The Beach, Chatham and the Lake!

12 July 2012--Marie and Emily drove down to join us for a few days on Sunday, arriving fairly early so we could get a jump on the day we planned...all day at the beach!!! We had planned to go to Scusset Beach at Scusset State Park a 1/2 hour drive from here...we had checked it out online and it looked really nice, so after our "Sandy" Neck beach experience, we headed out for a fun day in the sun! Unfortunately, we spent 2 1/2 hours in the car searching for a beach that still had parking spots available...everything was closed...and I mean everything!!! I couldn't have been more frustrated, so I am surprised that 2 1/2 hours later I could smile at all! haha

After what seemed like a drive all over the Cape, we finally ended up back in Plymouth, at what is called 3-Mile Beach, although they didn't have 3 miles of parking available for all the people who wanted to go there. We arrived about 12:45 PM and were told by the parking lot people that they were full and to check back at 1:30 PM to see if we could get in. Now get a load of this: as we drive away not 20 feet from where the attendants are standing we see several empty spots in the supposedly full parking lot, so I immediately tell Cathy to "bang a U-y" and go back. I get out of the car and ask why is it that there are empty spaces but they are stopping us from going in? Their answer in a nutshell is that they can let residents in, but for everyone else they have to wait until there are 30 spaces open to let more people in!!! Needless to say I am stunned by the stupidity of this answer, but the supervisor tells me he has been doing this for 20 years and it is a safety issue...they would hold up traffic on the street if they let one car in for every car that left the lot. At $15 per car I tell him that it is pretty much "un-American" to be turning away cold, hard cash, but he is undeterred from his stupidity, so we are turned away again. This guy has clearly put the Peter Principle into play here. Between the traffic and the parking situation in this state, I am not sure how much more I can take! haha

Anyway, we finally got in at 1:30 and had a nice couple hours at the beach. The water was pretty cold, as you can tell from looking at Marie and I. God only knows what Marie is doing in the last pic here...looks like she is gargling?




On Monday, Jen drove down and dropped off Kaleigh and Jack for a couple days. We headed out to Chatham, MA...where reports of lots of seals drawing quite a few great white sharks have been on the news daily.



We saw plenty of seals, but no great white sharks.



This beach area is absolutely beautiful, but as you can see the seals lurking, all swimming is prohibited to avoid shark attacks.



We went over to the fishing pier where lots of boats were unloading their catches for the day. These looked like young sand sharks...not sure why they are so bloody, can only guess they are getting cut buy each other's fins??? We were told they are caught and sold for cat food.






We had picked up some subs before getting to the pier, so pulled up here to each lunch. You have to blow up these pics...once again, I have to wonder what Marie is doing? She looks like someone who is trying be a part of someone else's party and doesn't really belong to us!!!



Lots of pics in case the moms want to copy them. It was a gorgeous day!!!



After we left Chatham we didn't dare trying to get to another beach, so we drove to the lake Marie and her family are used to going to in Yarmouth. The water was beautiful, nice and warm. Playing with Jack on my shoulders and Kale on Emily's, Jack and I are the clear victors as we push the 2 girls over and then celebrate the victory!



Kale and Emily take their turns with me...I simply never get tired of winning! haha



On Tuesday Jen, Jeff and Bridget rode down for a day in the RV park at the pool, but Cathy and I were busy ALL DAY trying to figure out why our passenger side rear slide would not retract so we have no pics...we are suddenly in the house that jack built!!! Have to take it in to a repair shop on Tuesday next week to be fixed...ugh! But other than that, we had a great time.