Thursday, August 2, 2012

field trip: lower cape


My purchases from The Shell Shop all sorted and ready to play with

One minute summer is this vast blank canvas but yesterday's flip of the calendar page reveals just weeks left until school begins. Good thing we recently "got our summer on" with a couple of days spent in what is called the Lower Cape of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, another destination so lovely I have to share.



No trip to Cape Cod is complete (for me) without at least a few of the following items pictured. Fresh salt water taffy (a new fave), chocolate covered cranberries, fried clams, and lobster in some form, shown here in a lobster club (de-lish!).



A highlight of our visit was a dune tour in Provincetown, a beautiful town at the very tip of Cape Cod. Our guide John, was fabulous and pointed out the various "dune shacks" formerly inhabited by famous artists and writers like Eugene O'Neill. The ride was a bit bumpy at times, which the boys really enjoyed!



Later that day, a walk along MacMillan Pier lead us to views of the harbor



Along the pier are tiny shops and galleries housed in small cottages



like this adorable shop called Seashells in Bloom





Provincetown or P-town is a great place from which to depart for a whale watch.



This visit, we stayed in Wellfleet. The following day we headed to Chatham, which is a favorite spot I have blogged about before.



First stop: Picnic Fashion, the most picturesque shop inside and out with the most wonderful proprietress Becky, who always directs me to some great attraction or restaurant, like ...



seal-watching at the fish pier!



You may have heard about Chatham on the news because seals like fish and sharks like seals so there have been some shark sightings and reports.



We traveled to Harwich to ride go-karts and play mini golf and then -- for me -- highly recommended by a friend, we visited The Cape Cod Lavender Farm. Nestled sweetly among the trees, the little cottage shop was like something from a storybook, aglow with purple fairy lights.



Currently harvesting, lavender was everywhere. We arrived minutes 'til closing -- just long enough for me to purchase sachets of wonderfully fragrant lavender buds and meet the gracious owner, who invited me to stroll the grounds and visit the Enchanted Garden.



This shaded garden features a miniature stone replica of a medieval castle but what I adored most was the wee kingdom of delicate faerie houses, assembled from twigs, leaves and moss.



Hope you enjoyed this field trip. I tried to include as many links as possible if you are ever interested in visiting or shopping. {This is not a paid endorsement in any way}



Wonder if any taffy is left? :)

xo
elyse

20 comments:

Gabriela Delworth - Instructional Designer said...

Hello Elyse,

Love these photos, it seems like a wonderful place!


Gabriela

Melinda said...

Looks like fun!

Enjoy the rest of summer.

M :)

Jessica Rodarte said...

Looks like a charming place, Elyse. That lobster club looks delicious. Save me a bite next time. ;)

Lorrie said...

It all looks delightful. Love that lavender cottage, so cozy and welcoming.
Hope your August is starting out really well.

Shannon said...

Looks like a great trip with a lot of charm. Nothing better than a cute beach town :)

NanaDiana said...

My gosh, Elyse! Does it get any better than that? The scents and sights of the Cape? The cute shops and time with your family...I love it. I really like that picture with the heavy clouded sky-it is just moody and perfect- xo Diana

Art and Sand said...

One of our favorite vacations was doing the fall leaves in New England. We spent one night in P-Town. I would love to go to the Cape in the summer some time.

Those cute little shops would be so fun to visit.

Cynthia's Cottage Design said...

Love this sweet tour Elyse! I adore Cape Cod and the islands too! It looked like a beautiful little escape and a perfect get-away!! One day I dream of living there in a little cottage by the water :)

Big hugs!! Cyn xox

mary k said...

There are times when those of us who live on Cape Cod get so busy with everyday life that we forget to take time to appreciate the beauty of the Cape. I live on the Upper Cape, but I want to play tourist and visit the lower cape. Your pictures are loveely.

The Polka Dot Closet said...

Oh what a great vacation! I have never been to that part of the country..Isn't that sad because it is so gorgeous!! I would love to go to a lavender farm!

Carol

DianeM said...

Thanks for the photo tour....me & my family all miss the Cape so much - it's been 2 summers now that we haven't been able to visit. We always stay on the Lower Cape & P-Town is one of the most FUN places to visit! Next time we're able to go I am definitely going to check out some of the spots you highlighted!
Smiles, DianeM

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

An absolutely wonderful field trip. Everything looks and sounds great! We've done the dunes in Dubai and it was worse than any rollercoaster -- talk about motion sickness. I have a feeling your ride was a whole lot calmer with some lovely views along the way. Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Tammy

Apple Blossom Barn said...

Hi Elyse

Cape Cod looks so lovely I will have to go some day
Have a lovely weekend

Denise
xxxx

Terri said...

It all looks so magical Elyse! I loved looking at all of the pics. My favorite is the little lavender farm! Terri

Theresa said...

What a wonderful trip and SO many beautiful pictures! I love sand dunes and always snap pics of them when near the beach! Have a blessed weekend, HUGS!

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Aren't we lucky to have such great places to visit so close by?!!

Linda Ruthie said...

Fabulous trip! Thanks for taking us along.

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

thank you for taking us along! i've never been there but know i'd lovvvvvve it! cute shops, btw!!!!!

xxoo
b.

lilybets said...

I was enchanted especially by the last photos of the lovely green house and its garden..very very nice!

SLR said...

oh gosh, i love it all...taffy, lavender, faerie houses, cottages!! what a great trip :)