Thursday, October 20, 2016

Cape Cod


I was invited to go to Cape Cod for a week with my great Okoboji friends Nancy and Nadine.  I am so glad I went...the Cape is glorious!  I had promised Megan I would babysit when I returned as they were going to Florida on vacation, so I drove to Peoria and flew to Boston from there so I could return to Peoria to babysit.  It worked out well.  I was able to spend Oct. 8-13 with the gals in Cape Cod and babysit my grandchildren from the 14-16th.  I came back to the farm on Monday the 17th.

I had never been to Massachusetts, so everything was new and special to me!  Nadine had rented a car and we drove from one end of the Cape to the other.  Our first day was rainy, so mainly car toured Hyannis Port.  We got a glimpse of the Kennedy Compound and it looked as awesome as I thought it would. We then toured the JFK Museum which was quite interesting.  Our resort was in Falmouth and I really loved that town.  Wonderful places to eat seafood, which we did every night!

Kennedy Compound

Kennedy beach

The Kennedy Compound dock

The amazing family

We all three had halibut the first night and it was so great!!!

The second day we took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.  It was a fun boat ride over to the island.  Nadine had lined up a van tour of the island and we are so glad she did.  It took us all over the island and it was very informative. The island has several towns that are very quaint with amazing homes dating back to early settlement.  What really surprised me was the fact that there were so many farms on the island.  We drove for several miles along side all kinds of farms. The tour also took us to the port where the movie Jaws was filmed, and you could tell that clearly.  I need to go watch that movie again! We drove by Jackie Kennedy O. compound of 280 acres, but could only see the entrance. Her home could not be seen from road or by sea, only by air.  She liked her privacy!  The Vineyard was an amazing place...
Bus ride to the ferry....my wise friend giving me sound advice, I am guessing!


Our ferry 

On our way to the island

One of the farms

This lovely farm has an ocean view!

Jaws movie location

One of many lighthouses

Driving through Edgartown

Chief Brody's house from the movie

Went to have a beer at this "tavern" but it was a "dry" village...

Ships back in the day used this area to dock


Tuesday we went clear to the tip of Cape Cod to visit Provincetown.  Lots and lots of unique shops and a very artsy place.  We had a lovely seafood lunch and then spent the afternoon browsing the streets and shops.  It was a fun day!
Nancy with her Bloody Mary before lunch

Nadine ordered this seafood salad, It looks great, right?!!

Harbor in Provincetown

Provincetown

Provincetown

Provincetown

Provincetown

My last day, Wednesday, we drove to Plymouth for the day.  So much history!  We toured the Pilgrim museum and it was great.  Then we had to find a seafood place by the ocean with patio seating.  Had a fantastic lunch and a glass of wine.  We toured an exact replica of the Mayflower...it was so small.  I cannot believe 104 people plus 40 crew members were on it for 66 days.  We also had to see the "rock".  Really small, but people had chipped away at it for years and they finally had to cage it in before it disappeared.  :-)
Pilgrim clothing made from drawings

Actual bassinet from the Mayflower

Actual beer tankard from the Mayflower

Plymouth Harbor

Plymouth Rock

Lunch on Plymouth Harbor

On Thursday morning the girls drove me to the bus stop so I could catch a ride to Logan Airport. I had a fantastic time and  hated to leave!!
Ready to hop on my bus to the airport

Goodbye, Boston. You were awesome!

Megan and Andy had left for Florida on Wednesday and had their after school nanny watching the kids until I would arrive on Thursday around 5 P.M.  Well...I had a terrible travel day on Thursday, to say the least.  My bus broke down 2 miles from Logan, in rush hour traffic!  I had plenty of time until my flight so wasn't too worried yet, but plenty of people on that bus were very panicked! We finally limped into a station that had buses and trains so we were told to go to the Silverline station and grab that to the airport.  I had no clue where to go or what I was doing, so I tagged along with a couple who appeared to know what they were doing. :-)  I finally made it only to find out my plane had mechanical problems and was delayed, which made me miss my Detroit connection to Peoria.  There are not a lot of flights from Detroit to Peoria, so the only one they could get me on was at 9 P.M. Ugh.  I spent way more time in the Detroit airport than I ever want to do again!  I was so glad when I finally pulled in at Megan's house.  (So was her babysitter, I imagine!)  Despite all that, I had a very enjoyable week-end with my grandchildren.  Drew had a FB game on Saturday, another victory for his undefeated team!  Megan and Andy arrived back home Sunday evening.  Between Cape Cod and my grandchildren, I had a wonderful 8 days and it was a good way to end my time in Iowa....even though I wasn't in Iowa. :-)  I am soon off to AZ for the winter!
Ryan and I went out for lunch on Friday!

This looks like a scene from the Hunger Games...

Ryan was getting a little tired waiting for Drew's game to start!

Our football boy

Kayley and Ryan love the sandpile 

Sunday was a beautiful day for playing catch and digging in the sand

Sunday, September 25, 2016

End of summer

Summer ended on a good note!  We spent Labor Day week-end in Okoboji and we had lots of company!  I went up on Thursday so I could be there when Matt and Janelle and her parents arrived on Friday.  It was our first time meeting Matt's future in-laws and they are just lovely people!  I look forward to seeing them this winter in Laughlin if it works out! Mark, Megan, Kayley and Ryan joined us on Saturday.  We had a great time and made many memories!

I woke up to this beautiful dawn at Okoboji.

We took a boat ride and stopped at the Barefoot Bar for a drink.  Even the kids were glad we stopped!

Summer Houchins and Ryan on the train

Building sand structures

Kayley finally got to jump after a very long wait

Fun on the lily pad

Matt and Levi outside their cabin

Matt and Janelle enjoying the fire at the boat house

Ryan and Kayley are enjoying Rick's boat ride!
I went to Peoria on September 14, which just happened to be Megan's birthday.  The kids and I baked her a cake and we went to Double A's for pizza.  I stayed through the following Tuesday, so had a nice long visit with my grandkids.

Kayley and her friends experimenting with makeup!

Drew playing catch with his little brother

These two entertained grandma dancing to many songs

Drew is somewhere in this pile!

He is just so darned cute!  :-)