Old haunts and new discoveries

Today’s weather was picture-perfect on Cape Cod, and I definitely had a 5-star day. I had many little adventures to while away the time in delicious R&R.

Start: Breakfast.
I haven’t yet expounded on the feasts that constitute the “breakfast” part at this Bed & Breakfast. Always, always a treat! This morning’s offerings began with a scrumptious blackberry crumb cake and sliced honeydew melon. That would have served for the entire meal as far as I’m concerned, but the main dish (for me) was a yummy serving of scrambled eggs and toast, which sounds plain, but the eggs were cooked to perfection and I spread the toast with sweet homemade raspberry jam. (The chef’s first choice was some kind of egg, cheese, and ham dish over toast with a light cheese sauce that sounded a bit much to me.) Really, the folks here totally outdo themselves every day!

Stop 1: The Stony Brook Grist Mill. Activity: Reading and thinking.
I decided to try to find a shady spot along water somewhere to sit and read this morning. I found a perfect location near the Stony Brook Grist Mill, which is just down the road, although for whatever reason, I have never been there. It’s a lovely little spot, and I found a hideaway where I could hear the running creek and set my beach chair up for more than two hours of reading and thinking time. I actually worked on some exercises in The Creative Entrepreneur, which I brought along to help me to think a bit about my consulting practice and my short and long term dreams and ambitions.

On the grounds at Stony Brook Grist Mill…
That last shot is the view from my thinking spot.
  
  

Stop 2: Chatham.  Activity: Window shopping.
One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon up here is widow shopping on Chatham’s Main Street. There are lots of galleries and gift shops that are fun to browse. I make it a point to check out The Artful Hand Gallery and the wonderful bookstore, Where the Sidewalk Ends. I also checked out some art and jewelry galleries, and in Gallery Antonia, I saw the most amazing painting and chatted briefly with the artist, Penny Billings. I took a quick photo of the painting that just stunned me, but of course it certainly does not do it justice. The technique is simply exquisite and the painting is $4200 worth of gorgeous! You can see more of Penny’s work here and here. I rewarded myself for not splurging on that stunning painting by getting a lovely 6-inch etched vase by Mary-Melinda Wellsandt from the fine folks at the Artful Hand.

What I didn’t purchase and what I did.
 

Interlude: Lost in Dennis.
I wanted to fit in a beach walk between my Chatham meandering and my dinner reservation, and I got a bit lost trying to find the beach in Dennis. No matter, I got to gawk at the cute little cottages and the gorgeous beach homes on some of the back roads. You know I love my own little Cape Cod style house, but if I win the lottery, I can just about guarantee that I’d look for a little out-of-the-way property up here. Real estate envy is a fun pastime.

Stop 3: West Dennis Beach. Activity: Walking.
West Dennis Beach provided a peaceful walk along Nantucket Sound, but it wasn’t the prettiest beach I’ve been on in the Cape. It’s a very short beach from parking lot to waves, and there was a lot of seaweed washed up near the water. A local resident who greeted me in the parking lot (Did you really come all the way from Delaware?) told me they clean up the beach every few days – I don’t think I got to see it in its best light. Nonetheless, it was a good place for a quick walk.

 Before-dinner beach walk.

Stop 4: Ocean House. Activity: Dinner.
Cape Cod is not the best eating environment for me. Restaurants feature mostly swimmy fish (which I don’t care for), and their meat and chicken courses tend to be expensive and a bit too fancy for my taste as well. You won’t find any of the upscale franchises or fast food places anywhere near here. I’ve only found a couple of go-back-to places. Well, tonight I found another one! The Ocean House is right on the Sound, and it has a lovely porch with a wall of windows to take in the view. The entire restaurant is white (walls and tablecloths) and black (chairs and carpet) – with no decoration at all to compete with the fabulous view. (Click on the “Settings” and “Personality” sections of their website for pictures.) My dinner, a maple and soy glazed pork chop, was excellent! I’ll be back, and I’ll come early to snag a table right along the windows.

Stop 5: Nauset Beach. Activity: Beach walking and contemplation.
I drove all the way up to Orleans to cap off my day with a walk on Nauset Beach to listen to the ocean waves one more time. I’m afraid the weather will not hold out, and I’m not likely to get back this way on this trip. Pulling into the parking lot, I had Barbra Streisand on the stereo: “Tell me where – where is it written what I’m meant to be…?” and that provided a bit of a refrain to accompany the pounding surf. Aside from a few fishermen and a few seals, I had the beach to myself for a beautiful twilight walk.

Return to start: Back at the Captain Freeman Inn. Activity: Blogging.
Back in my comfy room, I’m wrapping up the day and enjoying a dessert of molasses cookies – a specialty of the house. It’s a sweet treat to end a perfect day.

“It takes tremendous courage to follow where your innate gifts lead, as that often means venturing into unfamiliar territory, forging a path that is wholly your own and not mapped out by someone else.”
~ Lisa Sonora Beam, The Creative Entrepreneur

In my travels along familiar and unfamiliar paths on Cape Cod today, I think I soaked up a little bit of that necessary courage.