In My Footsteps: Trip 14: Brewster, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 14: Brewster, Mass.

January 28, 2010

            Brewster is a classic small town with a mix of the modern and the quaint.  It may have the most natural beauty of any town on the mid-Cape with the Natural History Museum as well as Nickerson State Park which will be addressed in its own article.  First incorporated in 1803, carved out from the northern part of Harwich, Brewster was named for William Brewster one of the leaders of the Pilgrims.  The sights and history start almost immediately when you cross over into Brewster from Dennis.  This little village is also filled with cozy Bed & Breakfasts that look like they are straight out of the 19^th Century.  The best part is that you do not have to travel very far to find natural and historical beauty.

            On Rt. 6A as you cross into Brewster you come across Drummer Boy Park which houses the Old Higgins Farm Windmill(left).  It was built in 1795 and has been moved several times before winding up in its current location.  Also on the Drummer Boy Park grounds is the Harris-Black House also built in 1795.  The park area is grassy and wide open, perfect for recreation and picnicking. 

            Almost immediately after exiting Drummer Boy Park you will find the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History.  There are trails on the south side of Rt. 6A that take you across a marsh and into the surrounding woods.  The Natural History Museum itself is filled with amazing exhibits featuring the local wildlife and ecology.  It is open everyday during the summer and most days during the spring and fall.  It is what is behind the museum that truly makes the trip memorable, a prime example of what the Natural History Museum’s exhibits are all about. 

            Located across Quivett Creek Marsh and only accessible at low tide is Wing Island.  The John Wing Trail which begins as a series of boards across the mucky marsh leads you across the wooded land and out to Cape Cod Bay is named for John Wing.  Wing was the first white settler to live within the boundaries of what was old Harwich in 1656.  The island trail has several openings which allow a broad view of Quivett Creek Marsh and Cape Cod Bay(right) simultaneously.  The land is filled with birds, butterflies and sweet smelling flowers during the warmer months but it is still an amazing piece of natural beauty during the winter.  Remember that the marsh trail leading to Wing Island is submerged during high tide so check the charts before heading out there.  Paine’s Creek is visible from the beach at Wing Island but in order to get to the beach you must leave the Natural History Museum and head down 6A.  It is a great swimming beach as it is on the bay side of the Cape and therefore has less surf.

            If you follow Paine’s Creek Road to Stony Brook Road you will find a pair of well known attractions.  The Stony Brook Herring Run(right) is a popular site for children and adults alike, especially during the spring when the herring spawn.  During the spring the narrow brook is choked with the fish but as tempting as it may seem, taking them from the grounds is not permitted.  However, it does not have to be spring to enjoy the herring run.  Lower Mill Pond empties through the herring run and out into Paine’s Creek and the series of ‘fish ladders,’ a sort of man made funneling system for the fish, make a constant rush of water that overpowers most other sound.  There is also an old wishing well on the grounds and a walking bridge over the brook that allows for tremendous views of the natural beauty no matter what the season.

            Across the street from the herring run is the Stony Brook Grist Mill(left).  The original mill was 200-years old when it burnt to the ground in 1871, the current mill was built on the original foundation two years later.  It houses a museum inside and is still in operation despite being nearly 140-years old.  The mill has an amazing wooden wheel affixed to its side; this spot is a very popular photographic site.

            A beautiful place to stay and a beautiful place to explore, Brewster holds many natural and historical attractions.  It should be a destination for any traveler wishing to visit Cape Cod.  Any time of year you can enjoy all of the sites Brewster has to offer.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Drummer Boy Park: On Rt. 6A travel east into Brewster.  The park is located shortly after entering the town on the left side.  The windmill stands on the left side of the park with the Harris-Black house sitting behind it.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History & Wing Island: On Rt. 6A travel east into Brewster.  The Natural History Museum is a very short drive from Drummer Boy Park and is designated by a large sign.  Wing Island is behind the museum across the marsh, accessible only at low tide.

Paine’s Creek: On Rt. 6A travel east, pass Drummer Boy Park and the Natural History Museum.  Bear left onto Lower Rd. and take first left onto Paine’s Creek Rd.  Follow road to beach parking lot.

Stony Brook Herring Run & Grist Mill: On Rt. 6A heading east turn right onto Paine’s Creek Rd.  Turn right onto Stony Brook Rd.  The herring run and mill are 1,000 feet away.  Parking is on herring run side of road.

References: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

            Brewster Historical Society

            Cape Cod Herring Runs
           Brewster By the Sea Bed & Breakfast

Ocean Edge Resort on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 6: Cape Cod Canal - Cape Side

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 6: Cape Cod Canal – Cape Side
January 20, 2010



With so many destinations on the map when it comes to visiting Cape Cod, there are some very obvious ones that tend to get overlooked. One such place is seen by every single person who ever visits the Cape: the Cape Cod Canal. Stretching just over seventeen miles in length from Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay and crossed by three bridges the Canal is a man made miracle that gets lost sometimes in the allure of the many beautiful beaches and shops of the Cape. This article is going to be all about the Canal and what there is to see along its shores. Being far too long it will be divided into an on Cape article and an off Cape article.

I began at the mouth of the Canal on the east side which empties into Cape Cod Bay. After a short walk across a very rocky beach I was lucky enough to arrive at the edge of the Canal just in time to watch a large ship from the Great Lakes area pass through and head out into the bay(left). At a maximum width of 540-feet the Canal sees over 20,000 ships pass through its waters annually.

Located a few hundred yards from the bay end of the Canal is a Power Plant owned and run by the Atlanta-based energy company, Mirant. A trail way leads from the mouth of the Canal back toward one of the visitor’s centers. Directly across from the visitor’s center is the Coast Guard station as they, along with many fishermen, operate out of the small harbor at the Sandwich Marina.
Route 6A is the best way to follow the Canal. There is a service road for authorized vehicles and bike trails running along either side of the waterway but most of the sights along the Canal can be driven to without a problem. Traveling along 6A, the first major sight is that of the Sagamore Bridge. Opened in 1935 and spanning 1,408 feet across the Canal, this bridge is the way to get onto the Cape from Boston and points north as it continues seamlessly from Route 3 to Route 6. The ‘Sagamore Flyover’ project, completed in 2006 replaced a rotary that caused traffic to become severely congested with an easier to navigate system of roads. 

Route 6A becomes Sandwich Road during its run along the Canal. Just before the Bourne Bridge rotary comes into sight Sandwich Road bears right. Follow this road and you will find yourself stepping into a hidden piece of Cape Cod, and United States history. Sandwich Road travels along a more secluded section of the Canal, passing directly under the Bourne Bridge(right). Unlike with the Sagamore Bridge there is a designated recreation area next to the bridge allowing visitors to park. People can get out and walk along the Canal while listening to the rush of highway traffic passing overhead. It is a soothing sort of hum. There are active railroad tracks which also pass along the Canal and they should be watched in case of trains. The bike path can be used to walk on and on warmer days it is highly recommended and highly populated by bicyclists, runners, and skaters.
Sandwich Road continues and it is along here that the visit to the Canal takes on a more historic twist. After passing by the Jonathan Bourne Library a right hand turn down Perry Avenue will lead you to the Aptucxet Trading Post museum. Built in 1627 it was the first trading post used by the fledgling Plymouth Colony. The building that stands is a replica of the original, but the museum houses excavated pieces of the nearly 400-year old building inside. Not to be missed as well sitting less than a hundred feet from the Aptucxet Trading Post museum is the Gray Gables railroad station. It was created for President Grover Cleveland whose summer home in Bourne was named Gray Gables. The building was moved to the Aptucxet grounds in 1976.

Aptucxet Road leads to Shore Road via a surprisingly beautifully painted overpass. Turn right and follow Shore Road to Bell Road and the third and final bridge along the Canal. The railroad bridge, built in 1935 and crossing the Canal near Buzzards Bay, was the largest vertical lift bridge in history when it was originally built. It is still right up there today. When raised it has a clearance of 135-feet. Near the Buzzards Bay end of the Canal sits a small cove where on this day hundreds upon hundreds of ducks and other water fowl congregated. No trains passed during my stop here but watching the railroad bridge(below) move is a spectacular sight to see.

Not to be lost in all of the sights and activities along the Cape side of the Canal is the fact that the entire waterway was man made. It is amazing to think of how technology was different when the project began nearly one hundred years ago. That information makes the whole scope of the trip even more remarkable. Stay tuned for the second part of this article focusing on the off-Cape side of the Canal. Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Cape Cod Bay end of the Canal: On Cape, take Rt. 6A into Sandwich, take a right onto Tupper Rd. to Town Neck Rd. Off Cape, take Exit 1C after crossing Sagamore Bridge, turn right onto Sandwich Road. Follow it just over a mile and take a left onto Tupper Rd.
Bourne Recreation Area: Follow Sandwich Rd. west along Canal. Bear right before Bourne rotary. Recreation area is right turn at foot of bridge.

Aptucxet Trading Post & Gray Gables: Follow Sandwich Rd. west along Canal, bear right before Bourne rotary, follow Sandwich Rd. into Bourne. Turn right onto Perry Ave., a quick left onto Aptucxet Road. The grounds are designated by a windmill and sign.

Railroad Bridge: Follow Sandwich Rd., turn right onto Shore Rd. Right turn onto Bell Rd. less than 1 mile away. Follow it to the Canal.

References: Bourne Historical Society

                     Cape Cod Canal Chamber of Commerce

Sagamore Beach on Dwellable