Weekend in Hyannis

The weather gods smiled on us this weekend.  We enjoyed Chamber of Commerce weather in Hyannis, MA after suffering through a week of Nor'easter wind and rain.  We had sun with temperatures in the upper 50's and low 60's -- perfect for outdoor sightseeing and walks on the beach.

This weekend had six major components -- eating, beach walking, museum visiting, family relating, photo documenting, and a boat ride.

Saturday morning, Selim and I woke up early enough to take a quick walk down the street to look at the boats in the harbor.  The ferries were going to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.  Some day it will be fun to go back to MV.  I can't remember going back since I left after the summer of 1984.  Although, if Heather lived there in 1989, I must have visited her.  I had a little memory rush as we walked and took pictures.  We did the requisite selfie:

And boat pictures.  I love reflections.

Continuing with the photo documenting theme: I took pictures of my favorite glass pieces that I saw at the Sandwich Glass Museum.

The boys did a great job in the Glass Museum.  There was a scavenger hunt that kept them occupied and moving from exhibit through exhibit.  They looked for the sitting hen, glass books, a key, Chinese tower, and lots more.  The hardest find was the smokeless bell that turned out to be not a regular bell at all.  And as I sit here typing, I can't remember what it was.

Anyway, the beach walks were fun.  How I missed documenting JT carrying the huge rock from one end of the beach, down the boardwalk and back to the car, I'll never know.  But I did get Selim photo-bombing the grandparents.

I got the boys digging a hole / shelter at Kalmus Beach.  They needed a few more hours of wall construction for the concept to turn into reality.  But it was a good start.

Amazing how the boys were happy in short sleeves, and us grown ups sported the layered look.  We were at the same beach, I promise.

We had to be careful where we stepped, as the horseshoe crabs had left their shells all over the sand.  It was a bit creepy, actually.

I got in my statue fix this morning.  Selim had studied the Wampanoag Tribe last year in school.  Who knew that we would find a statue of their Chief on Main Street?

 

Followed by JFK in the next block.

We continued the JFK theme with a boat ride out of the Harbor that took us in front of the Kennedy Compound.  It was so windy that my eyes were watering fiercely.  Blurry eyes!  I kept taking pictures, trusting that one or two would be in focus.  The boat rocking didn't assist my attempts at clear pictures.  What struck me was the size of the compound homes.  In my memory, the photos showed the beach was endless and the houses, massive.  In truth, there is a skimpy stretch of sand and the houses are modest compared to the nearby modern mansions.

We ended our family gathering at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History.  It was the perfect size for the younger set.  I could have stayed in one of their comfy chairs, watching for papa and mama cardinal for a while longer, but the drive home loomed large.

Before we went our separate ways, we found out that Selim's wing span is about the size of an Osprey and Heather's the size of a heron.  We speculated that GL's would have been bigger than a chickadee.  I wasn't fast enough with my camera to get JT spreading his arms in front of the crow.  Recreating the moment was not an option for me.

A brief stop at the gift shop prolonged our stay by a few minutes.  Then it was on to group photos (a few cameras made it tough to know where to look), hugs, and waves goodbye.

Oh wait!  There's more...shark!!!!!!