A great day - Ipswich, MA

After working over 27 hours in two days, Jeremy had met a publishing deadline and was ready for a break. He agreed to take Wednesday off from work and accompany us to the ocean for the day. The kids have been very excited to see the ocean, and I didn't think I could manage all four of them there on my own, so this was a much appreciated offer. The weather promised to be perfect - high 80s and sunny all day.

We selected Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA - it seems to be universally recommended as "the" beach for the Boston area. At just under 1 hour's drive from our home, it is not out of reach, but not a minor trip, either. We decided, therefore, to make it a full day's outing by combining the beach with a tour of the nearby Castle Hill  on the Crane Estate. That was definitely a good decision!

After a leisurely morning, we set out at 10:45. Traffic was heavy, but thanks to our new GPS (a gift from my aunts and uncles, on its maiden voyage), we found it easily and arrived shortly after 12 noon. We joined a 12:30 tour of the house, which looks, not accidentally, like the best lord's estate in a Jane Austen period film. The Crane family (of four) were from Chicago and made their fortune in plumbing. More specifically, they manufactured bathroom fixtures (Crane faucet, anyone?) at the turn of the 20th century - just the moment that everyone was beginning to install indoor plumbing and bathrooms. This house was their summer home, which they occupied for 6-8 weeks each year.

The house had a bed/bath/sitting room suite for each of the four family members, plus at least 3 guest rooms (which we saw), plus housing for approximately 60 (yes, SIXTY!) live-in staff. Of course, there were also numerous out-buildings, including housing for a live-in staff that might swell to over 120, depending on projects underway, and guest housing for single gentlemen, who were not welcome in the main house. Apparently that would be very improper.

Castle Hill - the grand entrance drive.

Castle Hill - the view from the rear of the house.

Enjoying the patio after our tour, with a view of the ocean.

In a 60-minute tour that stretched to 90 minutes, we were fascinated, and left wanting to come back for some of the alternative tours, such as the "behind the scenes" tour that shows the servants' quarters, the mechanics of the house, and such other hidden gems. (Admittedly, John was not quite as enthusiastic as Jeremy and I were, but he may also have just been hungry by this point; he seemed much more cheerful after we returned to our car for the picnic lunch.) We then, by general acclamation, spent an hour roaming the grounds of the estate, including the 1/2 mile walk down the Grand Allee to the view of the private beach below.

Picnic in the park - or the parking lot, anyway. 

Happy to catch a ride.

The "Grand Allee" - walk from the house to the sea. The kids thought this would be best put to use as sledding hills in the winter time. This photo doesn't quite capture the steepness of these hills. 

Looking back at the house from partway down the Grand Allee.

We finally made it to the end of the Allee, and were treated to a view of the Atlantic Ocean, including Plum Island just behind us here.

After all of this walking, we were more than ready for a swim. We drove over to the public Crane Beach and were in the water shortly after 3:30. The water felt really cold! (According to various posted reports, it was 56 or 65 degrees Farenheit. I would bet on the 65.) The kids giggled in surprise at the taste of the saltwater, particularly when James dove under and came up spluttering, "I forgot to close my mouth!"

After a quick dip for each of them, they retired to the "river" in the sandy beach formed by the hastily retreating tide, where they found many children willing to join forces with them to engineer every kind of dyke, moat, channel, or other water diverting device. James remarked to me near the end of our stay, "Next time we should come first thing in the morning and stay all day. But we should be certain it will be low tide so that there will be a river in the sand that we can play in the whole time."

At the very lowest tide point, around 6 pm, the kids joined with all the others on the beach in hunting clams, hermit crabs, sand dollars, and other creatures, capturing them for a time in shallow pools which the kids dug in the sand to contain them and study them. What giggles when the clams shot water out at them! What surprise at the suction-cup looking bottom of the periwinkle.

On the drive home, Jeremy and I remarked to each other how nice the beach day was, although neither of us had a chance to just sit on the beach and read our books, as we had foolishly hoped we might. (Keeping track of four children turned out to be our full-time job. We expected this, but one day things will change, so we have to keep bringing those books to be ready for the day.)

We ended the day with a stop in Beverly, MA for Italian take-out (chicken alfredo for Margaret, who wondered if it would be as good as the Olive Garden - the counter-clerk with the thick accent smirked and assured her it would be; calzones for Jeremy and James who were satisfied but not overwhelmingly so; eggplant panini for Jennifer, who was very happy with her choice) and some McD for the younger crowd. When we pulled into our driveway at 9 PM, John and Helen were asleep and everyone was happily fatigued.

A great day, indeed.