Places – Page 9 – HappyCapeCod

Train Travel on Cape Cod

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

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.

May 19, 2022

Dozen National Register of Historic Places in Chatham

by Jeff Shaw

A few months ago, the Cape Cod Chronicle published a list of all twelve Chatham landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places. Familiar locations include Chatham Lighthouse & Coast Guard Station, Eldredge Public Library, Marconi-RCA Wireless Receiving Station and the Chatham Railroad Museum & Depot. Locals and regular visitors would also recognize the old Calico Cat Building, one of the more unique buildings in Chatham’s Old Village Historic District.

But there are also lesser-known historic gems worth a visit. Some of these locations are actually hidden in plain sight, while one will require a boat ride and pre-approval to visit. Here you go:

Half Way House

“Perhaps the most unusual of the town’s National Register listings, the Half Way House, was originally located off Andrew Harding’s Lane along Chatham Harbor [near Chatham Lighthouse]. The small shed was used by members of the U.S. Lifesaving Service as they patrolled the beach; it was called the “Half Way House” because it was halfway along the patrol route. It was also probably used as a shelter by shipwrecked mariners. The town’s historic inventory form lists the date of construction as around 1870. It was moved from Chatham Harbor to Forest Beach when threatened by erosion in 1991. The privately-owned shed is now used for storage and was added to the National Register in 1978.”

For the Chatham Marconi Wireless Antenna Challenge fund-raiser, I created a 5-mile running route beginning at their historic campus and ending at the old transmission site at Forest beach. It recently dawned on me having completely overlooked the Half Way House! Finishing in front of the 1870 structure would have been equally as [historically] satisfying.

Location: Forest Beach (west side of parking lot)

Godfrey Grist Mill

“Built in 1797 by Col. Benjamin Godfrey, a Revolutionary War officer off Stage Harbor Road, it was moved to its present site off Shattuck Lane, at the rear of Chase Park, in 1955 after it was donated to the town by Stuart Crocker. The mill has undergone numerous restorations and is historically authentic. During the summer, a crew of volunteers give tours and grind corn, just as the mill has done during its 225-year history. The mill was added to the National Register in 1978.”

Located between downtown Chatham and Oyster Pond, Chase Park is somewhat tucked away in the middle of a residential neighborhood. You can easily miss it when driving along Cross Street. It’s worth a stop.

A few years ago, I coincidently found myself in the park during a windmill demonstration. Indeed, my appreciation grew for living (well, surviving) in colonial times after seeing the windmill in action. Indeed, good things take time.

Additional notes about Chase Park: a labyrinth is located in the far end of the park (behind the windmill). Also, across the windmill parking lot is a bocce or croquet lawn open to the public. Chase Park also hosts a variety of seasonal craft fairs and other outdoor events.

Location: Shattuck Lane, Chatham

Monomoy Point Lighthouse

“Originally established in 1823, the existing lighthouse and keeper’s house were built in 1849 near the south tip of South Monomoy Island when it was a thriving maritime community. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1923, and came under ownership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the creation of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in 1944. It underwent extensive restoration in recent years and solar power was added. The keeper’s house is used by the refuge to house summer interns monitoring the island’s extensive tern colony. It was added to the National Register in 1979.”

Admittedly, I’ve never set foot in, on or around Monomoy Point Lighthouse. I have passed it by boat over the years and always read articles about the various summer programs maintaining, staying (overnight) and surveying the area. There is something awe-inspiring of having a seat at the end of the [Cape Cod] world, where the rowdy seas of Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

Location: Southern Tip of Monomoy Island

*The backyard of Chatham Railroad Museum and Depot at sunset. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.*

Other locations hidden in plain sight:

Port Royal House

Location: Downtown Chatham, next to Seaview Street

Brick Block

Location: Downtown Chatham, next to Chatham Bars Avenue

Mercelia Evelyn Eldridge Kelley House

Location: 2610 Main Street, South Chatham, near Morton Road

Louis Brandeis House

Location: Judges Way, off Stage Neck Road (off Cedar Street), Chatham

Finally, while not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a dozen or so additional historic landmarks can be found in Chatham. Historic Chatham is another good reference.

May 9, 2022

Shoe Pole on Tubman Road, Brewster

by Jeff Shaw

On a recent drive to Mayflower Beach (bay side), I spotted a curious sight. Something you surely have seen before, perhaps in your neighborhood; discarded shoes. But these pairs were not merely abandoned on the side of the road, they were nailed neatly to a telephone pole!

As most locals, insiders, and GPS afficionados may know, Tubman Road in Brewster is a wonderful short cut to Route 6A from Chatham. The intersection of Route 137 and Route 6A tends to back-up from vehicles attempting to turn left on the bustling Kings Highway. Drivers and bikers alike can avoid the slog and exhaust fumes by barring left just after the Cape Cod Rail Trail crossing near Ferretti’s.

This curious “shoe pole” can be found along a wooded area about a quarter of a mile from the Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. My first theory attempted to connect the shoes and the gun range, perhaps target practice fodder. Alas, most of the footwear appear in remarkably good shape.

About three dozen shoes hang, sadly, like a Christmas tree in February. Sagging and out of place. To continue with the analogy, the “ornaments” range considerably, from flip-flops, to hiking boots, to running shoes, of all sizes and colors. If the shoes didn’t have a nail hammered through the toe box, they would probably be eligible for donation.

Theory #1: The shoes were targets from nearby Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. Doubtful.

As for the backstory, details are thin. As in non-existent. My half-ass internet research (a term of endearment coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast) revealed a similar footwear telephone pole in Perkins, Missouri of all places. Sadly, there was no obvious connection to Cape Cod. Yet another theory debunked.

Interestingly, there have been past attacks on telephone poles in Brewster. Just last summer, a FedEx truck “struck one pole, toppled another and damaged a third while knocking out power for over 200 neighbors.” Fortunately, the driver was not injured and no pedestrians were involved in the accident.

The scene of an accident between a FedEx truck and telephone poles, about four miles from Tubman Road. Photo credit: CapeCod.com

That incident happened at Slough Road at James Burr Road, over four miles from Tubman Road, so a FedEx related theory is also unlikely.

So, three thin theories, all of which have been debunked. Looks like local intel will be needed to solve the mystery. Otherwise, the shoe pole will just remain a curious sight along a short cut to Cape Cod Bay.

April 4, 2022

Dreaming to Ski the Highest Peak of Cape Cod

One of few images of 304-foot Pine Hill, located in Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Bourne. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

March 7, 2022

By Jeff Shaw

I’ve been thinking about skiing a lot lately. Mainly because I’ve been doing quite a bit of it. As of today, my two sticks have carved turns 24 days, in six states, at 23 different ski areas across the northeast. Those sticks – more commonly known as skis – have literally been my ticket to ride this winter. But not on Cape Cod.

As you probably know, there are no ski areas on Cape Cod. Proximity to the coast, lack of elevation and geography are not good enough ingredients for an environment to produce and hold snow. To be sure, there are plenty of trails, golf courses and other open spaces that transform into cross country ski or snowshoe paths when the fluffy stuff drops. But for those of us ‘downhill diehards,’ a two-hour drive is needed to find the open slopes.

All of this skiing and snow fun made me wonder, was downhill skiing ever a thing on Cape Cod? I mean, the ski boom of the 1940s and 1950s couldn’t have completely missed Cape Cod, did it? Nor’easters rarely do. Someone must have cobbled together a make-shift rope tow on a small hill or even on their inclined backyard. Sadly, my “half-ass internet research,” a phrase coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast, produced nothing. Nada. Zilch.

According to the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, Massachusetts has 172 lost ski areas — none of which are located on Cape Cod. The closest lost ski areas to the Cape Cod Canal are in Braintree (former Abell Ski Slope) and North Attleboro (former Sunrise Ski Slope) at 47 miles and 45 miles, respectively. In terms of terrain, Abell Ski Slope was, true to its name, one slope, with a 50-foot vertical drop, serviced by a 500-foot rope tow. Sunrise Ski Slope, also had one slope, with an approximately 140-foot vertical drop, serviced by a J bar.

This downhill dead end made me ponder potential ‘backcountry’ woods or hills that could support a rough and tumble downhill schuss. So, I typed “highest elevation on Cape Cod” into the online abyss that is the internet. The results were not encouraging. Though, there may be a super slim reason for optimism. First, let’s learn a little bit about the highest elevation on Cape Cod – Pine Hill in Bourne.

Let’s not bury the lead. Pine Hill cannot be skied. The hill is located on the grounds of the Camp Edwards portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation. Access to it is restricted, not only because it is on a military facility but because it lies at the rear of an artillery range! Yeah, not a good place to carve some turns.

According to earlier reporting by Eric Williams of the Cape Cod Times, pre-COVID, the public can visit Pine Hill, but must arrange advance permission through the base’s Public Affairs Office (PAO). A PAO escort leads visitors over several miles of roads to a range station on a rise near the hill. I was unable to find the current visitor policy on the Massachusetts National Guard website, but you can call or email the Guard here.

Pine Hill, rising 304 feet above sea level, is the highest natural occurring elevation on Cape Cod. It is a vast wildnerness, thick with trees, bushes and brush with no view of the sea or valley below. Interestingly, just up the road on the same hill is Wheelock Hill, a man-made bump that measures 306 feet above sea level, just edging out Pine Hill. The area surrounding it is 15,000 acres of pitch pine oak forest with expansive views of the sea. Both locations are almost twice as tall as Scargo Hill in Dennis, sometimes thought to be the highest point on Cape Cod.

In terms of that earlier mentioned super slim reason for optimism. Other than the road near it, the Pine Hill area has remained mostly undeveloped. Avoiding man-made obstacles is a good start for any for any downhill skiing.

Further, in 1999, former governor Paul Cellucci tried to convert the area into a state conservation area, but dropped the plan after the military objected.

Perhaps a former 10^th mountain division member can talk to the fine people who run Camp Edwards and create a mini-version of the famous Thunderbolt Ski Run at Mt Greylock in western Massachusetts. After all, the name of the highest elevation on Cape Cod is Wheelock. That coincidence must be a sign that downhill skiing on Cape Cod is “a lock” to happen (and admitted pipe dream of the author).

In the meantime, if you know of any hills that hosted downhill skiing or operated a rope tow (for sledding, tubing, etc.) on Cape Cod, please let me know!

Make Your Mark in Kate Gould Park

January 4, 2022

by Jeff Shaw

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.