I have never been to Boston or
Massachusetts for that matter. So when
we planned a family vacation to Cape Cod with both sets of grandparents and Taunte
Meike, I reached out to my network for recommendations. And boy did I get a few! Dinner spots, brunch spots, best places for
ice cream and lobster rolls, drive in movie theaters, wine tasting and plenty
of beaches to check out. The options
were endless and overwhelming at the same time.
And while the recommendations in
theory factored in the “family” (aka toddler) element I will say this:
travelling to new places with a baby is a different type of travelling. With jet lag and a bedtime routine that was more
than slightly off, dinners out were out of the question. And with a baby that still naps for two hours
in the middle of the day, sightseeing and checking out new things was a whole
new experience. Our days were split
between the three hours post wake-up and breakfast and the four hours post nap,
pre-dinner. And in a place like Cape Cod
where every beach was at least a twenty minute drive and arriving after 11am
ensured a queue for parking, the trip was an exercise in coordination and
planning.
In between all of the logistics
however, we did manage to get in some really fun memories:
The week kicked off on Saturday afternoon with Oskar flirting with the ladies on the beach and embracing his European heritage by running around naked.
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| Naked baby, eating his apple while checking out the ladies. What more could he ask for? |
On Monday, we checked out the
Highland Lighthouse where my dad met a local surfer and Oskar and I hung out
the porch with Grandpa while the rest of the group completed the tour of the
building and tower (Oskar failed to meet the height requirement for the tour).
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| Family fun at the lighthouse |
We spent Tuesday afternoon
wandering around Wellfleet, a cute little town north of our home base of
Orleans that Martin discovered that morning on his bike ride with his sister
and dad. In town we met the owner of a
beautiful Bernese Mountain dog (because Oskar loves dogs and most people love
Oskar) who introduced us to the Flying Fish bakery for delicious pie. I also discovered the hidden gem of Drift, a
local home goods store where I bought a retail-therapy, recycled, organic blanket
for Timber Cove. And we rounded out the
visit with a large scoop of ice cream which I shared with Oskar.
Following the recommendation of
the local at the lighthouse and her tips for beaches, Grandpa, Oskar and I
watched the local surfers on Thursday try to catch a few waves at Nauset Light
Beach while the rest of the crew checked out the Nauset Lighthouse and the
Three Sisters Lighthouses.
Martin was able to bike the bike path through the Cape and I was able to enjoy a morning of Yoga (but unfortunately no SUP due to rain). And Oskar had a great time checking out all of the beaches including Nauset Beach and Skaket Beach (his favorite).
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| Raining day reading on the couch |
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| Skatet Beach |
And even with eating most meals
at home, I was able to enjoy a lobster roll from Arnolds, clam chowder and a
toasted coconut donut from Hole in One Coffee and a clam and garlic pizza (okay
the last one we made at home, but it was still good!)
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| Three generations of Breuer's at Arnolds. Oskar didn't like the Lobster Roll so he was kind enough to "share" with Martin. |
As for Boston, well I think I saw two hours’ worth of the city between my breakfast on the pier waiting for the ferry to Provincetown Saturday at the beginning of the trip and a walk through the Back Bay on Friday afternoon at the end of the trip.
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| Oskar giving me the stink eye at the local cafe in Boston |
