Cape Escape

      For the past two summers, I have visited my friend Tayla at her house on the Cape.  No, not Cape May!  I don't understand why people always assume that when I say "The Cape" I mean Cape May.  There's only one "The Cape" and that is in Massachusetts!

      Tayla's summer home in Sandwich is only a few minutes walk from the beach, but is also reasonably close to town.  I didn't have any plans for the day before my birthday (I took the entire weekend off because I didn't know what kind of shape I would be in) so I called Tayla up to see if she was free.  It turned out that she was, so I took up her offer to visit her and make a spontaneous trip to Sandwich!

      Since I was only spending twenty-four hours there and we thought it was not going to be a beach day (overcast and the water was choppy), we drove a few miles to Mashpee (MA has some creatively named towns).  Mashpee Commons has a lot of upscale stores, but also some cute boutiques.  We spent the day shopping and walking around, chatting and catching up with each other.

They had everything from juices to smoothies!

The colorful straws added a cheerful touch to a yummy drink!

Twins!  We got OJ, pineapple juice, mango and raspberry sorbet!

     When we got back to Sandwich, the sun had poked its head out briefly so we quickly changed and headed for the beach.  It was incredibly windy, but the wind was warm at least.  Tayla and her dad went in immediately, while Tayla's mom and I waved from shore.

"Come on in!" she said.  "It's nice," she said.

Ken and Tayla

Goofball

      One of my favorite times to go to the beach is when it's about to rain or thunderstorm.  There's nothing quite like it.  You can't go swimming or sunbathe, but the waves crash in and the wind whips your hair.  If I can't go swimming, this is my favorite time to go.  I'll even go in the rain!  The water is warm, but the undertow is strong.  There's something majestic and powerful about the ocean at times like this...

     On the other side of the dunes, you can see the marshes.  There's a bridge where kids like to jump into the water.  The water is significantly colder and the drop is far down so this is only for the brave at heart (I did it last summer, but once is more than enough).  The water is still and clear, unlike the ocean just over the dunes.

Engraved boards on the walkway

      I'm so fortunate to have such generous friends like Tayla and her family who invite me down these past three summers.  Sandwich and the Cape are beautiful; if you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend it.  Even though I'm merely an hour away, I still enjoy seeing what it has to offer every summer to locals and tourists alike!