Mass Vacation_Part 3

Provincetown, Ma (Cape Cod)

Will Work for FREE

Our third day was an excursion to the very tip of the Cape, to Provincetown Massachusetts. It was a two hour drive from Fall River, so we got started early (well early for us, we left around 9am when it was time for Gabriel to take a nap anyway...this makes the trip with him in his car seat much more bearable!)

We rolled into town right around 11am and it was beautiful...so picturesque. We knew we wanted to head straight to the beach and spend a few hours, then bike around town and see the local shopping/wharf area before we had to head back. I had already researched the beach areas and had found two free beaches (for those that don't know, free beaches in NE are very hard to come by!) So we drove straight to the entrance only to find out that it was a $15 fee for the "free" beach. Grrr. A la Andy and Ashley, we just knew we could find a free way to the beach, so we pulled a u-turn and headed on down the road. We quickly came across a free parking area right by the marsh, which had a rock walkway to the beach...for FREE. Yes! Can you feel the "but" coming?

It was free access, BUT you had to hike across this rock dike with all of your stuff (and Gabriel for us), then trudge through blistering hot quick sand for another 100 yards until you reached the beach. Of course we didn't know all of this until we had already done it. We seriously miscalculated the distance of the rock dike...when we got home we mapped it out and it was 1.4 miles ONE WAY! So our free beach was a nearly 3 mile walk round trip atop rocks and sand...here it is again...BUT it was SO worth it. We had a beautiful, untouched beach nearly to ourselves! It was amazing! Gabriel loved playing in the water, and we saw a few seals pop their heads up and play. It was such a relaxing time; we ate our lunch on the sand and enjoyed the perfect weather. Over the two hour period, we probably only saw 5-6 other people randomly walking by.

After about two hours, we figured it was time to get Gabriel back in, so we prepared ourselves for what we now knew would be a long trek back to the car. By the time we finally got back, we were both too tired to even think about biking through town...I'm sure it would have been fun, but it just was not in the cards that day. We drove instead into town and parked close by to the wharf and shopping area to explore on foot.

Of course, if you are on Cape Cod, you have to sample to local fish-n-chips fare! In the past we have had good luck with this, but this day was the exception. We got one order of fish 'n chips to share and took it out on the wharf to eat and soak up some more sun. Oh man, SO disappointing! It was clearly one of those frozen fish patties and cruddy fries - yuck! We ate it anyway, begrudgingly, then stopped by a fudge shop on our way out to make up for it :).

We were all super tired and it was time to make the two hour trip back to Fall River. We arrived just before 7pm and all got showered up. Now normally, we would have gotten Gabriel ready for bed, but today was a special day...it was the anniversary that Andy and I met on our Europe trip nine years ago! We always celebrate this anniversary, so we decided to had over to a little seafood joint in walking distance of the hotel to try our luck again at some good fish 'n chips. Score! This time it was awesome, exactly like they serve it in England, which was fitting. Gabriel had some penne while we chowed down on our entrees. Neither one of us could finish it was so big. Totally worth it! And Gabriel enchanted everyone in the restaurant being his friendly, hammy self.

Back at the hotel, we called the front desk for a pack and play for Gabriel to sleep in...ha! This was simply not good enough for master Gabriel...he ended up in our bed again with his little donkey legs :). Night three of no sleep for mom and dad...what was that I was saying about making memories? I'm so tired I can't recall...

Enjoy the show!