Escaping to the Cape
From Maine we are moving on down the coast to Massachusetts with 3 days planned “on the coast” in Hyannis on Cape Cod.
Day 1 – Freeport to Hyannis
Today was our main travel day – or should I say traffic day ! As was the case yesterday, we had thought the weekend would be busy as it was Columbus Day weekend and we were spot on. Our first plan for the day was to visit Salem, Massachusetts – the location of the infamous “witch trials” in the late 1600’s. With the long weekend there was the added complication of getting close to Halloween !
Adrienne had expected there to be some level of crowds and hunted out various parking options. As we drove down she attempted to buy tickets to some of the places we wanted to visit in Salem and, despite them only being available on the day, they were already sold out. So we arrived in Salem with the crowds and literally crawled through the streets toward the parking station. Along the way anything that vaguely looked like parking was packed and charging exhorbitant rates. Needless to say when we arrived the parking station was full. So we just kept on driving out the other side of Salem !
We drove through the outskirts of Boston and the traffic was also very busy. Our next aim was Plymouth – location of the arrival of the Pilgrims on the Mayfair in 1620. Perhaps Pilgrims don’t have the same appeal as witches but fortunately for us we were able to park in Plymouth. We visited the engraved rock in the harbor which commemorates their arrival and the replica of the Mayfair docked in the harbour.
We found a little cafe across the road from the bay and managed to get in just before the bus tour load arrived. We had a nice BLT sandwich – american “crunchy” bacon actually works quite well in a BLT ! We then walked along the foreshaw before heading to the car and driving on to Hyannis.
After more traffic we arrived in Hyannis late afternoon. We did manage to find a mall just out of town just before we arrived – so a little more leg stretching and shopping on the way. After checking in, we walked down to the harbour area and wandered around for a while before having dinner at Spanky’s Clam Shack. More seafood of course – this time some scallops wrapped in bacon for starters and a lovely fresh piece of blackened fish for main, melt in your mouth !
Day 2 – Visiting Cape Cod
A bit more driving today out to the end of the Cape and a visit to Provincetown at the tip of the Cape. We got away early as there was going to be a lot of traffic heading home from their long weekend travels. Luckily there were alternate road options we were happy to take as they were more scenic alternatives to the main road in and out.
A large part of the Cape is included under the Cape Cod National Sea Shore. We stopped at one of the Visitor Centres called Salt Pond to get the lay of the land and then to one of the 18 lighthouses on the Cape – this one called Nauset Lighthouse. Nauset also has a swimming beach however the area along the coast is being rapidly eroded – the carpark we stopped in has already been reduced in size due to the nearby dune erosion and the dunes being unsafe.
A little further on we stopped at the Marconi Light Station historic site. There is nothing left of the original towers however a plaque marking the spot where the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication between the United States and Europe occurred on January 18, 1903.
Our next stop was the Highland Lighthouse. This one is rather oddly positioned in the middle of a golf course ! However this is probably due to the fact that the lighthouse has been moved inland due to the coastal erosion !
Last stop at the point of the Cape was Provincetown. This was actually the point where the Pilgrims originally anchored when they arrived before making their settlement in Plymouth. We stopped at the Visitor Centre at the end of the Cape which has a tower offering 360 degree views.
There is a monument in Provincetown dedicated to the Pilgrims however the streets are tiny and we had the same parking issues as we had in Salem so another drive-by at this point and we were on our way back down the Cape.
Driving back we started on the “inner side” of the Cape. The beaches are lined with “tiny houses” and with the narrow roads the area would come to a stand still in the summer months !
We took another route back via the south eastern town of Chatham. We bought a sandwich at the local market but could only find the carpark for the local baseball ground to eat our sandwich – they don’t seem to do a lot of parks with picnic tables !
Back in Hyannis we stopped at the JFK Memorial nearby on another section of the bay. We took the car back to the hotel then walked up to and along the main street. Being later in the day, it was already evident that the long weekend was nearly over as there were not a lot of people around.
For dinner we went to the Black Cat Tavern. And surprise – seafood ! However it was delicious again. We both decided to try their award winning clam chowder for starters and we have no dispute with that accolade ! Then Adrienne had a Shrimp pasta and I had salmon with an asian stir fry. We chatted with our waitress who told us tonight was their last night for the season so we just hope we can find something open tomorrow night !
Day 3 – Nantucket
No driving today – instead we took a fast ferry out to the island of Nantucket.
The island is part of Massachusetts and about 30 miles off shore. There is a permanent population of about 14,000 however in summertime with the tourists it can be packed with 50,000 !
In the early 1800’s it was a major whaling port however as whaling boats got bigger the shallow harbour couldn’t accomodate them and the industry moved on. The sinking of a Nantucket whaling boat, the Essex, by a whale was the inspiration for the Herman Melville novel, Moby Dick.
I’m sure you have all heard a version of the limerick “There was an old man from Nantucket” ? Well as my blog goes out to a worldwide prime time viewing audience I can’t publish it (well ….. Adrienne said I can’t anyway) so you will have to remember it yourself. We did find a tee-shirt saying “I’m that man from Nantucket” !
Anyway, we walked down to the wharf and took the high speed ferry which takes about an hour to get there (the slower ferry takes about 2 and a half hours). It was another perfect sunny day and the ocean was so calm ! We arrived about 10.30 and headed for the whale museum. It features stories about the early settlers – indigeonous and the english who settled the island – and the effects of whaling over the years. After the whaling industry declined there was also a major fire in 1846 which was fueled by the whale oil and timber buildings and the permanent population declined.
We then walked out to the point where the little lighthouse stands guard over Nantucket Harbour. This is also one of the “high end” areas although when we looked at a couple of the real estate agents walking through the main town later, the whole town is very pricey ! Small 2 bedroom houses will set you back over US$2 mil and some of the flasher ones were being advertised close to US$20 Mil !!
We found a nice little cafe with a bit of a view of the water and had a nice lazy lunch. After lunch we walked around town a bit – both the touristy shops and the quieter residential streets – before getting back to the dock for our mid afternoon ferry back to Hyannis.
It is a unique location – similar to Mackinac Island we visited in Michigan. The architecture is described by the National Park Service as being the “finest surviving architectural and environmental example of a late 18th- and early 19th-century New England seaport town”.
For our last dinner in Hyannis – options diminishing with season closures – we headed to the British Beer Company. Meal was great – we both had a Thai Shrimp Curry which was delicious.
Tomorrow, our final destination in Connecticut.