Cape Cod National Seashore.

Beach Flower- Herring Cove Beach- Straight out of the Camera

June 22, 2011.

We're off to "P-Town."

First landing of the Pilgrims.

Today was a little cooler, but a beautiful day on the Cape, nonetheless.  We headed to Provincetown, MA (Lower Cape) in the morning.  It is such a cool town!  The streets are exceptionally narrow and filled with pedestrians and reminds me of an old world European town.  It is built from the ocean up a hill, so it adds to the ambiance of the entire town.  Provincetown is also a very progressive town.  It is a hub of eccentric, alternative lifestyles, which means one thing: GREAT ART.

There are so many artists living, working, and selling in the Provincetown area.  Definitely check out the art scene and browse the various art galleries if you have a little extra time.  Provincetown artists create anything- from the most obscure modern pieces, to traditional "seascape" art.

We browsed the town, falling in love with some homes on the quaint little streets.  All these homes were so immaculately maintained.  Roses blooming, green lush grass, crisp white picket fences.  Oh, I could just go on and on about how gorgeous homes on the Cape are, but I won't, because that would be boring.

A more "touristy" attraction I would highly recommend is the Whydah Pirate Museum.  We stumbled upon it the last time we visited Provincetown.  It is an exhibit about the history of the Whydah, but it also includes real treasure that has been brought to the surface.  Barry Clifford is responsible for locating the shipwreck, and the exhibit follows his search through the ups, downs, and distraught moments that lead up to the Whydah discovery.  Matt and I were lucky enough to visit the museum and then realize on our way home that the National Geographic Real Pirates traveling exhibit was at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.  We stopped so that we could see additional findings from the Whydah- Matt was elated with this find!

As far as food goes, The Lobster Pot is second to none.  It's Lobster Bisque is to. die. for.  Literally.  You cannot visit the Cape and not make it to Provincetown for the Lobster Bisque. One of my favorite memories from The Lobster Pot was from the first time we came- with Dottie and my Mom, plus the Pugs.  Dottie really wanted Lobster Bisque and I knew of The Lobster Pot, so off we went.  Needless to say it was a riot, the three of us ate (of course, no dogs allowed in an eating establishment), while Matt sat outside with the Pugs.  Once our quick lunch was over, Matt was overwhelmed with joy.  He apparently had been repeatedly hit on (who wouldn't?? ) by those of alternate lifestyles- mainly because he had not one, but TWO Pugs in tow.  Cute.  Wish I had it on video.  He was so modest and gentleman-like with his refusals.  Hehehe.  Anyhow, the food (aside from the Lobster Bisque) is really good- they even have Tim's Clam Chowder- award winning in the grand city of Boston (you know it's good!!).  Give it a shot!

Woods End Light Provincetown, MA

We drove through the town via Commercial St. (the closest to the water), filled with pedestrians and the heart of Provicetown life, to the Northern most tip of the town.  There is a sweet little rotary with a tiny little park in the middle there.  You are able to walk out on to the rock jetty, way out (try 3.5 miles round trip)- all the way to the Wood End Lighthouse, but watch the tides, or you could be stranded out with the lighthouse for a few hours.

Race Point Light Provincetown, MA from Herring Cove Beach

From here we continued traveling around 6A into the Cape Cod National Seashore.  The seashore turns 50 this year (1961-2011), all thanks to President Kennedy.   He declared the shore a National Park in order to preserve its beauty, and it has been a success!  The winding drive takes you through typical Cape Cod beach areas, full of low-lying trees, brush, beach flowers, and of course, sand.  The road through the park is immaculately kept, as is everything else we have encountered thus far.  We make a pit stop at the visitor's center, which has a lovely observation deck (as well as a higher observation tower) that affords stellar views of the beach, passing ships, as well as the beach vegetation and growth in its natural state.

Funny Story Alert::  While we were catching the great views from the observation deck behind the Visitor's Center, I saw a book in the window that I thought I wanted, plus I wanted to pick up a postcard for Isabella (see Nantucket. posting).  I asked Matt for the debit card, and as he reached into his wallet, we both watched (think slow motion, like The Matrix) the debit card slide out of his wallet, and drop (think knife or dagger like) straight down between the two slats on the observation deck.  Humph.  Well.  How about that?  We both looked at each other and laughed.  "Are you kidding?" might have slipped out of our mouths.

So Matt went into the Visitor's Center and spoke with the nicest Park Ranger EVER.  She opened a super rickety fence underneath and decided to go on the scavenger hunt herself!  Thank goodness it was a blue and red card, so she didn't have a lot of trouble finding it once she found where I was standing above (note I didn't move once it fell through the slit, no way, no way).  We laughed and offered to pay the gal for her troubles, but she wouldn't hear of it (did I mention that she was a great Park Ranger, but this made her SUPER??  She totally went above and beyond).  Anyhow, I bought my fun little Cape Cod National Seashore: The First 50 Years book and a postcard with the CCNS cliffs on it (to mail to Isabella), and off we were for more driving the park.

Herring Cove Beach, Dune Grass, & Race Point Light in background

From the Visitor's Center, we back-tracked to Herring Cove Beach, where the dunes will take your breath away.  I caught a couple beach shots of Race Point Lighthouse and we were on our way.  The park has so many  bike/running/hiking trails, we definitely want to come back again and spend a lot more time riding around the park, viewing the seascape from up close. 

After leaving Herring Cove Beach, we drove at a leisurely pace (remember that refreshing and rejuvenating thing?) around the park, just taking the sites in.  We were even passed by some super in a hurry New Jersey van driving people.  It made us laugh...getting passed in a park by a van.  All very campy (who passes someone in a National Park anyways??).

Highland Light Truro, MA

From the Provincetown area of CCNS, we headed down towards Truro.  There is a beautiful lighthouse here that I just love to visit- Highland Light.  It is right in the midst of Highland Golf Course and feels very Ireland to me.  The lighthouse protects ships against these enormous cliffs (High Head Cliffs) along the shore, the grown grass and beach brush- this has to be one of the best places to play a round of golf.  One of the biggest changes from the last time we stopped at the light is they have built a circular observation deck, so you cannot get as close to the cliffs any more.  The past picture I have of us, we are standing a lot closer to the end (yeah, I guess we gotta live a little), amongst the beach grass, complete with windblown hair. I am glad they put up the observation deck though, as sad as I was at first, because now the grass and the eroding cliffs will be protected for that much longer, and the visitors to the light will be safer.

Highland Light Observation Deck

 One last place we didn't visit this go around, but is definitely worth the visit is Marconi Beach, also part of the CCNS.  It was the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication between the US and England in 1903.  Pretty cool, huh?

Marconi Beach is also known for its large (40 ft.) cliffs that adjoin to the beach.   You are able to go onto the beach where the cliffs are at Marconi, unlike High Head Cliffs in Truro.

High Head Cliffs at Highland Light Truro, MA

Be Blessed.