Everyone needs a little help coming up with great Christmas gift ideas for the friends and family members on their gift list. Today being the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I thought I’d continue on the theme of an earlier posting I wrote about unique and unusual shops along the Old King’s Highway (Route 6A) on Cape Cod. I especially could use some help with ideas for our four grand children, who range in age from one to nearly seven. They are always a challenge for us, and I have prided myself on finding some great toys and books in the past, but this year we are stumped. So if any of you grandparents out there have an idea for a 7-year-old girl, or 5-year-old, 4-year-old, and 1-year-old boys, we would love to hear from you. (more…)

As the holidays approach and I contemplate decorating the Inn, I look for inspiration from nature. Sometimes nature fails me, so I have to look a little deeper to find unique and creative ideas for sprucing up the place in festive finery. Some of my favorite haunts are right along Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, which stretches from Sandwich to Orleans hugging the coastline of Cape Cod Bay. Driving this sinuous route is always a delight, as the road is lined with towering trees, lovely old sea captains’ homes, quaint villages, and some truly unusual shops and boutiques. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites. If you are looking for inspiration, a visit to any one of these shops will do the trick. (more…)