More Cape Cod

We took a long walk on a trail through the Fort Hill Rural Historic District in Eastham, MA.  The district is a 100-acre area of forests, fields, and salt marshes that was owned by the Knowles and Penniman families from 1742 to 1941.

Here are some pictures from our walk...

Saw some lobstermen loading their traps

Salt marsh

Penniman House is named for the 19th century whaling captain Edward Penniman.  There is a cupola on top of the house where the captain had a view of the ocean.  The gate at the front of the house is a whale jaw bone.

Nauset Light is a restored lighthouse on the Cape Cod National Seashore near Eastham erected in 1923 using the 1877 tower that was moved from the Chatham Light.  It is still in operation.  The Nauset Light Preservation Society operates and maintains the light.

A short walk from Nauset Light is Three Sisters of Nauset, a trio of historic lighthouses.  The original three brick towers fell into the sea due to erosion in 1890 and were replaced with wooden towers on brick foundations in 1892.

Three Sisters

We also walked on Coast Guard beach.

Former Coast Guard Station

The beach is continually eroding and sand slides down the cliff onto the beach.

Too close to the edge for comfort!

Sand slides

Cape Cod National Seashore...

On November 2 we're heading to Maryland for a 1 month visit with family but first, one final bike ride!

Provincetown on the Cape

We spent an afternoon in Provincetown at the tip of the Cape.  Fringe artists and writers began making a summer haven in Provincetown a century ago.  Today it is the hottest gay and lesbian destination in the Northeast.  Year round population is about 3,000 but during the summer it can swell to 19,000 to 60,000.  The streets are narrow and the sidewalks are packed with residents and tourists.  Houses are crammed side by side down alleyways.  Every available square foot is lived in.  We even saw a 3-story house with an outdoor spiral staircase leading to a converted attic.

Pilgrim Monument was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing of the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor.  At 252 ft it is the tallest granite structure in the United States.  You can climb to the top of the tower for a great view of Provincetown.  There are 116 steps and 60 ramps to the top. 

Up, up, up we go!

Provincetown Harbor...

Harbormaster's Office

On the way home we stopped by Highland Lighthouse.  It is the oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod. It was moved 450 ft west in 1996 next to a golf course.  It was in danger of falling down the cliff due to beach erosion.  After an errant golf ball broke a window the windows were replaced with unbreakable ones.  The Coast Guard still operates the lighthouse as an aid to navigation.

View from the cliff behind the lighthouse