escape to the cape

Zelia and I  drive up to Falmouth on Friday. I haven't seen my mom and sister since last summer.

We leave Friday morning, and basically spent three days eating, walking and just hanging out.

We tour two newly built houses. Both gorgeous: 

• My sister Jean's is on a lake and an easy walk to town. My friend M's is on the ocean in nearby Sippewissett. 

• Jean will be all moved in by the end of this month. M's move-in date will hopefully be by Thanksgiving, not the expected September.

Dinners are all great. 

• One my mom makes. Perfect cornish hens and apple pie.

• One at The Chart Room where the view is beautiful. The noise level high. And, in my opinion, with a menu offering only one item worth getting: the no-work baked stuff lobster where the claw meat is included in the stuffing.

• And one at C-Salt with Zelia, Jean and my good friends M and V. It is, in every way, ideal. (C-Salt and Bleu are my two favorite restaurants on the upper Cape). I suppose if one thing could be changed it would be the outdoor ambiance. We are seated in an enclosed tent, situated opposite a highway and next to a parking lot. But the tent shields us from the less-than-stellar view. The night air is comfortable. And most importantly, the food is excellent, and the conversation flows as if all of us have been friends forever.

And then there are the walks. M sister introduces us to some new trails. One at a place called Mashpee River Reservation. 

And the other same-day walk is around Long Pond. Beautiful, with lots of rocks and inclines.

Before leaving, I buy three of my favorite foods to take home: the cranberry bread at Maison Villate, and the lobster salad (best I've had, perfectly balanced amounts of mayo and other stuff) and gigantic frozen shrimp (8 to 12/pound) at The Clam Man.

And finally, there's my mom — an inspiration for how 91 can look.