A cornhole tournament ($100 first place prize), 5K road race (9:15am), arts and crafts festival and food truck vendors is the line-up for Canal Day in Bourne on September 21, 2024.
The 66th Annual Antique Car Parade will happen on August 25, 2024 in West Dennis.
“Show off your prized wheels and join us for a cruise from Dennis Port to Dennis Village. The parade leaves West Dennis Beach at 11 am and winds through the villages of Dennis, ending at the Cape Playhouse where you can enjoy refreshments and visiting the car owners. There are many viewing areas along the way.”
Mashpee Chamber of Commerce will once again support the 2024 Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 14. Celebrate the magic of the holiday season from 5:30-6:30pm with this holiday tradition in Mashpee Commons thanks to sponsorship from local businesses.
The Orleans Pond Coalition and the Town of Orleans will once again host the 14th annual Celebrate Our Waters Festival. The event occurs during the weekend of September 13-15.
Last year, the event featured over thirty free events highlighting the natural wonder, scenic beauty, and recreational pleasure of Orleans’ priceless waterways and the unique character of the community.
Over this fun-filled weekend, people can paddle beautiful Arey’s Pond at sunset, take a morning yoga class at Nauset Beach, tour Town Cove by kayak, bike around town, walk scenic pond trails and even tour our sparkling new Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The oldest Cape Cod town embraces its ‘tasty’ name with its 15th Annual Street Fair. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 5, 2024!
Last year, the festival featured over 90 street vendors, local artists, craftsmen and retailers, children’s activities, food and more. Event hours are 10am-4pm along historic and picturesque Water Street/Downtown.
Sponsorship levels vary from Premier ($2,500) to Contributing ($50)
The Cape Cod Central Railroad scenic lunch train approaches a crossing from the East. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
There are many ways to see Cape Cod – walk, bike, sail, drive, even board a helicopter or airplane. But a lesser-known option, equally enjoyable, is riding the rails.
Back in the 19th century, the railroads, transformed Cape Cod from rural farmland and fishing villages into a summer resort destination. The railroads, not boats and not (yet) cars, were the main (only?) transportation method on and off-Cape. Indeed, in 1910, the Buzzards Bay Railroad Bridge was the first bridge to be constructed (the first versions of the Bourne and Sagamore followed later), which shows railroad travel was indeed the priority.
Today, there are two passenger rail services on Cape Cod; Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Cape Cod Flyer. The former consists of scenic or holiday-themed trains with food service; the latter, more of a commuter line, with many Bostonians trading the city for the beach on weekends.
Bourne Station overlooks the Bourne Bridge above and Canal Bikeway below. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
While you may notice an occasional passing train or hear a faint train whistle in the distance, a half dozen train stations are on Cape Cod. If you are a fan of trains, as many in my family are, the stations are worth a visit. So I took my 3-year-old son on a train station tour this month. I never thought train stations, could be exciting, but wow, chasing down the scenic lunch train to view it from multiple stations was a lot of fun!
The Roy Earl Jones, III Bourne Station, Bourne Bridge Road, Bourne
Located directly under the Bourne Bridge, the Bourne Station has a magnificent view of the Cape Cod Canal, with dozens of benches overlooking the waterway and recreational path. There are picnic tables behind the platform as well as public restrooms.
One of a handful of historic sites that comprise the Museums at Aptucxet, the Grey Gables Station was built for President Grover Cleveland, who summered on Cape Cod during his presidency. A cardboard cut-out of the president stands next to the entrance to the station during viewing hours. My son was particularly confused by the small stretch of track in front of the building that went nowhere on either end. A century-old locomotive relic is found adjacent to the parking lot.
Gray Gables Station. Jay wonders where is the rest of the railroad track!? Photo credit Jeff Shaw.
Just a short walk from downtown Sandwich, the historic train station provides close viewing of trains lumbering along the line. Not that long ago, passengers boarded scenic trains at the Sandwich Station, which I recall doing in 2015 (Octoberfest Scenic Train). Somewhat ironically, given the “historic” designation of the station, the platform and awning are both worn out and parking lot lines faded. A raised platform can be found in the distance, but local vegetation has engulfed the ramp.
West Barnstable Station, 2469 Meetinghouse Way, West Barnstable
A bustling area on Saturdays, the West Barnstable Station picks up passengers for scenic trains on Saturdays (in season). The station museum is also open on Saturdays from 9:30am-1:30pm. Plus, a model train station club, located across from the parking lot, does live demonstrations on Saturdays. If you like trains, this is the place to be on a Saturday morning!
West bound trains pass Sandwich Station on the track closest to the station. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Hyannis Transportation Center, 252 Main Street, Hyannis
The beginning or end of most scenic trains as well as weekend commuter service, the Hyannis Station is the literally the transportation center. Just steps from downtown Hyannis and the harbor, the Hyannis station houses Cape Cod Central Railroad, Cape Cod Flyer, regional and private bus services. Connections to the Nantucket Ferry are also nearby.
Falmouth Station, Junction of Route 28A and Route 151 (Enter Shining Sea Bikeway Parking North; 22 County Road/1 Depot Road, Falmouth)
Even Cape Cod Central Railroad staff are careful not to overstate the Falmouth location as an actual station. There is no official address; just the junction of two roads act as the official directions. If you are using GPS, the recommended location is Shining Sea Bikeway Parking North. Nonetheless, a scenic dinner train departs the Falmouth “location” at 5:00pm on July 21 and August 18 only (in 2023). Talk about an unique experience!
The view of the Wareham River from Wareham Village Station platform is simply stunning. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Other Notable Train Stations on Cape Cod
Chatham Railroad Museum, 153 Depot Road, Chatham
Since 1960, the Chatham Railroad Museum, housed in a vacant depot building, has collected thousands of railroad artifacts, including the restored wood-sided red caboose in the backyard. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. The museum is located across from Veteran’s Field, home of the Chatham Anglers and a short walk from downtown Chatham.
Former Hyannis Train Station, 489 Yarmouth Road, Hyannis
Hidden in plain sight is a former New Haven Railroad Station across from Barnstable Airport. The enlarged white sliding door is an unmistakable feature of this former railroad building. The first-floor awning surrounding the front and left side of the building, plus the location next to the railroad tracks are also “red” flags [train crossing warning pun intended] for the history of this building.
The Buzzards Bay Station platform overlooks the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Other Notable Train Stations off Cape Cod
Buzzards Bay Station, Buzzards Bay Park
The Buzzards Bay Station may as well be named Cape Cod Railroad Bridge Station, because that’s exactly the view you have from the platform. If you are interested in watching the railroad bridge move up and down, just look East!
Wareham Village Station, 290 Main Street, Wareham
Don’t be fooled, Google maps will bring you to a former depot building, that is now outdoor seating for a nearby restaurant (the gated building is home to a dozen or so tables and chairs). The actual Wareham Village Station is located next to the Wareham Fire Department, Ladder 1. The Wareham Village Station has a stunning view of the Wareham River.
Headwaters of the Cape Cod Canal and Cape Cod Bay. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
If you are looking for a morning or afternoon of free entertainment, look no further than the Sandwich Marina.
The Sandwich Marina, Bay side, sits about two miles north of the Sagamore Bridge. The marina is bustling with activity, both for those with a slip and those without one.
I happened to visit during an Army Corps of Engineers boating safety event. The offerings: free fishing lessons (off the pier), coast guard boat tours and ‘dunk an engineer’ were perfect shoulder season entertainment. While that community event may have sparked the visit, plenty of activities exist without it.
Dunk an engineer kept the kiddos entertained despite the wet weather. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
First, fishing. Unrelated to the event, dozens of anglers were casting or dropping line(s) up and down the pier. The free parking at the marina is a plus.
Second, the maritime traffic in the canal. Not overwhelming, but a steady flow of vessels of all sorts, sizes and sounds. With a half a dozen benches spaced along the waterfront; the marina is a people watchers paradise.
Third, the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Centeris not just for directions, but an interactive walk through exhibit. Three rooms, two of which have stunning (eye level) views of the canal, explain the history of and rationale for building the Cape Cod Canal. Spoiler alert: safer passage for ships compared to the treacherous shoals that surround the peninsula. There is even a retired service boat inside the building visitors can climb aboard and explore.
A stunning view and history of the Cape Cod Canal. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Fourth, a picture-perfect picnic location. A covered set of picnic tables can be found on a slightly elevated, somewhat hidden bluff, overlooking the head of the channel. The view may even qualify for a Cape-wide top 10 views list.
Finally, the railroad. Wait, what?! Yes, trains from Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Cape Cod Flyer pass over the tracks that cross Freezer Road, the main entryway into the marina. While the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge is on the other side of the Canal, in Bourne, the train may be the best kept secret for a complete view of the channel. Though, the Sandwich Train Station, while historic and still standing, does not stop for passengers anymore.
Slightly tucked away and covered picnic area near the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay headwaters. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw
(To be fair, the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway, also an Army Corps of Engineers Service Road, is the most common way to explore the Canal area.)
The distance between the teams located farthest from one another is 47 miles. Photo credit: Google maps.
The month of June is known for many things; graduations, maximum daylight, outdoor concerts and endless replays of Alice Cooper’s Schools Out [for summer]. But on Cape Cod, the month of June means the beginning of a wonderful tradition and summer rite of passage: the Cape Cod Baseball League.
If you need a refresher, ten teams located between Wareham (just off-Cape) and Orleans, (Lower Cape), compete annually in this officially NCAA sanctioned summer league. (Though, as many books point out, the origins of organized baseball on Cape Cod are local and amateur.) Most professional scouts love to be assigned to the Cape League because of the concentration of teams. As an example, the distance between Wareham and Orleans, the two farthest outposts of the 10-team league, is a mere 47 miles. Conversely, teams in leagues in larger geographical areas may be separated by 47 miles each!
Indeed, closeness and geography makes the Cape Cod Baseball League special. So why not see for yourself and visit each team’s ballpark this summer? Below is a plan to do just that…in a single weekend. You read that right, it can be done:
Double Header Weekends. The weekends of June 17-19 (Father’s Day) and June 24-26 both have double headers on Sunday. The earliest double header begins at 2pm (at Cotuit) and the latest double header begins at 5pm (at Chatham). Meaning you can easily catch three complete games and probably see even more games if you only stay for a few innings and move along. Watching three complete games sounds like the ultimate ‘summer catch’ [Cape League-based movie pun intended]!
Last Weekend. The July 29-31 games are the last regular season weekend games. If you are savvy, you can catch games (heading East) at Hyannis (6pm) Harwich (6:30pm), Orleans (6:30pm) and Chatham (7pm) on Friday; start Saturday in Brewster (4pm) and then proceed West to Wareham (6pm—crossing the bridge should be okay on a Saturday), then head back over the bridge and down to Falmouth (6pm). On Sunday, start in YD at 4:30pm, then head West to the second half of the Cotuit game (4:30pm) and then the middle of the game at Bourne (6pm).
Unique Game Locations. Four Cape League teams will travel off-Cape for regular season game play. The first game between YD vs. Hyannis will be Wednesday, July 20 at 11:00am at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, home of the Class AA Hartford Yard Goats, affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. The second game between Bourne vs. Wareham will be Monday, July 25 at 6:45pm at Polar Park in Worchester, home of the Worcester Red Sox. And of course, don’t forget the All-Star Game on Saturday, July 23 at 6:00pm in Wareham.
Pinned locations of all ten Cape Cod Baseball League teams, color coded by West and East Divisions. Photo credit: CCBL.
Below are the addresses to the fields of all ten teams.
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 10th 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 “alock” 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!
