Cape Cod Vacation AAR...

Well, we've been back almost a full day, so it's time for the AAR for the big summer vacation. We took a week off and traveled to our favorite campground, Scusset Beach State Preservation in Sandwich, MA for a week's worth of pouring rain fun in the sun / rest & relaxation. I've been going to Scusset since I was a wee sprog myself, spending weeks at a time in our little class C (van front) camper as Dad fished on the canal and Mom basked in the sun on the beach.

One of the great things about Scusset is how little it has changed since I went there as a child - my folks sold their camper in 1982, and we took our son there in 2002 for his first trip and what shocked me was how little the place had changed. There had been some minor upgrades to the main office, and of course maintenance was performed, but by and large the campground hasn't changed since I was a boy.

There's still the same activities that I enjoyed as a boy:

Rock climbing

Those rocks comprise the jetty on the mainland side of the canal. There's a lighthouse (solar-powered, natch) that keeps the light lit, and a foghorn that sounds when visibility is poor. We heard the foghorn a lot Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It was interesting - it's the very same sound that used to lull me to sleep as a young boy, sleeping in the area over the driving compartment in my parents' RV.

I couldn't resist a quick self-portrait to show that I really was on this trip:

What hams!

Of course we made it to the beach:

Diggin' holes

What is the fascination that digging holes in the sand holds for young children? When we first got to the beach, it was literally pockmarked with holes dug of every shape and depth. It looked like a bloodless version of the Normandy invasion there were so many holes to crawl into. There's just got to be some primal urge to dig in the sand (probably for food) ingrained deep in the psyche of man, and children are just more hardwired into that urge.

We took many bike rides on the canal:

Da girls

Da boy

TheBoy would like it known that this year, for the very first time, he accompanied Daddy all the way to the end of the canal for the very first time ever on the bike path. The mainland side runs from Scusset Campground all the way to Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a distance of approximately 7½ miles. TheBoy was astounded to learn that he had traveled some 15 miles on his bike, and delighted in informing everyone (and I do mean everyone) about his feat of physical prowess...

And lastly, there's fishing on the pier:

Fishin' spot

There's all kinds of fishing to be had on the canal: Flounder, stripers, bluefish, perch, and many other saltwater fish live in or travel through the canal, and rumor has it that you can even catch them. We wouldn't know from our travails, but to a nine year old boy, the thrill of even getting a hit on the line is better than landing a record-shattering catch - as long as he's the one doing the actual fishing.

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Despite the poor weather at the onset of the trip (seriously, it rained for three days, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, except that it had not rained more than half a day all summer long) and the quick trip to the ER for the Mrs., we had a wonderful time. The kids got to run around and play on the beach; TheBoy got to stretch his cycling legs; Mrs. G. got some quiet time; and I got to have a blast with my family at one of my favorite places on the planet.

Until next year, Scusset Beach, when we meet again...

That is all.