by Jeff Shaw
“Quintessential” Cape Cod can be many things – lighthouses, beaches, cottages, gentle salty air breezes. Another thing Cape Cod does well – signs. Not just those “punny” nicknames of vacation homes set above a garage or front door, but the trademark white, wooden directional ladder signs that dot three Cape Cod towns.
Despite the ladder sign being around for at least two hundred years, only a few Cape Cod towns use them for their signage. Those three towns are Dennis, Harwich and Yarmouth.
As a 2020 Cape Cod Times article points out, locals find the signs charming and actually advocated for them to be saved from retirement. Historically, they were called “guide boards” and “saved travelers from asking too many questions and much perplexity.”
The ladder signs are a perfect example of “hidden in plain sight.” I mean, there are 23 of these signs in Dennis alone! I can only recall a handful despite spending much time in those towns. Now, I’ll likely find myself snapping photos of everyone I bump into, an ongoing scavenger hunt.
Game on.