The Right 'Meet-Cute' Story, the Wrong Time

A ‘meet-cute’ is when two people have an amusing or charming first encounter that ultimately leads to a romantic relationship between them. Interestingly, despite it seeming like a recent term, meet-cute originates from 1938. It was coined by film director Ernst Lubitsch to describe the first encounter between the characters in the movie Bluebeard's Eighth Wife, starring Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper.

For me, when I think of meet-cutes in my life, I go back to 2004 when I was introduced to a girl through my work at the time. I was immediately smitten with her and needed to hold on to a chair to keep my shaking legs from giving way. Yes, we did end up in a serious romantic relationship.

That being said, that particular meeting was a setup. It didn’t happen serendipitously, which I think is necessary in a real meet-cute. In terms of a true meet-cute, I do have a story that has not been told much, mostly because it doesn’t turn out the way a meet-cute should. For this story, we go back to the days of yore in 2016. This is the right meet-cute story that happened at the wrong time.



In the early fall of 2015, I had a serious, or in my mind serious, relationship end. I had spent years, too many of them, chasing someone that I thought was worth it. I was thinking with the wrong organ, and must have been briefly colorblind to not see all of the red flags surrounding this person. Lies, secrets, and hooking up with someone else turned what I thought was the real deal into a life lesson that virtually destroyed my sense of self-worth and self-esteem.

I had to find out much of these things from mutual friends at our gym who had spotted her with this other guy. Humiliated and distraught, I had to change gyms and pick up the pieces of my broken soul and try to pretend like it didn’t hurt as much as it did. I felt cold, alone, and helpless.

One thing I had gotten into, thanks to this now-ex girlfriend, was running. It had helped turn me into the best version of myself, at least physically, in my late 30s. Despite her breaking my heart, I didn’t want to give up running, as that had brought me so much joy. I also didn’t want to risk running into her at any local races since she ran them as much as me. Thus began my quest to find races off the beaten path. I looked for races just far enough away that I knew she wouldn’t be there.



We move ahead to May 29, 2016. I found a race that would be the perfect combination of exercise and a fun travel day. The Oak Bluffs Memorial Day Road Race was a 5K (3.1 miles) taking place on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

I needed to take a car, then a boat, and then a bus to get to the starting line. The weather was sunny and in the low 70s, pretty much perfect for running. I brought with me a small black Adidas drawstring backpack to keep belongings in and a long-sleeved shirt for after the race. I left them in the lobby of the Summercamp Hotel. The funny thing is that I had no worries about anything being stolen. I had learned through dozens of races that runners are just decent people.

The race began on Lake Avenue in Oak Bluffs, not far from Ocean Park, for those who know the area. One of the best parts of my day was getting to do my stretching warmup among the gingerbread cottages of the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA). My favorite in particular is an orange cottage. Preparing mentally for a race was easy in those surroundings.

The orange cottage I love so much.

Much of the actual race is lost to time in my mind. I remember there being more hills than I thought there would be. I know we passed by several spots I wanted to go back and photograph. The finish line was back in front of the Summercamp Hotel.

The results were as good as I could have hoped for. I finished the race in 21:30, good for 31st out of more than 500 runners. It was a 6:55 per mile pace, which ends up being about 8.7mph if anyone wants to jump on a treadmill and see what it feels like.

I had run in all black as was tradition, in skin-tight UnderArmour compression gear. Hey, I was 8% body fat and enjoyed showing it off. My prize was a blue ribbon, but I think that was for completing the race, not for anything time-related.

After regaining my composure, I grabbed my gear from the hotel lobby and headed for lunch at the ArtCliff Diner in Vineyard Haven. It’s highly recommended by me. I delayed my time leaving the Vineyard to return to Cape Cod, as I could have easily grabbed the next ferry. This is where the meet-cute begins.

After the race, with my ribbon

It must have been mid-afternoon. I could tell by how far the child’s shadow stretched out. Wait, sorry, I slipped into Dishwalla’s Counting Blue Cars. So it was mid-afternoon when I boarded the Steamship Authority ferry back to Woods Hole on Cape Cod.

I was coming down from the runner's high and a slight food coma. I walked my way around the ferry and could have chosen any seat anywhere, but I chose one and sat down. I had my headphones and smartphone, so I zoned out watching the waves and settling in for roughly a forty-five-minute trip across Vineyard Sound.

Now I am pretty sure I had my music loud enough to drown out any sounds from around me. Still, through my music came an odd sound from nearby. I paused my music and listened. It was a violin. I sat with my headphones still on but listening. Someone was playing their violin in a seat a few rows behind me.

I could have turned my music back up and zoned out again, but I didn’t. This person was actually really good, and so I took my headphones off. Slowly, I turned my head so I could see who was playing. To my surprise, it was a really cute girl two rows back.

She noticed me watching and stopped playing. Almost instinctively, she apologized and asked if she was bothering me. I told her no and that I had paused my music so I could listen to her play. She smiled, and I felt like I could melt into my seat. This had caught me off guard.

This girl, we’ll call her J, had brown wavy hair and eyes that nearly disappeared when she smiled. She wore a flowy spring dress, which when put together with her smile and her violin, made me think she was right out of a storybook. I never turned back around. We continued to chat, talking about what brought us to the Vineyard. When the ferry docked, I didn’t want the chance meeting to end, and it didn’t.

We jumped on a shuttle back to where we had both parked in Falmouth. We sat across from each other on the bus, not in the same seat. But on a bus where there was mostly silence among the other passengers, J and I chatted like we had known each other for years.

J was a personal trainer like I was. Believe me, I could tell when looking at her. As we got to know each other, I felt repeatedly like I was in a movie. I had gone to the Vineyard for a race and ended up sitting across from this beautiful, talented girl who was actually interested in talking to me. When the bus arrived at the parking lot, the story could have ended, but again it didn’t.

I don’t remember who asked who, but somehow it came out that J’s family had a summer home near Sandy Neck Beach in West Barnstable, although they lived primarily up near Boston. Sandy Neck was a little over twenty minutes away from me.

J told me that she was driving back to Boston but would be back relatively soon. She invited me over to hang out around their fire pit, meet the family, and just have a good time when she returned. I accepted the invite and tried hard not to seem too eager.

We parted ways by exchanging business cards, not phone numbers. I had totally forgotten about my race, you know, the reason I was over on the Vineyard? It was not lost on me that this meeting on the ferry seemed like destiny. Yet, in the back of my mind, something was holding me back.



By this point, it had been six months since I was crushed by someone I loved and trusted. My heart and mind were barely put together with tape. It was like I felt the possibility of this chance meeting, but I also felt cold and dead inside. Still, I was intrigued by what might lie ahead.

I had time to think before reaching out via email to J. By this point, we had begun following each other on Instagram, so I mentioned a few of her posts to show my interest. I told her I’d love to support her in her Women Running Wild 5K race later in June. I also finally gave her my number.

She got back to me a few days later, and after one email, which I went back and found, we began texting. It was while texting that I got the official invite to the fire pit near Sandy Neck. It was like a continuation of the movie I was living on the ferry and the bus.

On the day I was to meet everyone, J gave me the address and headed over to her family’s house right before sunset. It was no coincidence that there was a fire pit going as I was thrown right into the fire, meeting her parents and sister. There were also their next-door neighbors over for a visit. Being an introvert, when thrust into a room with strangers, I sat back and let conversations come to me.

J tried her best to make me feel at ease. Everyone there was so warm and inviting. The problem was me. I had my confidence shattered by my ex, so I didn’t know how close to get to this new girl. I didn’t know if I should play it cool or if I should let her know of my interest. I was calm on the outside but a mess on the inside.

We all sat around the fire pit. I chatted a lot with the husband of the family next door. He had an interesting story and a barbecue food truck that sounded like it would make for a fun story to write. But I wasn’t there to make business contacts, I was there to spend time with J.

I looked at her in the orange glow of the fire. She looked like someone who could be an important part of my life, yet twelve hours earlier, she was a stranger. I wanted to get her alone and talk more one-on-one, but I didn’t. Maybe I was afraid of a ‘no,’ but I think in my fragile mindset, I was more afraid of a ‘yes’ and not being able to live up to expectations.

J made the move by saying she was headed to bed. Oh, believe me, I wanted to ask if she wanted some company, but come on, her parents were there. All I could do was say good night and watch her walk off into the house. I felt deflated.

Had I blown it? Surely J had some level of interest in me, right? She didn’t have to invite me to her family’s house. She could have said ‘nice to meet you’ and gone on her way off the ferry, but she didn’t. The story could have ended right there, but there was one more chapter.



We texted off and on during the next three weeks leading up to her race. By this point, I had written the article about her neighbor and his barbecue food truck. She didn’t know about my writing career until she just happened to see the article I had written in Cape Cod Life magazine that was on her kitchen table.

I downplayed it a bit. I could have rambled about my writing and probably should have, but again, my confidence was in the gutter, so I didn’t feel I had anything worth offering. No matter my interest inwardly, my broken self gave off ‘friend’ vibes outwardly.

We did a location share with our phones, and I met J at a park in Osterville before the Women Running Wild 5K race. I was there to be her cheerleader, which I found very surreal. I had consistently been a cheerleader for my ex, so it was weird being at a race supporting a different girl.

The starting line of the Women Running Wild 5K

The race was fine. I watched as the runners started and then waited for J to finish. I took a few photos, ironically, the one I snapped of her moments after she finished, I can’t find anywhere. That’s probably a sign.

During the aftermath of the race, I was on the periphery. J had a few people there, and I was just part of the crowd. I think part of me knew that I had already blown it, and I was feeling the defeat. I wished I could do and say more, but it was like my heart was trapped inside a cage.

When J left with her friends, there were no concrete plans for any future meetups. The texts became fewer and fewer. I didn’t push it because I didn’t feel the urgency to. As I've said repeatedly, my confidence was so low that I was afraid to put myself out there. So instead, it was like I watched J like a ship vanish into the horizon.

That is the story of my true meet-cute. If J and I had started a relationship, this story would have been much more impactful. Seriously, I went to the Vineyard to run a race and ended up by chance meeting this beautiful girl. There were so many moments that needed to happen to even get to that point of sitting around the fire pit with her family.

I had to take a later ferry. I had to choose that particular seat. I had to hear the violin over my music. I had to turn to see where the violin was coming from. I had to actually engage her in conversation. We had to park in the same lot.

Overall, I do wish I had done more to try to see where things could have gone with J. Maybe it would have been a no, and we would have moved on. In my mind, after my bad breakup, I just assumed it would be a no and didn’t bother trying. Who knows what I missed because of that?

In the end, J met someone, got married, had kids, and is very happy. So that part makes me happy as well. She was, and I’m sure still is, a really cool, sweet, and talented person. Her husband is very lucky. Then again, I was lucky to get what little face time I had with J. I’m glad to have had the meet-cute with her, even if it was the wrong time for me in my life.

For me, I am still chasing the next meet-cute. Maybe it will happen tomorrow? Maybe it will never happen, but who knows? A lot of these meetings happen when you stop looking and let them find you. I didn’t expect to meet someone on the ferry home after a race. If it can happen in that setting, it can happen almost anywhere.

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The West Barnstable Brick Company

    

The remains of the West Barnstable Brick Company

    Sandy Neck in West Barnstable is a hugely popular and important barrier beach and ecosystem on Cape Cod. It is 3,800 acres of pristine beauty frequented by countless thousands of locals and visitors alike year round. The north side is the well known beach with the south side being just as important as it is home to West Barnstable’s Great Marsh which extends all the way down to Route 6A. It is here, close to the Old King's Highway, where huge blue clay deposits were plentiful. For this reason the southern area of Great Marsh would become home to several aspiring businesses which took advantage of said clay. The most famous of which was the legendary West Barnstable Brick Company. This is its story.

The history of the West Barnstable Brick Company dates back to 1876. It was in February of 1876 that Levi Goodspeed purchased twenty acres of land along the Great Marsh. The land was part of the estate of Henry Fish. Goodspeed’s purchase was bisected by the railroad track, and just over a mile from the West Barnstable railroad depot. This prime real estate, sitting atop large clay deposits, was to be used for a new brick-making business.

The West Barnstable Brick Company(Whelden Library)

Levi Goodspeed was a well respected man on Cape Cod at the time. In the decades leading up to the creation of West Barnstable Brick Goodspeed had been a Selectman, member of the House of Representatives, and finally Sheriff of Barnstable County.

Goodspeed brought aboard Benjamin and Charles Crocker to form the management of the West Barnstable Brick Company. Ads for their bricks first began appearing in the local newspapers in July 1878.

The company started small, inundating the local newspapers with those advertisements about their product. Slowly they gained a foothold, even being contracted to supply the bricks for a new jail in Barnstable in December 1878. Its first decade saw the fledgling company struggling to make inroads on Cape Cod. The growing pains of the company were only exacerbated with the sudden death of Levi Goodspeed in November 1879. It appeared as though the West Barnstable Brick Company might be destined to fail.

That changed when the company was bought in 1888 by Abel Makepeace the Cape’s resident ‘cranberry king.’ He added more machinery and more workers, many from Portugal and Finland, allowing the production levels to increase.

West Barnstable bricks were used to rebuild the Cape Cod Exchange building in Harwich, the new town offices in West Barnstable, the new Training School in Hyannis, as well as Our Lady of Hope church. The actual physical bricks were of the highest quality due to the arduous process of creating them. It included breaking up the clay and removing pebbles and other debris from it before shaping the bricks and pouring them into perfectly level molds.

Working at the West Barnstable Brick Company(Whelden Library)

The entire factory was essentially self-sustaining. The clay was collected on the property while the finished bricks were shipped out via the railroad tracks that ran through the property. The only thing that needed to be shipped in was the wood for the kiln used to dry the bricks.

Under the ownership of Makepeace the West Barnstable Brick Company became one of the giants of Cape Cod business. By the 1920’s it was reported that the factory could produce more than 100,000 bricks per day and more than thirty million per year. They were widely popular not only on Cape Cod but throughout the state of Massachusetts and even further.

In October 1925 the business would change hands after nearly forty years when it was purchased by Thomas Arden. He enlarged the factory as well as adding electric lights and a telephone. The company would receive another boost when the one and only automobile king Henry Ford paid a visit as he was interested in the brick making process. On October 14, 1926 Ford stopped by the factory. He wanted to buy a pair of antique engines however Arden gave them to him as a gift despite his objections. Ford would set things square by sending a brand new tractor to Arden a short time later.

The decaying facade of the West Barnstable Brick Factory in 2022.

However as high as the company was riding its demise had actually been set in motion. Unhappy with the fact that brick sizes were not uniform President Herbert Hoover created a universal size for the creation of bricks in 1928. The problem with this was that West Barnstable Brick was an eighth of an inch too large and so new equipment needed to be bought. This meant that the company needed to raise prices to cover costs.

This was only the beginning of the trouble. The October 1929 Stock Market Crash ushered in the Great Depression. This immediately slowed down the need for new buildings. Higher prices to cover costs combined with lower demand for the product forced West Barnstable Brick to cease operations in the fall of 1930.

All was not lost though. Arden, the directors, and stockholders were all meeting and trying to figure out how to get the business up and running again. The venerable brick company remained closed throughout 1931. In September 1931 it appeared as though a new day was dawning. All of the surplus West Barnstable bricks had been sold, and new orders were coming in. Arden and his staff cleaned and oiled the machinery, inspected the boilers, and prepped the clay pits to resume production.

Despite battling bankruptcy plans were in place for the West Barnstable Brick Company to rise from the ashes. By 1932 it had been over fifty years that the rich blue clay had been collected to make millions of high quality bricks. Arden wanted to know just how much clay, and therefore how many years, West Barnstable Brick Company had remaining in its current location. At some point during 1932 a test hole was drilled. This determined that there was roughly fifty years worth of clay remaining. This should have put Arden at ease. Unfortunately though the test hole struck water. This created an artesian well that flooded the clay pits.

The flooded clay pits were the death knell for the company. West Barnstable Brick Company did not immediately close though. Attempts were made to figure out a way to keep going. The remainder of 1932 and into 1933 were a holding pattern. However the Great Depression did not relent. West Barnstable Brick was no more.

In the spring of 1933 West Barnstable Brick Company was sold at auction to the First National Bank of Yarmouth. In the years after the factory was stripped with parts sold off to other Cape Cod businesses while the remaining brick load would be used up. Today all the remains is part of the broken down facade of the building located a few hundred yards off of Route 6A, not far from Our Lady of Hope.

Nature has reclaimed the area where the West Barnstable Brick Company once stood.

It took more than thirty years for a new business to open on the former West Barnstable Brick property. Florence Ungerman opened The Wind-Ship Shop in July 1967 on Route 6A. The area of the property north of the railroad tracks however remained untouched. Over the nearly ninety years since the brick factory closed down nature has been reclaiming what was not removed.

Today the Orenda Wildlife Trust owns the former West Barnstable Brick Company property. It is a part of conservation land. The factory remains are overgrown and highly difficult to get to. The artesian well created a pond in addition to flooding the clay pits. There are nature trails leading behind the Orenda property but a trip to the brick factory remains in not advised.

For more than half a century the West Barnstable Brick Company was truly a giant among Cape Cod businesses. It bridged the gap from man power to steam power to electric power. Its legacy can still be felt today as authentic bricks created by the company are collector’s items and many of the buildings which used the bricks still stand.

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Previous Blog Posts:

Cape Cod History - The Buried Treasure of Mabel Simpkins-Agassiz

Cape Cod History - Charles Megathlin's Drug Store

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

Zazzle Store: Cape Cod Living

In My Footsteps: 4K Cape Cod - Sandy Neck Lighthouse and Colony

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Sandy Neck Colony and Lighthouse

     Sandy Neck Beach in West Barnstable is one of the largest on Cape Cod and also one of the most historic. Those who pull into the parking lot and stare out at the ocean or over at the majestic dunes are getting much of what makes Sandy Neck unique, but not what makes it historical. The beach itself is amazing, yet it’s along the Sandy Neck Trails where the true heart and soul of the area is found. A permit is required for taking a vehicle out on these trails which lead around the south side of Sandy Neck’s impressive dunes. There are a few off shoot trails which bring you out to much more secluded sections of the 4,700-acre beach area.

A wide view of the Sandy Neck Colony
(Christopher Setterlund)

     Centuries ago, prior to 1702, the entirety of Sandy Neck Beach was considered part of the ‘common lands’ of the Town of Barnstable. This meant the whole of Sandy Neck was public property. In 1703 the beach was purchased and divided into 60 private parcels except for a minuscule 330-foot section of the north facing beach which remained public. Lot 60, located at the very tip of Sandy Neck was allocated to Joseph Lothrop and Ebenezer Lewis. It would become home to a group of summer cottages in the latter part of the 19^th century.

     In the 18^th into the 19^th century whaling was a huge industry along the coast of New England. Along Sandy Neck the process of shore whaling took place. This included having the tryworks on shore, these were brick furnaces usually adorning whaling ships. A pair of cast iron try-pots would be placed on the bricks for the purpose of heating whale blubber to recover the oil. Sandy Neck became the first area of whaling on Cape Cod to open up its grounds to the public for whale watching as well.

     The whaling industry, along with the fact that Sandy Neck marked the entrance to Barnstable Harbor necessitated the construction of a lighthouse at its eastern end referred to as Beach Point. On October 1, 1826 Sandy Neck Lighthouse was illuminated for the first time. Erosion over the decades forced the construction of a second lighthouse in 1857. This is the current lighthouse. Made of brick it was susceptible to cracking and in 1887 a pair of iron hoops along with six staves were added around its center giving the lighthouse a unique look.

The current Sandy Neck Lighthouse prior to 1880
(Wikimedia Commons)

     Sandy Neck Lighthouse was decommissioned on October 1, 1932 due to Barnstable Harbor’s decreasing importance as well as the fact that the shifting sands of Sandy Neck moved the lighthouse further from the outer coast of the beach. There were attempts to dismantle and sell the entirety of the lighthouse but the oncoming Great Depression put that on hold. A skeleton tower was briefly erected closer to the water but it proved too costly and only was lit during the warmer months. In 1934 the lighthouse was sold to a private owner and the lantern was discarded. It remained ‘headless’ for more than seventy-five years until it was restored to its full working order with a new lantern in 2007.

     Sandy Neck is home to fifty-eight cottages. The first of which is a little more than a mile out on the sand. The cottages are mostly over a hundred years old; they are grandfathered into this historic district. New construction in the area was forbidden during the 1960’s. The main attraction is at the end of the trails is the Sandy Neck Colony. Located more than six miles out on the sandy trails is a cluster of more than two dozen cottages with the lighthouse supplying the border on the east.

     Many of the cottages dotting the spit of sand have interesting histories. There is the ‘The Barnacle’ cottage built by noted local historian Henry Crocker Kittredge out of an old garage in 1908. ‘The Hurricane’ cottage was a hunting camp originally built in 1898 by Jim Hinckley, Russell Hallett, and Arthur Coville. The ‘Parker/Poland’ cottage was originally built at the turn of the 20^th century with the help of George Jamieson who was keeper of Sandy Neck Light at the time.

One of the cottages on the way out to the Sandy Neck Colony
(Christopher Setterlund)

     One of the earliest cottages of the colony also doubled as a restaurant. The Barnstable Harbor House, owned in the 1880’s and 1890’s by Benjamin Lovell, could seat up to twenty-five in the dining room. It became more widely known as the Chowder House due to the superb chowder created by Lovell. A wharf was built to allow for boats to dock in front of the restaurant/cottage. Lovell also canned his chowder for sale to customers. The kitchen ell of the cottage was removed around 1910 and became the Buck Cottage at the west end of the colony.

     During Prohibition the rolling dunes and relative isolation of Sandy Neck became the perfect landing and hiding spot for rum runners. Liquor would be stored in one of the summer cottages as it was prepared to be shipped to the Cape’s mainland.

A close up of Sandy Neck Lighthouse from Bone Hill Beach
(Christopher Setterlund)

     Since 1978, Sandy Neck has been designated an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern” by the Mass. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs because several endangered species including piping plovers and least terns make their habitat in the area. As of 2015 the lighthouse which had been originally built at the point stood more than 2,000 feet from the point due to accretion of sand.

The colony and Sandy Neck Lighthouse are private though and the trails will not take you there. Many of the cottages have been passed down for generations through the same families. It is a very close-knit community. The Sandy Neck Colony is best seen either from a boat in the harbor or across the water on the shore of Millway Beach or Bone Hill Beach in Barnstable. However the beach itself is public and remains one of the most popular and unique natural beauties on Cape Cod.                                                 -----------------------------------------

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View my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Deacon John Doane

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Man Behind the Long Point Cross                         

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Where Else To Find Me

Check out my latest post at Cape Cod.com - Sandy Neck: A Historic Colony on a Sandy Spit

Also go see my latest post for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce - Active Traveler: Where Marathoners Train

I will soon be featured at Frommer's and also Travel Channel, more to come.

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, and stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter and YouTube for more on In My Footsteps.


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In My Footsteps: Cape Cod - Bass Hole

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, and stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter and YouTube for more on In My Footsteps.



Come and see me at Sandwich Heritage Day June 14th



East Bridgewater Library June 16th



and Books By the Sea, Osterville July 5th



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In My Footsteps: Trip 10 - Barnstable, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 10: Barnstable, Mass.

January 24, 2010

           

            Is it possible for one town to have two names?  In the case of Barnstable, yes it is.  People call the town Barnstable and Hyannis and they are both correct.  Barnstable is usually the name associated with the historic district along Route 6A while Hyannis is seen as the area with all of the stores and restaurants along Routes 28 & 132.

            The town of Barnstable, founded in 1639, got its name from the town of Barnstaple, England.  As you enter the town from the highway there is a sign along Willow Street noting this fact.  Heading south on Willow Street will lead you into Hyannis while heading north leads you into the historic district of Barnstable.  On this trip I went north toward Rt. 6A.

            A left turn onto Rt. 6A will eventually lead you to a set of traffic lights.  Heading right takes you down Millway along Barnstable Harbor.  The road ends at the small Millway Beach parking lot which has a tremendous view of the Sandy Neck Trails and the cottages and lighthouse that adorn the point(left).  I covered the trails here: Sandy Neck Trails.  There are extensive mudflats which become exposed at low tide and are popular for shell fishing.    

            Along historic Rt. 6A after exiting Millway you will find the Barnstable County Courthouse(below) standing stoically over the other buildings.  Built in 1831 this is not even the oldest courthouse in the village.  That honor belongs to the appropriately named Olde Colonial Courthouse.  Located just up the road from the current courthouse near Rendezvous Lane this building, which currently houses the Tales of Cape Cod historical society, was built in 1772 and served as the county’s courthouse until 1838. 

Located on the front lawn of the Barnstable County Courthouse are statues depicting Colonial lawyer James Otis who some argue actually sewed the seeds of the American Revolution through a speech in 1761 as well as his sister Mercy Otis Warren.  She is widely considered the ‘Conscience of the American Revolution.’

            About a half a mile up on the left is the narrow opening of Old Jail Lane.  This road once housed the oldest wooden jail in the United States.  Built in 1690, the ‘Old Jail’ was moved from its former location on Old Jail Lane in 1971 to its current location on Cobb’s Hill behind the Coast Guard Heritage Museum only a few minutes drive away. 

Old Jail Lane can be a very spooky ride at dusk and there is a great set of trails which are accessible from here, the Cape Cod Community College parking lot, or at another entrance located diagonally from the Lamb and Lion Inn on Rt. 6A.  The trails are easy to follow thanks to color coded arrows and detailed maps located throughout the trail area.

            Entering the trails from the West Barnstable parking lot on Rt. 6A leads you up a steep hill that gives way to an unexpected and spectacular view.  The wide open rolling hills that stretch out give you a feeling of being on the shores of Ireland rather than Cape Cod(right).  This entrance is highly recommended specifically for the amazing views.  There aren’t any water views but the sights and sounds of Cape Cod’s natural beauty will be enough to keep you interested.      

            Another great recreation area is Hathaways Pond located on Phinney’s Lane(left).  It is hidden a bit from the busy road and has a swimming area and swings for children.  The half-mile loop trail leading around the circumference of the pond is packed with views of the pond from all heights and angles.  It is perfect for the warmer months.    

            Barnstable Village is filled with beautiful scenery and amazing historical relics as are most places along Rt. 6A.  If you are lucky enough to find a parking spot during the warmer months most of the places visited here can be seen in one walk.  Whether you walk or drive to all of these places make sure to take time out to see them all.  It is definitely worth the trip.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Millway Beach: Take Rt. 6A to the set of lights at the intersection with Hyannis Road.  Turn down Millway and follow it.  Barnstable Harbor comes up on the left and the small parking lot for Millway Beach is at the end of the road.  

Old Jail: Heading east on 6A take you last left before the lights at the intersection with Millway, this is the Coast Guard Heritage Museum, the Old Jail is located in the house directly behind it.  Old Jail Lane is ½ mile from the Courthouse on the left.  The road’s entrance is very narrow and could be mistaken for a driveway, go slow to find the turn.

Barnstable County Courthouse: On Rt. 6A heading east go through set of lights for Millway Beach.  Courthouse in on the hill just past the fire department.

Olde Colonial Courthouse: Keep on Rt. 6A past the center of Barnstable Village, the building that was the courthouse and is now a museum is located on the right near Rendezvous Lane and across from St. Mary’s Church.

Hathaway’s Pond: Heading east on 6A turn left at lights onto Hyannis Road.  Stay right, Hyannis Road becomes Phinney’s Lane.  Follow Phinney’s Lane for nearly a mile.  Entrance for Hathaway’s Pond is on the right and designated by a blue and white oval sign.

References: The Old Jail

            Barnstable Historical Society

            Tales of Cape Cod

Barnstable on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 5: Sandy Neck Trails, Sandwich, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 5: Sandy Neck Trails, Sandwich, Massachusetts

January 11, 2010

            Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich is very well known to anyone who lives on, or has visited Cape Cod.  It has miles of golden sand and acres of majestic dunes that stretch out seemingly to the horizon.  Most people who visit Sandy Neck drive into the parking lot and walk to the beach, the normal routine for any local or vacationer.  What they may not know is that nearby are some amazing trails that will lead you right out into those majestic dunes.  It gives you a view unlike almost anything Cape Cod has to offer.

            Located directly across from the ranger station on Sandy Neck Road is a sign for these trails(right).  It tells you the distances to each trail; the furthest distance for a trail listed is five and a half miles.  Not listed is the sixth trail.  To reach it simply take Trail 1 which is a short walk out to the beach, then follow the beach all the way out.  This walk is more than six miles in length one way and leads you to a strip of seaside homes and a lighthouse which face Barnstable Harbor.  This entrance is for walking, but be aware that there is also an entrance for driving out on these trails.  In winter the trails were virtually deserted, but in summer they will probably be a little busier.  Also if preparing to hike the trail out to the lighthouse remember that it is over six miles one way and that walking through the dunes and soft sand will take considerably longer than walking normal ground or pavement.

            Hopefully that does not deter you as the hike through the Sandy Neck Trails sports some amazing natural beauty and a few pieces of history as well.  The first few miles of the trails are bordered on the right by a marsh complete with several small birdhouses near the beginning of the trails and an osprey nest situated on top of a pole out in the marsh. 

            Once you get past the exit of Trail 1 you will get into the smaller dunes that lie along the side of the marsh.  On the left you will start to see the larger dunes that Sandy Neck is known for but stick with the main marsh trail longer and you will get a better view of them.  Keep walking along the marsh trail and you will notice the first of many small cottages, most of them a hundred years old, dotting the land(left).  These are great reminders of what Sandy Neck was like in the early 20^th Century as part of the fishing and whaling industry.  They are usually occupied in the summer so be courteous of their property.  

            For the most part, up to Trail 2 the land is uniform, mainly beach sand.  The majestic dunes are in plain sight the entire time.  However once you pass Trail 2 and a small guard shack located just off of the trail, the land begins to change a bit.  There are still mountainous dunes but trees become more abundant as do the fishing cottages.  Trail 3 has been closed so if you are looking for access to the beach take Trail 2 or continue on to Trail 4.  

            Trail 4 will lead you through the dunes and spotty trees and vegetation to the beach and sports a tremendous view.  Also in this area are trails designated for horseback riding, but they are obviously fine for human use as well.  This trail takes you winding through the trees, if not for the constant hum of the ocean waves you might forget that a beach lay close by.  There are many tiny ponds scattered throughout this area, swimming in them is probably not possible or recommended. 

            Also out in this area of the Sandy Neck land is where you will find a large number of animals.  Many species of birds such as hawks and osprey will glide by.  On the ground the most common animals spotted are squirrels but raccoons and skunks roam the area as well.  On my trip here I spotted a large white tailed buck(left), not saying that you will see one, but they are out there.  

            The marsh trail weaves its way through the trees as Trail 5 and will take you out to the beach.  It is here that you may go left and head back to the parking lot, or continue onto Trail 6 and the tip of Sandy Neck.  It is a long walk but the views are incredible.  The cottages, the marsh, the dunes(right), the trees, ponds, trails, and lighthouse all make for an amazing hike. 

I will admit that this hike would probably be more appreciated in the warmer months.  I walked twelve miles in a little over four hours and enjoyed every moment.  If you have the capabilities I would recommend driving the trails if the thought of walking more than twelve miles does not thrill you.  Otherwise, pack some snacks, water, and some comfortable shoes and enjoy the natural beauty as only Cape Cod can provide.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions:  On the Mid-Cape highway take Exit 5 to Route 149.  Follow it to Route 6A and turn left.  Sandy Neck Road is the first right after the sign welcoming you to Sandwich.  The parking area for the trails is on the left across from the ranger station.

References: 4 Wheeling Sandy Neck

Sandwich on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 4: Long Pasture, Cummaquid, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 4: Long Pasture, Cummaquid, Massachusetts

January 17, 2010



Like a hidden jewel, Long Pasture is tough to find for novice travelers. Located down narrow Bone Hill Road off of Route 6A in Cummaquid, Long Pasture is well worth the trip off the beaten path. Sometimes it is hard to believe that there are such beautifully secluded spots so close by while shopping at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis, but they are everywhere. Located about a half mile west of the Cummaquid Golf Club along historic Route 6A, Bone Hill Road comes up suddenly around a corner on the right. A white sign for the Harbor Point Restaurant is the marker for the road; pass by it and you will have to find a place to turn around.

Long Pasture itself is easy to find after turning down Bone Hill Road. It is designated by a small, rocky parking lot on the left side at the first turn of the narrow road. The pathway through the 110-acre wildlife sanctuary is clearly marked and simple to follow. It is filled with trees and flowers and a couple of small ponds(left).

A few hundred feet into the wooded area there is a small open barn with temporary pens. This area is part of a cooperative effort between the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Ocean Song Farm to attempt something called ‘Management Intensive Grazing.’ The farm’s pigs, goats, sheep, and turkeys are there to feed on the vegetation at Long Pasture which is not treated by any pesticides. The animals are great to look at but be careful though as the fences are electrified.

The pathway continues, coming close enough to nearby Stoney Point Road that the houses can be seen through the trees. Eventually the pathway leads to several spectacular views across Barnstable Harbor. There is a row of seaside homes and a lighthouse located several miles out on the outskirts of Sandy Neck Beach(right).

This area is viewable from above at a scenic overlook, but can also be seen from the shoreline. A short walk leads to a clearing and a path down to the water. The water is also accessible at a small sandy parking lot located at the end of Bone Hill Road. There are a couple of different routes that can be taken at Long Pasture.

Also located at the end of Bone Hill Road is the Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary nature center(right). Part of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the nature center is open year round and can be appreciated at any time of day during any time of year. After visiting the nature center the return to the parking area at the beginning of Long Pasture can be taken either by going back the way you came through the paths, or by taking the pathway which runs along Bone Hill Road itself.

Separated from the road by a short rock wall, the hike back along Bone Hill Road is nearly as quiet and peaceful as the wooded pathway. The road is not very busy even in the summer months, this allows the birds songs to be heard all around you. The hike does not end there though. On the left side of Bone Hill Road, just after the intersection with Harbor Point Road, there are a few perfectly manicured meadows to be walked. In the summer the meadow grasses grow high and the paths become hidden from the roads. In the cooler months the meadows are wide open and easily navigated.

The toughest part of hiking at Long pasture is finding Bone Hill Road. Once that is accomplished all that is left is to enjoy another in a line of beautiful conservation areas. Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: from the Mid-Cape highway take Exit 7 to Willow Street. Follow Willow Street to Route 6A. Turn left and drive for one mile. Turn right onto Bone Hill Road, remember it is narrow and comes up fast. Long Pasture is located on the left at the first curve.

References: Massachusetts Audubon Society - Long Pasture

                    Management Intensive Grazing at Long Pasture