The iconic Edaville Steam Train in a winter wonderland. Photo credit: Bob Shaw.
By Jeff Shaw
Early Cape Cod vacationers were mostly limited to one way to access the Bay State’s salty outpost and sandy shoreline: trains. It is widely known that railroads opened the West to exploration, settlement, expansion and eventually, statehood. The railroad had a similarly transformative impact on Cape Cod, from sparsely populated farming and fishing villages, to a world renown summer vacation destination. President Grover Cleveland would agree. The railroad, quite literally, put Cape Cod on the map.
Even today, trains remains a secret weapon against the growing congestion of cars, buses and trucks around both Bourne and Sagamore Bridges as well as bustling town centers. To skip traffic jam mayhem, consider riding the rails.
The proof, perhaps legacy is a better word, is the Cape Cod Rail Trail bikeway, which largely follows the old railroad bed that once-upon-a-time connected the Cape Cod Canal all sixty-plus miles to Provincetown, with spur lines to a few communities, such as Chatham and Falmouth.
While the original tracks and trains are long gone, train travel still exists to and on Cape Cod. It’s worth checking out!
The Cape Cod FLYER offers weekend train service from Boston to points southeast to Hyannis from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
CapeFlyer
Operated by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, the CapeFLYER is seasonal, weekend train service from Boston and points southeast. The service runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend from South Station Boston to Hyannis, with stops in Braintree, Brockton, Middleborough/Lakeville, Wareham Village, Buzzards Bay, and Bourne.
Prior to the pandemic, ridership had been growing steadily since the service launched in 2013. It is little wonder why; service includes free Wi-Fi, wheelchair accessibility, pets and bikes ride for free and oh yeah, no Canal-related traffic delays. As a bonus, reservations are never required and extra coaches are also added for holiday weekends.
New in 2022, the train departs a bit later than past service; 5:42pm from Boston arriving in Hyannis at 8:20pm in time to allow passengers to make the last Nantucket ferry, which departs at 8:40pm.
Service begins next week, on Friday, May 27, Memorial Day weekend. Note: On Sunday, May 29, the service will be free to active military and veterans.
Cape Cod Central Railroad offers scenic train rides along 27 miles of rail from West Barnstable to Buzzards Bay!
Cape Cod Central Railroad
The Cape Cod Central Railroad offers scenic train rides across 27 miles of track from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay. The scenic train rides are narrated and programs geared toward a mix of adults, children and/or families.
My better half posing with the Octoberfest spread during a fall scenic train ride. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw
The headlining programs include Cape Cod Dinner Train (fine dining), Sunday Brunch train (family brunch), Polar Express Train Ride (holiday-themed with a visit from Santa Claus). In 2015, an Octoberfest ride was also offered over two weekends. To the surprise of some, Cape Cod has a fall foliage, too!
Edaville Family Theme Park
Just off-Cape in Carver, Edaville Family Theme Park operates a Steam Train. It’s probably been three decades since I’ve been on ‘Engine 5 or 21 or ‘insert number here’, but recall it was nothing short of magical in December, especially with snow on the ground. Indeed, as seven or eight-year-old, I was captivated by the wooden figurines of holiday characters; Frosty the Snowman, reindeer, elves, and of course Santa Claus, lining the snowy woodlands along the tracks.
The author playing conductor prior to riding the Steam Train in a winter wonderland at Edaville, circa 1988. Photo credit: Bob Shaw.
So next time you are mulling a Cape Cod adventure, head to the train station. It feels good to acknowledge Cape Cod’s transportation past, by supporting its railroads of the present and future.
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, during the holiday season. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
Happy New Year! And what better way to kick-off a new year, with…“Give the gift that will last forever.” That catchy tagline describes a unique fundraiser being hosted by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Merchants Association. Specifically, the Beautification Committee within the Chamber, is managing a brick purchasing campaign as part of a larger, two-phase improvement plan for Kate Gould Park along Main Street in downtown Chatham.
Brick sales is the featured activity of phase one of the improvement plan. There are two styles of personalized bricks available. The $150 option includes 3 lines with 20 characters on each line. The $300 option includes 6 lines with 20 characters on each line. The inscribed bricks will look similar to those at walkways at Oyster Pond and the Atwood House in Chatham.
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, featuring holiday lights. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to Mary Cavanagh, there is no deadline just yet. The Chamber will provide plenty of notice before cutting off ordering. As for timeline, the bricks could be installed as early as this June or as late as June 2023, depending on sales.
Other upgrades in phase one include new plantings – hydrangeas, grass and roses. Also, the trash and recycling containers at both park entrances will be relocated. Together, these improvements will soften the appearance of the heavy foot traffic area.
The Whit Tileston Bandstand in Kate Gould Park, Chatham. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to the Cape Cod Chronicle, the Beautification Committee envisions a second phase of the improvement plan that would involve a well and irrigation system, as well as clearing brush from the hillside bordering Seaside Links Golf Course to create more space for crowds at band concerts.
The Beautification Committee consists of Chamber/Merchant board members, along with employees of local businesses, the Chatham Garden Club, the Friends of Trees, the Chatham Band and other community members.
The former wireless transmission site, Forest Beach, South Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw (May 16, 2021)
Author’s Note: Picture this: a bright blue sky, the smell of salty air and fallen pine needles, the sounds of chirping birds, breaking waves and rumbling motor boats. Among a bustling fishing village and northeast vacation destination is both the literal foundation and historical sites that much of modern communication was built upon – even GPS tracking FKTs!
The location is Chatham, Massachusetts, an Atlantic Ocean facing Cape Cod town. The historical site is the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center, celebrating the final of three consecutive centennials commemorating the first trans-Atlantic and wireless maritime communication (a notable example is the Titanic’s distress signal). The man was radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1909 for his work in wireless telegraphy.
All smiles as I attempt to create a historic route and set a fastest known time! Photo credit: Ellen Shaw.
Chatham Marconi Wireless Route
I call this route the “Chatham Marconi Wireless Route,” ideal for American history lovers, tech buffs and beach bums alike! The inspiration for the route was the “Antenna Trail Challenge,” a first-ever virtual event encouraging people to visit the remaining historic sites.
The route is a historic, coast to coast sprint, featuring a combination of surfaces: dirt trail, road, paved recreation path, and sandy beach trail. The route follows modern day roads and trails that connect the original marine radio wireless transmitting stations in North and South Chatham.
I was sure to share the route with the Race Director, so who knows, perhaps this route will be the future 5K route of Antenna Challenges!
Forest Beach Conservation Area. From the overlook, you can see former concrete pilings and poles, now historic markers. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Start – Chatham Marconi Maritime Museum, North Chatham
The route begins on the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center grounds, at the top of the hill of the outdoor Antenna Field Trail at the bench and informational sign. The trail descends quickly into the parking lot that leads to Orleans Road with the sparkling emerald blue waters of Ryders Cove in view.
Orleans Road to Old Comers Road
Turn right out of the parking lot onto Orleans Road, passing two restored buildings on the Center grounds. Turn right onto Old Comers Road. The term “old comers” is an old Cape Cod term for families that came over on the Mayflower. Another historical site along this route, is a smallpox cemetery at the 1.5 mile mark, part of “The Triangle” conservation area.
The sandy path begins at the Forest Beach parking lot and ends at Mill Creek. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Sam Ryder Road to West Pond Road (to Old Colony Rail Trail)
Turn left onto Sam Ryder Road. Sam Ryder was part of the fishing family of which Ryders Cove bear his last name. Turn left onto West Pond Road and immediately bear right onto the Old Colony Rail Trail Volunteer Park Extension.
Turn right onto Old Colony Rail Trail. Another historic site, the Old Colony Rail Trail is a paved pathway that runs the length of the former Chatham railway, eventually intersecting with the iconic Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich.
A beautiful summer day at Forest Beach, South Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Morton Road to Forest Beach Road
Turn left onto Morton Road. At the intersection with Route 28, continue straight onto Forest Beach Road. Use the crosswalk.
Turn left onto Bay View Road. Keep right up the small hill, which is the Forest Beach Conservation Area. At the top of the hill is an overlook of the salt marsh that was the location of the former wireless transmission site. A handful of poles and four concrete pilings remain as historical reminders. At the overlook informational sign, turn around and head back down the way you came toward Forest Beach Road.
The rock jetty at Mill Creek. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Finish – Rock Jetty at Mill Creek Entrance (between Forest Beach & Cockle Cove), South Chatham
Turn left onto Forest Beach Road into the beach parking lot. Halfway into the parking lot is a sandy path on the left.
Take a left onto the sandy path. Bare left onto the lower path. Finish at the large metal “5-MPH” Ideal Speed sign at the rock jetty entrance to Mill Creek.
Bask in an incredible view of Nantucket Sound from this remote beach!
I fell in love with the view of this remote stretch of Forest Beach and returned for the sunset. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
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 tribute to the godfather of modern day skiing, somewhere on AJax (Aspen Mountain), Colorado.
Author’s Note: Winter on Cape Cod gets a raw deal (pun intended) from most people since the days are cold, short, and many businesses close for the season. The quiet, gray, chilly days contribute to that desolate feeling that makes us dream of spring. While seeing your favorite restaurant shuttered until flowers bloom can be a bummer, most people would agree it’s completely appropriate as business owners need to re-charge their batteries for the ensuring spring, summer and fall tourist seasons. As Mr. Clement Moore would suggest, winter is the time to settling in for that long winters nap. Let us embrace winter, and one way to do that is skiing from Cape Cod. Huh?
I know, there are no downhill ski hills, resorts or mountains on Cape Cod. The closest mountain is a good 2-hour drive. Distance being what it is, means you may need to be creative with your approach to “dual-planking,” either by cross country skiing, skinning rolling hills or just dusting off some classic skiing movies (Ski School, Aspen Extreme, Warren Miller annual film, etc). To my knowledge, the Cape Cod Rail Trail path is not plowed after a snowfall, so even modest accumulation would provide enough base to cross country ski. While usually thought of for sledding, area golf courses have some steep hills perfect for a quick hike and ski (Hole #6 at Eastward Ho! comes to mind, finishing the run at the shoreline of Pleasant Bay would be quite a thrill. A few years back following a big overnight storm, I actually saw ski tracks on Ridgevale Road from Shady Lane to Pine Drive (down hill section) during an early morning walk. Those examples may seem utterly ridiculous, but with a little creativity, one can find a way to ski on Cape Cod. But for the downhill “Powder Hounds,” you have to head northwest to get those coveted first chair and tracks. Hence, “Skiing from Cape Cod, and the Cape Cod Ski Club can help you do just that.
Peek-a-boo view from somewhere off Temerity, Aspen Highlands, Colorado.
Skiing from Cape Cod
First, thank you to Rob Conery, who’s January 2, 2020 article “Head for the Slopes in January,” introduced me to the Cape Cod Ski Club. The Cape Cod Ski Club has been around for over 40 years and is currently 400+ members strong offering a mix of day trips, weekend overnights, and destination “fly” trips to higher elevations and vertical out West. This ski season, Cape Cod Ski Club will be descending Aspen/Snowmass (Colorado), Taos (New Mexico) and Park City (Utah) for their fly trips, Sunday River, Bretton Woods and Jay Peak for overnight trips; and a mix of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont mountains for day trips. Membership costs $45 (before October 1, $50 after) is open to anyone 21 or older – whether or not you live on Cape Cod. Family members less than 21 years old can join trips as guests with a signed permission slip and adult guests can buy a single day membership for $15, which can be applied to full membership.
The Cape Cod Ski Club season is just beginning. Photo credit: Cape Cod Ski Club.
Ski Clubs are a great value because membership fees are usually inexpensive and end up paying for itself within a few trips. The ski club model is also attractive to ski resorts, as they will offer group rates (on lodging, lift tickets, etc) and/or discount “Awareness Days” for club members to ski/ride a specific mountain on a specific date. These scheduled Awareness Days (clubs essentially buy bulk lift tickets) can be helpful to plan your travel and lodging ahead of time, since you will know the exact date you will be at a certain mountain. As an example, a weekend lift ticket at Killington Resort is $129 “at the window”, though the cost of the same lift ticket on a discount “Awareness Day” through the Connecticut Ski Council is only $65. Joining the Connecticut Ski Council is just $30. In this case, the membership pays for itself after just one day skiing! Point being, even if you just want to ski a few times during the season, membership still makes financial sense.
A sunny, groomer day at Solitude, Utah, is just what the legs needed after crushing 29 inches of powder at Snowbird, Utah, the day before. Photo credit: Funny Snowboard Stranger.
Of course not all ski clubs are the same, but all share the goal of enjoying the great outdoors with friends. The social benefits of ski clubs cannot be overstated. What started out in high school with the “OGs,” carving southern and central Vermont morphed into a collection of groups, the “OGs”, the college crew, Powder Hounds, Team Shred and others. My current “club,” the New England Powder Hounds, has about a dozen members, who are spread out in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut. You can’t even find us online; we exist within the GroupMe App with a secret headquarters near Site 1 in Ludlow, Vermont. Admittedly, our club is more of a group of friends/hilarious pranksters/ski family, but we share the same purpose as CT Ski Council, Cape Cod Ski Club, and others, skiing and riding as much as possible, in as many places as possible, for as little money as possible.
The college crew catches up at Brewforia Beer Market & Kitchen, Incline Village, Nevada. Photo credit: Cool waiter.
There is no way around it, skiing is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be that expensive. Through my high school buddies/OGs, I struck platinum at Snowbird for the best day of skiing in my life, an expected 12 inches overnight ballooned to 29 inches and the pass to Little Cottonwood Canyon was open on time. We also caught Mineral Basin a few minutes after the area opened following avalanche mitigation. In just a few weeks, I’ll be joining fellow OG at Big Sky, Montana. An extended family member who is a volunteer ski patrol club at Winter Park has guided me to locally known stashes in Mary Jane (“living room”) and Eagle Wind areas for some of the most consistently powdery runs. Thanks to the Powder Hounds, I’ve gone to Squaw Valley, California for the 2nd best day of skiing ever (first tracks on Siberia after it was closed for 4 days for avalanche mitigation); Steamboat, Colorado, first time skiing bare chested at 6,700 feet and potentially Valle Nevado, Chile, South America, this August if “everything goes perfectly.” Many of us haven’t known each other all that long, but man, skiing and riding brings people together.
Powder Hounds pose for a close-up at the Four Points Lodge in Steamboat, Colorado. Photo credit: Happy Stranger Skier.
Ski clubs also allow you avoid this new phenomenon of picking your ski friends every May. Hear me out. Avid skiers – and even beginners – are all too familiar with the horrors of lift ticket pricing and do everything possible to find the cheapest price. Enter “Ikon” versus “Epic” season passes. The two titans of the ski industry, Vail and Alterra are gobbling up ski resorts as well as mountains to participate in their multi-resort season passes. Not surprisingly, these season passes, which contain a range of lift ticket days at various mountains with or without blackout dates, go on sale in the spring (May) prior to the upcoming season, which usually starts the following November for North American resorts. The question becomes, which pass has access to your “go-to” mountain(s) AND are you flying to a ski destination mountain, thus, which pass is that mountain on? So those decisions/plans have to be made in May, 6-8 months in advance. Indeed, your ski pass dictates which friends you see during ski season. Ski clubs Awareness Days don’t work like that, and can shield you from all that noise.
The sign, located next to the Sugarbush, Vermont access road, might as well be made for our club. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
There are many other ski passes and or discount prices such as Mountain Collective, Liftopia, Ski Vermont, Peak Pass, Four Packs, etc. I’ve bought passes through every one of these sources, and highly recommend doing so as you’ll save a lot of money compared to ticket window pricing, exponentially increase your ski area access, and receive discounts on lodging, food and merchandise at participating resorts. Of course, maxing out all your lift tickets on a season pass or pre-purchased lift tickets becomes the priority, rather than say, an impromptu trip to Mad River Glen that got the most snow from a nor’easter overnight, considering a fly trip to Sun Valley who is not a participant on any collective season pass, or spend a day in the solitude of the back-country. Yes, you can still do those things, but the pass keeps your focus on using up your lift tickets for mountains on your pass first. Okay, I’ve aired my laundry, damp as it may be.
Team Shred meets the New England Powder Hounds at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire. Photo credit: Mildly annoyed waitress.
Regardless of your ability, joining a ski club will pave the way for a great snow season experience. You will meet new people, travel to new places and get better, and likely more passionate about doing the sport you love. And who knows, you may also find yourself part of a ski family.
The early stages of wiping out in the woods off Scott Peak, Alpine Meadows, California. Photo credit: Nolan Wheeler.
See you on the slopes!
Thumbs up from the top of Siberia Bowl at Squaw Valley, California. The area was closed for four days due to heavy snow and wind. On my last day skiing – thanks to a cancelled flight due to snow – the snow gods kept me around and opened up the top of Squaw Peak! Photo credit: Jeff Shaw
