Cape Cod, Columbus Day Weekend 2010

Uggs on the beach = perfect weather

I don't remember the first time I spent Columbus Day weekend on Cape Cod, but I do know I've been going every year since for a very long time now. Each year there's a different combination of relatives who can make it. When we were younger, more of us went. This year one of my sisters is in grad school in Pittsburgh and the other is in college in Ithaca, so neither of them were able to make the trip for the long weekend, especially with traveling home for Thanksgiving on the horizon. My dad had to work, and various aunts, uncles, and cousins who usually join us weren't able to this year. So my mom, my brother Martin, Jeff, and I celebrated the weekend in a quieter way.

My mom and brother got to the house on Friday evening, and Jeff and I joined them on Saturday evening. We started the night with a warming dinner of roasted pork loin, mashed potatoes, corn, and broccoli. And after dinner we snacked on cupcakes from Cupcake Charlie's while we taught Jeff how to play 9-5, a version of setback my family loves. He caught on quickly, and many setback marathons were held throughout the weekend.

Sunday

On Sunday, after starting a hearty minestrone soup in the slow cooker, my mom and I left the boys to watch football and wandered off in search of a nail salon. We drove to the Mashpee Commons first, wandered through some shops, and decided to stop for lunch at Trevi Cafe and Wine Bar. My mom and I are pretty good at getting sidetracked from our plans and finding fun things to do along the way. (It's the journey, not the destination, you know.)

We sat outside and soaked in the warm October sun while sipping a few cocktails and snacking on tapas.

Trevi Cosmo (Absolut Boston, St.-Germain, and cranberry juice)
and Pear Martini (Absolut Pear vodka, pear brandy, and pear nectar)

Grilled artichokes

Orzo salad with feta, tomato, and herbed vinaigrette

Goat cheese crostini with roasted red peppers

The cocktails and tapas were so tasty, and we now have a new place on the Cape we can stop at when we're in the mood for fun drinks and a light lunch.

After finishing lunch, we finally found a nail salon, got pedicures, and returned home hours later to find the boys still in the same spots we left them. I guess football can do that.

Jeff with Dolly and Daisy (probably checking fantasy football scores)

Later on, my mom and I finished making our soup (I'll post the recipe soon) and then set out the soup, fresh sourdough bread, and all the leftovers for dinner. Another fabulous dinner was had and more rousing games of setback were played.

Monday

The next morning we had breakfast at Crabapples in Falmouth. It's a little restaurant, and the service was incredibly slow on this particular morning, but when I got my Irish Benedict, broke into my poached eggs, and found runny yolks, I was in heaven.

With a very short time left to enjoy the weekend, after breakfast we drove down to the water and strolled along the beach for a little bit, soaking up those last rays.

And then we all said our goodbyes and headed home. I wished I could have stayed for weeks, just sitting outside, not hearing the revving of motorcycles or incessant car alarms like I do back in the city. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. I'm happy I was able to escape for just a little bit and enjoy another Columbus Day weekend on the Cape.

What are your vacation traditions?