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Monday, April 20, 2009

I Ran Away...








Yup. I ran away and I took Chuck with me. Actually, we both got that crazy cabin fever meets spring fever meets gotta take a road trip now feeling at the very same time. Then we both started thinking “beach”. The only drawback to living out in the hills of Worcester County is that an ocean beach of any kind is about two hours away by car. For someone like me who grew up just a couple of blocks away from Greenwich Bay, which flowed into Narragansett Bay and had Sand Hill Cove, the best family beach in Rhode Island, just 35 minutes away, two hours for a beach fix is far.

But it’s not too far! We headed out toward the North Shore, finalizing our plans as we drove. Soon we settled on Woodman’s in Essex (home of the first fried clam) for an early dinner. The sun was shining and it was breezy and mild. The food at Woodman’s, as always, was delicious. It was typically busy but not jam packed like a summer weekend. After dinner, Chuck stopped at the little ice cream place at the back of Woodman’s (who has room for dessert after fried seafood?) and asked the gal at the window where we could find a sandy beach nearby. She countered with a sandy beach she could give us the simplest directions to.

So off we went to Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was fabulous, just what the doctor ordered. We spent a little over an hour walking up and down the beach, so named because when you scuff along the sand, it makes a squeaking or singing sound - very cool. We beachcombed and visited with a couple of dozen dogs romping in the surf and on the sand - taking full advantage of their last few “legal” beach days until next autumn. The tide was approaching high and the seas were light, but I still had a great time trying to catch the perfect wave moment on film: building, curling, cresting, crashing, foaming, rolling, receding and repeat...

Now if we plan to run away again is that really running away or a day trip? I’m not about to jinx it. Running away has a much better ring to it!

8 comments:

Ms Brown Mouse said...

I love that squeaking sound the beach makes when you walk on it.
When I was growing up we lived about 2 hours drive from the beach, only it was a 10 hour drive when I was in the car ;)

Sue said...

Definitely running away! I love the thought! Especially if you left work undone at home!! And it's so romantic that you had your hero ride off into the sunset with you...

Gorgeous photos, I love the beach and could never live so far from it's shores as you do. I don't blame you for needing to get there.

Sue x

PS. A message for Chuck: THERE'S ALWAYS SPACE FOR DESSERT! ESPECIALLY ICE-CREAM. Hope it was good!!

Anonymous said...

Grrrr I keep losing comments!!! it's not accepting my id so i'll an anony... What I said was...

This beach looks beautiful and I just love the trees on the edge.. I'm a tree lover :)

I also do a runner every now and then. Steven knows that sometimes I just need to jump in my car and get to the beach... I do it alone though.. it's my therapy - the noise of the waves blocks everything else out!!

ps I am in total agreement with Susie re the ice cream... it melts around everything in your tummy so there is always room ;o)

Ronnie

Wendy said...

Lovely. I am a beach person too and yes I am there with susie, there is always room for dessert even if it is a little ice cream.

Roo said...

As I type, I'm looking at the Singing Beach and turning green with envy ;o) I so miss the sea, we are almost equidistant from any coast in the UK - bum! Inspired by you googling the home where my dad stayed, I loaded GoogleEarth onto my pc, and it's great, I can get to see all these fantastic places you all describe. Manchester by the Sea looks lovely at night too!

I like the idea of running away for a day - all the excitement, with the advantage of eating in fave restaurants and sleeping in your own bed at night - I think we should do more of it.

Ronnie - having a tough time with those comments gal ;o)

As for the ice cream, doesn't anyone else have an extra ice cream stomach?

Pink Granite said...

Hi DMM -
I'd never heard that squeaking/singing sound from beach sand before!
Our half hour trip to Sand Hill Cove felt too long, but only from excited anticipation!
:o)


Hi Sue -
Yes there was work left undone! And running away with Chuck is the only way to go!

To clarify, Chuck didn't actually order and eat any ice cream (at that particular moment!), he just got directions! But ice cream is a major food group - isn't it?
;o)


Hi Ronnie -
I have always taken comfort and solace from the ocean and the beach. The rhythm of the waves, the wind, the call of gulls all contribute to that sense of well being. I'm glad you're close enough to tap into it easily!
;o)


Hi Wendy -
Look at all these beach lovers we have here!
Not to mention ice cream!
My favorite flavor is coffee, but chocolate or chocolate chip or coffee ice cream with chocolate chips - - - or even Lobster are yummy too!
;o)


Hi Roo -
Google continues to amaze me with the way it allows us to "be" almost anywhere on Earth!
How far is it for you to get to a beach?
Running away/day trips are fun, economical and yes, sleeping in ones' own bed at the end of the day is a distinct bonus!
;o)
- Lee

Wendy said...

me too with the coffee and choc ice cream. never tried lobster ice cream though;)

Pinky's Pages said...

Oh, how I wish I could run away for a walk on the beach **sigh** . The only consolation being that our flat overlooks the river, so not quite able to walk on the beach but can at times hear the 'waves' splash against the river bank... Sounds like you & Chuck had a great time :) Hugs, xx
... P.S. There's always room for dessert ;)