Ambling Down Historic Route 6A: The Old King’s Highway

One of my all-time favorite things to do on Cape Cod, no matter what the weather or season, is to amble along Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway in my sporty little red Mazda Miata, a 50th birthday present from my husband, Rich. Recognized as one of the ten most scenic byways in America, the road winds 34 miles though the villages of Bourne, Sandwich, West Barnstable, Barnstable, Yarmouthport, Dennis, Brewster, and Orleans,

roughly paralleling the coastline of Cape Cod Bay. Route 6A is the heart of Cape Cod and the heart of the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District, America’s largest designated historic district, which is bounded to the south by the Mid-Cape Highway (Route 6), and to the north by Cape Cod Bay.

Driving along this scenic byway you’ll be transported through centuries of Cape Cod history, passing scenic harbors, great salt marshes, unique galleries, and the distinctive architecture of treasured old sea captain’s homes. But my particular guilty pleasure in driving 6A is that it is lined by hundreds of quaint shops filled with the most unique and unusual items.

Of course, there are the ubiquitous antique stores, dozens of shops featuring handcrafted items, including lanterns, ironworks, baskets, weather instruments, fine jewelry, pottery, fine art, cuckoo clocks, birdbaths, and home and garden items. Tucked amid these are whimsical little places to purchase Christmas collectibles, Cape Cod Angels, antique maps and nautical items, along with an herbal apothecary and a hand weaving shop. And here-and-there along the way are quirky general stores, an even quirkier bookshop, and numerous spots to quench your thirst or sate your appetite.

If you’re not a shopper, 6A can still delight. Strong preservation efforts have resulted in the protection of open lands and historic structures along the corridor. Conservation lands in many towns along the way offer nature trails and several villages have developed walking tours. Some of my favorite museums also line the corridor of 6A, including the Natural History Museum, the Cape Cod Art Museum, the Edward Gorey Museum, the Sandwich Glass Museum, and Heritage Museum and Gardens, with its historic round barn and car museu and my grandchildren’s favorite, a restored, and fully functioning carousel.

Other Sights Along 6A:

Bourne
Aptuxcet Trading Post
Cape Cod Canal Bicycle Trail
Briggs-McDermott House

Barnstable
Olde Colonial Courthouse
Barnstable Comedy Club
Trayser Memorial Museum
Barnstable Superior Courthouse
Cape Cod Art Association

Brewster
Harris Black House and Windmill
Cape Museum of Natural History
Stoney Brook Grist Mill
Brewster Historical Society Museum
Nickerson State Park
Cape Cod Reperatory Theater

Dennis
Josiah Dennis Manse & Old West Schoolhouse
Cape Museum of Fine Arts
Cape Cinema
Cape Playhouse
Scargo Hill Tower

Orleans
Cape Cod Rail Trail Bicycle Trail
French Cable Station Museum
Jonathan Young Windmill

Sandwich
Shawme Crowell State Forest
Sandwich Glass Museum
Dexter’s Grist Mill
Thornton Burgess Museum
Hoxie House
Heritage Plantation
Wing Fort House
Green Briar Nature Center
Nye Homestead

Yarmouth
Bangs Hallet House
Yarmouth Nature Trail
Winslow Crocker House

Kayaking Cape Cod Style

Rich and I first bought kayaks during our tenure in North Conway, NH, where, as many of you know, we had an 11-room bed and breakfast in the heart of the White Mountains. Longtime owners of an Old Town canoe, we were cajoled by friends one day to try kayaking on the Saco River. Lulled into complacency by the ease of navigating this gentle river in summer, allowing the current to steer us downstream to a pick-up spot in the bend of the river, we soon sold our canoe and invested in kayaks of our own.
We “tried on” several kayaks (literally) before making our choices. I went with a Perception Acadia, and Rich chose a Walden specifically because it is designed for fishing, being wider of berth and shallower of draft, and hence more stable. Plus it had a neat gizmo attached to store his fishing rod when not in use and a nifty little detachable apron across the cockpit, just perfect for attaching hooks, and lures, and flies, and such.. Actually, it comes in much more handy when eating lunch out on the water. Well, you get the picture. We each decided to get our own kayak rather than a tandem, primarily due to the ugly moped incident on our honeymoon when we opted to rent one moped for the both of us. It’s lucky we still married after that experience, let alone alive. But that’s another story.

Anyhow, we brought our kayaks with us when we moved to the Cape, fully expecting to while away many a summer’s afternoon in the bayous and backwaters of this lovely peninsular. To date we have kayaked in Barnstable Harbor, on Little Pleasant Bay, on the Parker River (to a 4th of July fireworks display), and Lake Wequaquet, all memorable experiences to be sure, but not nearly enough to sate our hunger for the sport.

There are a number of good kayak rental outfitters on Cape Cod, and a few that offer guided tours and instruction. Our favorite is Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures (http://www.ospreyseakayak.com), operated by Dick Hilmer and his wife. Dick is a heck of a guy, a throwback perhaps to the 60s, but a supremely knowledgeable and extremely eco-conscious individual with a terrific sense of humor. We have sent a number of our guests on kayak adventures with Dick, and all return with high praise for his unique ability to share his love of and concern for the fragile Cape Cod eco-system. We’ve even taken some of our friends out with Dick, who echo our kudos to what he offers the Cape Cod visitor.

When time allows we will tackle the rest of what Dick tells us are the best kayaking spots on the Cape. Here is his top ten list, in no particular order:

SCORTON CREEK, Sandwich
Launch from the State Wildlife Reservation off Route 6A by the Scorton Creek Bridge. Scorton means “place where the stream branches.” Follow this twisting tidal creek through the Great Marsh, which once stretched as far as Barnstable Harbor. Explore adjacent Mill and Shove Creeks. Highlights: herons, egrets, ospreys, and striped bass.

WAQUOIT BAY, Falmouth & Mashpee
Launch from Great River Boat Landing, Great Oak Road, Mashpee. Paddle down Great River and west across Waquoit Bay to Washburn Island. Continue south along the island, across the channel to South Cape Beach State Park, then return across the bay. Highlights: walking the pristine 330-acre Washburn Island (primitive camping available), beachcombing on South Cape Beach, shorebirds.

BARNSTABLE HARBOR, Barnstable
Launch from Blish Point State Landing, Millway Road. Head across Barnstable Harbor to Sandy Neck and explore this spectacular seven-mile long barrier beach that protects the 4,000-acre Great Marsh. Highlights: second highest sand dunes on Cape Cod, views of the Great Marsh, quaint village and old lighthouse at Beach Point.

BASS RIVER, Dennis
Launch from Cove Road and paddle north. Bass River is the longest river on Cape Cod, stretching seven miles from its headwaters at Mill Pond to Nantucket Sound. Highlight: walking the two mile trail at the Indian Lands Conservation Area, spring wildflowers (including lady’s slippers).

BELLS NECK/HERRING RIVER, Harwich
Launch from Bell’s Neck Road and cross the West Reservoir, a freshwater cedar swamp. Take out at the dike and put back in on the Herring River. Follow the winding river to Route 28 in West Harwich. Highlights: 245 acres of salt and freshwater marshes, woods, herring run, cranberry bogs, kettle ponds, hiking trails.

BREWSTER PONDS, Brewster
Launch from Punkhorn Parklands parking lot, Run Hill Road. An easy canoe trip through a chain of freshwater ponds, Walker’s, Upper Mill, and Lower Mill. These kettle ponds were created 12,000 years ago by melting blocks of glacial ice. Highlights: Stony Brook Grist Mill, the herring run, five miles of trails in the 800-acre Punkhorn Parklands.

LITTLE PLEASANT BAY, Orleans
Launch from Portanimicut Road, Orleans. Paddle across Little Pleasant Bay to circumnavigate Sampson and Hog Islands and explore Nauset Beach. The privately owned islands allow visitors, and Nauset Beach is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Highlights: snorkeling, eelgrass beds, horseshoe crabs, ospreys.

NAUSET MARSH, Eastham
Launch from Salt Pond below the Salt Pond Visitor’s Center or Hemenway Road off Route 6. Nauset Marsh is a vast system of salt-marsh, creeks, channels, islands, and barrier beach. Circumnavigate the marsh heading north through Salt Pond Bay and Nauset Bay, then south along Nauset Beach, and back through the Main Channel. Or head south through Skiff Hill Creek along Fort Hill, past Town Cove to Inlet Marsh and back. Highlights: former Coast Guard Station, thousands of nesting terns, migrating shorebirds, seals, striped bass, ospreys, beachcombing, National Seashore visitor center, hiking trails and bike paths nearby.

WELLFLEET PONDS, Wellfleet
Launch from Gull Pond Landing off Schoolhouse Hill Road. This is a short and easy tour, especially good for beginners, of three kettle ponds – Gull, Higgins, and Williams – in the Cape Cod National Seashore. Williams Pond was the home of the “Wellfleet Oysterman” immortalized in Thoreau’s Cape Cod. Highlights: water lilies, red maples, turtles, frogs, sunfish, swimming.

PAMET RIVER, Truro
Launch from the South Pamet Road culvert to explore the freshwater Upper Pamet or from the Pamet Harbor boat ramp on Depot Road to explore the saltwater Lower Pamet and Pamet Harbor. The Pamet is an outwash channel carved by the glaciers with its head at the Atlantic Ocean and its mouth at Cape Cod Bay. Highlights: foliage, panoramic views of the Pamet Hills.

Something to Celebrate on Cape Cod

Winters are long on Cape Cod. Not necessarily cold, but often gray and lacking the colors that other seasons bring. Hence, one of our favorite winter pastimes is anticipating the arrival of spring, summer, and fall with their inherent seasonal offerings and requisite celebrations. Cape Cod is rife with special events that highlight our symbiotic relationship with the fruits of land and sea. The High Pointe Inn is an avid supporter of many of the events. In fact, Rich is a major contributor to the Wellfleet OysterFest, making his annual sacrifice of consuming 4-5 dozen oysters single-handedly. We are delighted to share with you a few of our favorite events, as well as a few new ones that aim to showcase the region’s culinary delights and prolific arts community. Be sure to make your reservations at the High Pointe Inn early, as we sellout quickly for most of these events.

Cape Cod Maritime Days, month of May

Cape Cod Maritime Days is a celebration of the Cape’s rich maritime history comprised of lighthouse and walking tours, nautical art exhibits and maritime lectures, boat-building exhibits, and kayak excursions. The month-long celebration also features the Cape Cod Maritime History Symposium and Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival. For more information visit http://www.ecapechamber.com/MaritimeDays/.

Cape Cod Life’s First Annual FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL, June 1 – 4, 2008

Cape Cod Life Publications will celebrate the Cape’s distinguished culinary world with the inaugural “Cape Cod Life Food & Wine Festival” from June 1 through June 4, 2008.

The four-day festival will showcase the region’s finest chefs and restaurants through a series of wine dinners and “cultural” happy hours. More than forty restaurants from Provincetown to Bourne will hold dinners each evening highlighting their chef’s best. Joining the restaurants will be local and international winemakers who will offer pairings of spectacular wines from around the world.

Additionally, Cultural Happy Hours will be held on June 2, 3 & 4 in venues that capture the area’s richness in art, history and nature. Guests will sample hors d’oeuvres and fine wines while enjoying art and music in three cultural venues – the Highfield Hall in Falmouth (June 2), the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster (June 3), and the Wellfleet Harbors Actors Theater in Wellfleet (June 4).

The festival will kick off with the Grand Opening Tasting at the splendid Rectrix Aerodrome in Hyannis on Memorial Day – Sunday June 1st from 3-6 p.m. The event will include local cuisine, wines from around the world, presentations from local artists and musicians, and cooking demonstrations from an elite group of celebrity chefs representing both Cape Cod and Boston. Chef Gabriel Frasca of Nantucket’s renowned Straight Wharf restaurant will lead an iron chef style cook-off against other top chefs to be announced soon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and the Institute for Hospitality and Culinary Studies at Cape Cod Community College.

More information is also available at “http://www.festival.capecodlife.com/”.

Annual Cape Land and Sea Harvest (CLASH), September 25-28, 2008

The annual Cape Land and Sea Harvest is a celebration of Cape Cod’s agricultural and fishing heritage. The Cape enjoys a rich profusion of locally grown and caught foods, particularly in the autumn. Cape shell fishers bring in lobster, crab, oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels, while line fishermen are catching blue fin tuna, bluefish, cod, cusk, haddock, hake, monkfish, redfish and skate wings.

Meanwhile local farmers harvest their largest bounty of the growing season: apples, arugula, beans, beets, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, kale, leeks, melons, mesclun, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, scallions, shallots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips and winter squash.

CLASH combines a wealth of opportunities to savor the culinary delights of Cape Cod at venues across the region. For example, during the 4-day celebration:

Ÿ Participating restaurants offer special tasting menus that showcase local ingredients.

Ÿ Farms, cranberry bogs, fisheries, wineries, breweries and other agricultural businesses provide tours and behind-the-scenes views of their operations.

Ÿ A season finale farmers’ market offers guests an opportunity to purchase locally harvested fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Ÿ And, at the annual Cape Cod Oyster Festival, attendees feast on raw, baked, roasted and stewed oysters prepared by local restaurants, and sample wines from the best vineyards in the world.

Fall for the Arts Festival, October 4 & 5, 2008

The 1st Annual Fall for the Arts Festival, a joint effort between the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and Cape Cod VIEW magazine, will feature family-friendly performances and exhibitions showcasing the region’s exciting cultural scene, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to meet and talk with exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine, enjoy live entertainment, discover cultural organizations, take a walk through history and even create their own works of art. Specific festival events and ticketing information will be announced in upcoming months. For more information contact the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod at 508-362-0066 x13 or email info@artsfoundation.org.

Annual Wellfleet Oyster Fest, October 18-19, 2008

The annual Wellfleet OysterFest is a two-day celebration of the famous Wellfleet oysters and its deep-rooted shell fishing traditions. Wellfleet’s town center comes alive for this street party that brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of food, art, music, fun and games.

This year’s event will take place Saturday and Sunday, October 18 & 19, 2008 and will mark Wellfleet’s eighth annual OysterFest. The event centers on Main Street in Wellfleet, and features local shell fishermen and women, who come in off the tides to offer their briny, luscious oysters and clams. Alongside the rawbars, restaurants serve up chowders, stuffed clams, and other traditional New England fare. In addition, more than 70 carefully selected artisans and artists show off a stunning range of arts and crafts including handmade jewelry, paintings, sweaters, soaps, furniture, jams, and more.

The highlight of the event is the annual Oyster Shuck-Off, a rousing timed competition where amateurs compete for the fun of it, and some of Wellfleet’s home-town shuckers have been fast enough to go on to compete nationally. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three winners. The OysterFest is free and goes on rain or shine.

Spectacle of Lights, late November through December; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 5pm to 9pm

Heritage Museums & Gardens presents its annual Spectacle of Lights, a holiday lighting extravaganza, with indoor and outdoor venues that dazzle the senses. Visitors stroll through the grounds, enjoying the unique beauty of the gardens and forests, highlighted by dramatic landscape lighting and appealing animated vignettes on the lawns.

Indoors, the Auto Museum features an antique toy train exhibit, a giant poinsettia tree, and Photos with Santa. The Art Museum hosts more displays, including a 12-foot Victorian tree adorned with hand-made ornaments. And visitors get to top the evening off with a complimentary ride on the recently restored Carousel!

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