes to play.  The bad news is that he is beating me. 

Thanks again to those who helped us get our free baseball tickets.  

The Nationals have been doing quite well this year.  Let's go Nats!

Returning to the Blog

So, I've been happily married for over three months.  I still enjoy blogging, but it obviously hasn't been top of my priority list.  I do plan to start again, and will be using this site.  Watch for some recent posts in combination with catching up on some previous events.

Shenandoah Camping

James "says" he likes to camp. But we've known each other over a year and this is the first time we have actually been camping together!  We loved the stars.  Living in the city, it's easy to forget how many there are.  We even got to hike to some waterfalls.  We are excited to go camping again.

Labor Day

Nice to work together to get some projects taken care of.

And nice to have some friends over for some dutch oven cooking.