Cape Girl

Summertime... and the living is BUSY!

It's been a long, hot summer on the Cape. Between the kids being home 24/7 and taking a two week trip to Maine in August, there was scarcely time to catch up on the laundry, let alone try to find an hour or so to be creative, witty and inspiring. But now, the air is finally cooler, the kids are (nearly) back to school and I'm feeling the urge to get back to the Big, Bad World of Blogging.

There's just something about this time of year; the end of summer - beginning of fall. The crowds disperse, the kids go back to school, and everything starts to quiet down. Everyone seems to take a collective breath of relief (or exhaustion). Don't get me wrong, I love summer on the Cape as much as anyone, and this was as great a season as ever, albeit a bit rainy. But once it's over and the weather turns cooler, it feels like you get a fresh start, a clean slate, a Mulligan! No matter what you call it, I love this feeling.

It was a fun summer though. Despite all the record rain-fall, we were blessed with a gorgeous Memorial Day, a picture-perfect Fourth of July, a fun-filled and fabulous first-ever "SandwichFest" street fair, and a glorious, nearly rain-free August (although a couple weeks could have been a bit less humid!) Typical New Englander - I have to find some weather to complain about!

This summer found us visiting parks and public gardens, attending town band concerts and local town street fairs, strolling through the weekly farmer's market, and doing our best to boost our local economy by shopping at area boutiques and restaurants. We even splurged and took the whole family to the Circus! By any measure it was a busy summer.

We had a few out-of-town guests visit us over the course of the season as well. (They helped our local economy too!) One of them asked me if I noticed fewer crowds this summer due to the economic slow-down. I can honestly say I didn't. The grocery stores were busy as ever and the traffic on Rte. 6 showed no improvement, regardless of the "fly-over " completion. But mainly I think business was booming on the Cape because as vacations go, the Cape is one of the most reasonable and affordable ways to go. It can be as expensive or as frugal as you want to make it.

Most of the activities we enjoyed this summer were free. For those that did cost some money, they were relatively affordable. The majority of people I know who visited the Cape this summer stayed with family or friends who either live here or rented a place. Where there's a will, there's a way!

As we look ahead to all the beauty and promise a new season on Cape Cod has to offer, let us never forget what draws people to our Region in the first place: Summer. May Her spirit warm us all through the winter.

For more information on all things Cape Cod, visit my blog at: www.capecodgirl-sandy.blogspot.com