Ole Cape Cod

Old Silver Beach, Falmouth, MA. Back on Cape Cod for final prep before our departure on June 10th.

When we recently had dinner with our good friends Gil, Nancy and Jodie, the topic arose regarding which creature comfort we will miss the most on our bicycle trip. The obvious things like a comfortable bed, warm showers and chocolates on the pillow came to mind.

Later that week Gary and I made our shake-down camping trip to Nickerson State Park, a lovely camp ground here on the Cape. We rode the 25 miles or so to get there with all of our gear in tow including two new panniers. The equipment all worked very well. We’ll have some fine-tuning to do in the packing of the gear so our overnight trip proved helpful practice. After we set up the tent we went for a walk to the pond just down the path from our site. While we were gone a furtive squirrel chewed a hole in our pannier trying to get at a small baggy of trail mix we had forgotten was in the pack. It was a good reminder to us to never leave the food unattended and that critters are tenacious about getting at it.

When I got to the end of the path leading to the pond, I was delighted to find what appeared to be a new park bench with an engraved plaque honoring a couple who frequented and loved Nickerson State Park. I went back to our site, grabbed my book and captured the remaining sunlight from my perch on the bench. And then I realized that the creature comfort I miss the most while camping is a chair. Anyone who has tented for any length of time understands that after awhile rocks, stumps and picnic tables don’t cut it for comfortable seating. My bench had a back to it (no flat slab that you can’t lean back on here!) and I even stretched out for a nap. Heaven.
Now I wish for fair skies, a tail wind and an occasional chair along the way.