Day 1, July 10:
We drove out leaving home at 8:30 AM for the approximately 3 1/2 hour (no traffic) drive from CT to Eastham. We typically take 2 cars (one is my wife, 2 boys and I with all of our stuff…the other is my MIL with all her stuff. We meet up just off of highway and drive together). This year, however, I had to be “on call” for Saturday and Sunday, so I took my truck as well and we made a convoy of three this time out. Drive was typical with a period of weekend heavy back up traffic approaching the Bourne Bridge going over the Cape Cod Canal (Borne Bridge and Sagamore bridge are the 2 auto bridges over the canal and were built from 1933 to 1935 and replaced earlier bridges built over the canal which itself was opened/completed in 1914).
As we approach bridges on highway.. sign updated with current year each year…
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Also, wife still learning about her new car… she saw this on the way (it knows her so well…mmm… coffee)
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Made it to Cooke’s Seafood (our traditional first stop restaurant) where I had fried clam strips, boys had grilled shrimp, MIL had baked scallops and wife had veggie burger.
After filling up, we made next traditional stops at Christmas Tree Shops (started out as tons of Christmas “stuff” back at original location, but has grown over time to a network of stores in New England with everything from beach stuff/needs (towels, lotion, toys, umbrellas, etc), various food stuffs(cookies, candy, drinks, snacks), knick knacks, souvenirs, and so on (depending on store location. After that was off to Cuffy’s (a Cape Cod Store with Cape Cod sweatshirts - their most popular item, especially for people who found out it’s cooler than they were expecting and didn’t bring any from home..lol…middle July can still be cool here sticking out into Atlantic - tee shirts, and so on). I have several from here and buy one about every other year it seems.
After stores we headed to the Salt Pond Visitor Center at the Cape Cod National Seashore… it was nice to have the buildings open this year again (after last years pandemic closures). There is a neat little museum inside with many artifacts and photos showing/discussing life of both the original natives of CapeCod as well as if the settlers and sailers who lived here early on. I enjoy seeing it every time! It’s funny to think that Cape Cod (like many parts of New England a long time ago) was practically stripped of all wooded areas for wood to use in construction and to clear land for farming. It was only AFTER the land on Cape Cod started to become not as good for farming anymore that the sea and fishing became a larger part of the life here. Anyway, I could go on and on about Cape Cod history and such.There are many things I would love to do (and not enough time for all) but I could easily just come out here for an extended period and get myself immersed in the natural and human/settler history of Cape Cod. Highly recommend for history buffs to come here.
Photo opportunity at the Salt Pond Visitor Center (that IS the “salt pond” in the back ground…originally a “kettle pond” which are the freshwater ponds on Cape Cod that formed when glacial ice from last ice age melted and filled depressions on the land leaving behind fresh water ponds. This particular pond is close to the shore and a long long time ago the ocean broke through to it and now it is connected to the ocean and has tidal flow in and out…a very popular place for clamming and exploring. They offer ranger guided kayaking tours.
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Also, rather than at Cuffy’s this year, I bought a Cape Cod National Seashore sweatshirt:
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My wife was happy as this was something other than the black or gray I usually tend to buy..
Next was off to check into our rental house.. got settled there and then headed off to catch part of a baseball game between the Harwich Mariners and the Chatham Anglers… 2 teams in the Cape Cod baseball league (which is made of of 10 teams at different Cape Cod towns) and happens each summer. College players from Eastern US. make up the teams and many MLB players are former players on the league. 2021’s MLB draft first round #1 pick was a 2019 CapeCod league player.
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After 5th inning son was getting hungry so headed with him (only the 2 of us had gone to game) headed back four our other first night usual.. pizza from the Red Barn (pizza, mini golf, arcade, souvenir/candy store type place that’s been here since we were kids and before). Good first day.