Travel Tip #8: Discovering requires exploring the road less traveled.
 |
We love the kitties.
|
 |
Toad Hall houses more than 50 cars. Panorama creds: HM
|
 |
I swear this smiling cat is channeling our kitty in heaven, Sam.
|
VM: What Mother Nature couldn't provide in Maine, she is making up for in Cape Cod. We had a gorgeous day to explore yesterday. We started our day with our eccentric host. He opened up Toad Hall where he houses more than 50 antique cars (all red) so the girls could check them out. The cars are in mint condition. While we toured the autos, many of the cats joined us. We, of course, loved this, but I really couldn't stop thinking about how Bill is simply a collector -- he collects kitschy knick-knacks from no particular era which are throughout the inn, he collects cars, he collects fine Malt Whiskeys and he collects cats. He stops short of being a hoarder in that everything is meticulously maintained (including the kitties) and everything has its place. A fascinating fellow to say the least.
After our homemade breakfast, Bill sent us on our way with suggestions for exploring the Cape. For the most part, we used his ideas as a guideline, but as always, we like to veer off the road.
The Cape very much reminds us of our beloved Florida Keys. I feel like you need to dig in and explore it to appreciate it, unearthing all its hidden treasures. We started our day in Hyannis doing a drive by past the Kennedy compound. Hard to see anything from the road and HM was highly disappointed until EM said, "I don't get it, why do the Kennedys have a house here?" At which point, we realized the entire time EM had been thinking about some friends of ours named the Kennedys not the legendary political family. Out of the mouths of babes.
 |
Built to last in 1797.
|
We started heading east & decided to check out the town of Chatham as my dad had mentioned they had pretty beaches. However, we never made it to the beach as we got sidetracked checking out a windmill in town. The windmill was originally built in 1797 by a revolutionary war colonel who later became the town's miller, using his windmill to grind corn into cornmeal for the town folks. It was really cool to check out.
We learned the windmill had actually been moved from its original location about a half a mile down the road & that this is a frequent occurrence in Cape Cod. Stuff gets moved from here to there all the time. Our windmill volunteer even told us that at one point last summer no less than THREE houses were being moved from one place to another in Chatham.
 |
Making corn husk dolls.
|
The highlight of the windmill visit was learning how to make corn husk dolls. A lovely volunteer took the girls through all the steps and each is taking home a beautiful corn husk doll made at the Cape.
 |
The wonderful result!
|
Continuing on our journey, we came to the town of Eastham. Here, we veered off the road again to check out the protected national seashore in Cape Cod. It is truly breathtaking.
As we continued on our way, we came to the National Park Service's Visitor's Center which provides information regarding the protected Cape Cod National Seashore. I know, I know, we're geeks, but we are really into these NPS centers. They provide great info regarding the area and best of all, they offer their Junior Ranger program. While HM thinks she's too cool for this now, EM still loves going on the "hunt" to complete the program and garner herself a Junior Ranger patch.
We began our "education" by watching a film on the forming of Cape Cod. It was actually neat to learn that the ebbs and flows of the glaciers many, many years ago helped form what is Cape Cod today, leaving behind "kettles" of fresh water inland. More interesting is that Cape Cod is slowly but surely disappearing. Like so many other beach spots, the sand is eroding an average of three feet per year. It adds up.
By this point, our stomachs were talking. We sought out a place on the Atlantic called the Beachcomber. A cross between a beach bar and a restaurant with a ruckus crowd, it was fun to see how the "locals" hang in the area. And the food was delicious. In honor of being in the Cape, I had the fresh cod fishwich. It was terrific. While the girls stuck with landlubber choices, they were happy with their grilled chicken and steak.
The best part of Beachcomber is its location. It sits at the top of one of the Cape's famous dunes. The girls took advantage of the wait for a table to go down and experience the frigid Atlantic. It was quite an experience climbing down the dune and then back up. I really can't imagine doing that with a bunch of beach gear but the locals definitely did!
 |
Gorgeous beach at Beachcomber's.
|
But you gotta work for it! |
Next up -- another lighthouse! EM was much more interested in visiting the Highland Light (also known as the Cape Cod Light) as it was part of her Junior Ranger program. HM wasn't at all interested until we learned that you could actually climb up IN to the lighthouse, up where the lantern is.
 |
Plaque marking the original lighthouse locale.
|
 |
Totally into these lighthouses!
|
Originally built in 1797 (just like the windmill!), we learned that this lighthouse has been built, destroyed, rebuilt and has also been moved! Because of dune erosion, the lighthouse was on its way to dropping in to the Atlantic. Some private citizens worked with the Coast Guard and state representatives to save the lighthouse for its historic purposes.
While a bit of a tenuous climb up, it was an incredible vista once at the top. The shoreline is just breathtaking.
 |
Selfie in the lighthouse! Photo creds: HM
|
 |
Incredible view from the top. Panorama creds: HM
|
After touring the lighthouse, we ended our day by driving to the tip of the Cape. We first visited the beach at Race Point which is considered one of the prettiest on the Cape (it was!) and then headed on into Provincetown. This quirky town, first settled by Pilgrims so many years ago, reminded us of our own Key West. It is a bit of a mixture of artsy and ticky-tacky. But best of all, it was a total dog town. It was like a dog parade walking down the town's main street.
We decided to spend our afternoon going on a whale watching cruise and were so happy we did. We headed to the Barnstable Harbor for lunch prior to boarding our boat. I tried Haddock tacos which is the equivalent of Mahi tacos for us. Haddock is EVERYWHERE here. Very mild and delicious.
Our boat departed at 1:30pm and took us northeast past Provincetown. It was fun to point out landmarks which we had seen the day before including Race Point Beach. After an hour of cruising, the incredibleness of nature was upon us.
 |
How about this for an isolated fishing spot?
|
Just 25 miles east of Boston & just north of Cape Cod, the humpback whales migrate for the summer to a protected area known as the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The humpback whales come to feed on fish in the area that are called sand lance. The whales are BIG (they can get to the length of a school bus) but they work as a team to round up their tiny fish prey, blowing nets of bubbles to ensnare them. And the funniest thing is that the birds have figured this out. They fly along with the pods, let the whales do the work, and swoop down to catch some fish. Got to admire their craftiness.
We were blessed to see Salt, one of the most researched humpback whales. Salt was first seen in this area in the mid 70s and because her dorsal fin was very distinctive -- it had white "sprinkled" on top hence her name, scientists were able to identify her again when she showed up off the coast of the Dominican Republic when she migrated south. Because of her, scientists have apparently learned a TON (pun intended) about humpback whales.
 |
Looking for their Leonardo I suppose.
|
On this trip, we saw Salt with her 13th calf since they have been documenting her comings and goings (starting in 1976). Her calf was named Epsom. Typically, scientists don't name calves until they are a year old to assure they survive, but Salt's offspring are special. They are all named as soon as they are born and they all have names that have to do with salt - Crystal, Etch-A-Sketch, Brine. You could say that Salt is a celebrity in the whale world.
 |
| Lunch time! |
 |
Salt and her baby, Epsom.
|
 |
The birds know a good thing.
|
It was really something to see Salt feeding alongside her offspring and to later see him nursing from her. For the record, this isn't easily seen from the boat, the naturalist onboard explained what was happening. We even got to see whale poop (!)
So, all in all, it was an incredible outing.
We ended our day with a wonderful Italian meal at a restaurant recommended by our boat crew. The food was good, but I don't think HM can even tell you what she ate. She was too busy gawking at the "hot" waiter (her words, not mine!) The life of a 13-year-old-girl -- mobile, texting, music, make-up, Hollister and BOYS!
Tomorrow we are planning to take EM back to collect her official junior park ranger patch and then we will start making our way to the Boston airport and HOME!
EM: The lighthouse was cool because you could go in it and go to the very, very, very top. It was also cool to learn how to make the dolls out of corn husks. I'm going to turn mine into a girl doll with clothes, hair and that's it. The windmill was cool cause it showed you where it was and how it was moved, but that that they hardly had to change it. It was the same wood.
The whales were amazing because you could see it get its food when it opened its mouth. You could see it jump. There was also a baby calf and its mama. It was the 13th calf of Salt, the mom. We saw it nursing from the mom.
HM: I had a lotta lotta fun, but I'm ready to go home and sleep in my bed tomorrow!
 |
HM faking an EM pic in an attempt to capture the "hot" waiter.
|
VM: She did it! EM is an official Junior Ranger of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It's about her 3rd or 4th time garnering the National Park Service's Junior Ranger honor, but it's always just as fun. The park ranger, Ms. Jenna in this case, reviewed the booklet completed by EM and talked to her about all the things she learned. They then read an oath together to protect our lands and EM earned her Cape Cod National Seashore patch. 
