Cape Cod

If you're in Maine and you're visiting the Atlantic Ocean, you're going "to the Coast." If you're in New Jersey, you're going "to the shore." If you're in the Southeastern US, you're going "to the beach." But if you're in Massachusetts, you're going "down the Cape."

Cape Cod is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, vacation destinations in New England. I went "down the Cape" for the first time last year - and it was not quite what I expected. Well, it was and it wasn't. My idea of the Cape came from movies (Summer of 42) and photos I had seen. I knew all about the traffic - which was way worse than I ever anticipated - and seafood restaurants, ferries and summer houses. Or at least, I thought I did. 

Even though I had seen a map, it was still alot larger than I thought. And more crowded. With lots of year round residents. And city buses. Like I said, I expected wind swept beaches with kids on bikes.I didn't  even have Home Depots on my radar.I was stuck in the past  thinking more of  "mom and pop" grocery stores.

So I was naively living in the Cape Cod of the past. But still there was charm. Lots of charm. I visited a few different towns and did the drive all the way out to Provincetown. I did find windswept beaches. And ferries. And seafood restaurants. So the Cape of my imagination was still there. Just larger.

So I guess that's true with any place you dream about traveling. Paris is the Eiffel Tower. Brazil is Rio and it's beaches. And Yelllowstone is Old Faithful. But there is really so much more to those places than one single thing. I'm glad I was able to see so much more than I had in my mind's eye of Cape Cod.

How about you? Have you been to Cape Cod? Was it how you pictured? Have you been anywhere that wasn't what you thought it would be?

I'm linking up for #Friday Postcards, Hop on over and see what Karyn has going on!