Oct 5 to 11

Monday
Got up about 5 am, early enough to have breakfast and get to St. Laurant Plaza to catch the Queensway Tour Bus. Our daughter drove us there. We were headed for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Boston and Plymouth, MA. The weather was mixed with a lot of cloud, a bit of rain and some sun. No problem crossing the border at Ivy Lea. We arrived in South Yarmouth, MA about 5:30 pm. We had time to look over our room and walk around the hotel several times. At
6:45 we headed off on the bus to a local restaurant for supper. The bus and driver were from Healey Bus Lines of Smith Falls. I had seen him before twice when we used Healey for a couple of bus tours we helped organize in 2005 and 2007. He remembered me. Supper was at the Riverway Restaurant in South Yarmouth, MA. We both had poached salmon. The dessert was tapioca pudding, which I hadn't had for years. Tasted OK but not a super meal. Walked 6.9 km.

Tuesday
Got up about 6 am. Breakfast at 7:15. On the bus by 8:10. This was the day we went to Hyanis, Cape Cod to catch the Hi-Line ferry to Martha's Vineyard. The trip is about 1 hr and 45 minutes each way. Arrived at Oak Bluffs about 11 am. We then took a bus tour down island to see some of the sights and stopped in Edgartown for lunch and a brief shopping session. Lots of tour buses around at this time of year. The weather was breezy in the morning on the boat but we stayed up top. On the island it was quite warm. We had a take out lunch at the Quarterdeck so that
we would have time to look around the town and also look in the stores. Nice place but it must really be busy in the summer months. Got back to Hyanis about 5:45 and then stopped at a liquor store. Out to Christopher's Restaurant for supper. We had chicken francaise. Good! Much better meal than Monday. The entertainment was great. Two guys singing and playing piano, guitar and fiddle. Walked 9.2 km.

Wednesday
Not a good day for weather on Cape Cod. It started raining about 5 am and didn't stop until about noon. The winds were high enough to cancel all whale watching tours from Provincetown, MA. So we toured in Hyanis to St. Francis Xavier Church, the Vietnam Memorial and the Kennedy Memorial. We then travelled up the Cape to the Cape Cod National Seashore Park where we visited the interpretation center. Then we saw Naussett Lighthouse and went down
to the beach. The waves were really rolling in. Then off to Eastham to see the windmill in the rain. We then travelled to Provincetown where we spent the rest of the day. Had a lobster roll for lunch. Very good. Did some shopping. Walked up the Pilgrim Monument, all 168 steps to the top. I really don't like heights. After that we had a ride in the dunes around Provincetown. Interesting ride. Would rather have seen whales. At night we had supper at Michael Shays. I had stuffed pork chop. Nice dessert of chocolate covered ice cream. Much better meal and nicer
atmosphere! Walked 11.9 km.

Thursday
Sunny and mostly clear today. After breakfast we headed off to Boston by the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal. Took a bit longer because of construction. In Boston we first visited the J. F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. It was very well done and it is really worth visiting. Next we headed of to the Back Bay area of Boston for a brief tour and then over to the Charlestown Navy Yard to visit the USS Constitution and museum. We were then dropped off at Quincy Market for 1 1/2 hours. I chose to walk back along the Freedom Trail towards the State
House where I wanted to take some pictures of the statues. I also stopped at the Old Burying Ground to take photos of Winthrop and Dyer tombstones. We were back on the bus by 3:00 pm and we then headed south towards Plymouth to see Plymouth Rock and The Pilgrim Monument. Lots of other things to see there as well. We had about 45 minutes to wander around. Back at South Yarmouth about 6:00 pm where we stopped for a lobster supper at the Lobster Boat
Restaurant. Great meal! Walked 12.1 km.

Friday
Headed home on the bus. Bags out by 7:00 am. Breakfast at 7:00 am. On the bus by 8:00 am. No incidents and the Canadian Customs was fast. We were home by 7:15 pm. Walked 6 km.

Saturday
Sunny but cool today. Rain overnight. Today I went golfing for the first time in about 20 years. It was the day for the Bachelor party for my future son-in-law. We went to the Champlain course in Aylmer, Quebec. The wind was cold and the course was soaking wet. Didn't do too badly hitting the ball! They had a BBQ after. One spot of turf on the golf course was so wet that it looked like a wavy water bed when someone stepped on it. I didn't stay for the evening session. Raked some of the leaves from our trees. Will do more of that on Monday. Walked 14 km.

Sunday
Sunny but cool today. We are having our Thanksgiving dinner today with one of daughters and her fiancee and their two dogs. Our other daughter is away in the US. Walked 5.3 km