Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
waterline,sandgiveswaytowater-smoothedstonesthat,whenjostledbythewaves,sound
rather like marbles being shaken inside a paper bag.
4. Yarmouth Port
Back on Rte. 6A, the drive heads east into Yarmouth Port, a quaint village with many old
sea captains' homes that have since been converted to bed-and-breakfast inns. Among the
properties relating to the town's seafaring history is the Captain Bangs Hallet House, a
Greek Revival structure crammed with treasures acquired by the good captain on his many
voyages to the Far East.
Behind the post office (located just off the town green), a nature trail of the Historical
Society of Old Yarmouth leads through 50 acres of lush, lovely woodlands, where brilliant
foliage bedecks the canopy in autumn, and blossoming rhododendrons enliven the scene
during the springtime.
5. Dennis
Though it rises only 160 feet above sea level, Dennis's Scargo Hill is a mountain by Cape
Cod standards. On a clear day the view from its observation tower can extend all the way
toProvincetown,some40milesaway.Scanthelandscape,too,forfreshwaterkettleponds.
These deepdepressions werecreated manycenturies agowhentheglaciers that formedthe
Cape left behind, buried in debris, huge chunks of ice that later melted. Warmer and more
secluded than nearby beaches, these shimmering pockets of fresh water make first-class
swimming holes. Some 360 dot the Cape, and while many are on private property, others
are open to the public. Check town maps for locations.
6. Brewster
ThebesttimetovisitBrewsterisatlowtide,whenyoucanwalkmorethanamileoutfrom
shore on the bay's tidal flats and wade amid tidepools filled with sea life. A good many
ship captains once resided here; Thoreau noted in 1849 that Brewster had more mates and
masters of vessels than any other town in the country. At the eastern edge of town, look for
the entrance to Nickerson State Park, once the private fish and game preserve of a railroad
tycoon. Laced with trails and dotted with ponds (several of them filled with jumping and
biting trout), Nickerson boasts nearly 2,000 acres—a remarkable spread, given the Cape's
small size. A bike shop provides rentals for excursions along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a
20-mile-long paved path that runs through the park, en route from South Dennis beyond
the National Seashore at Eastham to Wellfleet.
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