We have been driving around Cape Cod area looking at beaches, lighthouses, lots of antique stores, restaurants and charming gift shops in general. Things are spread out along all of the roads. There are little pockets of stores everywere, among the houses and beaches. Many are in old houses. Virtually all are in good repair and beautiful - property is very expensive. The views of the bay and ocean are wonderful.

Yesterday we took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. We took a tour to get a feel of this famous area. The ferry was built in 1950 (not very glamorous and at least 20 coats of paint) and is much older than the ones in Puget Sound. The 6 towns have wonderful quaint small Victorian houses with white picket fences everywhere. The other houses are all of the Cape Cod type - gray shakes, simple lines, shutters, etc. Most are small with some grand exceptions. There is a lot of rich and famous here, but those houses are not in view. The Kennedy's have a 360 acre lot with a relatively modest house that Caroline and family use a lot.

People here really do have that New England accent. Martha is pronounced like ma and the r is silent. They say it like motha.

Some impressions of traveling in the New England area:
1. We have found that toll roads are not necessarily better than non-toll ones.
2. The roads in general are not in great shape, probably due to bad winters.
3. Traffic circles are called "Rotary".
4. Many intersections in the towns don't have the streets marked???
5. Freeways don't always list food/gas available at the next exit. They sometimes have them at the end of the exit, after you are committed.
6. Rest Areas are not as common as in the West. They often have what they call Parking Areas off the freeway where truckers, etc. can take a rest, but there are NO restrooms - not even sanicans!