DREAM VACATION IN MASSACHUSETTS, DAY 2

Since we had had a busy day on Sunday, we decided to just explore Cape Cod on Monday. I would just drive and if we saw something that looked interesting, we would stop. My friend Sharon had told me before we left to make sure we drove all the way to the end to Provincetown, so that was our plans. We also planned to make the loop and come back down on the southern coastline (Nantucket Bay side) but we learned Cape Cod is bigger than it looks. 

We left our cottage... (this picture was taken in the evening not in the morning. The sun in the morning didn't permit me to take a picture of the cottage in the morning.)

at Cape Cod Holiday Estates










and drove north to Highway 6A. This is the scenic route through the towns also called Old King's Highway.

This first place my husband noticed. I had to find a place where I could make a "U-Turn" - I call it a "U-ey" and then we went back to it.(You do a  lot of "turning around" when you travel like this.) This fish hatchery was in Sandwich.

We had fun watching the trout being seined out with a net to be taken to stock a pond or lake. After the trout were lifted out, 

weighed and recorded, they were dumped in the truck. We saw trout as small as 4 inches and as big as 24 inches (I bet - I didn't get down and measure them.)

Right after we left the fish hatchery, we stopped along the road at one of the many cranberry bogs we saw. (Leon wanted a closer look.) After asking about them, we learned the plants are dormant right now, but will be ready to harvest in the fall. Cranberries are Massachusetts' number one food crop. I heard one place that they produce 1/3 of the nation's cranberries and another place over 42% of the world's supply. I read in my Blue Ribbon Recipes from The Old Farmer's Home Library Almanac that "more than 500 growers... cranberries are one of only a few native North American fruits. They thrive in the special soil and water conditions found in wetlands. The bogs of Massachusetts evolved naturally from glacial deposits, which left impermeable kettle holes lined with clay. These beds filled with water and decaying matter, providing an ideal environment for cranberries." All I know is .... we saw a lot of bogs.

For an early lunch we chose this gourmet deli and bakery called The Mercantile in Dennis. The sandwiches were delicious and so were the pecan pie square and raisin cookie we had for dessert. My sandwich was made using anadama bread. I used to make that bread. It is so good.

Then we drove back to an antique mall we had passed to see if they sold different kinds of things than they sell here. (ha). I had seen an ad for the mall in a magazine advertising 4 buildings, but we never found building 3. It was fun anyway and Janice and I did see some items we had never seen before.

Needing to get on down the road (the day was passing by quickly), I drove on to Orleans and then got on Highway 6 for Provincetown. Near Eastham a sign on the road announcing the Cape Cod National Seashore Park caught our attention. I am so glad it did. One of the park rangers was originally from Kansas City. We had a pleasant visit with him. After visiting the Park Office and learning some facts about the area, we headed to the beach and our first lighthouses.

Nauset Beach

Not sure what my husband and Leon were discussing... maybe the lone surfer in his wet suit?

A view of Salt Pond Bay 

My husband looks like he could be a sea caption with his beard

The Coast Guard Station

Turning around in the parking lot gave us an excellent view of the Nauset Lighthouse  across the road.

We parked and walked over to it. Tours don't start until later in the month, but we were able to get right up to it.

This is the lighthouse on some MA license plates. It's likeness also is found on Cape Cod Potato Chips.

Here is a view from across the street. You can see the light keeper's house.

Right down the road was a park that contained these 3 lighthouses called The Three Sisters lighthouses. They were built in 1837 and located at Eastham. They became known as the 3 sisters because they looked like 3 girls in their white dresses with black hats. The Nauset Lighthouse replaced them.

We managed to get to Provincetown although I have no pictures as evidence except this one I took of this sign. I saw the sign driving by and had to go further down the road before I could find a place to turn around and come back and completely read what it said. No one else in the car had seen it and all I had read was Bishop, CA and miles. It says Grand Army of the Republic Highway in the upper right corner. None of us were aware that Route 6/Highway 6 is the longest transcontinental highway in the US.

Heading back toward Mashpee I started looking for a restaurant we had noticed on our way to Provincetown. Moby Dick's Restaurant is located on Highway 6 in Wellfleet. It is another fantastic restaurant we could recommend.


It was apparent to me earlier in the afternoon that there was no way we were going to be able to explore the southern coastline also, so I took Highway 6 back to our exit for Mashpee.

We had had another fabulous day and Janice and I ended the evening beating our husbands again in canasta. Since she and I were feeling good, we got out the maps and planned Day 3 before going to bed.

MISSED DAY 1?               GO TO DAY 3