45 Hours On The Cape...

The Summer 2014 can NOT be described as the summer of getaways. Between local races and training for the Half Ironman, we have had very little free summer to take advantage of the awesome scenery New England has to offer. I mean we put up with the dismal winter for this very Summer!

So when I received a race bib through New Balance to take part in the Falmouth Road Race on August 17, we thought we would make a weekend out of it.

Okay okay... 45 hours!

That's right. We did as much of summer on the Cape as we could in 45 hours ... including sitting in New England traffic. :P

Why 45 hours? Well I led two Weight Watchers meeting on the Saturday morning, which delayed our departure to the Cape to closer to 11:30/almost Noon.

So the dogs and I attempted a selfie while the wife got us much-needed Dunkins (aka Dunkin Donuts) for the traffic trip.

We were setting our for Sandwich, MA. My parents have had a camper there for two years and because of my race and training schedule I've never been there before. #DaughterFail Note this would be the pups third visit to the Cape. Yeah they have a rough life.

I was surprised there wasn't more traffic seeing as how probably half of Boston would be on the Cape for the race. But I guess most were heading down either Friday or morning of.

Now I am not really a Cape person. I feel most Bostonians are either Cape people or Maine/Vermont/NH folks. Any Bostonians agree or disagree? Well I tend to head to Maine when given the opportunity, but free housing on the Cape helps. :)

So we arrived in Sandwich just before 2 (stellar time even with my necessary bathroom break) and were excited to see my parents' camper.

How cute? My dad built the porch himself. :) It is SUPER spacious inside. I couldn't believe it. We got a little tour of the campground and their camp friends before heading out to see Sandwich.

And they are just six steps from this great pond.

Well, first the pups needed to see the water.

Apparently the world revolved around them.

I lucked out and a Tedy's Team-mate Allie was able to pick my bib up for me so we didn't have to take over an hour out of our Saturday afternoon to go and pick it up. Thanks again Allie! :)

My parents took us on a tour of Sandwich starting with lunch at Cafe Chew (which was not a hit with me) then we took a walk along the Sandwich Boardwalk.

How cool are the dedications on the planks along the Boardwalk? I tried to read every single one and I may have missed some, but I didn't notice one "WIll You Marry Me?" plank. I was shocked.

After a lovely walk on the Boardwalk, we headed back to the campground to relax. Oh folks! It was the first afternoon in I don't know how long that I just chilled. It was fan-freakin-tastic. It gave me A LOT to think about for next summer.

Oh and Harpoon decided to join me for the occasion. ;)

I did this while the wife took my dad's kayak out for a spin around the pond.

The dogs really have the handle on the "vacation" thing.

Am I right?

Big thanks to my parents for dog proofing the porch.

I am so thankful for this wife of mine who puts up with my crazy running adventures. She was the happiest with this trip - well excluding Disney of course. ;)

I am working on revamping my Fall once the Half Ironman is over to get us back down to the Cape at least a couple of times before their campground closes for the winter.

Now Sunday morning called for a 5am wake-up call for the Falmouth Road Race so Saturday Night we decided to grill in - steak tips, corn on the cob, veggies, potato salad, etc.

Mmm I love weekends.

My mom stayed back with the pups while my dad, the wife and I piled in the car to head to the race. Between the race and the after-party Tedy's Team BBQ, we ended up back on site about 2pm.

Thanks Tedy for a great party!

We could've headed right back to Boston then and there. Sit in lots of traffic. But we didn't want to do that. So we decided to hang around for one more peaceful evening and get up at 5am on Monday to head home.

Best decision we could've made.

It was a lovely relaxing Sunday afternoon.

The rain started after we got back so the wife and pups went for a nap, while I checked out bad TV. Sometimes I miss having cable. :P

Once the rain cleared, the wife was ready to get out and move.

Tori was able to take a fellow camper's Sunfish boat out on the pond, while I sat back on the porch and vegged. I really can't put into words how awesome that felt. Again thinking about how I would shape my Summer in 2015 (hint: more relaxing).

Before we left the Cape, I wanted to make sure the wife got a Lobster roll so we headed to Sesuit Harbor Cafe.

It was a bit nippy sitting outside, but a great atmosphere. I wish my mom had told us it was BYOB. I was jealous of the people around us with their solo cups and wine. ;)

My food wasn't good, but the wife loved her Lobster roll so that is all that matters.

We had a low-key evening in the camper before calling it an early night.

5am came too soon.

But it was a great choice.

We had zero traffic heading home. A beautiful sunrise. And were both at work on time.

I remember checking the car clock when we pulled into our driveway and it was before 8am... hence the 45 hours (or so) on the Cape.

Sometimes you never know how recharging 45 hours away can be on your soul.

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Do you do mini-vacations during the Summer months?