Fried fish and a fine fender bender

On Saturday we decided to take a little drive up to Ipswich to check out a strawberry festival at Russell farms. Ipswich is a coastal town around an hour drive from Boston, travel Gods willing. The weather was going to be amazing, so we thought maybe we'd catch a glimpse of the ocean and check out a local strawberry farm.

I did some research and found out that Ipswich is also the home of the legendary Clam Box, a roadside fried seafood place that is known for having a permanent long line snaking around the building and through the front door.

We were prepared for a wait, but timed it just right, got there right when the place opened, and treated ourselves to a three way combo platter piled high with clams, scallops, and shrimp, served with a side of french fries and onion rings. The kids would have nothing to do with the fried seafood, but we were able to order chicken and an older man even stopped by our table and complimented us on how well behaved our children were. We were a little taken back, as in our kids (?), but then again I literally had the soap bar sitting on the table, so maybe.

A perfectly timed trip through the Clam Box alone would have been enough, but then we made our way to Russell Farms for some strawberry picking, a hay ride, and cider donuts. It was a sunny afternoon and the farm had some wonderful shady play areas. There was a perfect breeze, the kids were in heaven and Hubs and I had plenty of time to relax and chat.

The beach parking was full and closed, so we decided to find some ice cream and then head back. On the way back we stopped at White Farms ice cream and picked up two giant cones for $5. But just to prove that no day can be without a twist, a young girl hit our car while we were sitting outside (and this while Hubs was rinsing sand from Little Guy's eye, always the calamity happens in multiples). So the van looks a little wonky, which makes for some eyebrow raising as I am parallel parking around town, and now I'll have to hassle with the estimates and repair, but no one was in it and we were able to drive it away. And that ice cream was homemade.

Do I sound like a boring travel brochure? I can't help myself, New England is just so damn cute and I just can't get over how much I love it. Really, crunched fender and all, it was one of the best days we've had in a while.