I will remember Massachusetts

September 20, 2015
Talk about the life in Massachusetts
Speak about the people I have seen
And the lights all went out in Massachusetts
And Massachusetts is one place I have seen

Dolly parked in Salem MA

We made a couple of stops in Massachusetts. First stop: Salem. We stayed in a very cool City Park called Winter Island. It juts out in Salem Harbor. We positioned Dolly in such a way that we could sit inside at night and look out our front windows right into the harbor, full of sailboats. Since we were parked right on the water's edge, Satch and Bebop enjoyed going for multiple swims.

Dinner with nieces & nephew

Our first night, we were visited by my niece and nephew, Angeliki and Demetri (with his new bride Maria). We went to Victoria Station and sat out on the patio overlooking the harbor. This is the only Victoria Station remaining - it was a huge chain back in the '70s and '80s. The food was fantastic. They had a large selection of fresh caught seafood. Angeliki had Lobster Mac & Cheese, which I've come to find out is a standard item at many seafood places in Massachusetts. After dinner, we all adjourned to Dolly where they got to see what camping in an RV is like. It was a lovely evening.

Salem is bewitched!

The next day, Cheri was curious to explore Salem. It's a city that is best known for the 1692 witch trials where Puritans pushed their agenda and condemned women who they viewed as witches. Most were Christians. It shows how a society can be worked up to a frenzy. Years later, the people of Salem realized the err of their ways. Today, the city has witch tours. The sidewalks around the city have a big red line painted down the walking tour. The TV comedy Bewitched even filmed episodes of the show in Salem. Other items of importance, like the founding of The National Guard and the importance of Salem as an early port get lost in all the witch hysteria.

Roads in every direction in Salem

One thing about the roads around Boston and Salem - they make no sense. When you think of cities like New York City, where everything is neatly laid out in a grid and it's easy to find your way around, the roads here make no sense. They twist and turn and go off in all sorts of directions. And they are very narrow. Dolly the Dolphin was challenged by some of the narrow roads and sharp turns. But Cheri expertly was able to maintain control. No wonder Boston-area drivers have a reputation of being crazy drivers. Driving on these roads will drive anyone to drastic measures.

Blinking Green light

Here's another travel phenomena I've never seen - blinking green lights. We came upon quite a few traffic lights that were blinking green. There's no sign to alert the driver to what this means. Even exploring the Massachusetts DMV site gives no explanation.  The only thing I could figure is that it's a warning that the green light is about to turn yellow. But, isn't that what the yellow light is for? To warn you the light is about to turn red. Only in Massachusetts!

To get from Salem to Cape Cod, we had the pleasure of driving through Boston traffic. The highways have signs that allow cars to drive in the "breakdown lane" during rush hour, virtually eliminating the shoulder. Again, another unique traffic feature that I've never seen before.

The welcome sign was out for me

Cape Cod is a wondrous place. During the summer, it is a place where many Bostonians come to play. Visiting in September is perfect, as most of the shops and restaurants are still open, but the huge influx of tourists have settled back into their daily routines. So, we had the place to ourselves, almost.

Hyannis Port Harbor

We camped in a campground appropriately near Dennis, Massachusetts. It's the town next to Hyannis. We drove out to Hyannis Port in hopes of finding the Kennedy compound. The homes in Hyannis Port are huge and beautiful. While we never found their actual home, we did see how exclusive this area is. We went down the Hyannis Port beach, which is crowded during the summer. We had the beach pretty much to ourselves, which allowed us to let Bebop and Satch have their play time in the ocean water.

Cape Cod siding

Hyannis Port homes are big

The homes along the Cape have a unique character. Most of the homes have wood shingle siding, known as Cape Cod style. We saw some of this style in Maine, but pretty much every home on Cape Cod uses this type of siding. It protects the home from the harsh sea air. However, it does take a toll, and the unpainted siding starts to fade and crack after a few years. It certainly gives the homes and businesses in the area a distinctive look.

P-Town fish house

The area we're staying in is called Mid-Cape. But we had to experience the entire Cape, so we got on US 6 and traveled to the end of Cape Cod and the town of Provincetown, known to the locals as P-Town. It's a charming tourist destination. We walked the length of Commercial Street, a narrow strip that goes through town that is lined with gift shops and restaurants. We stopped in a local spot and enjoyed Lobster Rolls with New England cole slaw and Cape Cod chips (with vinegar). While we were touring Provincetown, an antique car parade came down Commercial Street, featuring a variety of classic cars. It ended up being more of a Pride parade, with tons of rainbow flags flying on the cars as they passed. One guy threw me a piece of candy, and when a woman watching the parade picked it up, he yelled out, "Hey, that's not for you, it's for the hot guy."Cheri and I chuckled about that for a while.

Whales at sea seen from the beach

We also drove to the very end of The Cape to Cape Cod National Seashore out to Race Point. Standing on the dunes, we could look far out into the ocean where we saw a school of whales spouting and breaching in the water. We've taken whale boat tours in the past and have never been this close to whales. It was quite a site.

Again, our week in Massachusetts seems to not be enough time to enjoy all that this area has to offer. We wanted to take a ferry over to Martha's Vineyard, but just to get there from our location would take a couple of hours and we decided to stay close to Dennis and the area. So, that will have to wait until next trip.

Tomorrow morning, we'll pack up Dolly and head to Connecticut.