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Cape Cod is about 60 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts.
It was formed when the last glaciers to visit the region
melted about 12,000-years ago leaving a large lake. Because
of special features and material surrounding the glacial
lake, the water drained out exposing the sediment and deposits
left by the glaciers from earlier times.
With
the rising sea level and the protection from the battering
ocean provided by Georges Bank gone, nature started to reshape
the whole of Cape Cod -- especially the Atlantic facing
National Seashore area.
The
relentless shaping of the Cape continues even today. But
this is the place to come to escape. This is the place to
come to experience nature.
So
let’s take a brief Cape Cod vacations trip together.
Are you ready?
Nauset
Beach…
The
first stop on your trip is Nauset Beach in the town of Orleans.
The
entrance to Nauset beach is located in East Orleans at the
end of Beach Road, where there’s a large parking lot.
The lot is about 2 miles from Routes 6/6A. During the summer
months you’ll pay to use the lot.
Protection
is the name of the game at Nauset not just for the dunes,
but the birds nesting in the spring. Always pay close attention
to beach erosion and bird nesting protection signs anywhere
during your Cape Cod vacations. Heeding the signs means
the area could still be here next time you visit.
At
the entrance to the beach you can turn left and walk North,
or take the South walk by turning right. Both walks offer
spectacular views and hidden areas of the Cape even many
residents haven’t discovered. Time your walks to be
at low tide so you’ll be walking on exposed sand bars
on the North walk, or have a dry crossing to Pochet Island
on the South walk.
In
the summer Nauset beach is very popular with vacationers,
but there always seems to be room even at the busiest times.
Swimming is good -- but stay close to the shore. It’s
the Atlantic Ocean so it’ll be a little cooler than
on the Cape Cod Bay side or the Nantucket Sound beaches.
National
Seashore Eastham Visitors Center…
The
Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is your next Cape Cod
vacations stop. It'll orientate you to the park, and provides
short films, a museum, and free maps for hiking and biking
trails.
Note:
The Salt Pond Visitor Center building has been closed for
renovations since 2003. It’s due to reopen in 2005
– in fact right about now!
Starting
from the visitor center is the short and easy 1-mile loop
Nauset Marsh Trail that follows a path around the salt pond
and Nauset Marsh before returning to the visitor center.
It’s a varied terrain of salt marsh grasses, juniper
and bayberry bushes, and a great place for bird watching
due to the proximity of the marsh.
The
salt pond itself is a glacial kettle pond that was once
freshwater but the ocean has seeped through.
The
Lighthouse Beaches…
Two
wonderful beaches to visit in the Eastham area are Coast
Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach.
Coast
Guard Beach can be reached by bike from the bike trail from
the Salt Pond Visitor Center, or by car from Nauset Road
off Route 6 directly after the Visitor Center -- just follow
the signs to the lot on Doane Road. This beach is a favorite
walk of mine at low tide, and was the area where Henry Beston
wrote The Outermost House. Sadly the blizzard of 1978 washed
the cottage where he lived while writing the book -- out
to sea.
Yet
another example of the awesome forces continually sculpturing
the Cape Cod National Seashore.
But
here's another gem of a beach for you...
Nauset
Light Beach can be reached from Brackett Road also off Route
6, and then Cable Road and Ocean View Drive. The parking
lot is small and fills up quickly in the summer.
Close
by the beach is Nauset Lighthouse. Originally built in Chatham
in the late 19th century, it was moved here shortly after,
and moved again in 1996 when erosion of the cliff threatened
to collapse the lighthouse.
The
beach is popular for the imposing and towering cliffs and
clean white-sand, and walks that create memorable Cape Cod
vacations.
Great
Island Hike in Wellfleet...
The
Great Island hike in Wellfleet is a 6-mile hike, so allow
yourself at least half-a-day to explore this wonderful area.
Located
on the Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape in Wellfleet, drive
to the trailhead off Chequesset Neck Road, and prepare yourself
-- and camera -- for an exhilarating hike. The area is pretty
open and so take sunscreen and a hat.
What
will you see?
Marvelous
views of Wellfleet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay await you once
on the island (hint: it’s not really an island anymore).
Another
hint: this is a real nature hike. There’s no sandwich
bar or coke machine waiting for you at the end, so take
your own snacks and drinks. Of all the trails in the Cape
Cod National Seashore Park, this is perhaps the most remote
-- and I like that!
Out
on the Island itself there used to be a secluded Tavern
used by Whalers and the like. Nothing remains of it today
except for a sign to mark the spot where it was.
National
Seashore Province Lands Visitors Center…
The
visitor center in Province Lands is off Route 6 and on Race
Point Road. This is the northern tip of the park, and marks
our final stop together on this Cape Cod vacations trip.
The
Visitor Center itself has an observation deck where you
can view the majestic surroundings of ocean, forest, and
the omnipresent towering dunes. The area includes two swimming
beaches -- Race Point and Herring Cove -- a bike trail,
and a walking trail. There’s also a beautiful lighthouse
at Race Point.
The
bike trail is a challenging 5.25-mile loop that you can
start from the visitor center. I’d describe it as
undulating bordering on hilly.
There’s
also a fair amount of hairpin turns, and so helmets and
a safe speed are a must. Believe me the downhill stretches
are so exhilarating, but you can easily forget and misjudge
bike traffic coming the other way. I’ve seen many
a tangled mess -- Ouch!
And
that’s the end of this brief trip.
Wow!
You did a lot in a few minutes – from your chair.
But now it’s time to do the real thing. Are you ready?
About the Author
Cliff Calderwood is the owner and contributing writer of
www.new-england-vacations-guide.com.
He lived on Cape Cod for two years. This is an excerpt from
a longer article, and you can read the full article and
get a free downloadable copy of his travel guide at http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com.
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