Sharon from my Yoga class has been telling me about the Oysterfest in Wellfleet for years. I finally made it there this year. I figured that it will be fun to make it a birthday gift to myself!
After I finished my skating practice on Saturday afternoon, I drove close to 3 hours to Wellfleet and joined in Sharon, Dennis, and their friends for dinner. What a fun crowd! Good food and good company.
The next day, I followed Sharon and Dennis’s suggestion and stopped by PB Boulangerie Bistro at 7am for breakfast. Boy, everything looked great there. I got a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino and went for a hike at the Cape Cod Rail Trail. It was a quiet morning, with a beautiful sun shine and blue sky. The air smelled crispy and chill on a fall day. It was a peaceful and pleasant hike.
After a little over 1 hour of hiking, I was wondering what I will do next. After I browsed the Oysterfest event schedule, I decided to check out the 5K road race along the shore. When I arrived, there was a nice crowd and everyone was happy and looking forward to the race. Who can blame them? Although it was a bit windy, it’s sunny and bright. 20 minutes before the race started, I told myself that 5K? I can do this! I signed up for the race, got my bib, and joined in the race! I got my bare feet trail running shoes and sweat pants for the race, and off I went withy the crowd. I did a very respectful < 8 minutes per mile. I was very happy with it! Especially, I got to see the neighborhood, the shore, and the crowd during the race. It was a lot of fun.
After I jumped into shower (ok, after soaked in the hotel hot tub), I checked out of the hotel and met with Sharon and Dennis. They know where to go and what to see! It was a lot of fun for people watching, browsing the vendors at the event, and of course, eating oysters. They also know the people at the event really well - I got the front row seat for the oyster shucking competition. Literally, the first row and right in the center. We were watching the final of the competitors. They really knew what they are doing and the competition was very serious. Not only they timed the shucking but also looked at the quality of the result. If there is any damage to the oyster or pieces of shell in the oyster, deductions will be applied to the time. It's the real thing. At the end, a lady who is the only female competitors won the shucking. That's was great!
I had more than 2 dozens of oysters at the end, on the top of a cup of clam chowder. Who knows? Oysters for birthday on a beautiful day in Wellfleet!
