Slow boat to Hingham.

The crew was up surprisingly early on Sunday, August 27th.  Lara was up for a walk down by the wharf for sunrise and rocked this photo.

When she returned, TB, Kari, Abby and I were up and decided to check out on last place to eat.  Black eyed Susan's was just down the street.  Great breakfast food, sourdough French Toast, Huevos Rancheros, 2 eggs, bacon & hasbrowns and buttermilk pancakes.  Sometimes you need to get up early for the good stuff.

Bags packed, houses cleaned, garbage taken out, bags dropped off by the ferry.  We were a picture of efficiency.  We left our bags in the hands of the ferry staff, trusty ferry staff?  TB tipped him a little extra TLC.  Apparently it wasn't enough cause when we got back to the dock, our man was like "Ahh, Yeah, your bags are on the boat but I don't remember which carts they are on.  Good Luck."

Waiting to leave in our ferry corral.

The car ride back involved some tears (Grace), some air conditioning (Ashley) and some agressive parenting (Everyone who isn't a parent or going to college next week)

Odds and Ends

Lara took this rocking picture of the Lighthouse 

Cool little map of Nantucket.

What you call before your teenage children get mad

Sometimes this is the beach body you need after parenting.

Celebrates seen in Nantucket

Rick Pitino:  U of M Gopher men's basketball coach and a very fast walker.

Todd McShay: ESPN NFL draft expert.  Nice guy willing to pull the Burley when biking.

Back in Hingham we went for a walk.

Katie took this weird little scooter thing and need Kari and Troy to help her up the hill.  Abby had a bike, slip proof pedals. Grace had a scooter.  Everyone else walked.

We decide to have Wahlburgers by the beach.  Only after picking up the to go order did I discover the tragedy of Wahlburger.  Wahlburger dudes don't put silverware or condiments in the take out order like Lions Tap does.  If you are hungry enough you can eat a salad with your hands.

Where is your fork TB?  SDA has failed us all

These natives are restless without Kerchup.

The dinner still ended with smiles

Katie, why the duck face so 2014

Things we learned.

1. There she blows.  Called by Whalers and parents of Teenagers

2. Kids should only be parented by 2 people

3. Raccoons are scarier in Nantucket.

4. It is possible to survive on Fruity Pebbles and Arnold Palmers.

5.  Sometimes you need to skip the sunset in order to survive.

6. Troy Bolton is still dreamy in 2017

7. It might be better to go to jail then back to 2 Lilly after lifting your cell 📱 from your mom's purse

8.  Moscow Mules and deep sea fishing do not mix. #stayoutoftheclubcar.

9.  Sometimes your feet slip when you are trying to ride your bike.

10. LB has a serious interest in windmills 

11. Nothing gets you ready for college food like tuna tartar and ceviche.

12. Kari was voted MVC, most valuable customer, by Vineyard Vines.

13.  I believe the bike maps of Nantucket are not to scale.

14. No city in the world has less clearly marked streets.

15.  One old dude and his wife in Nantucket do not want you riding your bikes the wrong way down a one way.

16. Wahlburgers doesn't put in silverware or condiments when they tell you your order is complete.

Mosquito, Mermaids and Dancing Queens

Saturday, August 26th started early.  I was up by 5:30 and out on a Fat Tire bike ride by 6.  I had one goal,  Great Point Lighthouse.  We had called earlier and the trustees who run the preserve have a Jeep that could have taken us but it was in the shop for repairs.  We probably could have rent a Jeep, but were warned at least a couple of time if you get stuck someone will tow you out for as little as $500.  It looked like I could get there on the bike. Maybe, I would have to walk the last mile or so.  

Off I went on my bike adventure.  First I missed the turn and ended up back out by Sankaty Point Lighthouse.  I did get a couple of cool pics so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Sankaty Head Lighthouse 

Noir version..... very artsy.

I consulted my handy bike map and headed for the proper turn.  Along the way, I almost hit a deer.  I was coming over a little rise and was pedaling pretty hard.  As I came over the hill, I spooked 2 deer the one standing on the grass was gone in a flash.  The deer standing on the trail, spun out on the pavement and  ended up falling about half way over before righting itself and running off.  

Finally I made it to the preserve, at the end of the paved road, it looked like about 4-6 miles on an unpaved road.  It started out fine, but by mile 2 at the most, the sand was so loose I couldn't keep Black Beauty moving forward.  I hopped of and walked my bike about another 1/2 mile.  The view back towards Nantucket was beautiful.  I stopped to take this photo.

View back towards Nantucket fromWauwinet.

At this point I was attacked.  I have never been swarmed by more mosquitoes in my entire life.  I could barely get my camera back in my pack.  I start smacking them and there are so many,  some escape, some die, some pop full of blood.  I pick up my bike and start walking back smacking mosquitoes until I can get on my bike and ride off.  I look like the participant in a murder, covered in blood on my legs and arms.  The ride back was relatively quiet.Probably a little harder given the fact I lost a pint of blood in Wauwinet.

Once back at 2 Lilly we we regrouped and planned 1 more day at the beach.  We had excellent team work and were out the door by a little after 10 AM.  Back to Cisco beach, the tide was down but the sun and fun were out.  Reading books, playing in the surf.  We even found some mermaids???

Abby the mermaid 

Abby can you get free

These girls have no respect.  Someone will need to help me out....Kari, where are you???

After the beach, we headed to Cisco brewery, 888 distillery and Nantucket Vineyards.  The food trucks were great.  The beer was good.  We found a table and there was plenty of people to watch.

Good times!!!!

Food truck food. Beer. Family

G Money and a cheese quesadilla 

Maria Mitchell was from Nantucket.  This museum was on the way to Cisco Beach.  Maria discovered a comet with her telescope in 1847.  Miss Mitchell's comet earned Maria a gold medal from the king of Denmark.

After a quick shower at 2 Lilly.

What a great place to stay.

After a quick shower, the Butners thought we needed a little culture so we obtained tickets to the Nantucket Theater production of Mamma Mia.  If you known me, I was cringing all day.  1. ABBA. 2. MUSICAL 3. Culture.  I went with the family and a strange thing happened.  I had a great time.  The production was excellent, funny, smart and well paces with great singing.

The girls before the show.

Great idea TB, who knew culture could be so fun

Beautiful, intelligent, well behaved?, Girls.  Must be the parenting

Headbanger photobombing 

After the play, we destroyed Oath Pizza.  Great, fast pizza down by the wharf.  After destroying Oath Pizza, we had just enough time for a late night Juice Bar trip.

Kari leading the troops and preparing to pay an obscene amount of money for ice cream.  

Everyone went to bed satisfied still humming either Dancing Queen or Take a Chance on me.

Travel day back to Hingham tomorrow.  Hopefully everyone makes the ferry ⛴.

Elle gets to sit at the big kids table

Friday, August 25th started of slowly.  Some of our team was on the IR early in the morning, some need to complete their course work to get eligible.  Kari and I went for a walk.

Me and the Mrs at Brandt Point Lighthouse.

I did get a great smoothie out of this whole going for a walk deal.

At home everyone was slowly getting rolling.  Some needed a day of rest, some needed a day of study.  Some felt like going on a bike ride.  Lara, Kari, Elle and I decided to go on a bike ride.  Here are the high points.

Kari, Lara and Elle in front of the Old Mill.

There was a Nantucket Historical Society giving a tour, so we decided to go inside.

Check out the support beams held together with dowels.  Nothing like 1746 technology.

This is the main level.  The corn will come out between the 2 stones, the pulleys on the right allowed the miller to raise and lower the top stone.  The milled corn then drops down and is sifted.

The gears between the pinion coming down and the windmill.

The old mill in B&W 

From there we rode to the First Episcopal Church. The stained glass windows in the church were created by Louis Comfort Tiffany.  

Pretty amazing

Above the alter at the episcopal church

More windows

One more up close.  Pretty cool.

From there we rode over to the First Congregational church.  From the tower of the church you have beautiful views of the city in 4 directions.  The top of the tower is occupied by an elderly man who will answer your questions.  I assumed these questions would revolve around Nantucket, Nantucket history or the history of the church.  He seemed to be giving live advice to a young man when we arrived and answered several of our question regarding the town, beaches and surfing.

The Episcopal Church interior 

East out over the harbor

North towards the Jettie

West

South

From the Congressional church we rode back to 2 Lilly.  Some of the crew wanted to go walking so that is what we did.  The Whaling Museum was free on Friday but the craft projects were not being done. 

The Pineapple Inn... just cause

Juice Bar ice cream down by the water.

From here it was mostly wandering around, shopping, looking annoyed, sighing and leaning against poles.  The girls had a great time, but mainly focused on the shopping.

Back at 2 Lilly, we showered and headed to the Pearl for dinner.  TB, Lara, Kari, me and Elle, who now gets to eat with grown ups (we are using this term loosely).

We had a great meal and great conversation.

Salt & Pepper Wok Fried Lobster, fresh lo mein, grilled lime, spinach and Asian BBQ

TB, Lara and Elle

The whole crew.

We returned to find 2 Lilly in one piece and that most everyone else decided  a trip to the Juice Bar was again the best way to spend the evening.

One more full day left on the island.  Not sure what adventures we might have...

Beach Bum Time

Thursday, August 24th started slowly.  TB and Lara went for a walk.  Kari went for a run and I took Black Beauty out for some fat tire biking.  I went down by the harbor in the morning sun.  Here are a couple of quick pictures.

Where should we go next?

Brandt Point Lighthouse.  Mercia!!!

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Natucket from the harbor.  The golden dome dominates the skyline

The Unitarian Universalist steeple up close.  That clock face is no St Peters

Sailboats anchored in the harbor.

I rode up the beach from Brandt to Jetties beach and then took the surface streets home.  Great ride in the morning, probably a little more effort than I wanted to put forth.

From there we rallied and decided to return to Cisco Beach.  We moved farther down so we had a little more space to relax and unwind.  Kari, Lara and the littles rode out in the Jeep while the rest of us rode out on our bikes.  I secured the bike keys for the Anseths and TB secures the keys for the Butners.

The beach was awesome.  Space to throw the football, good surf and just far enough away from the mass to relax but not so far away that KT couldn't run up and down the beach to get 4 Arnold Palmers.

There is not much more to say enjoy the pics.

Kari and Grace

Abby dancing on the beach

Ashley catching a wave

Ashley and Sophie chilling between sets 

The party is on

Sophie and Ashley 

The girls made a new friend with one of the locals, Harry enjoyed some quality time with 6 girls 

Sophie and Katie

The girls boarding

Sophie and Ashley 

Katie and Ashley Surfing and Smiling

After that we returned to 2 Lilly.  Somehow we managed to push 6 girls and 2 moms through the showers in under 1 hour and with enough hot water remaining for the dads.  Some drove and some rode in an Uber to Millie's restaurant in Madaket.  Millie's is suppose to have great Mexican food.  It does chips and guacamole, ceviche and Eel Point (Tuna) tacos.  We had a great time and great food.  Madaket beach is also suppose to be the best beach on the island to watch the sunset.  Katie, Abby and I headed to the beach here are the pics.  Peter Lik has nothing to worry about yet.

Madaket Beach

Sunset at Madaket Beach

A lone fisherman and the sunset

The Mrs and I at the beach

The girls at sunset

Yeah!!! Scott you are awesome.

Thanks girls, another great day on the island!   It was back to 2 Lilly for a beer and then bed.