Fried Clams and Sunburnt Swimmers

In the basement of Pam’s father’s church they have AA meetings every weekday at 10:00, so after a bowl of cereal we drove on over and enjoyed the fellowship. There were about 20 people and we read from the Daily Reflections book and shared about step 9. There may be subtle nuances and differences in style in how meetings in different parts of the world conduct themselves, but the AA message is the same wherever you travel. It was good to feel at home.

Upon returning to the house, we all piled into Pete’s Honda and drove down the coast to Narragansett to have lunch at the Coast Guard House. Traffic was light and the drive was pleasant. Old school New England houses and lots of greenery line the route. We found a place to park along the road not too far down from the restaurant. We walked along the sea wall watching the fisherman trying their luck from boats along the rocky shore. The sun was shining and a light breeze kept the temperature perfectly comfortable.

Waiting for a table at the Coast Guard House, cobwebs are starting to grow

At the restaurant we had a bit of a wait since we wanted to get a window table overlooking the water. The views from our table were magnificent. Kayakers, fishing boats and stand up paddlers in the near shore area and tankers and cargo ships going by in the distance. Our hipster waiter with the handlebar mustache took care of our every need and we all enjoyed a tasty lunch of fresh local seafood and good conversation. The fried whole belly clams were outrageously good.

After lunch, PJ and I walked over to the main beach while Carole and Pete returned to the car. The weather had drawn a large crowd out to the sand for a Tuesday afternoon at the beach. Tons of people relaxing on the shore, swimming in the warm water and surfers giving the minuscule waves a serious attempt. A very colorful and festive scene along the beach walk and sea wall. We sat for a few moments but didn’t tarry too long as the folks were patiently waiting for us.

When we got back to the car, Pete drove us around the area past Roger Wheeler State Beach and down by the ferry terminal where we got ice cream at a little stand on the inlet. Fell asleep on the drive back and we took it easy for the rest of the day. Took the dogs for an evening walk through the neighborhood and then relaxed together for a while before calling it an early night.