“The sun doesn’t even set over east coast beaches does it?”

“Is Plymouth Rock an actual rock?”

“Where is Cape Cod anyways?”

Needless to say, our team of Californians and Texans had many questions going into our Saturday outing to Cape Cod. We split into three groups, heading out in a whole fleet of Honda Odysseys and Toyota Siennas, and descended on the Cape! I travelled with other members of the Boston University team, and we occupied ourselves on the way down by sharing one another’s “high school throw-back” songs.

Plymouth Rock

We arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in the early afternoon and walked around the quaint, oceanside town. When we came to the famed rock, though, we were all shocked to see how small it is! No bigger than a common decorative rock in a public park, this unremarkable stone marks the arrival point of the first Quaker settlers off the Mayflower in 1620. Though it was small, we still managed to take a group photo to commemorate the trip.

Cape Cod Bay

After Plymouth Rock, our team drove to a small trail that led to a beautiful view of Cape Cod View. The trail itself was serene, and coming from the brilliant greens and bright blue skies of North Carolina, Massachusetts seems more muted and somber. Having spent the past week in the city, surrounded by tall buildings and paved streets, it was refreshing to traverse muddy paths studded with rocks and tree roots. The trail also featured a “living library” with pages of  the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are posted along the route so that, as we walked, we also read the story to the kids in our group.

Mayflower Beach

Much to the delight of my friends from Southern California, it turns out that Massachusetts does have nice beaches and the sun does set over the Cape even though we’re on the East Coast. We all exclaimed over the beauty of the beach; at first there was a sheet of grey clouds hanging over us, but as we played frisbee and took pictures, the sun broke through and we caught a glimpse of the setting sun. As a life-long Little Women fan, I couldn’t help but see the similarities between Mayflower Beach and the beach that the March Sisters visited to help Beth get her health back.

Grey’s Beach 

As my van pulled into our final stop of the night right at the end of sunset, we were more focused on hunger than on what this last destination might hold. We walked towards the boardwalk, immediately struck by the marshlands that are carved out by streams of water running towards the ocean. As we examined the muddy marshland more closely, we saw groups of crabs scuttling back and forth into the marshes. The highlight by far, though, was the sun falling behind the horizon of the marsh. Highlighting the evening sky with orange and pink hues, it captivated our attention until it sunk out of our line of sight.

Seafood Dinner

Our actual final stop was, of course, a seafood dinner! Our group feasted on platters of fried fish, squid, and shrimp as well as lobster rolls. As we laughed and recounted the day’s events to one another, I couldn’t help but remember how blessed I am to have the church here in Boston. We have bonded over hard work: unloading pods, unpacking kitchens, and cooking meals. We have also bonded over real fun: singing old songs in the car, playing sports on the beach, and laughing at one another’s jokes and quirks. The church truly is a gift from God!