We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us.

We had our last breakfast with Heather, Lauren, Joseph, and Micah this morning and parted ways in Littleton, MA. We headed south and they headed back to Vermont. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with them over the last few weeks. On our way to Cape Cod, we stopped in Plymouth to meet up with Michael and Michelle Papper. I have known Mike since childhood and since he now lives in Massachusetts, I don't get to see him as often as I would like. Mike and his family spent the last week in Cape Cod and were on their way back to their home in Shrewsbury and we crossed paths in Plymouth. We had lunch together at the Cabby Shack and it was great to see Mike and Michelle again and to meet their two sons, Zach and Adam. Since we were in Plymouth and Plymouth Rock was only a half a mile walk down the road, it seemed obligatory to see it. I felt a little like Clark Griswold in Vacation when they stop to see the Grand Canyon. I looked at the rock, took the kids' picture at the rock, and it was time to move on.

We drove over the Sagamore Bridge and we're now on Cape Cod. We are staying in Eastham, just about a block from Arnold's Lobster & Crab Shack. Over lunch Mike asked Michelle where Eastham is located, and she responded that it is where their favorite crab shack, Arnold's, is located. After settling in at the campground, we suited up and headed to Nauset Light Beach. It was hot when we arrived, and I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to take the heat. One dip in the ocean assured that I wouldn't overheat, and we had a great time. None of the kids floated off to see and if it weren't for the flies eating me alive, we would have stayed longer. On our way back to Eastham, we hatched a plan to hit Arnold's for dinner and so we did. Upon arriving, we say a huge line out the door and through the parking lot. After standing in line for about five minutes and not moving, we had to come up with a better plan. I had already obtained a menu, and the folks in front of us in line suggested that if we were staying close by, all we need to do is phone in our order, come back and pick it up. That was enough of a plan for us, so we ditched the line. The one thing on which we had not planned was that we were not the only family with this idea. According to the log on my phone, I started calling at 6:54 and I couldn't get through until 7:04, 37 calls in all. On the bright side, Adelaide now knows what a busy signal sounds like. I headed back to Arnold's to pick up dinner while Jll got the kids cleaned up. I had the largest lobster roll I'd ever seen and I've gone from thinking that I will eat lobster at every meal while on Cape Cod to thinking that I may never eat lobster again.

That's it for the day. We will be here for another few days, so let me know what we should not miss. I am toying with the idea of catching a ferry to either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket for a day. Any suggestions?

- Dave