Click Here
for more articles |
|
|
Unforgettable Cape Cod Vacations: The National Seashore Gift |
by:
Cliff Calderwood |
Takecaptivating trip throughCape Cod National Seashore with miles of white sandy beaches, trails and hikes to take your breath away, and majestic dunes. Just keep reading and you can visit all those places right now.
The Cape Cod National Seashore isfour,threezeroeight-acre park set aside byact of congress in oneninesixone to preserve and protectunique geological area and wild life habitat of New England.
Cape Cod is about sixzero miles south of Boston, Massachusetts. It was formed whenlast glaciers to visitregion melted about onetwo,zerozerozero-years ago leavinglarge lake. Because of special features and material surroundingglacial lake,water drained out exposingsediment and deposits left byglaciers from earlier times.
Withrising sea level andprotection frombattering ocean provided by Georges Bank gone, nature started to reshapewhole of Cape Cod -- especiallyAtlantic facing National Seashore area.
The relentless shaping ofCape continues even today. But this isplace to come to escape. This isplace to come to experience nature.
So let’s takebrief Cape Cod vacations trip together. Are you ready?
Nauset Beach…
The first stop on your trip is Nauset Beach intown of Orleans.
The entrance to Nauset beach is located in East Orleans atend of Beach Road, where there’slarge parking lot. The lot is about two miles from Routes six/sixA. Duringsummer months you’ll pay to uselot.
Protection isname ofgame at Nauset not just fordunes, butbirds nesting inspring. Always pay close attention to beach erosion and bird nesting protection signs anywhere during your Cape Cod vacations. Heedingsigns meansarea could still be here next time you visit.
Atentrance tobeach you can turn left and walk North, or takeSouth walk by turning right. Both walks offer spectacular views and hidden areas ofCape even many residents haven’t discovered. Time your walks to be at low tide so you’ll be walking on exposed sand bars onNorth walk, or havedry crossing to Pochet Island onSouth walk.
Insummer Nauset beach is very popular with vacationers, but there always seems to be room even atbusiest times. Swimming is good -- but stay close toshore. It’sAtlantic Ocean so it’ll belittle cooler than onCape Cod Bay side orNantucket 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 topark, and provides short films,museum, and free maps for hiking and biking trails.
Note: The Salt Pond Visitor Center building has been closed for renovations since twozerozerothree. It’s due to reopen in twozerozerofive – in fact right about now!
Starting fromvisitor center isshort and easy one-mile loop Nauset Marsh Trail that followspath aroundsalt pond and Nauset Marsh before returning tovisitor center. It’svaried terrain of salt marsh grasses, juniper and bayberry bushes, andgreat place for bird watching due toproximity ofmarsh.
The salt pond itself isglacial kettle pond that was once freshwater butocean has seeped through.
The Lighthouse Beaches…
Two wonderful beaches to visit inEastham area are Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach.
Coast Guard Beach can be reached by bike frombike trail fromSalt Pond Visitor Center, or by car from Nauset Road off Route six directly afterVisitor Center -- just followsigns tolot on Doane Road. This beach isfavorite walk of mine at low tide, and wasarea where Henry Beston wrote "The Outermost House." Sadlyblizzard of onenineseveneight washedcottage where he lived while writingbook -- out to sea.
Yet another example ofawesome forces continually sculpturingCape Cod National Seashore.
But here's another gem ofbeach for you...
Nauset Light Beach can be reached from Brackett Road also off Route six, and then Cable Road and Ocean View Drive. The parking lot is small and fills up quickly insummer.
Close bybeach is Nauset Lighthouse. Originally built in Chatham inlate onenineth century, it was moved here shortly after, and moved again in onenineninesix when erosion ofcliff threatened to collapselighthouse.
The beach is popular forimposing 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 issix-mile hike, so allow yourself at least half-a-day to explore this wonderful area.
Located onCape Cod Bay side ofCape in Wellfleet, drive totrailhead off Chequesset Neck Road, and prepare yourself -- and camera -- forexhilarating hike. The area is pretty open and so take sunscreen andhat.
What will you see?
Marvelous views of Wellfleet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay await you once onisland (hint: it’s not reallyisland anymore).
Another hint: this isreal nature hike. There’s no sandwich bar or coke machine waiting for you atend, so take your own snacks and drinks. Of alltrails inCape Cod National Seashore Park, this is perhapsmost remote -- and I like that!
Out onIsland itself there used to besecluded Tavern used by Whalers andlike. Nothing remains of it today except forsign to markspot where it was.
National Seashore Province Lands Visitors Center…
The visitor center in Province Lands is off Route six and on Race Point Road. This isnorthern tip ofpark, and marks our final stop together on this Cape Cod vacations trip.
The Visitor Center itself hasobservation deck where you can viewmajestic surroundings of ocean, forest, andomnipresent towering dunes. The area includes two swimming beaches -- Race Point and Herring Cove --bike trail, andwalking trail. There’s alsobeautiful lighthouse at Race Point.
The bike trail ischallenging five.twofive-mile loop that you can start fromvisitor center. I’d describe it as undulating bordering on hilly.
There’s alsofair amount of hairpin turns, and so helmets andsafe speed aremust. Believe medownhill stretches are so exhilarating, but you can easily forget and misjudge bike traffic comingother way. I’ve seen manytangled mess -- Ouch!
And that’send of this brief trip.
Wow! You didlot infew minutes – from your chair. But now it’s time to doreal thing. Are you ready?
AboutAuthor
Cliff Calderwood isowner and contributing writer of www.new-england-vacations-guide.com . You can read other vacation articles and getfree travel report at his New England vacations guide site. |
|
