When a Summer Activity Becomes a Tradition ...

Our weekend guest was in town for a quick reunion with relatives. She had come to the Cape as a child and said her siblings also treasured memories of Wellfleet. Now they all bring their own children every summer. Twenty-five strong the cousins convene on a certain beach. What a nice tradition! For some families, going out to eat at a favorite restaurant is the activity that marks the highpoint of a week of vacation, one that will be repeated year after year. Gradually that outing becomes a family tradition. My parents used to take me and their grandkids to the Lobster Hutt, now Mac’s Shack. After dinner, we would have ice cream at Just Desserts, no longer in existence. Some families get together for a bonfire on the beach: the smell of grilled hot dogs and marshmallows will be what they pass on as the olfactory sensations that summon obligatory memories of Cape Cod. After years of bonfires on the beach in summer, no holiday will feel quite right without dinner around a bonfire. I have cousins who always included a fishing trip off Duck Harbor on one of their seven days here, whether in a rowboat, powerboat, or rubber raft. Do you have a family tradition connected to Wellfleet?