Cape Vacation Adventures

Every year for week #33, we go to Cape  Cod to enjoy a week of family vacation.  But in true "Steve Tradition", this week is not without adventures.  After all, it's The Cape, and there are plenty of opportunities for those adventures.

Sunday, August 16
Nauset Marsh Trail, Eastham

The original plan for the day was taking a motor boat out in Pleasant Bay.  However, the weather had different plans.  The skies looked stormy and the winds were whipping up the waters on the bay pretty fiercely, so our excursion was cancelled.  

As an alternative, we hopped in the car and set off on a short 1.3 mile hike starting from the Cape Cod National Seashore Eastham Visitor Center.  While the building itself was closed, the surrounding trails were wide open.

A map at the beginning will get us on the right track.

Never quite figured out what this was floating in Salt Pond.

The marsh leaves islands at high tide...

... then empties out toward the barrier sand island that is Nauset Beach.

There are small creatures to discover at the waters' edge.

It's an easy hiking trail so everyone can get in on the fun.  The pitch pine & hemlock are on all sides.

Monday, August 17
Cape Cod Rail Trail (East), Dennis & Yarmouth

There is continuing improvement of the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  A couple years ago, it was extended

to the east from its starting location in Dennis on Rt. 134.  Now there's a bridge that crosses the highway as well as another bridge that crosses the Bass River about a mile beyond that.  The was time to explore the new section.

Unload the bikes, load up the chariot, leave the boats behind.

Betsy took a walk down to the Bass River Bridge and we met her there.

A deck on the east side affords a great view of the Bass River. The Mid Cape Highway (Rt 6) can be seen to the north.

The new section of the trail connects to an older section which bisects a public golf course in Yarmouth.

This the the current end of the bike trail at Station Avenue.  Miles from Dennis are marked as "negative" miles.

Everyone's enjoying the ride.  Back to the start, our total distance was 11.86 miles.  I sprinted ahead on the way back and continued into Harwich for another 2.5 miles, but didn't make it all the way to the Old Colony rotary.  In all, I covered 17.4 miles.  Fun day!

Tuesday August 18
To Namskaket Creek, Brewster & Orleans

Later that day, we took the boats out at Linnell Landing in Brewster.  Betsy, Cassandra, Catherine, and I paddled into the marsh.  I forgot to track our route, but suffice it to say it was very similar to the one we did 3 years ago and was probably about 4-5 miles in length.

Alex takes Monica for a ride, too.