Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the campground is only a 5-minute drive from a mental hospital. It’s probably also not a coincidence that we drove by said mental institution about 20 times today trying to get the day off the ground.
Everyone was still really tired from our late night last night, so once again we are a little slow to get going. We needed something from the RV shop and noticed one near the campsite on our way in. The only problem is when you pull out of the campsite, you are on a two-lane, one way highway and everybody is already going 60 miles an hour. Its nuts! Then they have these turn around lanes to go in the other direction where you do the same thing. Dead stop, then get in the fast lane at 60 miles an hour. Then we had to do a turnabout (called a Rotary here) where I did the circle like I was driving the biggest vehicle there and the rest of them better stop or move. After all that, the place is closed Sunday and Monday.
We decide to hit one of the beaches in Buzzard’s Bay called Old Silver Beach. The reviews online compare it to a Caribbean beach. They must be right, because when we get there, there is a line-up to get into the already full parking lot. Cars are lined up waiting for people to leave. We decided to move along and try again later. There is a Wal-Mart in Falmouth and seeing as we are already here, and in desperate need of supplies, we decide to go there. Worst Wal-Mart of all time. Empty shelves, disorganised – they didn’t even have half the stuff on our list. Then I get up to the cash and realize that I’ve left my wallet back at the trailer; after all, we are supposed to be at the beach. No problem. I miss out on my discount but I’ve got cash in my pocket so we get out with our stuff. There’s a grocery store (and liquor store) out in the parking lot, so we get everything we need and head out. Everything that is, but a flush for the sewer. We still had a bit of…..stuff left in the tank from Old Orchard, and despite putting tank chemicals in, we were still getting a bit of pushback when we’d flush the toilet. No big deal. We’ll get it from the RV shop near the campground. We headed back to the campground to have some lunch. Alex managed to get stung by a bee or wasp while playing outside waiting for lunch. We went back to the playground and checked out the pool area and store. I bought some fridge magnets as we do now on all of our trips, to hang up the kids pictures and crafts.
I think I have this highway thing figured out, so I floor it getting out of the campsite and I hear an alarm.
Low Fuel.
So low in fact, it won’t even give me my mileage range with the fuel I had left. I pull over and check the GPS for the nearest gas station. Only a kilometre away (right near the mental institution). We pull in and I’m trying to figure out why all the gas pumps have garbage bags over them. And why all the cars in the parking lot look like they were in the Saturday night demolition derby. Turns out, it’s not a gas station anymore. There’s a big sign saying ‘Bring us your wrecks’. Fabulous. I wonder if any of these wrecks still have gas in them.
I check the GPS and a short time later (and another drive past the mental institution) we get to the next gas station. Coolio and his chick are sitting in their Corvette chatting it up on the cell phone, so I do some manoeuvring to get over to the other pump, only to have the guy come out and tell us he’s closed. Guylaine explains the situation, and while he feels bad, he’s already shut things down and can’t help us. He gives Guylaine directions to the next station, and off we go. Back, past the mental institution to where I pulled off when the alarm went off. Then, after a few more changes of direction – 0 to 60 – highway manoeuvres, we’ve got a full tank of gas and head back (past the mental institution) to old silver beach!
Whoever said the beach reminded them of the Caribbean, has never been to the Caribbean. Old Orchard puts this place to shame. I think part of it was that our expectations were so high because of the online reviews and all the traffic we saw, that the beach could never live up to the hype. That being said, the water was very warm, the view and surf was spectacular, and the kids had a great time. Xavier was wading in the water and all by himself found a ton of little hermit crabs and snails. He was a really big boy and had a lot of fun. Sammy found an abandoned foam board and him and Alex tried surfing before putting the board back. Alex went a little too deep for my liking, given the shark spottings off the beach in Chatham. We left there and headed to check out tomorrows beach in Sagamore (I guess that’s where all the old ladies live). Guylaine took Sam and Katrina to check out the beach and they said it’s awesome, so I guess that’s where we’re headed tomorrow. (and it’s no where near the mental institution).
We got home and Guylaine gave the kids a shower while I got the BBQ going. Alex came out and gave me a hand turning wieners, then Sammy came out, and soon we had the outside all set up for a ‘perfect’ fire. We ate and headed out for the fire. We managed to not even burn through 2 logs when the wind came up and started smoking us out. Good thing we have all of the asthma pumps, cause everyone was coughing. We got the kids to bed and went out for a few beers. I told Guylaine I don’t think it’s the camping we like, it’s the drinking. She keeps reminding me we’re on holidays.
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