We started the day with some mini-golf to kill time. I had forgotten how expensive mini-golf is on the Cape. The kids had fun, but Tim, Kelly, and Delta bailed part-way through to enforce a nap for Delta.
The whale watch was with the Dolphin Fleet out of Provincetown. We were scheduled to leave port at 2:30. Tim and Kelly, by leaving early, were sure to arrive the requisite one-hour early to find parking (even after picking up Joan at the house). They did, which was lucky for them because parking was difficult to find and they had to park a mile away.
Megh and I, by finishing our game of mini golf and stopping by the house and grocery store to pick up supplies and snacks, were guaranteed to be barely on time – and we were. We arrived about fifteen minutes early (traffic was snarled on Route 6, no surprise there, but it didn’t help us make up lost time) so I valiantly offered to drop off the family and wander the town for a few hours. They got out, and the parking lot next to the pier started letting cars in again. So by arriving late we parked right next door. Lucky for us.
The whale watch itself was great.
Highlight: a group of four whales repeatedly surfaced and sounded right by the boat.
Personal highlight: Alpha spent the majority of the cruise talking with a boy.
After returning to dry land, we struck out in search of victuals – it was 6:00 and the kids needed to eat. The Lobster Pot was recommended, but the wait was over an hour. The Governor Bradford was available, though. Unfortunately, in retrospect. The food tasted good, the food presentation was mediocre (to be generous – the kitchen did make an attempt, though they might have done better by skipping it), and the service was slow, slow, slow – we took over two hours to get out of there. At least we a) ate outside and b) there’s a little grassy area in back where the kids could play.
After dinner Tim and I took off to fetch the cars – first to ours, since it was close, and the I dropped Tim off at his and we jetted back.
While waiting, Kelly and Megh decided to go shopping. When Tim and I returned we had no idea where they had gone. If you know Provincetown then you know that navigating to the piers and trying to wait for someone can be… distressing. No place to park and falling darkness.
It took twenty-five minutes (not that I was counting…) but we got on our way home. Bed came soon after we got in the door.
