Category Archives: Cape Cod

Old Cape Cod

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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

Let’s get our summer bucket list going

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Officially summer begins on June 21. As far as I am concerned it begins when attractions start to open, Memorial day and sometimes before depending on the weather. That said, I have been in “summer mode” for a while. As I recall I started a Summer to-do list back in the spring. Now that summer has officially started I thought it might  be a good idea to update the bucket list.

I already know that there will be way more on my list than I will ever have room for! But first things first. I need to get in touch with my friends from Lally Laggy Farm in Lydon. I promised I would come back out and actually visit the farm, see their beautiful creme draft horses and feature the farm for them. So to that end an email is winging  its way through cyberspace requesting a visit.

At the same time that I met the folks from Lally Laggy I mentioned Fruitlands but only in passing. I think I should make an effort to return there and share my new experience with all of you.

I was trying to fill the New England National Parks Passport by Dec. 31 so I could get the 25th Anniversary Passport as a gift. Well, I had to buy one because I ran out of room in my other Passport so I’m not working on a deadline anymore. I still intend to collect all of the stamps, I just can relax a little.

So here is a new list of things I want to do or accomplish over the summer.

  • Lally Laggy Farm, Lydon, Ma
  • Fruitlands
  • Boston African-American Historical Site, Boston, Ma
  • Boston Harbor Islands National recreation Area (Harbor Cruise!)
  • Boston National Historical Park, Charlestown Navy Yard
  • A water shuttle to Salem, Ma including a visit to theEssex National Heritage area and the Peabody-Essex Museum
  • The Coastal Wine Trail of New England (My research suggests a minimum of 3 days to complete)
  • Lovely Historic Newport RI…Cliff Walk again?
  • Gillette Castle Cruise, Connecticut River
  • Cruise from Plymouth Ma to Provincetown
  • Climb the Mount Hope Bridge for scenic pictures.
  • Find and visit the Audubon society Of RI
  • Rent a Bicycle and bike the Cape Cod canel
  • Check out the various Glass Blowing locations from Newport to Cape Cod. After Chihuly it will be that much more interesting.
  • Climb the tower in Provincetown for spectacular photo ops.
  • Take a Whale Watch trip
  • Zoos! Southwick, Franklin Park, Buttonwood, Capron, Roger Williams, a huge list of Zoos and I can bring Nancy and her kids to these! Fun!
  • Museums and Aquariums…great indoor exploring on a rainy day!
  • Check out the Antique Carousel at Newport’s Easton Beach Rotunda
  • Work on my collection of New England Lighthouse photos
  • Green Briar Jam Kitchen and Thorton Burgess Society, Sandwich Ma
  • Walk the Freedom Trail
  • Take a Trolley ride through Boston
  • Take A Duck Boat Ride in Boston
  • Visit Boston Public Garden , The Swan Boats and The top of the Hancock Tower
  • Let’s not forget Fenway Park! How much are the “cheap seats” for a Red Sox game???
  • And lets not forget I have 7 days in July in New Hampshire! Cog Railway, Scenic Tram, Scenic Trains and Moose tours.
  • Moose tours and train reminded me… it’s inexpensive and easy to take the “Downeaster” to Portland, enjoy lunch and an afternoon of exploring before grabbing the train back to Boston…sounds like a nice day adventure.
  • Ghost tour, Boston has them, Plymouth has them and I bet Newport has them and I don’t even have to wait til October!
  • Helicopter Ride over the Newport Mansions? maybe
  • Garden in the Woods, Framingham

I think that’s it for now but of course it’s all subject to change. I know it’s way more than I will ever get to in one summer. Is there anything I missed that someone wants to hear about? Now’s the time! 🙂

Whales, Seals and Sharks!

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It promises to be great year for sea animals on Cape Cod. Already we have had record numbers of whales feeding off the cape coming closer to land than in recent memory. Now in the news are reports of Great White sightings.

This is not unusual. I chased the Great Whites all last summer without success but it is early in the year for them. Normally they come in search of the seals that live and play on the beaches and barrier islands of Cape Cod. They prefer it when the water has had a chance to warm up a little but the really large sharks can tolerate the cooler temperatures. The reports seem to indicate that this was a large one, 18-20 ft and 2000+ lbs!

The latest news report said the Great White was circling a whale that had become entangled in fishing gear. The Woods Hole people have since towed the whale carcase away to exam it to determine cause of death…could it be its entanglement or the shark? I’m sure we’ll hear more about this as the season progresses.

Speaking of seals, I recently found out that there are 4 different species of seals that like to visit the cape. I was aware of 2.

The big-headed gray seals are also the largest in size of the 4 species. It’s been said that their heads look like horse heads and I guess that’s true. Gray seals are year round residents. Naturalists say that the resident population on the cape is in the thousands. The colony in Chatham is certainly large and boisterous. Gray seals were on the decline because of over hunting until 1972 when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed. Removing that pressure has allowed their population to increase dramatically.

The 2nd species of seal that is a familiar sight on the cape is the one we think of at the aquarium. They have a cute upturned muzzle and are smaller than the grays. While the grays are said to look like horses these seals are most often compared to cocker spaniels. These little cuties are the curious Harbor seals.

Both the Gray Seals and the Harbor seals will interact with boaters. They swim up  to the boat and pop up out of the water to stare. Curiosity is certainly a trait they share with us humans.

The other 2 species are more rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one in the wild. The first is the Harp seal which gets its name from the distinctive dark wish-bone shaped pattern against a silver-white coat. When you see all of those horrible posters protesting the seal hunts with the baby white coated seals about to be clubbed, you are looking at baby harp seals. The Cape seems to get the “in-between” harp seals. Still juveniles they are too old for the creamy white coat and too young for the silver-gray with the harp pattern. Most have a light-colored coat with irregular blotches of brown.

Last but not least is the Hooded Seal. These seals are the most rare of the 4 species. They, along with the Harp seal, are considered “ice seals” because they prefer to live on the pack ice of the Arctic. Still the long stretches of secluded shoreline and abundant sea food make Cape Cod an attractive place for these seals to visit.

I think it’s safe to say that as long as the seals keep coming to Cape Cod we will be hearing of Great White Sharks patrolling our shores. I can see I will have many entertaining hours to look forward to this summer on the Cape.

Writer’s Block

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Well it was bound to happen one of these days. I set a pretty ambitious goal to post something 6 days a week. The biggest problem is time. There is lots to write about but I like to give you up to date information and pictures. In fact, I subscribe to the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words so if I have no pictures, I have no tales.

The past few days were a combination of things including weather that kept me from getting much exploring done. I didn’t even have much time to take pictures for my photo blog. I had my car in for maintenance so with no wheels to get around I missed being out and about gathering stories. It still need some more work too so I hope it won’t be tied up too long. After all I have places to go and people to see and things to do and then tell you all about it all here!

I asked Scout if he had any new tips and he admitted he hadn’t put anything together. He said he could have some in a day or two but by then I should be back on track.

I thought my friend Julie would bail me out with stories of her recent trip to Arizona and California but she had the day off so I haven’t caught up with her at work yet.

My cuz in Florida is going to share her experiences on trip she took to Ireland but she’s still putting that together. I have another co-worker that went to Ireland as well but I haven’t set up a time to get his stories yet. My fault on that one.

My friend Diane still has many, many stories and pictures to share but again I dropped the ball and didn’t leave myself enough time to get together  with her.

Another friend and co-worker, Jay, just got back from his rafting vacation but we haven’t had a chance to chat about that in any detail yet. I can’t wait to see his pictures and he says I can share them here. That will be a treat for us all, I am sure!

Well, sometimes it seems I spend more time making excuses and if I’d just taken that same time I would have had something to write but it’s just human nature, I guess.

I will be on my work schedule now for the next 2 days so I won’t have any time to go anywhere but maybe I can dredge something out of the archives that you might enjoy.

Or maybe I should remind you that you’re welcome to contribute too! I love your comments but you can also share you travel experiences too. Don’t be shy. Sometimes a fresh voice is just what’s needed. In the meantime I’ll share some photos from some of my jaunts. I’ve written about all of the trips shown in these photos but selecting the pictures makes me think that there may be more stories in them to share. Something to think about.

Well enjoy the pictures until I get my next post together. Remember my next trip is fast approaching and we know there will be a lot of things to share from that.

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Cape Cod Canal

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What’s 17 miles long, 540 ft wide and connects Cape Cod Bay with Buzzard’s Bay? Answer: The Cape Cod Canal

I thought I’d write a little about the canal because it’s a beautiful area and it’s fascinated me for years. I have had a goal to bike the length of it since I moved out here 30 years ago. Still haven’t done it. Maybe this year.

The canal is spanned by 3 bridges, the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge, the Bourne Bridge and the Sagamore Bridge. I was amazed to learn that there  are traffic lights at each end of the canal to regulate vessels that are over 65 ft!

The idea of the canal was first considered by the pilgrims back in 1623. William Bradford surveyed the area trying to find a way to reduce travel time to the new trading post he established and there the matter ended until 1697 when the General Court of Massachusetts took the first formal request to build a canal under consideration. Over a series of years the area was explored and surveyed numerous times. Even George Washington got involved as one of the surveyors on the project but each time the project fell by the wayside.

The first attempt to actually put shovel to ground and try to dig the canal did not come until the late 19th century. Any previous attempts had been doomed by either money or the shear immensity of the project. It would take someone with real vision and audacity to  get behind the idea.

 That man finally stepped forward in the form of August Belmont Jr, American financier and thoroughbred racer and June of 1909 construction finally began. Almost immediately the engineers ran into difficulty. The builders had “tons” of obstacles to over come and I mean that quite literally. The builders soon discovered huge boulders in the path of the canal left over from the retreat of the glaciers after the last ice age. That problem was tackled by blasting and dredging but it made for slow going. Add to those headaches are the problems inherent in trying to complete a major outdoor project with New England weather to contend with and , well you can see how the canal could be called the original “Big Dig”.

Still the engineers plodded on and finally the canal was opened partially in 1914 and finally completed in 1916.

From 1916 to 1935 the canal muddled along. It was narrow and shallow and navigation was difficult. There were numerous accidents that marred the reputation of the waterway. Finally the government stepped in and under the US Army Corps of Engineering the canal was widened and deepened until it became the widest sea level canal in the world!

Today in addition to being a commercial and recreational waterway, the area has been developed into a heavily used recreation area for biking, walking, skating and fishing. It has benches set at scenic areas along the canal where people like to sit and watch the boat traffic. There are access roads on both sides of the canal that make it easy to reach the best fishing spots.

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So now I just have to get a bicycle!