Quaint harbour, delightful history
John F Kennedy and his family loved Cape Cod and often went sailing there. Myrtle Ryan can see why.
VISITORS to the US can base themselves anywhere on Cape Cod and be guaranteed a good time. The Kennedys chose Hyannis, in Massachusetts, US. Reckoning if it was good enough for them, it would be fine for me, I did the same.
Don’t be deterred by the fact that as you drive down the main street, it does not look very appealing. Head for the harbour and you will probably be enchanted.
It’s easy to get around Cape Cod. Buy a bus pass. Senior citizens pay the princely sum of $1 (about R13) for a one-way trip (I can’t guarantee this rate still applies). History abounds.
At the most distant tip of the Cape (as everyone fondly refers to Cape Cod) lies Provincetown. It’s hugely popular with artists, as well as members of the gay and lesbian community. Narrow, winding streets play host to trendy shops, restaurants and offbeat galleries. The tall Pilgrim’s Monument overlooks the town. America’s founding fathers first landed here in 1620 before proceeding to Plymouth. Whale watching is a big drawcard.
Should you want a game of golf on America’s oldest links, head for the town of Truro, which also boasts the oldest lighthouse on the Cape. If you are into the Native American culture, you might want to visit Mashpee, where the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe plays host to many cultural activities throughout the year, as well as an annual Powwow (remember Western movies with pipe-smoking chiefs).
Take a walk along the Captain’s Mile in the port of Yarmouth. It’s a self-guided walk, which takes in no less than 54 sea captains’ homes dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The kids will love the Whydah Pirate Museum, which displays the world’s only authenticated pirate treasure. The Amateur Sand Sculpting Contest in June is popular. Biking trails throughout the Cape draw avid cyclists, and generations of children can offer their thanks to the Cape’s Thornton W Burgess for the delights of
Hyannis has a museum which looks at the life and legacy of JF Kennedy.
One of Cape Cod’s attractions is the fact that it is the jumping-off point for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands, which are popular with holidaymakers. You can take a ferry from Hyannis or Woods Hole, to name just two departure points. Woods Hole is also home to the world-famous Oceanographic Institution, much loved by budding scientists.
So what does Martha’s Vineyard offer? Take a walking tour of Edgartown, which is a memorial to the rather beastly practice of whale hunting. Stately white clapboard houses and picket fences abound. As do lighthouses all over the island.
Here the kids can see a fairground carousel which is registered as a National Historical Landmark. For more than 130 years, 22 wooden horses, complete with real horsehair tails, have brought joy to young and old alike in its home, a red barn at the town of Oak Bluffs. Don’t miss the 1880’s bandstand where concerts are held in season. The houses surrounding a seven-acre park are to die for. Most were built in the late 1800’s for more affluent families who came to the town.
The first Methodist camp ground is another must-see. In the beginning people camped in tents surrounding the Wesleyan Park where church services were held. Families returned every year, using intricate rope designs to differentiate their campsite. With time, they began to build little wooden houses, now known as the “gingerbread houses”. There are 300 of these, each a work of art. You can spend hours just wandering among them.
Then there’s the story of The Wesley Hotel, a fine structure which caught alight in 1894. The owner soon confessed to arson. He had wanted to build an even bigger hotel for the community. He spent three years in jail and when he came out, he was hired as a cook at the new hotel.
In Nantucket town, pop in to The Pacific Club, founded in 1854. All its members were captains of the local whaling fleet. Yes, this island also has a whaling background.
The Dartmouth, Beaver and Eleanor (their owner hailed from Nantucket) were involved in the Boston Tea Party (which kick-started the US War of Independence). Another Nantucket ship, also named Beaver was the first whaler to round Cape Horn in South America’s Drake Passage.
Many of the houses on Nantucket have walkways around their rooftops. These were often called widow’s walks as it was said the women (who often became widowed when their spouses died in whaling accidents) anxiously walked here to see if their husband’s ship was coming into port). The other suggestion is that the wealthy captains walked here, keeping an eye on their vessels.
Sconset is another delightful village. Here, a Marconi wireless was the first mainland station to pick up the distress calls from the ill-fated Titanic. Sconset was where early tourists to the island stayed.
The beautiful shade of pale silver which adorns most houses on the island is brought about by the salt air interacting with the cedar wood “sidings” (wall cladding).
There are biking paths all over the island, and tourists can use buses which cover many routes.
Just before taking the ferry back to Cape Cod, I strolled through the main settlement, Nantucket town. Finding St Paul’s Episcopal Church open, I stepped inside to see the goosebump-raising stained glass windows made by Tiffany. These three windows are believed to be among the finest in the world in a style which dates back to 350 AD – breathtakingly delicate work aimed at an illiterate audience. What a way to receive the Word. I highly recommend a visit.
I attend St Paul’s Anglican Church in Durban, itself famed for its windows, but they can take a back seat to these.
*For a comfortable, reasonably priced stay, I recommend the Hyannis Travel Inn on Cape Cod; Howards End Guest House, in Provincetown is charming and quaint (www.howardsendguesthouse. com)