CAPE COD AND FOREVER FRIEND

My last visit to Cape Cod was 1999.  Son played baseball in the Cape Cod League.  He was assigned to a couple that had never hosted a baseball player before.  He arrived at their home on his 21st birthday and because she wanted to make it special, Lisa (host Mom) made him a special dinner.  Little did she know that the dessert she made, cheesecake, was his favorite and she won his heart that first night.Well, 20 years later, we are back on the Cape.

The Cape is within driving distance of Boston and so it is a great getaway place for Bostonians. Also, there are a lot of Cape residents that work in Boston. The traffic was crowded on weekends 20 years ago.  But, the traffic is now crowded all the time and comes to a grid lock during commuting hours and weekends.  An example, we had to travel 12 miles and it took us 45 minutes and that was going in the opposite direction of the "traffic".

However, the Cape is a very quaint place.  It is divided into several different towns and each town consists of several villages.  A lot of the homes were built in the 1600 and 1700s.  The Cape has many, many rules and laws that require residents to maintain the outside of their homes to keep them looking as original as possible.  Most people have gone in and done remodeling, but the outside has kept it quaintness which is part of what makes Cape Cod what it is. They also have some of the most beautiful flower gardens of anywhere.

They had just closed this beach because of a shark sighting.  Sharks are becoming more and more prevalent because the seal population is growing.

Most of the beaches on Cape Cod are free to certain residents.  If you are not a resident, you must pay around $20 pp to get on their beaches.  They have 1 free public beach that I know of.  I believe it stays pretty crowded during the summer season. They have pretty beaches.  It is just a matter of getting close enough to see them!

Sunday, we met up with Lisa (host Mom) and spent an incredible day with her.  We had lunch and she took us on our own private tour of Hyannis and Hyannis Port.  One thing I learned was that people who were supporting the Crown back in the Revolutionary times would paint a black stripe on their chimneys.  They wanted to symbolize or "brag" that they supported the king.  Of course, that helped the colonialist soldiers know what side people were on.

In 1999, Lisa was 7 months pregnant with her first child.  That child is now a sophomore in college and her younger sister is a freshman.  Lisa had just moved both kids to Boston College and will now experience "empty nest".  She has been a single Mom for 6 years and now is time for her to spend some time on herself.  I think she will be fine. Lisa is one of those people that is easy to love.  She is tenderhearted and has a love for life and others.  I am very fortunate to have met her and have her as a friend. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to spend the day with her.  What a treat for me.

All in all, it was great to be back on the Cape again.  It will always have a special place in my heart.  I've posted some pics below of the ballpark where Son played.  What great memories.

The 1999 team won the championship.  They also won the championship this year.