Chasing Sunshine In Our New Home
Settling into life in Massachusetts has been a smooth and relaxing transition. Amity decided to take a full week off between the end of her contract in Peterborough and the start of her next one in Wareham. It’s been great for her to unwind and recharge before jumping into the new job. Between the relaxing moments, we also took some time to explore our new surroundings on Cape Cod and chase the sunshine whenever we could.
Mile: 60,488
Quote of the Blog: “We are tied back to the sea… we are going back from whence we came.” - President John F. Kennedy
Song of the Blog: “Some Say the Ocean” - The Hip Abduction
Wareham is just a couple of miles west of the Cape Cod Canal, which separates Cape Cod from mainland Massachusetts. Being this close means we’ll have easy access for exploring the Cape over the next few months. The weather right now has been hit or miss—plenty of moisture and cold wind, which seems to be keeping people indoors. But that hasn’t stopped us. For our first adventure, we headed up to Plymouth, MA to do a little sightseeing. It was cold and rainy when we got there, but we still managed to see Plymouth Rock and a replica of the Mayflower. Funny enough, Amity actually walked right past the rock without realizing it—it’s really just a small stone with “1620” etched into it, nothing too flashy. Unfortunately, the museum for the ship was closed, so we couldn’t go inside this time.
Since it was wet and cold in Plymouth, we checked the weather and saw that the sun was peeking out down in the southern part of the Cape, only about 25 minutes away. So we pivoted and made our way to Falmouth and Woods Hole—two charming harbor towns with a peaceful off-season vibe. Woods Hole was a little more active thanks to the ferry terminal running trips to Martha’s Vineyard. The weather was much nicer there, and we were able to explore some lighthouses and coastal spots. We visited Nobska Lighthouse, which sits on the southernmost point of the Cape, and soaked in the stunning views of the water and surrounding islands. It was easy to get lost in the scenery.
It’s wild to think how much we experienced in just one day of exploring our new home. The next day was more low-key. I wanted to get a long run in, so I found a path that runs along the Cape Cod Canal—it ended up being the perfect distance for my training plan. The canal stretches 7.5 miles from Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay, completely cutting the Cape off from the mainland. It made for a beautiful (but very windy) run. We’ll definitely be back—word is the striped bass fishing is amazing here in May and June. Bonus: it’s only a 15-minute drive from our house! We followed up the run with a couple beers at Treehouse Brewing Company on the north end of the canal. This spot is located right off Town Neck Beach, and is probably the best brewery location we have found! Nothing beats fresh beers while overlooking the ocean!
The next day, we headed in the opposite direction, setting our sights on a coastal hike in Rhode Island—a state we hadn’t expected to visit, let alone for a day trip. We went to Newport to hike the Cliff Walk. The sun was out, but the wind coming off the water was brutal. I had to laugh at myself—I originally scoffed at people wearing ankle-length down jackets, but quickly realized they were the smart ones. The hike itself was rugged and constantly shifting. We started near Salve Regina University, a picturesque campus surrounded by massive private estates. On the trail, we had cliffs dropping to the ocean on one side and mansions on the other—some of the largest, fanciest houses we’ve ever seen. The trail even included a few tunnels that navigated the rocky shoreline. We stopped for lunch at a natural jetty called Ends Point, enjoying the crashing waves and a quiet moment. It’s been a while since we’ve just sat and soaked in that kind of ocean energy. On the way back, we saw a few brave surfers in the chilly water, navigating rocky breaks—definitely not for the faint of heart! We were “double” excited to see two of them step up and surf a “Party Wave!”
After the hike, we had planned to check out the White Horse Tavern, the oldest bar in Newport, but they had a dress code and, well, I’d just finished hiking. So we rerouted to a place called Pour Judgement, which was way more our vibe. We grabbed an app and a couple of local beers before heading back to Wareham. From our short visit, Rhode Island gave off a distinctly “upper class” vibe—between the insane houses, the dress codes at taverns, and Zillow listings with sky-high prices, we were definitely surprised by the bougie energy. I guess we never looked into the state much before now.
The next day was pretty chill. We did some grocery shopping, which doesn’t sound like much, but we drove onto the Cape to hit up our favorite spot—Trader Joe’s in Barnstable. It was a bit of a scouting mission too, since we’re planning to take a ferry out of the harbor there in a few days. The Trader Joe’s on the Cape lived up to its reputation: busy and chaotic, but worth it for the deals. That evening, we checked out our local brewery, Lucky Goat Brewing. It’s a small spot but had live music going, which made it feel lively. The beer was solid, and we got to chat with the owner and hear about his journey from home brewing to running his own place. Always cool to hear stories like that. It’s no Post & Beam, but it definitely checked all the boxes for a good local brewery.
On Amity’s birthday, we ventured further out onto the Cape to the town of Chatham. I booked her a massage at Sol Spa to kick off her day. While she was getting pampered, I wandered into the Chatham Squire, a local tavern—and bonus, they had the University of Montana March Madness game on! Unfortunately, they lost and busted my bracket, but it was still fun to catch the game while hanging out in Massachusetts. Amity came out glowing from her massage, and we took a scenic drive around town, including a stop at the Chatham Lighthouse. With a few hours of daylight left, we found another spot to explore—this time on the north end of the Cape near Sandwich, MA. There’s a boardwalk that stretches over a marsh, and with the low-hanging clouds rolling in, the whole place had a moody, mystical vibe. We had perfect timing—no one was on the boardwalk when we headed out, and we passed a small crowd on our way back in. It gave us a peaceful moment to take it all in. We’ve already marked this as a place to return to for a sunset walk. It was a quick but peaceful day—just the right mix of beauty and relaxation for her birthday. Back in Wareham, we wrapped up the day at The Gateway Tavern, just down the road from our rental. A couple of drinks, some shared food, and then home in time to watch the Missouri game. We kept things low-key since the big birthday celebration is coming this weekend—Nantucket getaway!
Every transition in this adventure brings new wonder and lessons. Right now, we’re adjusting to our first real northern spring in a while—cold, wet, and unpredictable. But we’re doing our best to work around the weather and dig into everything our new home has to offer. Even when we can’t feel our fingers, we’re grateful to be here. Massachusetts already feels full of promise. There are words we’ll need to learn how to pronounce, and so many places left to explore. We’ve got 13 weeks to make the most of it—and you know us, we’ll Live Rad the whole way.