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East Coast – Day Five – Cape Cod

After the first night in our yurt, we hopped in the car to explore Cape Cod. If you look at a map if the Cape, it looks like an arm flexing. Our state park was in the elbow, and we drove up the forearm to get to the fist (the point). We quickly discovered that recent storms had done a number on some of the beaches (namely, the wooden staircases accessing them) as they were closed.

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After visiting the site of the first transatlantic telegraph signal, we found an open beach and spent some time enjoying the sun, waves, and sand. Finishing up our picnic meal, we hopped into the water for a brief and rather chilly splash. While the sun was out, the temperature was only 70° and the wind fairly strong.

After a few hours, we continued north and found Race Point, spending some time learning about the Life Saving Stations that had dotted the coast line and the men who were stationed there.

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Next, we stopped in Provincetown and took the opportunity to walk around the docks and downtown area with shops and art galleries in abundance.

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After we had an ice cream treat, we headed back to the state park to shower before heading out to dinner at Laurino’s.

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East Coast – Day Four – Sam Adams

Today we packed up our stuff and checked out of the Hyatt Regency in Boston.

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We grabbed breakfast at the Boston Coffee Company and hopped in the car to once again brave the Boston streets (although we had a fairly easy time doing so). Our destination was the Sam Adams brewery just southwest of downtown.

After searching for a parking spot for quite some time (it was street cleaning day!) we eventually parked and we’re able to hop inside. Waiting for the tour to start, we had a chance to discover some of the history behind the brewery.

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Once the tour started, we were informed about the brewing process and the ingredients used with the highlight for me being able to taste and smell the grains and hops. The rest of the tour included a look at the equipment in the brewery, which was pretty sparse.

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We found out that most of the brewing happens in larger facilities elsewhere (Cincinnati and Allentown, PA) whereas the Boston brewery is used as an R&D test kitchen, with most of the original brewery being used as office/retail space. The “tour” ended with a tasting of some of the beers (Boston Lager, Summer Ale, and a ‘Baby Saison’) while our host explained the tastes.

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Afterward, we headed to Doyle’s Cafe, the oldest Irish pub in America, where we ate a late lunch.

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With plenty of beer and food in our stomachs, we began our drive to Cape Cod.

We arrived at Nickerson State Park and spent some time driving around, checking in, and getting some supplies (food, blanket, toiletries). Once we had all we needed, we made our home in the yurt (yes, a yurt) and played cards while eating cheese and hummus with some red wine before heading to bed.

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East Coast – Day Two – Wedding

Day Two: Friday

The big day had arrived for Chris and Karen. As one of the groomsmen, I arrived at the church (St. Thomas More) at 9:45 am. The morning was filled with putting on tuxes, a debate on how to fold a pocket square, and plenty of pictures interspersed with some waiting and joking.
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After the cameras had enough, we went back into the church for last minute preparations and some food.

The ceremony started at 1pm and went very smoothly (although I was happy to return to the air conditioning of the gathering area – it was once again over 90°).
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Following the ceremony, we all hopped in the cars to travel out to the reception, now being held at Water’s Edge Resort since the original location had gone out of business! The resort was a picturesque setting located right on the ocean.
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After a delicious cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, we headed inside to eat dinner and to dance. The celebration ended at nine, and we headed to the hotel where we chatted with friends. Overall, it was a great wedding filled with good times and good people.

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East Coast – Day One – New Haven

Elise and I arrived in New Haven late Thursday night and, upon getting our rental car, proceeded directly to our hotel (Premiere Inn and Suites). It was a nice place with small living room and kitchenette, but it was in a slightly strange location nestled amongst a business park.
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On Friday morning, we headed north to the suburb of Hamden to pick up my tux. Afterward, we drove to Sleeping Giant State Park and went for a sizeable hike on the many trails. The trails were beautiful and ranged from wide and level to fairly rigorous. The park is named for due to the terrain representing a giant lying on his back. As a result you could hike up his shoulder, head, etc. and be afforded a very nice view of the surrounding area.
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After a lunch at one of the peaks, we headed back down to the car and returned to the hotel for a refreshing shower (the temperature was a balmy 90°).

Late in the afternoon, we drove to downtown New Haven to meet up with Chris for the rehearsal, followed by the groom’s dinner at Geronimo’s (a tex-mex restaurant with delicious food and good margaritas). All went well and we were prepared for the big day.