July 2021 – HappyCapeCod

Welcome indeed! Photo credit: American Security.

by Jeff Shaw, July 22, 2021

This basic question – Is Falmouth Cape Cod?, has been gnawing on me for a while. Silly as it may seem, and equally questionable my posing it considering I rarely visit the Upper Cape, I remain undeterred.

Don’t get me wrong, Falmouth has plenty of going on. It is considered the “gateway” to Martha’s Vineyard thanks to its proximity to the island and requisite ferry service; it is home to the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the premier Falmouth Road Race, the iconic Shining Sea Bikeway, and most of its villages have picturesque views of Buzzards Bay or Vineyard Sound. It was the birthplace of Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote “America the Beautiful,” likely inspired by the natural beauty of the land and sea.

It also happens to be the second most populated town. That word “second” is actually what my theory is based upon – Falmouth is second to Barnstable and not happy about it.

As mentioned above, Falmouth is the second most populated Cape Cod town. Guess which town is first? Barnstable of course! Falmouth was settled in 1660 (incorporated in 1686). Guess what year Barnstable was settled? 1637, a whopping two decades before (though Sandwich, Bourne and Yarmouth were settled even earlier).

If you are into baseball, then you may chuckle at this ridiculous fact – Falmouth has the second most runner-up finishes in the Cape Cod Baseball League finals since their last championship – 1980. Adding insult to injury, they also have the longest championship drought of any active franchise since 1980. Ouch.

My point is Falmouth, as solid as its offerings are, seems relegated to “runner-up” status when it comes to Barnstable. Put another way, Falmouth is the sidekick to Barnstable; the Robin to Barnstable’s Batman; the Sundance to the Barnstable’s Butch Cassidy. This beef may go back more than a century.

As marketing professionals would expect (and suggest), a lot of attractions on Cape Cod have the words “Cape Cod” in their name. Well, “duh” you might say. In Barnstable, examples include: Cape Cod Central Railroad (Hyannis Depot), Cape Cod Mall, Cape Cod Maritime Museum, Cape Codder Resort, Cape Cod Beer and plenty more.

As it turns out, Falmouth may have embraced this strategy to make a case for themselves as the center of Cape Cod. Below are some examples:

Cape Cod Fairgrounds logo.

Cape Cod Fairgrounds (East Falmouth), 1884

Perhaps the most ironic name, the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth is the home of the Barnstable County Fair. You can NOT make that up. And yes, I know the county Cape Cod resides is Barnstable County. But still, that’s pretty funny. Also the Fair is happening this week!

Notice the entire Cape is featured in the logo.

Cape Cod Country Club (East Falmouth), 1928

As one of the earliest golf courses on the Cape, the Cape Cod Country Club name suggests it is the “center” of golf on Cape Cod. It is located in Falmouth. Interestingly, Barnstable opened a golf course in 1992, named the Old Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course. I can’t find the exact history, but believe an agricultural and livestock fair was hosted by the Barnstable County Agricultural Society in the mid-1800s on some fairgrounds. Still, the fact that Barnstable and Falmouth each have fairgrounds, no other Cape towns have/had them, is worth noting.

My finisher medal and iron-on commemorative t-shirt! Photo credit: Jeff Shaw

Cape Cod Marathon (Falmouth), 1996

Yet again, Barnstable and Falmouth lock horns. There are two marathons hosted on Cape Cod. Guess where they are located? You’re getting the hang of this exercise! Certainly Barnstable (Hyannis Marathon and Half Marathon) and Falmouth (Cape Cod Marathon).

Now I’ve run both races, and have somewhat comical recounts of each. In 2013, I was volunteering at the Hyannis Marathon and Half Expo, ran into a friend who sprained her ankle, who gave me her bib to run in her place. Having not run much over the winter (the event is held annually in February), I was huffing and puffing at mile 5, but for whatever reason, I recall this glorious tail wind that pushed me along the final miles and assisted in a respectable finish time. My friends were cheering me on at the finish line and it was all smiles.

Conversely, in 2014, I completed my first marathon in Falmouth. Hooray, right? However, I assumed the finish line area would be the place to get food and fuel upon finishing. Most races provide water, food, fuel, even a beer ticket, etc., along with medals, at or near the finish line. Not Falmouth; the water, food and fuels was back at the school/Expo, over a half mile away! There were not as many smiles at the Falmouth finish line.

Notice the entire Cape is featured in the logo. Photo credit: Cape Cod Winery.

Cape Cod Winery (East Falmouth), 2014

And finally, some wine. The recently opened Cape Cod Winery, located on a former strawberry farm, is in Falmouth. But the old guard of craft brewing is Cape Cod Beer (opened in 2004). Not only is Cape Cod Beer located in Barnstable, but has a dedicated tap line in almost every Cape Cod restaurant and bar.

Sorry Falmouth, but Barnstable is winning.

Now sure, plenty of businesses, cultural sites, even natural resources on Cape Cod have “Cape Cod” in their name (Cape Cod Rail Trail-Dennis+, Cape Cod Light-Truro, Cape Cod Creamery-Yarmouth+, Cape Cod Lanterns-Chatham; Cape Cod Realty-Orleans, Cape Cod Sea Camps-Brewster, Cape Cod National Seashore-Eastham+, etc.). Some off Cape businesses do too (Cape Cod Café-Raynham+) just to attract the wandering eye.

But Barnstable and Falmouth take the name game to the next level. Just don’t finish second.

Beach Bliss. Photo Credit: Chris Hackett/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Jeff Shaw, July 1, 2021

There is something remarkably relaxing about reading on the beach. Whether holding an actual book (old school!), scrolling on a device, or flipping through pages of a magazine, a gentle breeze across your face, warm sand in between your toes and the natural sounds of waves washing ashore is a setting hard to beat.

There are many authors who live on Cape Cod. There are also a ton of books – fiction and non-fiction – about Cape Cod. Now best sellers most of these recommendations are not. But if you just want to get lost in a book for a while, why not pick one about the very sand you are sitting on? Enjoy these reads on your next day at the beach.

2021 Cape Cod Summer Reading List

Into A Raging Sea, My Life and the Pendleton Rescue, 1985

The autobiography of Coast Guard hero Bernie Webber, who captained the rescue boat CG36500, is a truly unbelievable account of a career in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Certainly best known for leading the unimaginable rescue of crew members of the Pendleton, which split in half during a storm in February, 1952, he also was stationed in Vietnam, in Truro, on Martha’s Vineyard, at Monomoy Light and on Lightships displaying an unassuming heroism that simple defines the greatest generation he was apart of.

Lovers of nautical history, and of course Cape Cod history, must know the stories told on these pages. It may give you a new respect for the fishermen, patrollers and scientists that devote their life to the sea.

Baseball by the Beach, Christopher Price, 1997

After the 2020 Cape Cod Baseball Season was cancelled, what better way to make up for lost time with this detailed historical account of the earliest years of baseball on Cape Cod, all the way to the modern day.

The early evidence of the Nichols Baseball Club of Sandwich (1860s), suspisouions that future major leaguers played (Mickey Cochrene), and the debate about which year was the true start of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). Price finds the newspaper evidence of the first time baseball was playedon Cape Cod, the first time the words “Cape Cod Baseball League” was printed and chronicles the changes from rosters full of local players to the recruitment of college stars, and the decision to use wooden bats.

He also includes the history of each franchise (current and former), with team records for major statistical categories, wins, losses, and managers. A perfect companion for a summer afternoon.

Legends and Lore of Cape Cod, Robin Smith-Johnson, 2016

A collection of short stories and vignettes you never heard of about people, places and noteworthy events that have occurred on Cape Cod. There are suggestions that the first to visit Cape Cod was not Samuel de Champlain, the first white explorer in 1605; not Bartholomeow Gosnold, credited with naming Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard; not the Pilgrims who landed in Provincetown and later colonized Plymouth, but the Lief Ericson and the vikings with are rumored to have wintered on Cape Cod in the summer of 1004.

There are accounts of famous people like President Grover Cleveland’s “Gray Gables” summer retreat and personal train station in Bourne, America the Beautiful author Katharine Lee Bates birthplace in Falmouth and of course the Kennedy’s compound in Hyannis Port.

Of course, you will find stories of major disasters (hurriance, shipwrecks, erosion, etc) to murder mysteries and requiste hauntings to where famous landmarks get their names (MacMillian Wharf, “Bellamy” anything, etc) to UFO sightings. Perfect book for the beach, before bed or if you get interrupted regularly.

Murder on Cape Cod, Maggie Day, 2019

There is no better name than “Cozy Caper,” the actual name of the fictional book club (Cozy Capers) in the story to describe this fun and quick read. Murder on Cape Cod is the first of a new book series by author Maggie Day, who takes you on a loop through the Upper Cape Cod fictional town of Westham. WIth plenty of Falmouth area references, both numerous and direct, it is hard not to visualize this quaint seaside village.

The main character is impossible not to like and who happens to live off a bike trail and owns a bike shop. Even the businesses owned by her friends are “delightfully Cape Cod;” bakery, candy store, bookstore, library, liquor store and lighthouse caretaker, who all convey the ease of getting around a main street by foot. While there is little to no mention of life on the water, a fishing knife becomes a prominent clue in the mystery.

The author sprinkles in actual places, a few opinions on life choices that transcend to real life, and actual recipes of meals included in the story arc in the appendix.

In need of other recommendations? Check out the Cape & Islands Book Store Trail that span the peninsula and usually feature a section about books written by, or about, Cape Cod.