P-Town

Posted on June 18, 2012June 18, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Provincetown or P-Town as its known locally is located at the very tip of Cape Cod. It’s not a short drive to get there by any means but it is a unique destination. For one thing it’s home to the Dolphin Fleet, a well-known whale watch tour company. I’m told they are very successful with their trips out to Stellwagon Banks.

The town itself is very touristy, known for its arts and crafts think “Artist Colony”. A favorite trait of the town is it’s pet (read dog) friendly policy. Shops up and down Commerce Street have water bowls out for your leashed pets. We even saw a dog pulling his owner while the owner rode his skateboard..shades of Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer) .

The other thing that P-Town is known for is gay pride. It is very accepting of alternate lifestyles. There are families and children side by side with lesbian couples and gay men. It’s a relaxed and easy atmosphere. Everyone is friendly.

We ate a Mojo’s, a little take out restaurant twice that day. Once for lunch and again for dinner. Lunch for me was a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on whole wheat and dinner was the fried scallop plate. Lightly breaded, moist fresh scallops. Makes my mouth water just to think of it.

The day started out cloudy and cool and never really warmed up but eventually the sun did come out. We spent a relaxing day just wandering the town and the wharf area. No shopping this trip just enjoying the sights and indulging in a photo taking orgy.

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The Valley Inn and Town Square, Waterville Valley, NH

Posted on July 25, 2011July 25, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Thanks to my friend Eric I have the lyrics to that song that kept running through my head. Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again. I think the 2nd verse says it all!

On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again

I think that should be my theme song.

But today’s post is a little housekeeping. I didn’t take the time to have pictures ready to share when I told you about the adventures I had just getting “on the road again” to get here. I had some pictures of the interior but I was lazy and did not take any outside. Well, I’m going to rectify that omission now.

Here’s the Valley Inn.

That’s just the entrance . The building spreads out from the entrance.

My unit is the 2nd floor just to the left of the entrance as you look at the picture.

One more picture of the front. I had to get the sign in.

Around the back is the swimming pool.

There’s a pool table and game room next to the towel room and changing rooms for the pool and that about sums up the resort. So let’s get to the Town Square.

The Town Square is basically a liitle shopping mall but it’s designed to function as more of a gathering place. It’s right next to a little pond called Corcoran’s Pond that has certainly been very popular with this hot weather.

Here’s the pond.

Ahhhh Summer on a pond..can’t beat it.

These kids know how to keep cool!

And there you have it. This was my introduction to Waterville Valley.

Old Cape Cod

Posted on July 9, 2011July 9, 2011 by Dusty Roads

The other day I posted about Cape Cod National Seashore. One of the best parts of writing that post was having an excuse to head down to the Cape.

There are a couple of places I like to go for lunch depending on where I’m heading on the Cape. One is in Chatham where I’m sure to be going soon as the Great White Sharks are back! That’s exciting..at least to me. They snack on the seals on Monemoy Island which is at the mouth of Chatham Harbor.

I didn’t get to see one last year but maybe this year I’ll get lucky. Just don’t go in the water!

The day I went down to get the pictures to wrap up the National Seashore post I stopped at the Seafood Shanty.

This is on the northbound side of Route 6 in Bourne. That means that if you are heading for the Sagamore Bridge to go onto the Cape that you will have to cross 2 very busy northbound lanes of traffic to get into the parking lot. The lot is not paved either but is gravel covered dirt. Because Rt 6 is 4 lanes wide right there (2 north and 2 south) you better not hesitate once you decide to cross.

I confess that one of the reasons I like this place is that every time I’ve stopped there’s been a little chipmunk who scoots out looking for dropped french fries or other delicacies. I’m sure it’s a different chipmunk each year. After all how long does one live even if it survives to chipmunk old age?

Seems like when I was growing up there were chipmunks everywhere but now I only see them occasionally. Not so for squirrels, they’re everywhere. So I stop to say hello to my little striped friend and share my lunch. As long as I’m tossing out my french fries he’s my little buddy. This trip I ordered the scallop plate. It comes with fries so I had plenty to share with my fuzzy friend.

The Seafood Shanty has a pretty view and tables with striped umbrellas so it’s a nice place to have lunch. You can also take your lunch with you and head over to the Herring Run recreation area.

You’ll get a better view of the Cape Cod Canal so you can watch the boats pass by or the bikers on the bike path work up a sweat. Since you would be on the right hand side of RT 6 at the Recreation area it’s easy to get back on the highway to continue on to the bridges that lead to the lower cape.

The day I was there traffic was steady enough when I finished lunch that I got tired of waiting to cross 2 lanes of northbound traffic to get back on the southbound side. Instead I chose to join the northbound traffic back to the Bourne Rotary, about 2 miles up the road. I drove around the rotary and picked up southbound RT 6 there. It meant a little back tracking but it was easier than the mad dash through speeding cars. I’m not sure if that inconvenience is a blessing or a curse for this little seafood shack. The Seafood Shanty is certainly in a visible location but getting in and out can be a bit hair-raising to say the least. Still, I had to visit my little buddy and the scallops where delicious.

I don’t have a lot more to offer in this post so I thought I would leave you with the words to an old Patty Page song that’s been running through my mind. Maybe it will make you think of visiting Old Cape Cod.

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If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
(You’re sure)You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
(Cape Cod, that old Cape Cod)

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
(You’re sure)You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath a sky of blue
Church bells chimin’ on a Sunday morn
Remind you of the town where you were born

If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

(aah, aah)

If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay (on Cape Cod Bay)
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
You’re sure to fall in love
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

The Hot Weather is Here!

Posted on July 8, 2011July 8, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Oh happy summer! The hot weather is here and I couldn’t be happier. I love this kind of weather. Even the humidity is ok as long as I don’t have to go to work. I feel a little different on work days because as much as I love the heat I don’t like going to work feeling like I need another shower. But on a day when I am free and clear and don’t have to worry about appearances there’s nothing better than working up a nice “sheen.” Always remember, horses sweat….ladies perspire.

Now that’s not to say I never use air conditioning. I do, especially in the car on the way to work but on a day off its open windows all the way. At home I leave the central air on 80 and use the ceiling fans. As long as the air is moving I’m comfortable.

But I’m getting off track. I wanted to mention Nantasket Beach in Hull, Ma.

When I first moved to Massachusetts back in the early 1970’s Nantasket Beach was the place to go on a hot summer day. It wasn’t just the beach either. There was a substantial amusement park with a huge roller coaster. The amusement park was known as Paragon Park. Sadly the park closed in 1984 and the roller coaster was removed along with most of the other rides but the vintage carousel is still in action. One of the things I love about the Paragon Park carousel is that it’s all about the horses.

Prancing steeds in all colors are just begging for a rider. Teams of spirited horses pull flying chariots if you’re prefer this kind of ride, but it’s all horses.

There’s none of the elephants, giraffes or big cats with saddles like you see on so many other carousels. It’s just horses of all colors with flying manes and tossing heads.

Well, at least they look like that even if they are made of wood.

It’s wonderful what the imagination can see so of course the first stop was the carousel. I had to see it again.

Then I headed over to the beach. The band stands are still there but I wasn’t looking for that. I wanted to see the beach. Too bad I came at high tide. Even so I waded out to about mid-calf only to get drenched by a breaking wave that hit me almost waist-high. I was amazed at how warm the water was but Nantasket Beach it shallow quite a ways out so the water has time to warm up.

To get to this little gem of a beach you follow Rt 228 as it winds through Rockland, Weymouth, Hingham and finally Hull. It’s a very scenic ride , especially the section after you cross RT 53 but be sure to wear your patience hat as it is a winding road, not a highway. As with any winding road, traffic can be a problem especially on a hot weekend day. But I was there on a mid-week afternoon so traffic wasn’t bad. There was even parking in some of the lots once I got to the beach.

There is a small parking fee but I think as parking fees go that it’s pretty reasonable. $7.00 for the day $4.00 for seniors. I’m not sure what age they consider senior. The first lot I tried was full but retracing my route to the beginning of the beach I pulled into the first lot on the beach. Not only was there plenty of parking but there was no attendant! When no one came to take my money after a reasonable time, I pulled on into the parking lot.

Nantasket Beach was always known for its soft , gray sand. Here on the lower end of the beach the sand was courser and there were a lot of rocks. Still I saw several sand castles being built and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I spotted one of those surf paddlers…that new sport of standing on a surfboard and paddling it instead of surfing. Lots of people were in the water.

There were lines at all of the ice cream stands.

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It looked like a perfect summer day. So many people making awesome memories. I could have stayed for hours but unfortunately for me responsibilities called and I had to drive away to meet them in the real world.

Cape Cod National Seashore

Posted on July 6, 2011July 6, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Cape Cod National Seashore consists of forty miles of sandy beach, marshes, ponds and uplands supporting a wide variety of species.

The views are spectacular including lighthouses, cultural landscapes and historic buildings, wild cranberry bogs and beaches for swimming. Not a swimmer, no problem there are walking and biking trails to be explored.

I lived north of Boston for so long that I didn’t begin to explore the wonders of the Cape until recent years. Even now I still have to remind myself that it’s just a short jaunt for me even with the summer traffic. One of the rangers said he likes to tell people it’s only two hours from the heart of downtown Boston. My response…depending on traffic.

The Cape Cod National Seashore has 2 Visitor Centers. I am most familiar with the one in Eastham known as the Salt Pond Visitor Center. It’s right off RT 6 so you really can’t miss it. This was the Visitor Center I stopped at where the ranger told me about the whales. But I have been to this one several times before. I have enjoyed the movie they offer and walked most of their trails. There is still one “spur” trail that I haven’t covered yet. I am going to have to make a point of it this summer.

At the tip of the Cape in Provincetown you will find the Province Lands Visitor Center. This center has an awesome elevated deck with ocean views. I was there once last summer with my friend JR. That was a great day.

But back to the Salt Marsh Vistior center in Eastham, the Buttonwood Trail is a short, easy walk with a boardwalk over a pond.This time of year you can’t even see the pond because of all the Buttonwood plants growing in it. I’ve seen a lot of red wing blackbirds and ducks there.

The Nauset Marsh Trail is a bit longer but still an easy hike. That trail runs alongside a pond until it reaches the marsh. At that point a wooden bridge leads you over the marsh.

On my most recent visit the pond was filled with white swans. I bet there was a dozen or more. As I crossed the little bridge near the pond I also spotted a little rabbit. He was hiding in the shade under the bridge. I stayed very still and pretty soon he popped back out again.

Crossing the marsh bridge the sky was beginning to cloud up and the air was getting heavy and humid. The birds seemed to sense a storm coming so there weren’t too many flying. I have watched hawks hunting and loads of other little birds flying around when I’ve walked this path before but today it was quiet.

Once you cross the bridge the trail climbs through the woods before leveling out again and opening up to overlook the marsh and the ocean in the distance. I didn’t complete the walk today but I have walked it many times in the past.

Those are just 2 of the many trails that wind through the National Seashore. I believe there are 12 “self-guided” trails that are open year round. Buttonbush and Nauset Marsh that I just mentioned; Fort Hill, Red Maple Swamp and Doane trails are all in Eastham.

In Wellfleet which is farther south heading toward the lower cape you can walk the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp and Great Island Trails.

In the Truro- Pamet Area you’ll find Bearberry Hill Overlook, Small’s Swamp, Highlands Woods Walk, and Pilgrim Spring trails.

Not to be left out is Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. Here you’ll find the Beech Forest Trail.

This year is special for the Seashore because Cape Cod National Seashore’s 50th anniversary celebration is underway. There will be special programs along with commemorative items at the park bookstores and visitor centers. The special logo was designed by Eastham’s own Joe Fish a 2010 graduate of Nauset Regional High School.

I love the cape..not just the National Seashore but the whole area. There’s always something new to discover. I am really hoping to get to try some of the bike trails as well as more hiking trails before the season ends. There just never seems to be enough time.

From swimming and sunbathing to fishing and whaling, clams and cranberries, artists colonies and galleries, Pilgrims and Native Americans, glass blowing and jam making, even a great white shark or two looking for a quick-lunch on the seals off Monomoy Island there’s certainly something for everyone to do and see.