Dr. Gravity

Places like these, they do literally hide in locations far and wide.  The Vermont country Store in Weston, VT comes to mind, as does the Old Forge Hardware Store in Old Forge, NY.  The Harvard COOP in Cambridge fills the bill, as well as the eclectic Mackenzie-Childs “home” store in Aurora, NY (kinda). They’re everywhere, teasing us to find them.

They are all stores that proudly answer to the label “different,” with floor layouts resembling a maze,   selling a wide variety of “stuff” that fills every nook and crany of the joint in a hopelessly haphazard fashion. And we love them. Wherever they are, we seek them out.  I think they remind us of a gentler time.  We welcome their confusion, as a rebellion against the modern, sterile world we normally shop in, especially “online.”

There are such places on Cape Cod, of course.  Remember me saying that the Cape has everything you need?  Well, I count first among them Dr. Gravity’s Kite Shop in Harwich Port.

So, when you are finished with breakfast at Bonatt’s, simply take your coffee, cross Rt. 28 right in front of the bakery, turn right, and walk about 100 yards or so.  Dr. Gravity is on the left….you can not miss this deceptively small looking store.  It has been here a long time – 38 long years, with 27 of them with the same owner, who, by the way, looks just like a Dr. Gravity should!

I am a fan of flying kites.  A relaxing and soothing pastime, it may be the subject of a blog post one day.  Most of my kites were purchased here, and Dr. Gravity always gave me great advice on kites and their accessories.  They can be tricky launching when trying to fly them alone, yet I never had a problem with one of his choices. 

The One - The Only

But don’t let the words “Kite Shop” fool you. This place is chock full of all things beach – and I mean all things – skimboards, bogey boards, chairs, rafts and floaties, balls, games, and the list is endless.   Add in beach apparel, to include clogs and beach shoes of all stripes.  Throw in a shade shack to keep the sun off.  Get some beach towels, you’ll need them. 

Then there are also the things not beach, all the “regular” and not so regular toys and games, some of which you will never see anywhere else.  Unique, unusual, they are fascinating and stimulating for young minds.  I really can not do this store justice by trying to enumerate even a small sampling of what Dr. Gravity has waiting for you. The picture in this post is but a tiny bit of the enormous variety of merchandise that lies just beyond the front door.

You simply have to go there and see for yourself.  Which is why you got up early and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Bonatt’s, just so you could work your way up and down the narrow isles of this Cape treasure before the regular crowds shuffle in. 

Enjoy your day, and don’t forget the sunset.

Mark Twain Quote: "You can't reach old age by annother man's road.  My habits protect my life but they would assassinate you."