August on Cape Cod

Cape Cod Weather Today: Overcast and extremely humid. The clouds might just be fog, but the humidity must be around 80%. The thermometer says it's 73 degrees out there at 7 a.m...

August on Cape Cod.

If you're here, you've probably already had your fill of lobster for the summer. And ice cream. And mini golf. And sand in your bathing suit.

Sailing lessons are getting old. Bicycling is boring by now. Fishing from shore is impossible at this time of year, until the fish swing through again in the fall.

So what's left to do? Well...

You can visit the guy in the picture above. He's 160 years old and lives in the tank at George's Fish Market on Route 28 in Harwich. He's not for sale. They're holding a contest to name him, collecting money for cancer research. The winner will get to go out on the boat with the fishermen to throw the old coot back into the ocean (you also win a clambake for your friends and family.)

You can check out the race car track, also on Route 28 in Harwich...
It's one of those horribly touristy places that always has a long line when it's cloudy. But it's not too expensive, and it's fun.

You can also get yourself ready for the annual Provincetown Carnival Week, this year from Augut 16-23. The theme this year is the Summer of Love: Peace, Love & Go Go Boots." My friend Charlie, who is one of the owners at Ptown Pedicab, is already working on turning the pedicabs into floats... can't give away his ideas, though.... The parade is Thursday. We took the kids a few years ago when the theme was Heroes and Villians...lots of questions to answer when you go to a gay parade...

If you live on the Cape, August is usually the month to "Get out of Dodge." Most people we know take a week and go somewhere ELSE where they can be the tourists for a change. Often somewhere green and mountainous, but sometimes it's as simple as goingto a different stretch of the Atlantic shoreline (say, NH or NJ. Not usually CT as it seems too similar) Why take a beach vacation when you LIVE at the shore? 'Cuz it's just not the same to walk down the street to the beach as it is to be on VACATION.

Whatever you decide to do with your August, I'm going to try to find a "vacation frame of mind" to enjoy some of my month. Because soon enough it'll be September and the school year frenzy will start all over again. In the meantime, let's dig out the sun lotion and those beach books and relax by the pool. It's August. Enjoy it.