Cape Cod Perfect Journey

Monday July 15

We left Montreal around 11am, 18pm arrived to Best Western Plus in Cambridge. I totally confused the traffic circle, always lost in Cambridge local, only relied on GPS to get back.

The hotel looks good, excellent location, just beside shop center, I treated 27000 aeroplan miles 2 weeks ago, value $200.

Took shower, we went to Shushi store cross street, they are in fact Chinese, cost $37, not bad.

Tuesday Jul 16

Breakfast is nice, many choices. I found direction and tour session for Harvard University and MIT, this is our plan for today , visit two famous universities in Cambridge, this is major reason we stayed this hotel.

Checked out hotel at 11am, when got the main gate, found one street parking space but only for 30 mins, the tour at least 1 hour so it is not working for us, then parked car under Information center building, paid $20.

The tour guided by one freshman girl, the campus is beautiful but it is not too surprise for me since I grown up in university campus. The campus and street, city merged together, it is not like sealed campus in China. The Harvard history is 400 years old, John Harvard donated to school so renamed as his name. We took pictures in front of his seating.

We stayed Harvard around 2 hours, decided going to Boston downtown for lunch instead of visiting MIT.

Found Charter House from local map, located at Boston harbor, we cannot find any parking when we got there, I spent 40 mins to get public parking building not far away. The Charter House is very nice also very expensive, spent $78 then plus parking $35 for 90 mins, this is most expensive parking in city for me.

It is funny to look for Gas station before left Boston to Cape Cod, GPS gave few sites in fact are convenience store like 7-11, I really don't know maybe they sell gas inside as well? anyway we got way to Cape Cod direction then gas gone very soon, so have to leave highway to local gas station, cost $39 for full tank usually cost $60 for these days in Montreal.

It is 3 hours driving to Rodeway Inn motel in Orelans, we took shower then went to Dinner, The Lobster Claw is inside many Cape Cod guide, so we decided to try from them, 1 1/4 lobster cost $28, totally $66 for dinner, recognized it is so expensive for lobster in Cape Cod compared for $22 twin lobster later days.

Wednesday July 17

We have two full days in Cape Cod, planning to spend each day on different beach, the beach is main reason we came here, it is most closed beach near Montreal.

After checking guide and asking local people, said Coast Guard Beach is one of top 10 beaches in US national, so decided to be there at 1st, when got there, found car cannot drive to beach, we need to take shutter bus, it is little bit tough to bring beach stuff. Saw native people seems very comfortable to bring all own stuff to beach, guess no business to rent anything beside beach, like most beach in the world.

The beach is good but I didn't see too much different than others, cost $15 per day, $45 per season, but you know it is totally free in Sydney Bondi even Miami we stayed before.

We also bring sun umbrella which modified like tent with side wing and hooked to sand, which we bought in Cambridge, promotion price as $29, this is very useful in the beach , better than any regular umbrella, we slept under it until 2pm, according to her only after 2pm we can take sun to avoid sun burn.

The water is cool, tide is strong so not easy really swimming, just play with water bit.

We left beach at 4pm, long wait for shutter bus.

We are looking for lobster restaurant for dinner then found just cross the entry of beach, called Lobster Shanty , twin lobsters $22, good deal, she likes their table paper which print the guide how to eat lobster!

Thursday July 18

Rodeway Inn breakfast is not good, so we got vegetable salad, Miso soup from Stopshop(5 mins walk) for own breakfast.

Today we are planning head to Provincetown on the Cape Cod top, may go to another beach if have time.

It is 40 mins away to Provicnetown, we worried a lot about parking but there is last space in 1st parking lot beside Jahoson street, $10 for whole day, thanks God.

When walked to commercial street, visit 1st Gallery, we felt might spend whole day on this street, she just loves it, there are full of fine art gallery in this street, the quality is pretty good and very contemporary, we visit almost all gallery in p-town. Anne Packard is most impressed artist for her, she opened 2 gallery in this street, one for original oil painting and another for print of work, quite expensive. She lives p-town over 40 years, 80 years old now but looks like 50, her 2 daughters also painters.

We went for lunch in Lobster Pot in town center, waterfront view. The food is really good and price reasonable, $58 for lunch.

We met Bao Lede , owner of Tao Water Gallery which is only ran by Chinese in this street, he also has another big gallery in Middle Cape.

It is so fast closed to 6pm when we walked through whole street, she decided to paint beside sea after explored many galleries, it sounds crazy but we just did it. Changed cloth , bring paint box then she spent around 2 hours finished one painting, quite America impressionism style, this seems the main stream in Cape Cod even America.

We had quick dinner in street, back to Inn around 11pm, we said it is long time we didn't crazy like this, yeah, we are still young.

Friday July 19

It is extremely hot today, there is heat alert in Boston area.

We left Inn by 11am, right 11am seems best effort we have to leave house there is always lots of thing to do, preparing.

We dropped by another Tao Water gallery, it is located 1989 Route 6A in West of Barnstable (the address printed on Cape Cod Gallery Guide is 1989 Route 64, the real road is 6A, guess it will mislead lots of visitors but only Chinese can get it), very big and nice gallery beside water. Bao happened working here today. He bought this gallery for 15 years and opened 2nd gallery in P-town for 7 years, exhibited lots of art works from Chinese artist and local fine artist, gallery is running well, widely known in East America. I took few pictures since this is only one I got permit to take picture inside gallery 🙂

Bao's family lives behind gallery, he built the house after bought gallery,his wife is writer, daughter studies design in college now. It is typical America dream.

Say bye to Bao, we got way back to home. It took around 10 hours long driving, arrived to home 11pm again.

"It is perfect trip", according to her, that is very high mark for our journey.