A Whale of a Day

Posted on August 9, 2013August 9, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Monday past was a beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold and not humid. The weather forecast for Tuesday was more “iffy” so I made the always difficult decision to go to Boston on Monday.

Boston is a great city. I used to love going in to spend the day. That was before the “Big Dig”. No matter where you live you’ve probably heard a lot about Boston’s Big Dig. It was supposed to make travel into Boston easier and quicker. After years of traffic delays while they worked on it, it is now finished and traffic is worse! The expressway never clears out. 1 1/2 hour drive before is now 3 hours. The MBTA is crowded and hot. Not a pleasant experience and not much faster.

After much deliberation I prepared to drive into Boston and pay the exorbitant parking fees ($40-$50 for the day depending on which garage wasn’t full) but as I neared RT 128 I turned on the WBZ traffic on the 3’s and learned that even at 10:30 am the expressway was still tied up. The residual backup was all the way back onto RT 128. So change of plans, I went to Quincy Adams station on the Redline and took the “T” in.

To get to my destination, Aquarium station, I rode the Red line to Park St. where I changed to the green line to get to Government Center Station where I changed to the Blue Line to get to the Aquarium stop. Arrival time…1pm. 2 hours from parking at 11am to arrival at 1pm.

I had a combo ticket for a whale watch at 2pm and admission to the aquarium. I had to dash into the Aquarium where I had 1/2 hour before boarding.

I grabbed a hot dog as I ran out the doors to get in line to board the catamaran.

That was an expensive 30 minute visit to the Aquarium. I won’t do that again.

They crammed a lot of people onto the boat. There was minimal seating outside. Most seating was inside so everyone tended to line the railings. A family with very active children offered me a seat. The mother said “you might as well take it, they will never sit still.” That gives you some idea of the atmosphere. 🙂

As we left Boston Harbor we passed Boston Light, with a glimpse of Graves Light beyond it.

Then came Minot Ledge light.

We also saw the Nantucket Light Ship.

We were on our way to Stellwagon bank, an underwater ledge that is a prime feeding ground for humpback whales. The southern end of the banks is near Provincetown on Cape Cod. That was where we went with Captain John’s Whale Watch and saw the fin backs.

I’m hoping since the New England Aquarium Whale Watch stresses the humpback whales that we’ll actually see some this time. If we do, I wonder if I’ll get close enough to the rail to get any pictures. In the meantime I will enjoy the boat ride.

Cabby Shack

Posted on August 8, 2013August 8, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Oh I’ve been busy, busy, busy. Monday and Tuesday of the past two weeks have been just beautiful. Low 80’s, sunny and minimal humidity. Perfect days for getting out and about.

I’ve been trying to cram a lot in those 2 days because that’s pretty much the only chance I have to get stories to tell you here. I’m still trying to figure out how my vacation time and money is going to work out with this new job so nothing to report on that front. I’d like to go to Yellowstone next year but I don’t know if that is going to work or not. In the mean time I’ll keep taking “Mini” vacations on Monday and Tuesdays.

The cabby Shack is located in Plymouth, MA right on the waterfront. It’s a typical waterfront restaurant with typical waterfront fare, fried scallops, fish and chips, clam boats, a smaller broiled section and a few burgers.

The food is good and you can sit inside or outside. I stopped there for dinner the other night. Believe me when I tell you that you won’t get any bargain here. I had the fried scallops and a light beer and the bill was $29.00! (Before tip) It’s one of those places where certain dishes are marked “Market price”.

It was good and for an occasional treat, certainly worth it. But back to the reason I chose this restaurant. It made me think of Key West. I know that’s a stretch but the first time I went to Key West we had dinner in a restaurant that had 2 levels. We sat in the upstairs level. The building was surrounded by palm trees.

Well, as you can see in the pictures, this little restaurant in Plymouth also has 2 levels and is surrounded by palm trees. If I have to pay a little extra for the ambiance of the Key West Connection, then so be it.

Now we just need a little Jimmy Buffet to make it perfect.

Hump (back) Day

Posted on August 7, 2013August 7, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Cruisin’ the Cape Cod Canal

Posted on August 5, 2013August 5, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It was hot and humid so I thought there might be some relief out on the water. I thought I’d follow up on the sight-seeing cruise ship I’d seen on the Cape Cod Canal. I’d learned that the boat went out of Onset. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Onset so that alone would be interesting.

Driving into Onset took me past clam shacks , souvenir shops and typical tourist attractions. I think I even passed a miniature golf course. I finally pulled over and asked 2 young men if they could tell me where I could find the sight seeing boat. I was a block away!

Following the road the men pointed me toward took my right along the beach. To my surprise it was practically empty! Once I reached the parking area and wharf I was greeted at the entrance. The attendant told me I was in the right place and pointed me to a parking spot.

An automated parking meter accepted my debit card and spit out a receipt for me to put on the dash of the car.

The MV Viking was pulling in as I parked. Timing couldn’t be better.

I bought my ticket and about 15 minutes later I boarded for the 2 hour cruise.

We reach the canal from Onset Bay.

At buoy marker 21 we passed an active Osprey nest then turned to port (left) to head into the canal.

Ahead was the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge and the Mass. Maritime Academy (both of which deserve their own posts).

The Cape Cod Railroad bridge is a vertical lift bridge. This means that the rail bed is elevated when not in use and lowered to connect with the rail bed on terra firma when a train needs to cross the canal.

I was surprised to learn that the bridge is still in use being raised and lowered about 3 times each day when the Cape Cod tourist trains come through.

The Mass Maritime Academy has been preparing men and women for careers on land at sea for over 100 years. The co-ed academy balances a unique, regimented lifestyle with a typical 4 year college environment. Moored near the academy is the MV Kennedy, a huge training vessel for the cadets.

Next up was the Bourne Bridge, one of the 2 bridges that span the canal and connect the upper and lower cape.

The center spans on the Bourne Bridge and the Sagamore are the same size.

The Bourne Bridge is the larger bridge because the topography requires to additional extensions on either end that the Sagamore doesn’t need.

The cruise provided an answer to a mystery that I have always wondered about. Have you ever noticed the round “balls” attached to some high tension lines? No one hs ever been able to tell me what they were for.

Well, according to the commentary on the cruise, they are so low flying planes can see the lines and if they can’t see them then radar can pick them up so the planes don’t get entangled. They are called “Talons”.

Finally we came to our turn around at the Sagamore Bridge.

There was the Herring run near the Butterflies of Cape Cod and the Seafood Shanty where I’d first seen the Viking cruise by.

There was a lot more to the cruise covering history and antecedents but I need far more room to include it all. I invite any one local to try the cruise and if you aren’t, then come on down for a vacation and give it a try. http://hylinecruises.com/cape-cod-canal-cruises.html

Cape Cod is beautiful in the summer.

Seafood Shanty

Posted on August 4, 2013August 4, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Most people choose their restaurants for the food and the ambiance. There’s one roadside clam shack that I choose for the wildlife.

Don’t get me wrong the food is delish…the usual seafood fare but I have as much fun with the birds and chipmunks when I’m there as I do enjoying the food. I typically order the fried scallop plate. It comes with plenty of fries to share.

At first I only had the little birds for company but eventually my friend “Chip” showed up.

Chip snatched up a French fry and it was going ….

going….

gone!

Just like a French Fry eating contest!

If you can tear yourself away from the antics of the birds and chipmunks, you can watch the boats cruise up and down the Cape Cod Canal.

The folks who work here during the season are great.

During this visit I saw a cruise ship on the canal that I’d never seen before. Turns out one of the people that works at the Seafood Shanty has a brother that works on the boat so I got all of the inside scoop! Networking is a wonderful thing, 🙂