Our Cape Cod Adventure!

We've only had one opportunity to visit the Cape so we aren't seasoned
veterans like so many others who return season after season. But this was our experience...

The most important item you need while exploring the Cape is a recent map!
 And even with this, count on turning around more times then you ever imagined. Finding the sites will mostly be by luck. Rarely is anything of importance actually given proper reference by a sign. So yes the Cape is a real adventure! I suppose we tried to fit too much in, in a short period of time. Our 10 day journey began Tuesday Oct. 8, 2002. The Cape is a 13 hour drive from our home in Canada. For most, the Cape is about arriving on a beach and not moving for a week. However the Carla way of travel is go, go, go. Relax what the heck is that!?

After Labor Day (1st weekend in Sept.) is the time to go as the hefty parking
fees ($10) for EACH beach is lifted. However after Columbus Day (2nd Monday
 in October - Oct. 14 this year) the majority of stores and restaurants are
closed till May. The fall foliage doesn't really start until the end of October. Although having an entire beach to yourself is appealing in the off season,
 the water is too cold to swim! From the hundreds of beaches on the Cape.
We made it to about 25. We were most impressed with the ones we saw.
Each beach has its own unique qualities. The calmness of the Cape Cod Bay side, great surfing waves on the Atlantic ocean side and excellent shell
and stone searching on the Nantucket Sound side. All beaches were free of garbage and well taken care of.

ATTRACTIONS

There are lots of beautiful things to see on the Cape. Being surrounded by water on 3 sides
 it boast many Lighthouses. Some of which have been around for over 200 years. Many have been
moved from there original post as the eroding cliffs take there toll on the Cape's coast line. Its said that up to
3 feet a year is lost along some coastal areas of the Cape. A bad storm in 1990 claimed 40 feet!
Many of beautiful homes have also succumb to the vast changing landscape.
 In our journey we only made it to four Lighthouses, the Cape's most famous ones.

Nobska Light in Woods Hole	Chatham Light in Chatham
Highland (Cape Cod Light) in Truro	Nauset Light in Eastham

Cape Cod has a lot of windmills!

 This is the Eastham Windmill.

Appropriately located in Eastham.

 It is the Cape's oldest, built in 1680!

The homes of whaling captains are worth the visit.
Here is Captain Penniman House in Eastham. Built in 1868.

Its a great example of the French Second Empire style,
 notable for its mansard roof and its cupola.

A whale bone jaw well over 13 feet tall is the
 entrance this piece of property.

Of course what keeps people coming to Cape Cod is its wonderful beaches.
Various interesting photos below.

Lobster trap on Nauset Beach	Atlantic ocean waves on Nauset Beach

Harsh Atlantic claiming the cliffs	Cahoon Hallow Beach

Point of Rocks Beach	Sand Dunes at Sandy Neck Beach

Rock walls along Route 6A	Neat water side homes

Rugusa Roses	Shells, Kalmus Park Beach	Nantucket Sound, Dennisport

WHALE WATCHING

What is Cape Cod without whale watching! My recommendation is to do
 it as soon as you get there. We planned it for the middle of our trip.
By that time it was really windy and all the tours from the Cape were actually canceled 4 days in a row! I was beginning to think we'd never make it.
The majority of whale watching tours operate out of Provincetown,
the highest peak near the Stellwagan bank area known as home for
 many varieties of whales. Since the tours were canceled so many days,
we were no longer near Provincetown when the weather cleared.
 So we made our voyage from the Barnstable Harbor more in the first
quarter part of the Cape. The Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises goes to
 exactly the same place as the Provincetown tours. Infact we saw all
 the boats out there at the same time. From Barnstable it takes longer
 to get there, about a 90 minute trip one way. Thus your actual whale watching time may be decreased. Our 4 hour tour went an extra 30 min. because it took awhile to find the whales. The best place to be on the boat is right upfront, so yes that is exactly where we were! It was a wonderful experience. We saw one finback whale and a couple humpbacks. Non of them breached, but we did get a few tail pictures. Now for the boat ride itself, dress warm, even in the summer its very windy. Hat, scarves and gloves are strongly recommended in the cooler months. Tours run from May to October. I'd say a third of the people on our boat got sea sick! The waters were quite rough on our day. The boat does sell pills for nausea. If you even suspect you'll get ill, take them! Thankfully neither Mark or I were ill and we didn't even take pills. I found sitting outside even though it was freezing felt better then being inside and having to watch others throw up! We loved whale watching and can't wait to go again.

More of our Cape Cod Adventure continues on THIS page!!
Info. on accommadations, shopping, biking and seafood.

Any questions about our Cape adventure? Write us an email!

All photos taken by Carla or Mark.

Where is Cape Cod? In Massachusetts, United States, along the Atlantic Ocean - MAP.