In my head, when I was arranging travel arrangements to Cape Cod, my objectives were always to have fun and eat lobster. We had a great day overall, and I ate a lot of lobster. Regrettably, despite seeing a 17-pound lobster in a preview tank, we decided not to eat him. However, we were present for several of his relatives' funerals.
Our buddy Al Burrage from West Seattle has been inviting us to stay with him in his Cape Cod cottage in West Dennis for about ten years. Finally, we were able to plan a trip to Massachusetts, and unsurprisingly, we had a great time there. Al rents out his cottage, The Mainstay, during the "season," but he also travels to Cape Cod before and after the season to get it ready for visitors and to seal it up for the winter.
The cottage is a three-bedroom residence with a glassed-in porch, an outside shower, and a way to wash off sand and salt before going inside. Crushed shell is used for the home's walkway and driveway. A cedar pole fence runs across the front and along one side of the yard, as is customary with Cape Cod houses. It has shutters that are maroon and is freshly painted turquoise. Two bedrooms each contain a double bed, while one bedroom has twin beds. The dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, and microwave are in the kitchen. We can vouch for how pleasant it is. While we were on Cape Cod, The Mainstay served as our base of operations. We would travel to destinations like Provincetown, Woods Hole, and Boston each day.
While Al lives in West Dennis he has plenty of opportunity to visit with people and scout out good places to go. Once we got there, Al continued to list all the possible destinations and activities we should engage in. He continued to provide advice even when we disregarded him. We agreed to most of them, and we never came across a terrible one.
The neighbourhood thrift store is one of the finest venues to find locally produced goods at fair prices. We won huge. Al spent $2.00 on a toy brass cannon, and Peg spent the same amount on two framed original lace collars. She was ecstatic. Al eventually convinced Peg to go to Cuffy's of Cape Cod after making a suggestion. It appeared like the two of them returned with purchases totaling a few hundred dollars. We ultimately needed to buy a second luggage to accommodate our souvenir purchasing.
I was able to limit my souvenir purchases to the Christmas Tree Shop and The Music Meister. Al adores good deals. Tea Pee Dreams herbal tea was what I bought for my friends' wives. Each Cape Cod golf ball and a rattlesnake repellent box, which contained strange small bundles of fragrant herbs and spices, were items I got for my golfing companions. I never noticed a snake nearby, so I'm not sure what they do. On his way to a party in Seattle, I gave a box to a friend's kid. One of the bundles was held to his nose. I advised him not to allow the police to search him. I don't think the herbal drinks or the snakebite prevention had anything to do with it.
Every day often began the same way. I would get up before Al or Peg. I would start the coffee maker before occasionally going for a walk or drive. When I got back, I'd knock on Al's door and he'd be up and ready to go in no time. I wanted to make breakfast light but within reason since I knew we would likely have a substantial lunch and dinner. I ate my first meal in West Dennis at the Good Friends Cafe, which is next to the neighbourhood post office.
I never enjoy eating at big-name chains. I favour visiting regional businesses. Whatever you look for, you never know. Al had already eaten there under the previous name of the establishment, but never at the Good Friends. The server, a young man named Tchigo (I hope that's spelled correctly; I'm not sure with the accent and all), explained to me what "grilled bread" was after I noticed it on the menu. His father, who was a cook at another restaurant before buying the Good Friends, where he is currently the cook and owner, makes the bread. It was quite good. A decent thick slice is cut, then it is grilled until it is warm and fragrant. On top of that is a dab of butter.
Grilled bread comes in three varieties: apple, cinnamon raisin, and cranberry. The apple and the cranberry were on my order. Without the butter, the bread was still tasty. With the butter, it tasted wonderful. It tasted tasty when dipped in coffee. It tasted wonderful when grilled simply. Al got the apple grilled toast, but I never gave him the cranberry. I VERY much enjoyed the cranberry. The bread is occasionally used to make French toast. That will have to be something I try again.
On my final day in West Dennis, I ate by myself there. I only wanted a little something, one more. When I asked for the corn beef hash, I was prepared for a canned dish. Homemade corned beef and onions were what I received. Not that I could see, it didn't even have a potato with it. I was so busy eating it that I almost forgot to add some hashbrowns. Tchigo questioned me as soon as I entered and sat down if I was waiting for my companion. He remembered me and Al even though it had been a week since I had visited.
A couple drove up as we were leaving the restaurant and asked us how to go to Dennisport. Al agreed. This is funny to me because we frequently had to use maps to establish our bearings while we travelled all over the cape. On the Cape, driving is a perpetual source of confusion. A week later, as I was leaving the restaurant alone, I noticed a man who had parked his car with the hood up. His American POW status was evident from his licence plate, which I assume was during World War II. I pulled up next to him and enquired as to whether he required help. He claimed not to require assistance. His wife reported that the engine belts were squeaking after he had them replaced.
The Music Meister is one of Al's favourite locations to visit. Lew Taylor, the owner, gets unlimited access to DVDs. Only a few items are on hand, but he can order practically everything you require. Al wanted me to meet Lew since he knew how much I adore vintage television and movies. I was opposed. Al exclaimed to me how admirable he was. Lew used to compete in rodeos, he informed me. I had no concern. I had other things on my mind. Instead of going to the Music Meister because I noticed they had WiFi, I went into the parking lot of the neighbourhood library. They were, regrettably, shuttered. I felt let down. Al suggested that we visit Lew. He is the library's board president. Small towns, please.
Lew acknowledged that I could connect with my laptop in the library parking lot, but I didn't bring it to Cape Cod. I expected to find a WiFi cafe. Lew stated: "You won't find one on the Cape, in my opinion. Here, we're a little low-tech." By perusing some Celtic CDs that Lew was offering for sale, Peg and I consoled ourselves. While I spoke with Lew about Celtic singers and bands, Peg purchased three and made her way to the car to listen to Maura O'Connell, one of our favourite musicians. When I stepped outside, Al and Peg were examining a tree that had long pods on it. None of us were familiar with it.
Al returned inside to speak with Lew. He also had no idea what the tree was. Kathy later called and mentioned Catalpa. We made several more visits to see Lew. Twice when he was truly open, once before he opened, once after he closed. He was always helpful and cordial. I was trying to find a music that I had heard in Saint Ralph, a movie, in the background. Being that it was a Canadian movie, I assumed the singer was Celtic. Lew did some research and informed me that Jack Ingram was from Texas. It was called Goodnight Moon.
At West Dennis, Al keeps an automobile. When he goes away for the season, he parks the car between trees so that anyone attempting to steal it would find it difficult to tow it away. He loves (and tolerates) the car. Al's automobile appears to be secure. The car is covered with pollen and mildew, and it has some rust issues. Peg went for a spin in Al's Mercedes and made an unflattering comparison between it and my old 1955 Rambler, one of my favourite vehicles from our past. "That dirty, ragged, stinking, loud little Ramber," was how Peg always described my '55. You can take a bus to the Cape, but I advise against it because you'll need a Black Car Service Boston to go around.
As I said, I considered it my duty and objective to eat lobster when visiting New England. I went to Swan River Seafood and Fish Market with Al. On Cape Cod, their lobstermen often capture fresh lobster. Either the restaurant or the market were options, and even there you could have your fish cooked. For instance, you may specify the type of lobster you want and the time you need it cooked. After that, you may drop by, pick it up, and bring it home to eat your lobster in your own kitchen or dining area. Swan River provided cooked lobster flesh in addition to a fantastic assortment of fresh seafood.
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I thought this was a little expensive, but when we went to another market, they had prepared lobster for only $5 extra per pound. After mulling over the options for a few days, we headed back to Swan River on our way to lunch. Peg did the same when I indicated which tail I wanted. She chose one that was somewhat smaller. I ate mine while seated in the car. Peg consumed two bites before sharing one with Al and taking the remaining lobster home. In Massachusetts, this was the second-best lobster I've ever had. It was substantial, soft, and delicious. We spent approximately $20 on the snack, but it was totally worth it.
Al was adamant that we would eat that evening. The same as Peg and I, he enjoys cooking. Al had the simple supper under control. I also purchased some fresh green beans and salad fixings. Rice, white wine, seafood pate, scallops that were cooked to immaculate perfection, and clam stuffing were also on the menu. We overstuffed ourselves. Scallops and prawns were left over for us. Food was available everywhere. It appears that the food fairy visited my home and puked, Al commented after taking a look around. We drank some more wine. Two days later Al fixed himself a rice and scallop snack at five in the morning before returning to bed. He didn't accompany me to breakfast outside that morning.
The early hours of Cape Cod were my favourite. With the tides and the fog, the bogs and estuaries alter. I frequently returned to the same locations and was never let down. I also rarely felt let down by the meals we chose. One morning, Al and I dropped Peg off at the wash and came back as she was finishing up folding her clothes. We chose to visit two local stores, and next to them was a tiny cafe. The waitress was amusing and welcoming. Excellent food was served. I ate a Caesar salad with tuna. I enquired as to whether it came from a tuna fillet or from a can.
Living up to great expectations is never easy. Al was quite enthusiastic about Captain Parker's Pub for dinner. He gushed over it. We saved it for our last Cape Cod lunch. The waitress was rude, the restaurant was noisy, and the meal was nice but we were sitting by the entrance. Additionally, she neglected to include bread with our lunch. The meal was excellent, though, so that was something. I placed my order for the seafood pasta on Al's recommendation. In a rich cream sauce, the seafood dish featured lobster, prawns, and mussels. The mussels were superb despite my scepticism that the cream sauce would complement them. To get a cheese table dispenser, I had to go over to the service counter.
We left Captain Parker's Pub after eating our lunches and made our way through the parking lot to the ZooAquarium. In order to relax in the nice evening wind, Peg sat on Flipper. We were exhausted after our eight days on Cape Cod. We were all still exhausted even though we had reduced our activity for the last day to nearly nothing. We were probably all a little disappointed that it was almost done.
We went back to The Mainstay and started packing. Around eleven, I fell asleep. The time of my alarm was 3:30 AM. At 4:15 AM, we departed from West Dennis and left the Cape in the pouring rain. Although we departed Cape Cod, our memories will always transport us there.
Al may have felt a little lonely on Thursday morning when he awoke to an empty house (albeit I believe the refrigerator was still full). Al called us on Peg's cell phone before we had even picked up our luggage at Sea-Tac. Alaska Airlines' flight proceeded smoothly. Just like the majority of our time spent in West Dennis on Car Service Cape Cod, we had excellent service from pleasant people.
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