What can you say about a place that was originally settled over 400 years ago? (Fun Fact: Massachutes has the 3rd highest population density of any state in the US) It must have had something going for it. I was about to find out!
Rhode Island
It was a busy drive through the tiny state of Rhode Island to Massachusetts and Cape Cod. (Fun Factoid #2: Rhode Island is #2 – see above π)
The traffic was vicious going through the industrial areas of Rhode Island and there was no chance to see anything. But at least Jake has bragging rights to being there πΆ.
I worked with a woman long ago from this area. I was in Boston visiting on a day off on a business trip. She told me the key to driving in Massachusetts was to stare straight ahead and never flinch π€£. Apparently, his still holds true as I entered the Cape Cod area.
Cape Cod
Every school kid I grew up with learned about the Pilgrims landing in the New World over 400 years ago. They first set foot on land after their voyage in the area that is now the town of Provincetown.
The Pilgrims initially faced challenges in landing and eventually found themselves here. They anchored offshore for a while before landing and began exploring the area, which they believed could be suitable for settlement. While exploring, they stumbled upon an Indian Burial Mound with an offering of corn. They felt compelled to take some corn for their new colony, providing them with seeds to plant. This act of disturbing the burial site deeply disturbed the local residents, leading to their first encounter. In response, the Pilgrims began shooting at the fleeing Indians as they made their way back with their booty.
Manifest Destiny Ho!
Cape Cod today is both a residence and workplace for many and a vacation spot for even more. It is riddled with roadways that were originally trails giving them a very haphazard feel. The south end of the Cape is more heavily built up with many estates and resorts. Further north, where we stayed, is somewhat less populated. Overall the place had a great vibe and the locals I dealt with were very hip.
We stayed at a very nice campground outside of Eastham. It was in a beautiful oak canopy and was central to the beaches and lighthouses.
It seems like there are more restaurants per square mile than any other rural area I’ve visited. The harbors are filled with boats of many shape and sizes. A lot of the them are for commercial fishing.
The north area of the island was spectacular! Large, golden, rolling sand dunes with many tress and bushes. The beaches are very accessible and on many you can drive off-road with the proper equipment.
Our goal was to visit the major lighthouses on the Cape and take in the beach scenery. Turns out several of the lighthouses required overlanding on the dunes, so we just observed them from a distance.
We worked our way down to Provincetown. We stopped at the spot the Pilgrims first landed.
My brother told me that it was once a premier location for the LGBTetc crowd, but now the straight people are chasing them out. I couldn’t get a good look at anyone in particular, but I did see a giant Pride flag, and everyone looked like they had money.
Our second lighthouse was Wood End. It was a bit of a hike out to see it, so we opted for a long-lens shot.
Provincetown was a trip! Every square inch of land is occupied by beautiful buildings and plants. It cost $20 to park your car, so we opted for a drive through.
Our first good look at a lighthouse was at the Highland Lighthouse. Located on the eastern shore just south of the tip, it sits next to a golf course and is very well preserved.
Next stop on the lighthouse tour was Nauset Lighthouse. Close to where we are staying, this lighthouse graces a lot of the pictures and souvenirs I’ve seen with its bright red top.
Interesting to note that this lighthouse was once part of two lighthouses at Chatham, where we are visiting next.
Our fourth lighthouse was in the upscale town of Chatham. I saw a lot of very nice houses, resorts, and art galleries in this area. The lighthouse is part of a Coast Guard station and looks out on some very scenic beaches.
Today it’s part of an active Coast Guard base. There was a very nice restored motor lifeboat on display. The station was featured in a 2016 movie about the rescue of the disabled tanker SS Pendleton in 1952 that took place offshore from Cape Cod.
That night we had a lobster roll from a fish and chip place recommended by one of the locals. It was fabulous!
We woke the next morning to heavy rain. I was worried that it might last but by mid-morning it was clearing up. Then the wind started blowing! For a while it was gusting over 30 mph! Smaller clouds wished by overhead making for some dramatic photos and videos.
We made our way to the beaches on the eastern shore. This took us through some very windy, thickly settled areas. On our way we saw the liberal costal elitists out protesting en masse (well a dozen at least) on the street corners. One was for gun safety – not sure what the others were about! The rhododendrons were in bloom everywhere!
Encounter Beach is billed at the spot the illegal aliens first met the local residents. Things did not go well as outlined earlier. The beach, however, was fantastic!
A bit further inland where the land was higher more distinct channels had formed.
We headed further south through a lot more thickly settled areas to get to the next spot. It was aptly called Rock Harbor for the giant boulder sitting on the tidal flats.
We headed south, but we encountered another $20 parking situation as the beaches became more commercialized. It was time to call it quits and head back!
Our evening meal consisted of a delectable bowl of lobster chowder accompanied by onion rings. Jake reveled in the sunshine, recharging his batteries for the impending cold.
When we awoke the following morning, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, with howling winds and a temperature of a chilly 41Β°F. Brrr!
Our journey has reached its halfway point as we turn southwards to the Appalachians on our way to Amish Country in Pennsylvania.
