We returned to Nickerson State Park for three nights of camping the third week of July. Despite another gypsy moth infestation, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring more of Cape Cod National Seashore and swimming at the park.
Sarah was the most relaxed she's ever been on a trip, which, of course, made it more enjoyable for all of us. Key to her feeling comfortable is maintaining structure. We've found that having behavior charts works wonders for her. She had specific tasks (hauling water for washing dishes and sweeping out the tent every day) that she was responsible for. She earned a point for each task and got to "spend" her points by choosing where to have lunch and getting a milkshake on the way home.
Our drive down on Monday was uneventful, and we made every turn (as opposed to last year, when we consistently missed our exits). Sarah rode her bike around the campground while we set up camp, which kept friction to a minimum.
After dinner, Sarah and I hiked to Cliff Pond while Don (AKA Best Camp Boy Ever) did dishes. Once he was done, we went to the beach in Brewster (on Cape Cod Bay). It was low tide, so we walked out quite a ways to explore some exposed oyster cages, being careful not to step on scurrying hermit crabs. Back at camp, it was time for s'mores and bed.
Tuesday, we took our bikes to the Salt Pond Visitor Center and rode to Coast Guard Beach and back. After watching some short films and exploring the museum, we ate lunch (with hundreds of moths) near Doane Rock, a glacial erratic (and site of an Earthcache, which I happily logged). We then returned to the park and spent the afternoon at Cliff Pond.
Following a hearty dinner of Don's white chicken chili, we drove back up the Cape to Nauset Light Beach and enjoyed an evening stroll. The surf was a gray-seal highway, with hundreds of the huge mammals cruising by in groups of 6-10, often glancing back to make sure their friends were following. For better or worse, no great white sharks seemed to be around. We left as the full moon was rising in the east. Sarah was very sleepy on the way back and entertained us with a somnolent soliloquy.
Wednesday morning, we took some shots of camp then headed back up the Cape to the Province Lands Visitor Center. We took the bike path, on foot this time, out to the lifesaving station at Race Point Beach, then returned to the center for a picnic lunch (with fewer moths this time).
We stopped at Ben & Jerry's in Eastham for a mid-afternoon snack then drove to East Dennis in search of the vacation home my Aunt Janet and Uncle David had when I was a kid. I have fond memories of visiting them and my cousins with my parents, staying in their yard in our camper. I was disappointed to see it's been enlarged, robbing it of some of its charm, in my humble opinion.
Back at camp, we returned to Cliff Pond for a pre-dinner dip. Sarah and I showered while Don got the meal ready. When we got back to our site, a couple of Chinese families were setting up camp next-door. There were lots of kids, and a couple of girls looked to be Sarah's age. They were speaking in rapid-fire Chinese, trying to figure out how the tents went up. Sarah longed to go make friends, but we told her to let them get settled. Unfortunately, that took 'til dark, so she didn't get a chance.
Thursday morning, it was time to pack up and go home. While Don and I were looking forward to leaving the moths behind, Sarah was not so eager. She had taken to making pets of them, encouraging them to alight on her clothes and gently stroking them. Since we had explained that they live only a short time, she decided to make a memorial for them before we left, and post rules for the next campers. I hope they got a smile out of it.
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