In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 60: When Henry Ford Bought A Piece of Cape Cod, Nantucket's Great Point, Forgotten Childhood Beverages, My Nana's Favorite Game(3-10-2022)

 

In My Footsteps: Judah Baker Windmill

Here is a video featuring the historic Judah Baker Windmill and Bass River in South Yarmouth.


The three books of the In My Footsteps series are available at Amazon.com.


In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide

In My Footsteps: A Traveler's Guide to Martha's Vineyard

In My Footsteps: A Traveler's Guide to Nantucket

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 12: Orleans, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 12: Orleans, Mass.

January 26, 2010

From the air Cape Cod is shaped like an arm with the Cape Cod Canal at the shoulder and Provincetown as the hand.  If we see Cape Cod in that way then Orleans would be considered the elbow, and in many ways it is.  The elbow connects the upper and lower arm, Orleans connects the two segments of Cape Cod as well.  West of Orleans is the more modern segment of the Cape including larger towns like Hyannis and Falmouth.  East and North of Orleans house the quainter and more secluded spots on the Cape like the National Seashore.  Orleans represents the last real taste of 21^st Century Cape Cod on the way to the Outer Cape. 

A trip to Orleans, especially in summer, inevitably leads you to the famous Nauset Beach(right).  Nauset Beach, named for the Native American tribe that originally inhabited the area, is one of the best spots to surf up and down the east coast and is one of the most popular as well.  Being located along where Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean collide, Nauset Beach is privy to some rough seas and large waves.  Even on a day like today, when the tide was low, the waves were larger than anything seen along the shores of Cape Cod.  Even if you are not a surfer, or even if you don’t like to swim, taking a walk along Nauset Beach is a must.  Listening to and watching the waves crash on the shore is a soothing almost meditative experience, if you lose yourself in the moment you may look up and suddenly find yourself miles from the parking lot!

The road to Nauset Beach itself holds some great places to eat like the Nauset Beach Club Restaurant, but there are some neat sights as well.  One such place is the little known, out of the way Sea Call Farm(left).  Located off of Nauset Beach Road on Tonset Road, this historic site was actively farmed from 1931-1950 and is now a conservation area owned by the town.  It can be walked year round and a pathway behind the farmhouse leads to a breathtaking view across Town Cove to a state boat ramp near the Orleans Rotary. 

As you head away from the Atlantic Ocean side of Orleans toward the Cape Cod Bay side you pass another historic site along Rt. 28 that can be very easy to miss.  Windmills, like lighthouses, are synonymous with Olde Cape Cod.  As if symbolizing Orleans’s status as the separation between the old and new of Cape Cod the Jonathan Young Windmill(left) sits directly across from the last major shopping center as you travel east along the Cape.  The Jonathan Young windmill was originally built 1720 in South Orleans and in 1897 was actually moved to Hyannisport.  In 1983 the windmill was given to the Orleans Historical Society in 1983 and subsequently donated to the town.  It is open to the public in July and August.  The windmill park is located right on Town Cove which is easy to walk down to from the site.

Located on the other side of Orleans are two more spots that must be seen and enjoyed on any trip to the Cape.  Skaket Beach and Rock Harbor both face Cape Cod Bay and are filled with amazing scenery.  Skaket Beach lies at the end of Skaket Beach Road while Rock Harbor is easy to find from either Rt. 6A or the Orleans Rotary.  You may walk Skaket Beach all the way to the Namskaket Marsh located a little over half a mile away. 

Rock Harbor and Skaket Beach(right) are both places to go for splendid sunsets.  At Rock Harbor there are trees spaced out into the harbor that help to guide boats.  It is a sight that will make you do a double take when it is first seen and what Rock Harbor is known for.  The trees are not there during the winter time and I am not sure what is done with them.  There is plenty of parking, the beach on the western side of the harbor can be walked to a salt marsh while the eastern side of the harbor walk can be taken to Boat Meadow.

While it may be a sort of gateway between old and new on Cape Cod, Orleans has more than its share of places to see.  Make sure to stop in and see these places on your way to wherever you are going.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Nauset Beach: From Rt. 28 East, turn right onto Main Street.  There are signs leading to Nauset Beach.  Follow Main Street, it becomes Beach Road.  Follow this road to the beach parking lot.

Sea Call Farm: From Rt. 28 East, turn right onto Tonset Road.  Follow it for just over half a mile.  Sea Call Farm appears on the left side.

Jonathan Young Windmill Park: Take Rt. 28 East until it intersects with Rt. 6A.  The windmill park is 1,000 feet ahead on the right side.

Rock Harbor: From Orleans Rotary take exit marked Rock Harbor Rd.  Follow this road for 1.5 miles until you reach the harbor.  The main parking area is on the left side.

Skaket Beach: From Rt. 28 East turn left on Eldredge Pkwy.  Continue onto W Rd. and subsequently onto Skaket Beach Rd.  Follow this to the parking area.

References: Orleans Historical Society

Orleans on Dwellable