Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #133: Fresh Grief, Extreme Turtles, Very Long Walk, etc.

1. People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. That Maya Angelou quote is what comes to mind when I think about my Nana Serpa. She was my stepfather’s mother, and she passed away this week after a long bout of failing health. The thing is, I could try to spin it and say ‘at least she’s no longer suffering,’ but that won’t make anyone truly feel better. When a loved one, whether blood or not, dies, they immediately leave a vacuum where all of these unfiltered emotions get sucked into. There is no longer a chance to say things, at least not to them. Nana Serpa was always sweet and kind, and made me feel like family even though we didn’t share a drop of blood. I am heartbroken for my stepfather as he has now lost both of his parents. The one thing I don’t like about being an empath is that when you feel an emotion, it can be a signal to open the floodgates of similar ones. It brings forth in me all of the unprocessed grief I have for several family members and friends who have died in recent years. I then feel bad about feeling bad about others who have long since passed, but it is not something done maliciously. It feels at times like I have a closet packed to the gills with grief. Then when a new batch comes, I try to gently crack open the door and stuff the new grief in without everything spilling out. It never happens. So my sadness over Nana Serpa has invariably led to the sadness returning over my Nina and Grampa, Uncle Eric, Brenda, Matt, and Pete. I guess it is better to feel too much than nothing at all. It shows these people really mattered to you. Rest in peace, Nana Serpa.


2. On most work days, it is pretty straightforward. I come in, train some people, do some paperwork, probably have a few laughs, and go home. It’s not too often that odd things happen. This week we had one such day. I was sitting doing some paperwork after my last client left. To my right, inside the gym, the lights flickered. That happens all the time. There is something faulty with the wiring for the lights in the gym. But then the lights in the therapy room flickered. Within seconds, all the power went out. In the past, the power might have dipped out for a few seconds and quickly come back on. This time it went out and stayed out. The problem was that I had a series of clients all in a row, all on their way. There was no way to let them know, and also no way to know how long the power would stay out. It turned out that a tree had come down on the wires, knocking out power to the surrounding neighborhood. I ended up training three different clients in a dark gym. There was barely any light from windows, but somehow we made it work with nobody getting hurt. I actually found it a fun challenge to do my job with little light and almost total silence. We could actually hear the people who work upstairs talking; it was so quiet. In all, the power was out for just over 2 ½ hours. As fun as the challenge was, I do not wish for any more long power outages at work anytime soon.


3. Sometimes you have to scratch and claw to get opportunities. Sometimes they just fall out of the sky. This week I was lucky enough to have an event get dropped into my lap. The Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis has biweekly lectures, and one coming up next week saw both of their speakers pull out. As they looked for a suitable replacement, I was recommended to them. I am very humbled and flattered that I was seen as the one to potentially save the day, for lack of a better term. Of course I said yes. The program needed to be in some way connected to the Roaring Twenties on Cape Cod. Lucky for me, I created a video a few years ago about what it would be like to summer vacation on Cape Cod a century ago. Revamping it for 1926 instead of 1923 wasn’t too difficult. The hard part was creating from scratch a new presentation. This meant finding all of the images I needed and creating a few dozen slides to make the presentation worthwhile. I am excited about the possibilities of a totally unexpected event. Maybe I’ll sell some books? Maybe I’ll get booked for more events? Stepping up like this can only do good for my reputation. We’ll see the results next week. This is the video I am basing the presentation on.




4. The latest show that I binged on Netflix was the seven-episode Midnight Mass. This ended up jumping up near the top of my favorites so far. It is a neat mix of two different shows mashed into one in the best way. On a small island located 30 miles offshore, two people arrive on the same day. A man fresh out of jail after serving time for a DUI fatality, and an intriguing priest both arrive and set the tone for the show. It is one part religious beliefs and miracles. Then suddenly you get smacked with supernatural elements that throw you off. It’s really well shot and acted. It’s heartwarming, thought-provoking, and also has its fair share of blood and gore. I highly recommend it. Oh, Netflix, you always seem to suggest things I’ll like.

5. In a true example of what’s old is new again, the rumor going around is that Myspace may be getting set to make a big comeback soon. The owners of the site are possibly working on bringing the original social media giant back to give us what social media used to be. No more algorithm junk. I remember only joining Facebook in 2007 because Myspace was changing in ways that made it less fun. If the owners can bring it back like it used to be, I’d probably turn Facebook into a dead mall. Maybe I’d visit every now and then to see what stores were still there, but my main shopping would be at Myspace. Bring on the Top 8, songs that start playing when you click a profile, and a site not dominated by the algorithm and scummy tech bro billionaires. I’m ready to party like it’s 2005 again.

6. Nothing is done until it is done. That is the lesson I have learned many times. Nothing tends to surprise me anymore. When getting the exhaust work done on my car this week, I was told a certain amount of time was needed. My plan was to go walk the nearby Cape Cod Rail Trail until I was called and told my car was ready. Well, once two hours of walking turned to three, and my phone’s battery was nearly dead, I figured I might want to go back to the mechanic and just check in. In reality, I had walked over 10 miles, and my body was just not going to do anymore. It quit. I spotted my car still on the lift and ended up sitting near the mechanic’s in the shade for a while, hoping it would soon be done. Nope. Now this wasn’t them being lazy; they just found more that was wrong, which I was told could have been possible. It turns out my exhaust is worse than anticipated, but luckily my mechanic is highly reputable and trustworthy. They have built up credibility over the years with me and countless others, which is why they are always busy. I ended up standing in the lobby for an hour chatting with the service tech, who is a super nice guy. I didn’t want to sit since I had been soaked in sweat and didn’t want to ruin their chairs and make the lobby smell like a locker room. In the end, it was nearly six hours until I left with my car. The best part is I need to bring it back next week to have the job finished. The actual best part is the mechanic is going to do some magic to save me hundreds of dollars, so I don’t mind the wait. Tune in next week for Part 3 of my car exhaust repair saga.


7. It was a sweltering, soupy mess of a walk while waiting for my car. I had anticipated 7-8 miles in total. I ended up with just over 10, more than 1,300 calories burned, and clothes that felt like I had showered in them. This was the first time I had done over 10 miles since January 2024. Not ironically, this was the last time I had major work done on my car at the same mechanic. I was smart and packed PowerAde and sunscreen in my backpack so I didn’t worry that much about sunburns or dehydration. Still, more than 10 miles on a day with the heat index over 100 degrees will sap your energy fast. By the time I decided I couldn’t walk anymore, I wished I could call an Uber to bring me to the mechanic. Unfortunately, my phone’s battery was a whopping 5%. The walk overall was fun, all things considered. I had a small lunch due to the time I got my car back. This led to me having over 3,600 calories allotted for my dinner after inputting things into MyFitnessPal. I could have had a medium 3-topping pizza and still been 1,000 calories under my daily goal. Yay, thanks to the long walk and horrible heat!

Looking through a tunnel on the Rail Trail 

8. An unexpected occurrence on my walk was the appearance of a high school class on a trip. No, it wasn’t any Cape Cod school, but students from the Providence Day School. I felt bad that the kids came down to ride the bike trail on a super hot and humid day, but what are you gonna do? I was walking around a rotary on the trail, about 3 miles in, when I noticed arrow signs. They said ‘PDS route to Coast Guard Beach.’ At first I thought they misspelled PMC for Pan-Mass Challenge. Then they started passing me. Dozens and dozens of high school kids on bikes. They were all well-behaved; some said ‘on your left’ as they passed. A few even waved. Here I was expecting a drink to be thrown on me or to get shoved or slapped. I guess that’s what I would have thought if I was a kid again. In the end, there had to have been over one hundred kids that rode by on the way to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. I don’t know where they started from. I think they parked in Harwich at Brooks Park; sorry to those not from Cape Cod for a lot of specific Cape places. Shoutout to those kids and their teachers at Providence Day School. They were very respectful on their trip, and I hope they had a great time seeing the scenery on Cape Cod.


9. There is a section of the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich that is a haven for turtle crossings. It is about 2.5 miles in from the trailhead on Rt. 134 in Dennis for those curious. I don’t always see them, but the odds are higher there than just about anywhere else on the bike trail. There is a spot where the Herring River goes under the trail and empties into the West Reservoir of Bell’s Neck Conservation area. I don’t know if the waterway under the trail is too small, but turtles end up climbing up the embankment, crossing the trail, and going down the other side into the water. I was nearing 10 miles into my walk when I was going past that spot again. There it was. A juvenile box turtle was attempting to cross the trail. It was maybe 3 inches across at the shell. Not needing an excuse to stop walking, I guided it across the trail, basically shielding it from oncoming bikes. Then I got my video. The turtle crawled to the edge of the stone embankment. I had no sooner made the joke that it was going to jump when there it went, diving over the side. I scrambled to find it. Granted, it was only 3 feet down to the ground from the top of the stone wall, but for a tiny turtle that’s pretty far. I got video of it continuing down the steep hill. It fell and rolled at times, which made it feel more like a Three Stooges episode. Obviously the video will show things better. Don’t worry, it was ok, so you can laugh.




10. Sometimes things just come up Milhouse. That’s a Simpsons reference that some of you might not get. What it’s referring to is a particularly lucky event this week. After having to spend much of one day waiting for my car to get fixed, I had to push some other errands off. This included doing laundry. I wasn’t looking forward to driving on a hot summer weekend to the laundromat. The first bit of luck was realizing that I could throw my laundry in and, while it was going, head across the street to the library and get some work done. It was some abstract multitasking. I got to sit in the a/c and relative quiet and start working on a project. One of the librarians came up to where I was sitting and asked me if I had received the check for my event there last month. I had not even thought about it. In fact, I just assumed that I had done the event for free, except for the books I sold. This was the peak of the luck. Not only was I multitasking while my laundry was going, but now I was essentially getting paid to do work in the library. Sadly, I know if I go to write at any other libraries locally, they won’t be handing me checks, but I can always dream, right?


11. We have reached the halfway point of summer. No, summer doesn’t end Labor Day Weekend, sorry. It ends on September 21st. As of this writing, we are in another hot stretch on Cape Cod and the Northeastern United States in general. Don’t get me wrong, I am lucky and blessed to have access to air conditioning so as not to slowly cook myself in August. That being said, this is also the time of year that I start counting down the days to my favorite time of year. Fall is my favorite season. In fact, as some of you might already know, my favorite time of year is Labor Day through New Year’s. The weather is still good through most of October. There are several birthdays of loved ones, including my own. There are also several amazing holidays to celebrate. Sure, we could get a freak snowstorm before Thanksgiving, but that’s a fair trade for the good vibes I feel during the last third of the year. I don’t hate summer, but it is my third favorite season behind fall and spring. Once the sweltering, humid days break, which is typically later in August, then summer becomes alright. That just happens to coincide with Labor Day, so lucky me.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #92: One Brain Cell, It's Me Shawn, Papa Gino's Meeting, etc.

1. While entering the supermarket, I caught the sounds of the excellent 1980s song ‘Take On Me,’ by A-ha. Growing up in the 80s, there’s no way I wouldn’t know the lyrics. It sounded different because it was an acoustic version of the song. A woman working one of the registers stopped ringing up a customer to loudly complain about how whoever was singing was ruining the song. She then kept complaining by saying the original is such a great song (truth) and these people should leave the song alone. I had to laugh to myself because the version of the song was an acoustic version BY A-ha. So this lady was shouting into the air about how A-ha was ruining A-ha’s song. I didn’t bother saying anything because she looked like she gets lost in a closet, so trying to explain what I just wrote would have fried her brain cell.

2. Ladybugs are supposed to be good luck, and you can make a wish while holding one and let it fly away and maybe it will come true. That being said, we had one inside at my job. I caught it and brought it outside. I made a wish and let it fly away. Only it flew right back and landed on my shirt. How far does the ladybug have to fly away to break the plane of the wish? Is it like crossing the goal line in football? It was crawling down my shirt so I ended up bringing it back inside with me and putting it in one of our plants. I’ll have to try again to make another wish on it this week.


3. In a follow-up from last week. I did in fact make a behind-the-scenes video for the When Henry Met Henry film. Last week I mentioned being halfway through recording on my webcam when my recording software decided to crash. Later that same day I took my phone and my selfie stick and did a walk and talk. I went to the local bike trail so that I could have some fall aesthetics and nature while discussing the filming process. I was pleasantly surprised that the vast majority of the video went off without a hitch. Granted, there were a few people on bikes but I just paused the video as they approached. The low light of the recording was the pain in the ass kid on his little dirt bike riding up and down the power lines right off the trail. That was an editing challenge. The highlight was the walk itself but also the blue jays yelling as I walked. I find recording at my desk boring and only do it when necessary. If possible, I will try to be outside, or at least somewhere different to give each video its own personality. Speaking of which, here is the finished When Henry Met Henry Behind the Scenes video.

4. Since giving up alcohol 5 years ago, I mostly drink flavored seltzer water. One beverage I will indulge in every now and then is birch beer. If you’ve never had it, the drink comes from the sap or bark of birch trees. I can only describe its taste as a mix of wintergreen with a hint of cinnamon. I can’t remember who in my family liked it, but it is from them that I first tried it. In trying to stay relatively fit in my late 40s, I will drink the diet birch beer, usually from Polar. A liter bottle runs 10 calories. Having drunk unsweetened drinks for many years now, I can tell when something is loaded with sugar. This week I got some birch beer and, within two sips, knew it was regular and not diet. A liter of the regular birch beer runs 410 calories. That’s a big difference so I sadly didn’t finish the bottle. Then, when I went to get diet Birch Beer I saw why I made the mistake. The regular and diet and right next to each other in identical bottles but the kicker is the color. It’s white letters on green-ish white background. I literally had to pull the bottle close to my face like I was 90 to see if it said diet or not. Oh well, at least I got the right one that time.


5. When I go for a walk or run, I wear big over-ear headphones to really get immersed in whatever music or podcast I have going on. That means that I also need to pay attention to my surroundings since the headphones can cancel out any noise. That came back to haunt me this week, but not in a bad way. So I was on a walk and going around the periphery of a golf course. No, I didn’t get hit by a ball. I was walking and I felt something slam into my right arm. This scared the hell out of me and got my heart rate jumping. I spun around, not sure what I’d see. What I did see was the cutest white Golden Retriever. It was a few hundred feet from its owner, whom I did see slowly walking up. The dog must have gotten so excited to see me but when I paid it no attention due to my music, it decided to really let me know it was there. And yes, before continuing on my walk there were copious amounts of belly scratches for the dog.


6. On a break from working, I grabbed my phone, selfie stick and my yearly mini-pumpkin and headed to get some photos. I ended up at the Cape Cod Canal and started wandering around the grounds snapping photos. Everything was normal until I started walking along the water, headed for a marina. I saw a guy fishing and he gave me the side-eye. At first, he joked to me that my photo would be better if his ‘fat old ass’ wasn’t in the way. I smiled and he said, ‘hey it’s good to see you again.’ Now I was confused and asked, ‘really?’ The guy said, ‘yeah it’s me Shawn. I saw you here before not that long ago.’ I told him it definitely wasn’t me, but I was polite and wished him a good evening before going for more photos. No idea who that guy was, or more importantly, the guy who looks like me who is creeping around the canal. Maybe it’s old me from the future coming back to take photos at the canal.

One of the photos taken along the canal.

7. This week, the NBA and the country have been rocked by a gambling scandal involving, as of this moment three people. Damon Jones, who was an assistant coach. Chauncey Billups, who is the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers and a former Boston Celtic. Lastly and the one that has raised my eyebrows is current Miami Heat player Terry Rozier. For those who don’t know the story here is a link to an overview. The reason Rozier got my attention is that he’s accused of point shaving. Basically, betting on the under on his own stats and then allegedly feigning an injury, or having an ‘off night’ to win money on those unders. One NBC Boston analyst mentioned Game 7 of the Celtics v. Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017-18 Eastern Conference Finals. Rozier went 2-14 from the field, including 0-10 from 3-point range in 36 minutes of play. The Celtics lost 87-79. My mind immediately went to Rozier intentionally having an off night to win his bets and cost the Celtics a trip to the NBA Finals. Maybe it was just a coincidence but with Rozier’s gambling history, it seems like it sadly could be possible. I’m not saying the Celtics would have won the championship. Hell, the Cavs with Lebron James got swept 4-0 by Golden State. Still, you never know and that’s the worst part. Also, it sounds like this is just the tip of the iceberg, so grab your popcorn.


8. Sometimes I go seeking an adventure, other times the adventure finds me. I was out with my pumpkin, grabbing some Halloween-themed photos at an old mansion. It’s on a quiet road near the beach but is almost always deserted, which allows me to take my time setting up shots. I parked in a lot that is fairly hidden. I thought there might be a path so I could walk to the beach without having to get on the actual road. There wasn’t one, but there was a smaller overgrown parking lot, which I took a photo of so that I might be able to find out what it was used for. On the way back to my car, I spotted what looked like a decaying house about 50 or so feet back in the woods. Obviously, I needed to go check it out. Unfortunately, there was no path to it. This meant that I needed to bushwhack my way through the trees and brush to get there. It was a mess inside. There was a lot of graffiti as would be expected. There were also holes in the floor exposing water underneath. Luckily, I caught myself before falling through the floor but it was close. It’s a bit rundown and somewhat dangerous, so I wouldn’t recommend going inside. I got a lot of photos and videos, which I put together into a little Halloween adventure film so that you can see what it’s like.

9. We are in the hurry up and wait portion of the new bike trail extension near where I live. I’ve mentioned before that it begins just after a golf course and will likely go 4 extra miles. This will allow people to theoretically ride their bike from Wellfleet all the way to the Cape Cod Mall, nearly 30 miles. In the past few weeks, I noticed that the extension has been paved. I don’t know if it’s all the way but I did walk a half-mile or so down it. You’d think it’s nearly ready to be open to the public, but you’d be wrong. If the most recent bike trail extension, which connected the main trail to the golf course where it now ends, is any indicator, we’re looking at a year or more to go. The last extension was being worked on for at least 5 years from the time they removed an old railroad bridge to the day it was opened. Why does it take so long? I mean if you can get it paved that fast, why not just hurry up and finish it? Whatever, I’ll still use it even if it’s not ‘finished.’


10. The big news of the week is that come this time next year I will have had a script of mine made into a feature-length film. There is still so much to iron out, and I can only share a little right now, though. I met with the director of the film I acted in earlier this year, Cape Cod Cthulhu. He and his crew were on Cape Cod this week filming a new movie. 5 of us met for dinner and a chat at Papa Gino’s. I hadn’t had that for years so that was already a plus. We then started talking about a story I had written over 15 years ago. It fits 2 great categories: simple and cheap. We won’t need much for cast or sets, which means that the budget should be fairly low. The tentative plan is to shoot late next summer, so obviously, there won’t be a finished film for quite a while. Still, this is a big thing to have on my resume, being the producer of a feature-length film. It’s a really exciting new project, and the pizza at Papa Gino’s was good. Oh, and the director thought I was in my early 30s, so a great time overall.

In My Footsteps: Cape Cod Rail Trail

Here is a video featuring the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail.  It begins in Dennis and goes all the way to Wellfleet, though it is being expanded now and will start in Yarmouth once the new trail head opens early in 2018.



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: Cape Cod - Bourne Recreation Area

The 4th video presented by In My Footsteps features another hidden gem. Although hundreds of thousands pass over the Bourne Recreation Area each year on the Bourne Bridge few know about it or stop there.  It is a unique mix of humming highway traffic with boats and birds.  There are picnic tables to relax and the Canal Bike Path passes right along.     
     My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, in stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter!

Bourne on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: The First Martha's Vineyard Trip

            First let me start by saying, yes I am a lifelong Cape Codder.  My family dates back to Deacon John Doane who helped settle the town of Eastham in 1644.  I am proud of my long history on this peninsula. Now, that being said, I will admit that I had never once been to either island of Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, until now.

            I had decided that with all of the trips I had taken across New England it was about time that I visit a spot so close by but which seemed so far away.  By ferry Martha’s Vineyard is only a forty-five minute ride, the island is easily visible from the shores of Woods Hole, Falmouth, and Mashpee.

Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs

            The 100-square-mile Vineyard is purported to be named after the daughter of English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold who died in infancy.  He first sailed to the island in 1602.  There is a very long and rich history there and I wanted to make sure that I saw as much of it as I could upon arrival.  The ferry docked at Oak Bluffs and I found my first place to visit stretched out before me along the shore. 

            Ocean Park, situated right along Seaview Avenue, is seven acres of wide open space surrounded by beautiful homes.  Near the center of the park is a bandstand gazebo and it is the site of the annual Fourth of July fireworks in Oak Bluffs.  I enjoyed the man-made pond with a small fountain as it was inhabited by man geese which did not mind posing for pictures.  It would have been easy on a warm early-autumn day to sit back and enjoy more time at Ocean Park but I knew I only had a set number of hours on The Vineyard and needed to keep moving.

            Since bringing a car over on the ferry is a little pricy ($137 Round-Trip for a small car), I decided to rent a bicycle for the day.  Before I went I had chosen Anderson’s Bikes due to its low prices and the fact that they had been around since 1971 with the same family running it.  I was not disappointed with the hybrid street bike from Fuji I rented.  It reminded me of a spin class bike, a great ride.  Since it was technically my first time on the island I let the woman there give me her

East Chop Light

whole speech about what to see around the area.  I even got a map just like a real tourist.

            Once equipped with a bike I used the gps on my phone to set out to my next destination.  As many of you know I am a huge fan of lighthouses, love them, so it was only natural that my first trip to Martha’s Vineyard would include as many lighthouses as time would allow.  First up was East Chop Lighthouse.

            Located on East Chop Drive in Oak Bluffs the lighthouse was not difficult to find.  The ride out to it was spectacular as being on a bike made it possible to really soak in the atmosphere of the small island town.  East Chop Light sits inside a picket fence on a small plot of land overlooking the ocean, passing ferries and Cape Cod in the distance.  It was deserted when I arrived and it allowed me the chance to take many photos and also simply enjoy laying eyes on this landmark for the first time.  The current East Chop Light is the third built on the site with the original being built in 1869. The current tower was erected in 1878.  The view is amazing and worth spending some time there.

            Of course I had to follow up East Chop Light with the corresponding West Chop Light over in Vineyard Haven.  The ride there was just as much fun as the lighthouse itself.  The route leads you down along Vineyard Haven Harbor.  This is the port where the ferries come in year-round, the port in Oak Bluffs is only seasonal.  There are many beautiful little side roads along the shore, some of which I saw up close when I could not hear my gps and became temporarily lost.

            There are a

West Chop Light

few differences between East and West Chop Light, the main one being that West Chop is on Coast Guard property and thus not able to be seen too closely.  The original West Chop Light was built in 1817, and the current tower, like East Chop, is the third built on the site. The current lighthouse was erected in 1891.  Despite being fifty-feet behind a picket fence it is still worth the ride to see this lighthouse, the ride out itself is just as good as I mentioned.    

            After seeing East and West Chop I decided the only way to continue on The Vineyard was to hop on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road bike trail and ride down to see Edgartown Lighthouse on the harbor.  When traveling on a bicycle you notice how hilly The Vineyard is away from the shore, it was a bit of a chore but great exercise getting down to Edgartown. 

            Many spots in Edgartown were featured in the movie Jaws and the entire town is beautiful with a special feel to it as soon as you arrive.  One particular spot

Old Whaling Church, Main St. Edgartown

that captures that feel is the ground of the Vincent House Museum.  The house itself is the oldest residence on the island, built in 1672.  The house is believed to have been built by William Vincent who was one of the early settlers of Edgartown’s Great Harbor area.  The Martha’s Vineyard Historical Preservation Society gained the house in 1977 and moved it from Great Pond in Edgartown to its current location.  It shares the ground with a pair of other historical sites that add to the special feel of this area.

            The Old Whaling Church was designed by Frederick Baylies and built by whaling captains in 1843.  It is an impressive site towering above Main Street with its beautiful columns. It has now been transformed into a performing arts center and is very popular for weddings.  The church coupled with the narrow street, quaint homes, and white picket fences made me want to simply sit on a bench and watch the world go by.  It seems like much of Martha’s Vineyard has that same sort of feel to it.   

            Not far from this stretch of historical sites is Edgartown Lighthouse.  By the time I had gotten to this point my legs were very tired but there was no way I wasn’t going to walk out to where the lighthouse was on the water.  It is within sight of Chappaquiddick with the ferries making the very short trip back and forth.  Ironically the original Edgartown Lighthouse was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938 and when it came time for it to be replaced it was Rear Range Lighthouse from Ipswich, Massachusetts that was loaded on a barge and brought down to the harbor entrance

Edgartown Light

.  That fact made the experience even more special and unique. 

Though the amazing Harbor View Hotel is nearby it felt as though Edgartown Lighthouse was in its own world; the lapping ocean waves drown out all sounds but for a few stray boat horns.  I sat on the steps of the lighthouse to enjoy the atmosphere for a while.  My first trip to Martha’s Vineyard had been a huge success and would not be my last for sure.

My ride back to Oak Bluffs took place along the Edgartown-Oak Bluffs Road bike path.  Much of this ride gives you spectacular views of the surrounding water along the Joseph Sylvia State Beach.  It was a fantastic end to a trip that was a long time coming.  I passed by Ocean Park near sunset, coming full circle from where I had begun my day.  Now I can say yes I have been to Martha’s Vineyard, and plan on going back as soon as I possibly can.  I am sure I don’t have to suggest that all of you do the same.  Have fun and happy traveling!

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Amazon.com, soon to be in stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter!

Directions: East Chop Lighthouse:  From the ferry port go straight on Lake Avenue, take the 1^st right onto East Chop Drive, follow it 1.1 miles to lighthouse on the right.

                    West Chop Lighthouse:  From the ferry go straight on Lake Avenue, continue onto New York Avenue, follow it for a mile, take a slight left onto Temahigan Avenue, follow it .3 miles, take a slight right onto Eastville Avenue.  Continue straight onto Beach Road, follow it 1.4 miles, turn right onto Main Street, follow it 2 miles to lighthouse on right.

                    Edgartown Lighthouse:  From the ferry go left onto Seaview Avenue, follow it 1.1 miles, continue onto Beach Road, follow it 2.8 miles, keep right to stay on Beach Road, follow 1.1 more miles.  Continue onto Upper Main Street, continue onto Main Street, follow this .3 miles, turn right onto N Water Street, follow .4 miles, lighthouse is on right.

References:  Steamship Authority

            Anderson's Bike Rentals

            Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce

Oak Bluffs on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 24: Cape Cod Rail Trail

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 24: Cape Cod Rail Trail

February 18, 2010

            The miles of beautiful beaches can fill your heart with happiness.  The lighthouses that dot the coastline can fill your mind with history.  However, the best way to really fill yourself up with the soul of Cape Cod is to take a ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  The paved main trail from Dennis to Wellfleet is more than twenty miles of pure Cape beauty.

            First begun in 1976, and having gone through many cosmetic changes through the years, the Rail Trail mixes a little bit of everything that makes the Cape special.  There are several parking areas along the trail if you do not feel like riding the full distance and there are other trails on the Cape as well although the Rail Trail is the most well known.

            As for the actual meat and potatoes of the ride there is something for everyone.  A little over a mile from the beginning there is the West Reservoir which is almost always inhabited by swans and ducks.  There is a pathway to lead you to the water’s edge or you can observe the wildlife from the elevated perch of the trail.  There is a chance for another detour at the Bells Neck Conservation area in Harwich.  The bike trail goes through it along the northern fringe but is worth a closer look if you have the time.  The trail also passes along the Thatcher cranberry bog which is enormous as well as by a large blue water tower on the right side along Lothrop Avenue.  

            The trail forks off in Harwich with the main trail continuing on north and an offshoot trail heading onto Chatham and ending at the Chatham Municipal Airport.  The main trail crosses over the highway in a section of the trail that has only recently been developed.  For many years riders had to navigate along a treacherous section of Route 124 that included the on and off ramps at Exit 10. 

            The Pleasant Lake General Store in Brewster sits along Rt. 124 across the street from Hinckleys Pond which is also called Pleasant Lake.  This historic store is more than 150 years old and was once a railroad station and post office.  Now it is a must see spot and is a great place to fuel up with snacks and drinks.  There are picnic table outside of the store, this place is a favorite of mine and will surely create a fond memory for all travelers as well.

            The Rail Trail snakes its way in between Seymour and Long Pond on its way along Rt. 124.  There are great views of both water bodies but in summer the shores of Long Pond are privately rented and so looking from the trail is probably best.  The trail continues on its way through Brewster and passes by Nickerson State Park(above).  The Rail Trail heads off underneath Rt. 6A toward Orleans but Nickerson has its own bike path that can be accessed by cutting through Nickerson’s main parking lot.  There is another bridge over the highway as the Rail Trail passes through Orleans and heads for Eastham.  From this bridge, which passes over Rock Harbor Road as well, there is a great view of the Orleans Courthouse as well as the Orleans Rotary(right). 

            From this point the Rail Trail heads up into the National Seashore which begins by passing along several beautiful ponds in Eastham.  From the trail you can observe Herring Pond, Depot Pond, and Great Pond.  After crossing Rt. 6 the Rail Trail continues along to the Marconi Beach Rd.  If the time permits you should take the time to visit the Marconi Site and beach which I covered in my Wellfleet article.  From this point the trail continues on to Lecount Hollow Road which is where it comes to a close.  There is a great beach at the end of Lecount Hollow Rd. if you feel like continuing the ride.

            The Cape Cod Rail Trail is not the only bike path on the Cape.  In Falmouth there is the Shining Sea Bikeway which was mentioned in my Falmouth & Woods Hole article.  The trail is just over ten miles long and follows Cape Cod’s west coast through the Salt Pond Bird Sanctuary and then along the beaches in West Falmouth down into Woods Hole. 

            In Provincetown the Province Lands Bike Path(left) gives you a spectacular journey through some of the untouched majesty of Cape Cod.  Beginning at Herring Cove Beach and at just over five miles in length the trail includes several offshoot trails.  This bike trail needs to be experienced at least once.  The elusive Race Point Light is located down a dirt road adjacent to the trail and is a worthwhile walk for any visitor.  Plus there are many views of the nearby Pilgrim Monument which towers above the dunes and pine trees.  Some of the sand dunes stretch twenty to thirty feet into the air, it adds to the splendor of the ride and give the bike path a secluded feel.  It ends at Race Point Beach, the northern most point on the Cape, which also should be explored further if time permits.

            With several bike paths covering Cape Cod it may take a few trips before they are all seen and ridden.  The exercise you get from riding, or even walking, these trails is secondary to the enjoyment of becoming one with the very soul of Cape Cod.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Cape Cod Rail Trail: From Rt. 6 take Exit 9A, turn left into the bike path’s beginning parking lot just after Cranberry Square Plaza.   

Shining Sea Bikeway: From Bourne Bridge take Rt. 28 south, turn right onto Locust Rd., parking lot is 1 mi. passed, just after Pin Oak Way.

Province Lands Bikeway: Take Rt. 6 into Provincetown.  Turn right onto Province Lands Rd., enter Herring Cove Beach parking lot on left.  Bike trail begins at north end of lot.

References:  Shining Sea Bikeway

            Province Lands Bike Trail

            Cape Cod Bike Guide - Rail Trail

            History of Pleasant Lake

Woods Hole on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 15 - Nickerson State Park

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 15: Nickerson State Park, Brewster, Mass.

January 28, 2010

           

            Worthy of its own article and worthy of more than one trip on its grounds Nickerson State Park in Brewster is in my opinion one of the crown jewels of hiking and natural beauty on Cape Cod.  Located on Route 6A just a short drive from Exit 12 off of the Mid-Cape highway, Nickerson is a huge attraction for locals and visitors alike.  It is a prime area for freshwater swimming and camping as well as hiking and bicycling.  I have been coming here for more than twenty years and with each visit I find something new and exciting in my travels.

            Set on 1,900 acres of prime land, Nickerson houses many kettle ponds formed by glaciers over 10,000 years ago.  The campsites offer breathtaking views and the sweet scents of the pine forest that no words can describe.  The park bears the name Roland J. Nickerson in honor of the multimillionaire who owned the land in the late 19^th century.  His mansion is now the Ocean Edge Resort and Club in Brewster.

            There are times during a hike around Big Cliff Pond(right), or as you ride through the eight miles of bike trails that you may actually feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere.  However, there is actually a trail located at the far end of Nook Road that comes within a few hundred feet of the highway.

            The first place to visit upon entering the park is Flax Pond(left).  Located on the first left after entering Flax Pond is, along with Big Cliff Pond, the most popular places for families to come and enjoy themselves.  Since none of these kettle ponds have streams or rivers to feed them water their level can fluctuate year to year.  Flax Pond has canoes for rent a short walk from the main entrance and with no current the water is very safe and easy to navigate for paddler and swimmer alike.

            At the end of Flax Pond Road you will find Big and Little Cliff Pond.  At their closest the two kettles are separated by about seventy-five feet but they never do connect.  Canoeing is also available here and there are boat ramps available for people coming with their own water transportation.  Up on a hill, a short walk up a lot of steps, brings you to a picnic area with an amazing aerial view of Big Cliff Pond.  In summer when the picnic area would be used the view is quite obscured by the green plants and trees, but on this trip in the dead of winter you could see all the way around the periphery of the pond.  There are cabins for camping at the top of the hill as well and just about any parking area along the whole of Nickerson can be made into an impressive hike.  As much as I am mentioning great places to see at Nickerson State Park there really is no bad spot to choose.  It is just as much fun to point yourself in one direction and just go.

            Further along down Nook Rd. there is a popular fishing spot on Big Cliff Pond.  There is a small dirt parking area located amongst the trees.  The roads at Nickerson although they have names are really just one long road that carries you from the entrance at Rt. 6A to the dead end near the highway.  Flax Pond Rd. is one side road to check out as is Nan-Ke-Rafe Path which is dirt and leads to Rafe Pond.

            Camp Nan-Ke-Rafe, located on the grounds is a seventeen acre campground run by Dream Day On Cape Cod who runs camps in summer in support of special needs children and their families.  The grounds can be walked at any time of year.  There is a parking area right before the entrance to Nickerson for those wishing to bike ride through the park.  Barb’s Bike Shop has a location there and has a great selection of bikes and rental prices that won’t hurt your wallet.

  Also it would not be a proper day out at Nickerson during the summer without stopping at Cobies, a popular restaurant located just before you reach Nickerson.  It has a great atmosphere with outside picnic tables and has been serving great fried food since 1948.  A visit here can be the perfect end or beginning to your day, I know it has been for me many times!    

            Nickerson State Park is a perfect spot for a picnic, for a family outing, or to just take some time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of untouched nature.  This wonderful escape can be enjoyed at any time of year and is a great change of pace from the crowded beaches.  Make it a point to visit Nickerson, no matter what route you choose you will find some amazing scenery.  Have fun and happy traveling!  

Directions:  From the highway, take exit 12.  Head west on Rt. 6A for 1.7 miles, Nickerson is on the left.  Barb’s Bike Shop is next left following Nickerson entrance.  Cobies is 1,000 feet up on the left.

References:  Dream Day On Cape Cod

            Barb's Bike Shop

            Cobies

Brewster on Dwellable