Cape Cod Vacation

Looking for a great summer destination?  Get thee to Cape Cod.

We met up with Josh's parents in Boston, and rented a little two bedroom place on the water halfway down the Cape.  Perfection!

With the Cape you'll find picturesque islands, cute towns, fantastic beaches, and delicious seafood.  And then if you want to enjoy a day or two exploring a big city, Boston is super close. 

And what's not fun about Martha's Vineyard?

Ferry ride?  Check.


Good food, beautiful water views, sandy beaches?  Check, check, check.


Gingerbread cottages?  Yes indeedy.


Bike rentals?   Yes as well.  Although why has no one ever mentioned that bike riding while pulling a small child in a Burley trailer is HARD WORK?  We had to take turns with that bike, and almost died riding back to the bike shop.  This one, on the other hand, took a nice nap.


We were on the Cape for a week, and did all kinds of local/touristy activities.

Beach walking (despite the chilly weather.)


Lighthouse viewing.


Lobster and clam chowder eating.


Mini-golf playing.


More eating.  Well.


And driving down to Newport, RI, and exploring some crazy/elaborate/over-the-top mansions from the turn of the century "Gilded Age."


At the end of the trip, we did some Boston sight-seeing.


We had to hop on this donkey (in front of Old City Hall) because that's exactly what we did on our 2004 Boston trip.

2012: Married for almost 7 years, one toddler in tow, one baby on the way...


2004: In college, still dating, on vacation with my parents.  Don't we look like kids? That's because we were!


In closing, I'll leave you with my favorite "let's get a group shot" pic. This particular group shot happened to include a tired toddler. Classic.

Road Trip, Stop #3: Savannah, GA+

[Okay, since we've now been on a second road trip, a certain husband of mine suggested I finish the posts about the first one.]

After meandering around the low country of South Carolina, including a lunchtime visit to Beaufort, we made our way to Savannah, GA.

Wait. Let me just say that Beaufort was a darling little gem. I'd really like a double-decker porch like this someday:

Savannah was a different kind of charming from Charleston. Stately, historic houses, yes. But a bit more of an eclectic feel overall.

Plus, I had no idea about Savannah's squares. Dotted throughout the city are these little city squares/parks. Like, everywhere. So unique and picturesque! They were so fun to happen upon when walking around town. The squares were specifically planned by the much-loved city founder, James Oglethorpe, a name we saw all over town.

Any fans of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil out there? Here's the famous Mercer House.

And the Pirate's House from Treasure Island? We ate there. The food was only so-so but the history was cool. Built in 1753, and still in business? Crazy.

Caroline enjoyed the swings.

And the hotel pool.

And some snuggles with her dad.

The beach (Hilton Head Island, a side trip while we were there) only got mixed reviews.

And in closing, I'll leave you with this very ladylike picture of our girl. She does this the entire time she's in this stroller.

Next stop: Atlanta. Then home again!

Road Trip, Stop #3: Greater Charleston

There's more to the Charleston area than awesome historic architecture.

Old military posts.
Swamps.
Plantation houses.

We visited all three.

Josh is a big history buff, and so a trip to a nearby fort was a must-do. We'd been told that the famed Fort Sumter wasn't actually all that interesting, so we decided to check out Fort Moultrie instead. Since it was free to visitors.

Despite the summer heat and humidity, we checked out Cypress Gardens and went on a boat ride around a real, live swamp.

And my, was it gorgeous.

Have you seen The Patriot or The Notebook? Both had scenes filmed there.

Caroline put up with the big yellow life jacket pretty well.

Can I just say that I'm in love with Spanish moss? Because I am.

And lily pads, too.

And the flowers were totally incredible too.

We also toured an old plantation house, Drayton Hall. Complete with a hidden staircase for slaves to use. It had never been updated with plumbing or anything, and was left pretty well untouched since it was built in 1738.

Here's the entrance from the road.

Here's the other entrance, which was used more, because it was off of the Ashley River. Because people frequently traveled by RIVER back in the day it was built.

The interior had all kinds of fancy wood working. I can't imagine how much time that must have taken.

And, of course, slave-wrought iron work too.

The grounds had numerous big old trees on it. Way cool.

Okay, built in 1738?!? Like, when the residents were still English citizens. The sheer history is crazy to me. And the fact that hundreds of humans were once enslaved on that plantation is very sobering.

Road Trip, Stop #2: Charleston, SC

How did I live for 27 years and NOT know just how cool Charleston is?

I had no idea.

The old, majestic houses. The iron scrolls. The history. The side porches. Oh my goodness. Incredible.

We also enjoyed the food. No surprises there.

We stayed with one of my best friends from my childhood - Laura. She actually lives in a darling historic house on the north end of down town. I loved getting to spend time with her in Charleston. We haven't had much of a chance to spend time together since high school. You know, ten years ago. And two weeks after we left? This girl got married! So happy for them.

When we were in town she asked me to take some photos of Charleston that they could use to hang up in their living room. She wants 4 of them, and for them to be square.

A photo project? FUN.

So we walked all around town. Caroline strolled.

And was sometimes fed a bottle as we went.

So, if you were Laura and her husband, Adam, what Charleston pics would you choose?

A. The Battery. Apparently Charleston and the surrounding areas played a pretty important role in both the Civil and Revolutionary Wars. I don't think I really knew that.

B. Totally awesome iron gates. They're all over town.

C. Window grates. This one is a classic "harp."

D. The iconic pineapple fountain. They even let you play in it!

E. The side porch is classic Charleston.

F. Can I have this house, please?

G. Local women sit and weave these on street corners. Beautiful work.

H. I forget the significance of this house. But it is OLD. Like, 1700's.

I. Pineapples are big down there. I think it's a symbol of welcome.

J. Another fabulous house with a crazy-cool iron gate.

And then we've got more choices for Laura and Adam. Do they want color?


Or perhaps they want them in black and white?


What about a retro vibe?


I'm fond of this faded effect: