Day 14: Cape Cod

Today's date is 10/10/00 so it doesn't matter if you're British or American, you can't confuse the date (dd/mm/yy or mm/dd/yy).

The day is bright and sunny, not at all like the predicted cloud, but VERY COLD. The day is packed with lots of places up the long stretch of land which is the Cape Cod National Seashore.

1. Yarmouthport: Nice town full of houses with sea captains as former owners.
2. Scargo Hill Tower, Dennis: A brick tower with 20/30 steps to the top which gives a wonderful panorama from the tip of Cap Cod to Plymouth on the mainland. With binoculars the view is much more impressive.
3. Brewster General Store: "If Brewsters don't have what you want, then you don't really need it" is what they say round here.
4. Salt Pond Visitor Centre: Every man and his dog stops here, so we didn't linger.
5. Nauset Lighthouse and beach: Just one of the many picturesque lighthouses along the coast (20k picture available).
6. Three sisters lighthouses - couldn't find these !
7. Marconi Station Site: Not much left of this, now, but historically it is a good place to come to, stand at and think of the activity that took place during 1903 when the first trans-Atlantic radio messages were sent.
8. Ocean View Drive: (Another one!) passing some very picturesque beach huts on the 6A.
9. Provincetown: Every tourist on Cape Cod seems to be here at the moment, we park at the seafront car park run by extortionists, as it is probably the most expensive place to park ($2 per hour or per part of per hour) - even the parking meters were cheaper (25c for 30 mins).
10. Pilgrims Tower, Provincetown: This is free parking for going up the tower. Excellent views from the top (252ft), which you have to walk up to via a combination of ramps (60) and steps (116). The wind had got up a bit and it was more than a bit cool at the top. The cost to go up was $6 each, which is a bit steep, really - bit like the ramps.
11. Late lunch
12. Depart at 3.20pm and another $6 lighter.
13. Race Point Beach: Cold, windy and rolling waves but very Cape Cod-ian. A sandpiper bird provides the cabaret as run around in a peculiar manner.
14. Pilgrim Heights: Approximate location of Pilgrim Springs, where the pilgrim fathers found water in 1620. The story goes they first landed at Cape Cod, to do their washing, before going on to Plymouth. There  is a warning of Deer Ticks in the area so we forgo the privilege of walking through the undergrowth in search of springs.
15. Highland Lighthouse (aka Cape Cod Light): Another nice lighthouse now lit up with the setting sun (25k picture available).

After sunset it was a steady drive back to Hyannis, via a bookshop and supermarket, of course.

Goto Day 15/16: Back to Boston/London/Manchester

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