Cape Cod is an enigma. A peninsula in origin, it effectively became an island separated from the mainland by the creation of the Cape Cod Canal. For most of us who now call the Cape home, although we are connected by the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, we still refer to going off Cape as “going to the mainland”.

Navigating Cape Cod is a challenge to many of our visitors. It’s unique physical shape is likened to a flexed arm. Beginning at the shoulder after exiting one of the bridges are the Upper Cape towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and Mashpee. The mid-section or bicep area is the Mid-Cape, which includes Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis. The Lower Cape is the forearm, stretching from the elbow of Chatham to the fist of Provincetown and comprising the towns of Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro. To further complicate the visitor, the towns of Eastham to Provincetown are also often referred to as the Outer Cape because only these towns border the Atlantic Ocean.

Other anomalies prevail when navigating the three major routes that traverse Cape Cod. Route 6, also known as the Mid-Cape Highway, runs from the Sagamore Bridge down the center of the Cape to Provincetown. On the Bay side, also known as the north side, is Route 6A, the Old King‘s Highway that unites the quieter, historic, and more scenic side of the Cape. Route 28 runs from Bourne to Orleans along the south side of the Cape, and is frequently more congested than the north side. There are times when you can be on Route 28 North, clearly going south or west, as it travels along the shoulder and underarm of Cape Cod. Route 6 and 6A meet up at the rotary in Orleans near the inner elbow of the Cape as you head east to the tip of the peninsula, though your compass reads due north. And finally, you enter Provincetown through the east end of town and drive west to reach the other end of town around the bended fist.

To further confound visitors, most Cape towns have more than one village within their borders. Hyannis, for example, though one of the more familiar places on the Cape, is not a separate community, but merely one of seven villages within the town of Barnstable, which also includes Centerville, Osterville, Cotuit, Marstons Mills, West Barnstable and Barnstable. It is also not uncommon for multiple villages within one town to have streets by the same name. Main Street in West Yarmouth is Route 28. Main Street in Yarmouthport goes by the name of Hallett Street and Route 6A. There are two Camp Streets in Hyannis. One will take you toward the hospital from Yarmouth; the other to Mill Pond. West Yarmouth and Yarmouthport are both within the town of Yarmouth. But there is no village called Yarmouth. And although there is a village called South Yarmouth, there is none called North Yarmouth.

But perhaps the most confusing part of traveling around Cape Cod is the phenomena of the traffic rotary. Whenever we go around the airport rotary in Hyannis, I close my eyes. Oh, I’m not driving, mind you, just a passenger with Rich at the wheel. While he is a very good negotiator of the circular traffic maze, I am not as confident of the other drivers approaching from all angles. So I close my eyes, adopt a Zen state-of-mind and breath deeply until we have successfully emerged. Of course, every time we negotiate the rotary, I am subjected to Rich’s rendition of the “rules of the rotary”. He is of the opinion, and not shy about sharing that opinion with me and whoever else may be listening, that 99% of drivers are clueless as to rotary etiquette.

The most apt description of rotary protocol appeared in today’s Cape Cod Times. The author summed it up this way: “Rotaries are just intersections with attitude. The concept is fairly simple, though it can be daunting at first. Keep a couple of things in mind to safely navigate a rotary. Go with the flow. Remember traffic in the rotary has the right of way. When you enter or exit, signal, look for an open space and move confidently. Keep to the inside until you are ready to exit. If you miss your exit, relax. The beauty of the rotary is that your exit will show up again. And again. And again.” And I say from her lips to God’s ears and everyone else entering and exiting the airport rotary. However, until I am confident that all drivers have read and understood how to negotiate a rotary, I’m still going to just close my eyes.

Other Fun Facts About Cape Cod:

• You say you are “on” the Cape, not “in” it.
• There is no bridge to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard.
• There is no tunnel under the Cape Cod Canal.
• People who have moved to the Cape from somewhere else are called “washashores”.
• The Flyover is the new traffic configuration that resulted when the Sagamore Rotary was eliminated.

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Navigating Cape Cod…Just Close Your Eyes

Chatham Fish Pier Observation Deck

If you are looking for a fun and FREE late afternoon activity this summer, why not take in the Chatham Fish Pier. One of the most photographed spots on Cape Cod, the Fish Pier is located at 54 Barcliff Avenue Extension, just off of Shore Road in Chatham, a quarter mile south of the Route 28 intersection. The best time to go is in late afternoon when the commercial fishing boats return to unload their daily catch. On any given day the catch can be cod, haddock, dogfish, lobster, tuna, or scallops that will be shipped to Boston, New York, or destinations overseas.

Take the stairway to the observation deck and watch the activity from a bird‘s eye view. It’s a treat for all your senses. A fish elevator transports the catch up, past your nose, and onto a conveyor belt that moves the haul into the processing plant. Seagulls screech above your head, and massive grey seals lurk below hoping a tempting treat will be tossed their way.

As part of its community outreach efforts, the Cape Cod Hook Fishermen’s Association (CCCHFA) sends a fishing expert to the pier, Wednesdays through Saturdays, to answer visitors’ questions as part of their “Fish Pier Host” program. The hosts are generally retired commercial fisherman, with a wealth of information about the catch, the local waters, and what it’s like to fish commercially.

The Fish Pier sees around 17,500 visitors annually. On your way into or out of Chatham, be sure to travel down Shore Road, past the Chatham Bars Inn (a Cape Cod Institution) to Chatham Lighthouse and Lighthouse Beach.

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Chatham Fish Pier – Free Cape Cod Summer Fun!

Cape Cod Shipwreck-January 2008

Sebastian Junger, author of “The Perfect Storm” and a Truro homeowner, told a radio interviewer that he came across a piece of a ship’s hull near Ballston Beach in Truro last Friday. But when a park ranger went out to examine the wreck, there was nothing to be found.

The author described the wreck as having a “bulbous kind of look … like Columbus’ ships had. It’s just like really old looking” and said that pieces of it had been washing ashore for months.

In January of 2008 a 19th century schooner turned coal barge washed up on Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, but it is unclear whether Junger’s find is part of the same shipwreck

According to Junger, the most recent piece of ship was discovered just south of the Ballston Beach entrance. He described it as “several planks fastened to a hull with wooden pegs and brass nails several inches long.”

Although Junger claimed to have anchored the hull to the shore, it could have broken away in the recent stormy weather, because as of this morning there was still no wreck to be found near Ballston Beach in Truro. So the mystery dubbed the “celebrity shipwreck mystery” remains, well, a mystery.

[source: Cape Cod Times, Wednesday, June 24, 2009]

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Shipwreck on Cape Cod

4th of July on Cape Cod

One of the nation’s best Fourth of July fireworks shows is right here on Cape Cod, according to Travel & Leisure Magazine, which named Falmouth’s annual fireworks display as one of the 10 best in the country. The patriotic fireworks show is watched by 50,000 people each summer and was chosen because of the musical choreography and the quality of fireworks.

According to Travel & Leisure, on July 3, 1776, the day before the Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the event should be marked “with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

Today, the explosive spectacles that Adams envisioned come courtesy of the U.S. pyrotechnics industry, a $900 million-plus annual business.

Falmouth is ranked among some heavy hitters and perennial pyrotechnic favorites. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular topped the list and fireworks shows in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Mount Rushmore also made the cut.

This year’s display is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Falmouth native Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote “America the Beautiful.” The complete list of the best fireworks displays can be found on http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/best-july-4th-fireworks/.

We still have some rooms available for the holiday weekend. Come celebrate with us!

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Cape Cod Fireworks Among “Top Ten”!

Tall Ships Boston 2009

The Tall Ships are returning to Boston Harbor this year and tours of the vessels are free! Why not combine a peaceful getaway to Cape Cod with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the spectacular Tall Ships on their trans-Atlantic journey? Boston Harbor is less than an hour’s drive from Cape Cod, making a daytrip to see the Tall Ships an easy venture from our central Cape Cod location.The Tall Ships journey begins in Vigo, Spain. From there the fleet will race to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, en route to Bermuda. Then on to Charleston, South Carolina before racing to Boston, for Sail Boston 2009. From Boston the fleet will cruise north to Halifax, Canada and eventually back across the North Atlantic to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The public will be able to view the Tall Ships vessels in Boston from Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12 at a number of piers, including Battery Wharf, Long Wharf, Rowes Wharf, Moakley Courthouse, Charlestown Navy Yard, World Trade Center and Fish Pier. However, boarding of the largest and most popular Tall Ships will only be allowed at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Fish Pier and the World Trade Center from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 9-10 (Thursday and Friday), and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 11-12 (Saturday-Sunday).

We still have a few rooms available for July 1 – 9 and July 11-14. Great rates…fantastic views…unforgettable breakfast…and insider information on how to get the most from your Cape Cod vacation and Tall Ships adventure. Call 888-362-4441 for best availability or book online.

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Cape Cod and the Tall Ships

Shining Sea Bike Path in Falmouth

On July 2, the newest section of the Shining Sea Bikeway will officially open with a dedication ceremony, but already hundreds of people are riding, running and walking it each day. This new stretch of pavement is less than eight miles long but the existing bike path nearly 11 miles, from County Road in North Falmouth to the Steamship Authority parking lot in Woods Hole.

Built along the right-of-way for the Old Colony rail line into Woods Hole, the new bike path passes through cranberry bogs and the Sippewissett Marsh, and offers views of Chapaquoit Beach. Along the way it’s easy to spot an osprey feeding on fish, gulls dropping shellfish onto the pavement or rabbits hopping through newly planted grass. Some property owners along the trail have put out water bowls for dogs and one homeowner set up a “shaved ice” stand to lure a captive and thirsty audience.

The Shining Sea Bikeway is named for Katharine Lee Bates, the Falmouth woman who wrote the poem that became the song “America the Beautiful.”

The bike path runs along a prehistoric Wampanoag Indian trail.

From 1872 to 1957 it was used by the Penn Central Railroad for train service to Woods Hole.

In 1975, the town purchased 3.3 miles of the right-of way for $329,000 and one year later, the path was officially opened to bikes.

The new 7.4-mile stretch from Falmouth center to North Falmouth was paid for through a $300,000 town debt exclusion for design work, $3.2 million in federal funds for construction and $21,700 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation for informational kiosks and brochures.

[Source: Shining Sea Bikeway pamphlet and committee.]

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Cape Cod Shining Sea Bikeway

Richard Warren, the former owner of this Cape Cod landmark, passed away in 2008 after more than 45 years of ownership. Warren, who started working at Four Seas in 1956 when he was a college student, purchased the shop from its original owner four years later.

The name “Four Seas” comes from a poem by Mabel E. Phinney called “Cape Cod Calls”. It prides itself on excellent ice cream, smiling service, and Cape Cod charm. Sporting the same look since 1934, the shop boasts a retro counter complete with stools plus a small dining room on the side for lunch and those who like to eat their ice cream sitting down. The line is usually out the door, especially on hot summer evenings.

You can find Four Seas on Main Street in Centerville. If you’re new to Cape Cod, visit the Four Seas official website, which has clear directions for the shop from Route 6. Just click on “find us” at the bottom of the page. If you love ice cream and Cape Cod, you won’t want to miss the Four Seas ice cream experience.

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Four Seas Ice Cream on Cape Cod

First Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day

Quahogs and oysters and clams, oh my! Are we in the land of Oz or just a fish market on Cape Cod? Puzzled by some of the unfamiliar names given to local shell fish, we are frequently asked “What in the world is a quahog?” So in an effort to enlighten our guests, we offer up this simple explanation. Pronounced locally “co-hog”, this hard shelled bivalve is a type of mollusk native to the waters of New England, although they can be found anywhere along the east coast, from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatan Peninsula. Also known as a round or chowder clam, local fish markets identify quahogs with special names for its different sizes. The smallest are called littlenecks, followed by the cherrystones, and the largest are known as quahogs or chowder clams.

This year, the First Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day will be celebrated on Sunday, June 21, 2009 at the Quahog Republic Waterfront Eatery on Mashnee Island in Bourne. The day will kick off with the “Quahog Prognostication”-an announcement from the Secretary General of the Quahog Republic as he receives word from the “official quahog” on how many weeks of Cape Cod beach weather lie ahead.

Other highlights of the festivities, which will be held on the Quahog Republic lawn overlooking the water, include a clambake preparation ritual, shucking demonstrations, live entertainment, and various contests, where attendees will have a chance to compete to be the 2009 Ms. Quahog, Boss Hog and Mister/Miss Littleneck.

The general event is free and open to the public, with food and drink available for sale at the restaurant. The clambake, served at 6 PM under a tent on the lawn, is a ticketed event limited to 75 people. As is tradition, the clambake includes 1 ¼ boiled lobster, steamers, linguica, potatoes and corn. For more details visit http://wwwquahogday.com.

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You Can’t Get Bacon From A Quahog

Cape Cod Clam Shack

In 2006, Elizabeth Bougerol published New England’s Favorite Seafood Shacks: Eating Up the Coast from Connecticut to Maine. Though it may not be the definite tome on the best seafood establishments in the region, the unifying theme is that each and every place listed is someone’s favorite. It may have made the list simply because of the food, but it might also be for the location, the colorful native patrons, the authenticity of the experience, an owner who’s a real character, the atmosphere, or just years of time-honored existence.Whatever the grounds for inclusion, to me the very existence of the book and places listed within are reason enough to chart a course that includes a stop at each and everyone of them, just to judge for myself whether it deserves to be on “the list”.

I have my own rating system for lobster rolls, my particular seafood obsession, and raison d’être for going in search of every obscure hole-in-the-wall seafood eatery here on Cape Cod. It’s a one- to five-claw system that awards points for food quality, setting, value, friendliness of the wait staff, and authenticity. So far, I have only found one that merits 5-claws, but I have sampled a mere third of the possibilities that Bougerol lists. Here, in reverse order from the tip of the peninsular to the islands off its coast, are the 21 establishments on the Cape and Islands that were deemed worthy by the author.

P’Town
The Lobster Pot

Wellfleet
Mac’s Seafood
Bayside Lobster Hut
Moby Dick’s

Eastham
Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar

Orleans
Cap’t Cass Rock Harbor Seafood
Sir Cricket’s Fish & Chips
The Lobster Claw

Brewster
Cobie’s

Dennis
Captain Frosty’s Fish & Chips
Sesuit Harbor Café

West Dennis
Kream ‘n’ Cone

Hyannis
Baxter’s Boathouse

Falmouth
The Clam Shack

Martha’s Vineyard
The Black Dog Tavern
Giordano’s
Larsen’s Fish Market
The Bite
Home Port Restaurant

Nantucket
The Lobster Trap
Nantucket Pharmacy

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Twenty-one “Favorite” Cape Cod Clam Shacks

I, and my mother before me, am somewhat of a lobster aficionado. Steamed, baked-stuffed, in stew or en casserole, lobster is much more than just “the other white meat” for me. True purists, of course, prefer to eat lobster in the rough, or au natural, meaning as seemingly untouched as possible. Often this entails a seaside lobster pound, picnic tables, and the requisite bib.

Arriving at your table steamed to a bright red perfection, the lobster (or “bug” as we New Englanders often refer to them) is served whole in its shell, leaving the diner to his or her own device to gain entry to the succulent meat contained within. A few essential tools are required-a lobster or nut cracker, a small metal pick, a plastic or paper bib, and in some instances, a rolling pin.

Eating lobster in the rough is a messy business, to be sure, but one that offers immense and immediate pleasure. It was not my father’s favorite pastime, being an accountant and not fond of getting his hands messy. But my mother was in absolute hog heaven when faced with a lobster, and my father indulged her whenever possible. It was she who taught me the finer points of lobster domination. Woe unto the person who left behind even the smallest morsel of lobster meat in my mother’s presence. Now if you are not a purist, or lean towards my father’s camp of not liking to get mucked up, there are plenty of establishments that will do the preliminary work for you by serving the lobster with pre-cracked claws and slicing open the tail. Some will go so far as to remove the meat from the shell and serve it in a casserole with butter and breadcrumbs in a style we refer to as the “lazyman’s lobster”. But the true experience is a hands on proposition. So, here for the edification of the uninitiated, is the best, and most efficient way to handle a whole steamed lobster:

How to Handle a Lobster

1. Start with the tail. Grasp the body of the lobster with one hand and the tail with the other. Gently twist the tail until it separates from the body.
2. Next, snap off the tail flippers (use your lobster pick to remove the sweet meat contained in each flipper). Then using a fork or your fingers, bend the tail slightly and firmly push the lobster tail meat out of its shell. A dark vein runs down the center of the tail. This should be removed before eating.
3. Tackle the claws next. Again, grasping the body with one hand, twist the claws away from the body so that they separate at the knuckle. Spread the pinchers of each claw open until they snap apart. Use a nut cracker to crack the shell and remove the meat with a lobster pick.
4. Break the legs off the lobster body. Use a rolling pin to push the meat out. Conversely, you can suck the meat out while gently squeezing the legs with your teeth.
5. If you have patience you can remove the shell from the body of the lobster and pick the meat from the knuckles. This is time consuming work, but well worth it.
6. You may encounter the greenish tomalley and coral roe inside the body of the lobster. The roe are the eggs of a female lobster, while the tomalley is the liver of the lobster and considered a delicacy by some.

My favorite lobster presentation, however is the lobster roll. Chunks of lobster meat are dressed ever so lightly in mayonnaise and served in a hot dog bun that has been grilled on the outside with butter. A bit of finely chopped celery can be added, but nothing else. Nothing; no onion, garlic powder, or other unnecessary ingredients. And please don’t replace the bun with a sub roll, croissant, or other pretentious bread offering, or try to detract from the main ingredient with fluff like lettuce and tomato. In fact, the hot dog bun should be in the classic New England tradition, sliced open on top, not along the side. I am such a purist with regard to lobster rolls that I have devised a rating system that measures quality on a scale from one to five claws. Criteria include presentation or visual appeal (a bun toasted to golden brown, sizable chunks of tail and claw meat, full, but not overflowing); taste; and ambiance of the setting (preferably outdoors with a view of the ocean). Few in my lifetime have measured up. And when I do find one, it is a treasure worth sharing. So please, if you are a guest at the High Pointe Inn and you want to experience a five claw lobster roll, just ask me. But don’t be surprised if I ask you to bring me one “to go”.

Lobster Factoids

• 11.9 million pounds of lobster caught and cooked annually in Massachusetts
• 52 ports in Massachusetts with lobster boats
• 400,000 lobster traps in Massachusetts waters

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Lobstah Tales: A Cape Cod Passion