Captain Chipman

We are looking forward to meeting up with part of the group: Jane, Dennis, Bevie and Doug sometime today at Captain Chipmans Bed and Breakfast, our gathering place and "reserved" room for the night. The sun is shining, the skies are blue, not a cloud in sight. It's always good to have a calendar with you...Rick wakes up this morning and the first thing he says is..."five months til Christmas Eve". That's just what I wanted to hear first thing this morning. We drive through town and discover the Heritage Museum and Gardens. They are just opening the gates and you know the old saying, "when in Rome...roam". Gardening is a hobby of mine so this is right up my alley. There are 100 acres of gardens, nature trails and open spaces. There are also museums where you can browse through rare works of art, antique autos and ride on a vintage carousel. The exhibits on display this year are works from NC (Newell Convers- I knew there would be questions), Andrew and Jamie Wyeth called America Reflected. It is very interesting to see the differences in the artistic talent of three generations, father, son and grandson of the Wyeth family. To celebrate American culture " Driven to Collect" the museums beautiful antique car collection is on display along with their Behind the Scenes Auto Tour.

Secret Shelters are art installations hidden here and there throughout the gardens and tucked in spaces along your walk through Heritage. They were designed by artists and architects meant for contemplating nature, meditating and gazing at the skies. A hidden labyrinth, a maze, tree fort, water garden and pond add more beauty and tranquility to this gorgeous landmark... and, of course, those breath-taking Asian flowers, the hydraengas. An absolutely beautiful way to spend a day.

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We exit the park, find a bite to eat in town, then take the walk over the boardwalk to get of glimpse of the beach. The walk to Town Neck Beach in Sandwich is an interesting one. Once parked you take a walk on the boardwalk, over the marshland to get to the beach. People are fishing, crabbing, and paddle boarding in the narrow river-like passages through the marsh. It's about a 10 minute walk each way and worth the trip.

Time to check-in at Captain Chipmans and get settled in for the day. Jane and Dennis arrive about half an hour after we do. We sip a glass of wine on the porch and along comes Bevie and Doug. The gang is all here today, another glass of wine and some catching up of the day's activities thus far and it's dinnertime. The Pilot House down by the canal is our choice this evening. Fresh seafood...perfect! Lobster rolls, seafood platters, a few more glasses of wine and lots of laughs. Back to the boardwalk for a little walk and a glimpse of our first sunset this week.

Time to return to Captain Chipmans to get a good nights sleep and recharge for another fun day tomorrow. Needless to say, Jane and I stayed up a few hours longer reminiscing and catching up on the " days of our lives".

To our disappointment we learned today that this will be the last year Captain Chipman will be operating as a B&B. The search is on for another place to hang our hats next year for the night before our official vacation.