New England #2: Cape Cod

Now for our continued adventure on Cape Cod.

Pretty beach (if a bit brown)

We had originally planned to take an educational cruise with the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution, but we found out before we left that they no longer did the trips because of budget cuts. So, we decided to head on down the Cape (Wood’s Hole is in Falmouth at the beginning of the Cape) after breakfast. 

After waiting 40 minutes for our food (and watching other people being served) at the Monger Restaurant, we paid $6.50 for just a coffee and tea and headed out.

We actually ate at one of New England’s ubiquitous Dunkin’ Donuts. 

It's an institution. Ya gotta do it once! 

Katherine Bates statue

While waiting for Betty's breakfast sandwich, I did an Internet search to find the "statue of the female musician" Betty remembered from visits to the Cape as a child. She had thought it was "the woman who wrote 'America the Beautiful'," which confused me because I well know that Katharine Bates was inspired to write that song when visiting Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. Turns out that she was from Falmouth and, indeed, her statue was at the Falmouth Library about a half mile away!

Cape Cod, stretching from Woods Hole in the southwest to Provincetown in the northeast, is a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean from eastern Massachusetts. Its historic maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months (I am so glad we didn't try to go on the weekend when traffic is unbearable). The name "Cape Cod," first used in 1602, applied to the tip of the peninsula for 125 years, until it began to apply to the entire cape.

Long stretch of beach

Cape Cod extends 65 miles into the Atlantic, is between 1 and 20 miles wide and has more than 400 miles of shoreline. The bulk of the land on Cape Cod consists of glacial landforms, formed by terminal moraine and outwash plains 16,000 to 20,000 years ago. It represents the southernmost extent of glacial coverage in southeast New England. It comprises marshes, forests and beaches.

Much of Cape Cod is like a painting

Cape Cod was a landmark for early explorers. It may have been the "Promontory of Vinland" mentioned by the Norse voyagers (985-1025). Although there is no proof, some claim it was visited by Leif Eiriksson and a stone wall discovered in Provincetown in 1805 is claimed to have been built by his younger brother, Thorvald Eiriksson, around 1007 AD. 

Pretty pond

Many other explorers visited: Verrazzano in 1524, Gosnold (who named the tip Cape Cod) in 1602, Champlain in 1606, Hudson in 1609 and John Smith in 1614. In fact, the Pilgrims made their first landing near present-day Provincetown on Nov. 11, 1620. Cape Cod was among the first places settled by the English in North America.

I love this view

Much of the east-facing Atlantic seacoast of Cape Cod consists of wide, sandy beaches. We stopped briefly at South Cape Beach State Park, where the ranger let us in for free since we were just taking a quick look. The sand isn't as white as the Florida beaches, but it has a warm glow and is edged by dunes and plants ... 

A fence makes a handy towel rack

... including many blooming sea roses covered with ripening rose hips ...

So, that's a rose hip!

Then, we stopped to see the Chatham Light ....

A nice, traditional lighthouse

 ... and the absolutely gorgeous beach in Chatham. 

What a glorious day!

All my previous visits to the Cape had been gray and rainy, so it was a shock to see such lovely turquoise water.

We picked a good time

There was an interesting sand bar that caused waves to break perpendicular to the shore rather than parallel.

Interesting waves

Betty was trying to remember "a place that she and Jules (Scott's dad, who died in 2001) has visited and they loved." She couldn't remember anything about it, just that they liked it. Guess what? We found it! It was Monomoy Island National Wildlife Refuge, a habitat for migratory birds. The 7,604-acre park includes varied habitats ...

... salt and freshwater marshes ...

... ocean ...

 ... beaches ...

There are also some historic manmade structures, such as the Monomoy Point Light and keeper's quarters. Most isn't accessible by foot, but we did take a brief hike, first across a catwalk through a leafy forest ...

A nice hike, er stroll

... then down steps to a beach, where we walked through the tide along rocks ... 

This was more strenuous

We decided not to complete the hike, but were proud of negotiating to rocks without being swept to sea or even falling over.

A quick pose

Monomoy is interesting because it is one of the few places on Cape Cod that is growing rather than eroding. The lighthouse (which we couldn't see) is now in the middle of a sandy marsh rather than being on the coast.

Betty was loving it

After Monomoy, we continued on to Cape Cod National Seashore. 

Marshes

Our goal was to see the Grey Seals. Betty had recently read that they were returning after a many-years absence. An estimated 135,000 had been killed during the past centuries to "protect" the fishing industry. The last Seal bounty was lifted in 1962 and 10 years later, the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act outlawed seal hunting. With new protections also in place in Canada, the Gray Seal population slowly began to grow and thrive in Maine and on Cape Cod's sandbars and long stretches of protected beach, where they face few predators.

Gray Seals

A 1994 survey spotted 2,035 Seals in Cape Cod waters. In 2011, surveyors counted more than 15,700, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Some scientists suggest the number of Gray Seals in United States waters may now be at its highest point in history.

After taking a quick look at the Nauset Light ...

Another iconic lighthouse

... we walked about a half-mile down Coast Guard Beach ...

I was amazed betty could do this

... where we came upon a large group of Seals hauled up on a sand bar off the coast ...

A Seal haul

They were very active ... 

... fighting ...

... swimming ...

... barking ... 

... and generally acting like seals (against a backdrop of some spectacular waves)

I am not sure if I have ever seen Gray Seals before (they looked black primarily because they were wet, but you could see some lighter, spotted ones).

On the walk back, I also encountered a very pretty little Common Tern.

Look at that bill

Following that adventure, we continued up the Cape, stopping next to see the Highland Light. 

There are lots of lighthouses -- Cape Cod is notoriously treacherous

It was lovely as the sun was setting, glowing golden. 

Wonderful trees

We also saw bunnies ... 

A New England Cottontail

... and an absolutely beautiful American Goldfinch ...

Another new bird for me

The Light sits right by a golf course and has a long walk to an overlook.

Day's end

Then, we finally arrived at our hotel in Provincetown. Unfortunately, we were on the second floor with pretty steep stairs (the next day, we found an easier staircase). Provincetown is a popular tourist spot with a very large LGBT community. It has lots of bars, narrow streets and no parking to speak of -- and it is very dark at night. It was a bit of a challenge to find a place to eat without walking a long distance. But, we ended up a Napi's where Betty had a Portuguese soup and I had a salad. Plus, we indulged in her favorite dessert -- crème brulee. 

Then to bed because the next day was out first Whale watch!

Humpback Whale (more later)

Trip date: July 12-25, 2015

New England #1: Martha's Vineyard

For Scott’s Mom’s birthday ...

Betty Stevens

... we were stumped on what to give her. She’s 88 and she’s trying to reduce clutter, rather than add to it. So, knowing she likes to travel (she was on our four-generation Grand Teton/Yellowstone adventure last year -- blog on that starts with this one) ... 

Yellowstone, 2014

.... the “gift” was that I would accompany her on a trip.

We decided on New England for a couple of reasons:

#1. It’s where her ancestors originally settled. Yes, they really were in the Plymouth Colony, followed by emigration to Cape Cod, Boston and Acadia before many were deported to Nova Scotia for being Tories during the Revolutionary War (I feel I should mention here that my ancestors were Patriots; a point somewhat negated by the fact that they were also Confederates). Some of Betty’s ancestors eventually moved back to the U.S. Her dad grew up in Worcester and she has relatives on the Cape (more on that later).

Back to her roots

#2. Whale watching.

One of my favorite things

I’m in.

So, in mid-July, we set off for New England. We flew to Boston (including a well-executed 20-minute connection in D.C., where we literally walked off one plane right onto another). We rented a car and drove immediately (in rain) to Wood’s Hole for our first night. After the rain cleared, it was a lovely, breezy evening. We had a yummy fish ‘n chips (with veggies and fruit, respectively, instead of chips) at The Landfall Restaurant.  Our table was right by the dock and I have no idea why I didn’t take any pictures. It was a lovely start to our trip. We did go back later for some night shots of the restaurant.

First night

The next morning was our ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard. Originally, I had planned to spend the night on MV, but hotels in July were #1. all booked up and #2. crazy expensive ($400+ a night). So, we took the car ferry and planned to spend the whole day. 

The trip over was a bit foggy ...

... but the day turned lovely

Having a car is a great idea – many people just take the ferry as passengers, but there is so much to see that requires wheels.

Not our best trip

I had been to MV once before – a disastrous weekend trip in the late 1990s with two teenage daughters who (uncharacteristically) didn’t want to go and bitingly cold March weather. 

We went home after one night. So, summer with a willing companion was great. 

The picture was one of the more pleasant and less windy moments.

Martha's Vineyard is an affluent summer colony on an island south of Cape Cod. At 100 square miles, it is the 58th largest island in the U.S. and the third largest on the East Coast, after Long Island and Mount Desert Island (where we were headed later). Not connected to the mainland by bridge or tunnel, access is by plane or, most commonly, ferry. 

Harbor

The year-round population is 16,000+, but in the summer it swells to more than 100,000.

Originally inhabited by the Wampanoag, it was called Noepe, or "land amid the streams." By 1764, the Wampanoag population of more than 3,000 had dropped to 313. Today there is a substantial Wampanoag population, mainly located in the town of Aquinnah.

Its name came from a smaller island to the south that English Explorer Bartholomew Gosnold named in 1602 after his mother-in-law or his second child, both named Martha. The name was later transferred to the main island.

Sea, grass and sand

English settlement began when Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Mass., purchased Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands from two English "owners;" he had friendly relations with the Wampanoags and continued to honor their land rights. His son began the first English settlement in 1642 at Great Harbor (later Edgartown).

Martha's Vineyard was brought to prominence in the 19th century by the whaling industry, which flourished until oil was discovered in Pennsylvania. After the railroad came to  Woods Hole in 1872, summer residences began to develop on the island.

Lots of nice vacation homes

When we arrived, we drove to Oak Bluffs to see the lovely historic gingerbread houses of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association (MVCMA), also known as "Wesleyan Grove." 

Smaller and cuter

MVCMA grew out of the religious "campmeeting" movement of the 19th century. The early week-long meetings were rustic, held at different places each year and included prayer meetings and preaching morning, noon and night.

Wesleyan Grove, one of the largest and best-known campmeeting sites in the country, grew from nine tents in 1835 to 570 in 1868. Until 1855 this Methodist campmeeting was exclusively religious, but participants also began to enjoy the benefit of the sea air and social interaction, children began to attend prayer and church meetings, people began to stay for longer periods and small buildings were erected. Eventually, the campground became an organized community.

Between 1859 and 1864, the unique "Martha's Vineyard" cottage was developed at Wesleyan Grove. There were about 40 cottages in 1864 and 500 by 1880; approximately 318 cottages remain. 

There were 40 cottages in 1864; 500 by 1880; approximately 318 cottages remain 

The core of the area forms a circle.

Lovely houses with filigree detail ...

... gorgeous flowers ...

... and "wildlife" ...

It is a bit odd sightseeing while residents and renters enjoy their breakfasts, but what can you do?

Eating on the porch

After Oak Bluffs, we headed to Edgartown, where Betty’s ancestors had lived. It is a fairly bustling town, with lovely homes, flowers, narrow streets and not much easy parking. Beaches are often private and can be hard to access, but we did make a stop near Chappaquidick ...

Cooling my toes

... and also near the Edgartown Light ...

A small lighthouse

Then, we drove across the island, searching for the red cliffs and beaches. But, with limited parking and long walks across dunes, we just did a bit of sightseeing, ending up in Menemsha Harbor in Chilmark ... 

A quick look at the dockside

A fish market with giant lobsters

The local beach

A bronze statue near the harbor entrance that commemorates harpoon swordfishing

Menemsha was a center of swordfishing.

Lunch was a challenge. There aren’t many restaurants on the Chilmark side of the island. We ended up eating a picnic in the car.

Although we allotted a whole day to MV, we were finished by early afternoon. So, we caught an earlier ferry and headed back “home” to Wood’s Hole, where we had another lovely dinner at a restaurant named Captain Kidd’s.

Trip date: July 12-25, 2015