The well-worn ancient path near McGuerty Road. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
If you are looking for trails less traveled, consider an ancient and secluded path off Route 137 in Brewster. According to local historian Russ Allen, the pathway is the remnant of a Native American trail one time called the Wading-Place Path, which originally began at Chatham’s Old Harbor and ended at Arey’s Pond in Orleans. Make no mistake, this is not the modern day coastal route of scenic Route 28!
Cruising along Route 137 heading north, I almost missed the abrupt turn onto the dirt, pot-hole-filled McGuerty Road. The trailhead is unmarked at the road’s dead end. It is remarkable that this centuries-old trail has lasted the test of time. At least, this inland section.
A trail junction in Town Well Field. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Of note, I did not prepare for this trail exploration with maps or by local word of mouth. This minor detail will prove important. Ever since listening to a conversation by the author Chris Colin of the funny book “Off: The Day the Internet Died,” I decided to stop using the internet to learn every little detail about a place, activity or experience and instead get back into the business of good old fashion guess work – and getting a little lost.
After meandering my way up, down and around the well-worn dirt path, I eventually reached a trail junction with three directional options. At this point, I was in a good “runner’s groove” and didn’t think much of departing from the main trail. But after 20 minutes, a couple more turns, and no other human in sight, I reached a fence separating the woods and the Mid-Cape Highway. Oh no! I was lost.
A trail ends at the Mid-Cape Highway/Route 6. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
My first instinct was to access maps on my phone. I resisted this urge. I didn’t want to turn to technology so quickly. The Native Americans who formed the trail sure couldn’t. Maybe bumping into a helpful stranger would solve the problem. Unlikely, as I only passed one other person (a mountain biker) during the first ten minutes on the trail. I calmly began re-tracing my steps.
A Brewster Conservation Trust map notes the name of the forest is Town Well Field. The map designates walking trails as “Mapped Walking Trail,” “Other Large Walking Area” or “Other Walking Area.” Town Well Field is designated “Other Walking Area,” which suggests the area is not visited often. Later, I would learn even Google maps doesn’t distinguish the area as woods (green overlay) nor outline trails or landmarks. The area is basically a void on all maps.
A small pile of stones beneath a tree marks the path back to the car. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
As I worked my way away from the sun, which had been in my eyes after that first turn, I stumbled upon a remarkably simple and perhaps symbolic sign. A pile of stones beneath a tree at the trail junction. I remembered seeing the stones out of the corner of my eye when first turning. Is that the sign back to the main trail? Sure enough, the natural sign turned me onto the pathway which took me back to my car.
By the time I burst out of the woods onto the dirt road, I had clocked over 4 miles. Sure, I was lost for more than half of it. But still, there was something comforting about finding my way out of that predictament without resorting to technology.
A faded blue metal sign indicates one of the many trailheads to Town Well Field conservation area. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
There is another parking lot off Route 137 between Twinturn Lane and Katherine’s Lane to access the area. A well-worn blue sign marks the trailhead.
If you need to “find your path,” get lost on the Wading-Place Path for a while!
The Scargo Tower stands tall overlooking Cape Cod Bay and an East Dennis neighborhood. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
by Mike Shaw
Earlier this year, I continued my odyssey seeking out historic sites around the Cape and ventured down the road from Chatham to Dennis in search of the iconic Scargo Tower. Located right off Route 6A/Old King’s Highway – along the aptly named Scargo Hill Road – the stone tower sits on a quiet hilltop offering panoramic views of Scargo Lake and Cape Cod Bay.
The view from the Scargo Tower parking area in the Spring. Cape Cod Bay can be seen in the distance, above the vegetation. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
The Tower is also just a few minutes drive from one of my favorite breakfast and lunch spots in Dennis: Grumpy’s Restaurant. For those who haven’t been, please treat yourself before or after your Scargo Tower visit!
The view from Scargo Tower parking area in the Fall. Cape Cod Bay can be seen in the distance; and a salt marsh is revealed in the foreground. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to the Dennis Historical Society: “Scargo Tower began as a tourist observatory in 1874. Made of wood, it was destroyed in a gale two years later. Rebuilt again of wood, it burned in 1900. The present cobblestone tower opened in 1901. The 30 foot high tower is located atop the highest hill in the mid-Cape. Indian legends tell of the making of both Scargo Hill and Scargo Lake. Views may be seen of the entire Lower Cape to Provincetown, and as far west as Plymouth. The Tower is owned and operated by the Town of Dennis.”
The memorial plaque. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
A plaque adorns the Tower, reading: “This tower and hilltop were given to the town in 1929 as a memorial to Charles Tobey (1831-1888) and Francis Bassett Tobey (1833-1913), loyal sons of the village of Dennis where their Tobey ancestors settled in 1678.”
The entrance is still closed to the public. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
The Cape Cod Times reported last July that, beginning in November 2018, the Tower was closed for 18 months due to necessary maintenance. While repairs have been completed, the Tower’s interior remains closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The charming hilltop and tower. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
As we eagerly await the reopening of our favorite places, both residents and visitors of Dennis will undoubtedly look forward to once again ascending Scargo Tower and enjoying the spectacular views across the horizon.
The “Fruit Loop” roundabout in South Sandwich. A fresh banana peel (center), fresh apple core (right), and rotting banana peels (right) illustrates some monkey business.
Author’s Note:
Regular readers of www.HappyCapeCod.com may notice the occasional pun is, often sprinkled, albeit unnecessarily, into posts. Puns are good for a cheap laugh, and I’m a firm believer that you can’t have enough humor, lame as the attempts may be.
The story below is intentionally littered with puns, most not original, some forced, but appropriate in context of the fruity topic. See if you can catch them all in this a-peel-ing Cape Cod mystery!
A Banana Peel ‘Caper’ in Sandwich
We can all agree littering is bad. Trash is an eyesore, garbage is often gross and worse, carelessly discarded items can be harmful to wildlife and the environment. That said, tossing the occasional, biodegradable fruit peel on the road can’t be that bad, right? Wrong!
In 2013, a roundabout, the slower, one-lane circular cousin to the larger rotary road enhancement, was installed in South Sandwich to improve safety on a heavily traveled Upper Cape road. Known as one of the most hazardous intersections on Cape Cod, the Cotuit Road/Harlow Road intersection was in line for safety improvements. Yet, according to an article in 2012, the roadway redesign proposal got mixed reviews. One resident called the $900,000 project a “boondoggle.” Another said the roundabout was “barely big enough for her Toyota Camry.” Though a third, perhaps more optimistic neighbor, thought it was “an upgrade” to the harrowing intersection.
Fresh banana peels rest peacefully in the “Fruit Loop” roundabout. Photo credit: Gene M. Marchand.
Fast forward to 2021. The town of Chatham is nearing completion of a similar roundabout project along busy Route 28, with a familiar bunch of mixed reviews. However, unlike the 2013 Sandwich Roundabout, which was completed ahead of schedule, the Chatham Roundabout project has been marred by delays and is still only now nearing completion despite receiving approval ten years ago.
After the Sandwich Roundabout opened, people started to notice banana peels in the circular center. Evidently, a bunch of banana peels is a more accurate description. In a recent Cape Cod Times article, the Sandwich Public Works Director described the intersection candidly, “I believe you are referring to our illustrious roundabout, aka, the “Fruit Loop,” to some locals, or the “Bane of My Existence “as I prefer to call it!” The director went on to say, “while the first 1,000 banana peels thrown may have been somewhat comical, it has gotten very old and turned into an eyesore.” An una-peel-ing situation, for sure!
A Sandwich Enterprise article provided more details about the frequent drive-by peelings. “On any given day, there may be 10, 12, or more peels littering the circle. Some are yellow in color, signifying their recent disposal into the circular center of the roundabout, and some are brown from rotting. In addition to peels there has been at least one anecdotal report of a spiral ham being tossed onto the traffic circle, as well as sightings of orange peels and apple cores.” As local storyteller and adventurer extraordinaire Eric Williams reflected, “this distressing banana news was hard to digest.”
A soggy Fruit Loops was the final resting place of an apple core (center left) as well as a half dozen rotting banana peels. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
But why bananas? Was it because it is easy to throw a banana and split? The answer may require a side trip to the Outer Cape.
Bananas have a unique place in Cape Cod history. Lorenzo Dow Baker was born in Wellfleet in 1850, later becoming a sea captain who pursued profits in the tropics. In 1870, he brought a party of gold prospectors to Venezuela. On the return trip, Baker stopped in a Banana Republic (Jamaica location) looking for moneymaking cargo to carry back home. As the story goes, the port master in Port Antonio, Jamaica, suggested an odd-shaped local fruit that was unknown in the United States. That fruit led Baker to found the United Fruit Company, later Chiquita Brands International. Perhaps the banana shenanigans are actually a nod to the impact of the fruit in Cape history.
Theories as to who is behind this monkey business and why abound. The best guess is that an individual who travels through this route daily, eats a banana every day for breakfast while commuting to work. This strict routine results in him, or her, finishing the banana at the exact moment of passage through the roundabout. According to Kristen Long who uses the road to get to work, “There used to be a bucket labeled ‘Bananas’. Though, “No one ever got them in there.”
On April Fool’s Day, 2020, this dancing gorilla brought joy to surprised faces of the Upper Cape community. Photo credit: Karen B. Hunter.
More comical theories suggest the culprit is the person who gets paid to clean up the bananas. The idea is that it would provide job security. If so, that’s a lot of banana peels! An even more humorous theory references the Adam Sandler movie, “Billy Madison,” saying that the peels must have been left by someone trying to “off” the O’Doyle family. In the movie, that family’s car goes off a cliff after driving over a banana peel left in the road.
Maintaining the peels-as-weapons theme, several people suggested that the roundabout was being used to play real-life games of “Mario Kart,” where players of the video game can chuck banana peels on the race track to slow their opponents. Indeed, it is a slippery situation. Local neighbor Nancy Casale wasn’t buying any of it. She noted, “It’s been going on for a while. It’s stupid.”
The most sinister theory is that the peel chucking began as a way for someone to express frustration with the Sandwich Roundabout project. (This bodes poorly for the Chatham Roundabout project mentioned earlier.) Further, Sandwich Police confirm this issue has been ongoing for years, and that numerous individuals are likely participating. As Eric Williams so accurately pointed out, Cape Codders must unite if there is any chance to “Stop the Peel.”
This Sandwich roundabout gives new meaning to the acronym “BYOB.” Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Last spring, a self-described “semi-public person” (official?) in the Upper Cape community dressed up in a gorilla costume and danced around the Sandwich Roundabout. It was April Fool’s Day and, “I wanted to give people a distraction and something to laugh at,” the gorilla said. “All while making fun of the littering that happens at the rotary.”
So, on this one-year anniversary of the dancing gorilla, let us ride our peel-a-tons to fitness goal glory and dream of a better day, when the only Froot Loop is a colorful cereal box.
For those playing “count the puns,” there were 12. Still crazy for banana content? Check out this commercial from Lexus.
A beautiful shot of the Shack on a still morning. Photo credit: Mark Preu.
If you regularly visit Chatham Lighthouse and take the nearby stairs down to the beach below, you probably know of the seaside “shack” that sits upon the low dune about 1/3 mile away. Known as “Occupy Chatham South Beach,” a nod to the disagreement between locals and the Cape Cod National Seashore over who controls the land, the Shack just celebrated its sixth anniversary in February.
Six years! That achievement is impressive considering how similarly located beach camps, dune shacks, even waterfront homes, have succumbed to storms, tides and shifting sands of the Atlantic Ocean.
The fog blankets the overlook of Lighthouse Beach. On the upper right, you can see a faint circle of light in the fog – that is Chatham Lighthouse – and my ticket back to home! Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.Th
Despite originally being erected from storm debris, the Shack has grown considerably in size, features and interest. Downright affection is a better description. The charming decorative touches illustrate community spirit and has contributed to shaping Chatham’s coastal identity.
Some refer to the structure as a “totem,” a natural object believed to have spiritual significance in the community. The Shack was featured by the Chatham Orpheum’s pre-movie visual tour of town, as it has “become an iconic image of the local community.”
While the Shack was definitely established in 2015, the designation by the Chatham Historical Commission might be aspirational. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Signs have been added over time, and people have carved their names or words into the drift wood. Christmas lights have shined during the holiday season powered by a solar panel once; and 1/4 mile extension chord another time. Tom Birch, the shack’s “keeper of the flag,” maintains a stars and stripes presence on the roof. It also has its own shark warning flag, though there are plenty of large signs on the beach that promote shark safety. The Facebook group, Occupy Chatham South Beach, has over 1,300 followers. The Shack was even painted on a whale as part of the Art in the Park exhibit at Kate Gould Park last summer.
The Shack is becoming better known with each passing year. Multiple engagements, selfies, meditations and even parties have occurred at the Shack. For good luck or just to be part of the story, people have left behind an item, ideally natural or native to Cape Cod. There is also a guestbook for visitors to sign. Though, good luck finding it as it is often buried in the sand.
The back of the Shack facing the rolling fog of Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Speaking of sand, recent storms have eroded the coast and knocked down dunes on nearby North Beach Island. The inner shore on which the shack is located is now more susceptible to the Atlantic Ocean.
So happy 6th birthday and/or anniversary to the Shack. May this cobbled together natural wonder bring laughter, peace, and hope to all who pass by. If a collection of driftwood on the shores of an unforgiving Atlantic Ocean can defy the odds of getting swept out to sea, so too can we persevere in the challenges that lay ahead.
America’s tallest granite-only structure resides on a hilly spot near the town center. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
by Mike Shaw
Few landmarks in Cape Cod – outside of the ubiquitous lighthouses dotting the 70 mile peninsula – are as instantly recognizable as Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. Affectionately known as “Ptown,” Provincetown is best known for its artists, beaches, harbor, tourist industry, and inclusive vibe. The countercultural appeal of Ptown has held steady along with its growth as a tourist destination, becoming more popular as the town hosted festivals and week-long events throughout the year. Over the holidays, I had the good fortune to make several day trips to Ptown and learned more about the town’s rich history and mystique which keeps drawing people back.
But first, a little history of Ptown.
On a clear day, you can faintly see Boston’s skyline from the top of the monument. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Ptown is located at the tip of Cape Cod, encompassing about 18 square miles. Surrounded by water in nearly every direction, the town has approximately 20 miles of coastal shoreline. Ptown is bordered to the east by its only neighbor, Truro. About 70 percent of the town’s land area is owned by the National Park Service, which operates the Cape Cod National Seashore. To the north lie the Province Lands, the area of dunes and small ponds from Mount Ararat in the east to Race Point in the west. The Cape Cod Bay shoreline extends from Race Point to Wood End to Long Point, which in turn points inward towards the town, and provides a natural barrier for Provincetown Harbor. All three points are marked by lighthouses.
The fog rolls in during dusk. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
On September 6, 1620, the ship Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England to a new land, carrying her crew and 102 passengers. About 60 days later, land was spotted off the coast of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. Disheartened by their difficult journey across the Atlantic, they sought shelter in Provincetown Harbor.
Though the Pilgrims settled across the bay in Plymouth, the area enjoyed an early reputation for its valuable fishing grounds. In 1727, the Precinct of Cape Cod was incorporated as a township. Ptown grew rapidly as a fishing and whaling center. The population was bolstered by numerous Portuguese sailors, many of whom settled in Ptown after being hired to work on U.S. ships.
Now onto the Monument!
A sign (and future reminder) of the times. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
The Pilgrim Monument was built (1907-10) to commemorate the landfall of the Pilgrims at Provincetown on November 11, 1620 and the signing of the Mayflower Compact, the Plymouth Colony’s first governing document, in Provincetown Harbor. Standing at 252 feet tall, the Monument dominates the town’s skyline and commands reverence and awe from all who gaze at her. By pure coincidence, I actually visited Ptown on the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival – November 11, 2020. Without a fault, pilgrim displays adorned all corners of the town as it commemorated this most auspicious occasion. And, being COVID-mindful, all pilgrims wore facial coverings (can’t be too careful!).
According to the Provincetown Museum (link below): Work on the (monument’s) foundation began on June 20, 1907 and was completed on August 8, 1907. The cornerstone of the Pilgrim Monument was laid in an imposing Masonic ceremony on August 20, 1907. President Teddy Roosevelt attended the ceremony and gave the main speech. Roosevelt sailed into Provincetown harbor on the morning of the ceremony from his home in Oyster Bay, Long Island, on the presidential yacht (coincidentally named the Mayflower). Construction was begun on the Pilgrim Monument on June 18, 1908. The first piece of granite, weighing 4,000 pounds, was swung into place upon the foundation without any formal ceremony.
The 252-foot tall monument can be seen prominently from many Ptown neighborhoods. Photo credit: Mike Shaw,
Work continued until November 26, 1908, when it had to be stopped because of bad weather. It was resumed again on April 9, 1909, and continued throughout the rest of the year and into 1910. Ptown marked the official dedication of the Pilgrim Monument on August 5, 1910 with myriad special guests, including President William Howard Taft who arrived that morning on the government yacht Mayflower. The U.S. Government retained the right to use the Monument during wartime. During World War I it was used as a lookout tower and later during World War II it was rumored the tower was used as a testing area for secret communications experiments. The government did not relinquish control over the tower until 1959.
The Ragnar Relay Cape Cod finish line and post-race party was held on the grounds of the monument. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Simply put, no trip to Ptown is complete without a visit to the Pilgrim Monument. Fuel up, pace yourself, and ascend the 116 steps to the top where you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the town, Cape Cod Bay, and if you’re really lucky, Boston’s skyline. No matter what you can see, take a moment to soak up the significance of America’s tallest granite-only structure and its indelible place in our nation’s history. As locals like to say, when you’ve arrived in Ptown, you’re at the end of the world.
A tired but proud bunch finished in 3rd Place in the mixed submasters division! Photo credit: A kind stranger.
