MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts is steeped in history; every school kid knows about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock. While beaches adorn much of the shoreline, the best and most famous beaches are found on Cape Cod, the great arm of land that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. One of the biggest problems about getting to the Cape is the bumper-to-bumper traffic across the only two bridges - Bourne and Sagamore. The islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are also world-class resort destinations during the summer months, frequented by the rich and famous.

A real gem of a beach on the north shore and personal favorite is Crane's Beach, located near Ipswich, famous for its tasty clams. Crane's Beach is completely natural with its five miles of wide sandy beaches and rolling dunes, but watch out for the greenhead flies that can take a piece of flesh out of your leg or arm. The only saving grace is that these fearsome flies are slow, so if you stay alert you can kill them before they get you. Perched on a hilltop nearby is the famed Castle Hill mansion, also worth a visit. This sole hill that rises so prominently from the relatively flat terrain is actually a glacial drumlin, formed as a depositional feature by the great ice sheets. The Boston Harbor islands that are so apparent as you land from the south at Logan International Airport also originated this way. Crane's is a classic example of a barrier beach with Plum Island just to the north being an actual barrier island, a rarity in New England.

Massachusetts' north shore is dominated by rocky headlands which give rise to the Rockport/Gloucester areas and Marblehead further to the south. Near Marblehead is a very small, but somewhat famous beach (at least scientifically) called Singing Sand Beach. The beach derives its name from the fact that dragging one's bare feet on the dry sand will cause it to "sing" or make a humming sound. This is one of several beaches around the world (another one is Barking Sands Beach on Kauai, Hawaii) that possesses this interesting quality. All the sand is nearly of the same size and composition. The rubbing motion causes the sand grains to vibrate, hitting the resonance frequency.

Cape Cod is named for the Cod fish that were formerly so abundant in these waters and the fact that the land bends like a flexed arm. This peninsula of land that became an island by dredging the Cape Cod Canal in 1914 was created by glaciers - actually, three ice lobes coming from different directions. The beaches all came from the erosion of these glacial sediments as witnessed by the spectacular sea cliffs of Outer Cape Cod along the Atlantic Ocean.

Summer visitors to the Cape are particularly interested in three aspects of the beach - sand, surf and water temperature. Those who prefer the cleanest, whitest sand will gravitate to the outer beaches at Cape Cod National Seashore. The drawback to swimming here is water temperature, which rarely reaches mid-60 degrees on the warmest summer days (don't worry about getting overheated on the Cape - a quick dip in the water will solve any such problems). Actually, the water temperatures on the Atlantic beaches vary considerably from day to day. While surface waters can warm by absorbing the sun's heat for several days, a change in wind direction can quickly drop the temperature by five to 10 degrees (from tolerable to frigid). Offshore winds induce upwelling, the movement of cooler waters from the ocean bottom to the surface along the shore. This makes the swimming water at the beach too cold. Conversely, onshore winds push surficially-heated waters toward the beach, inducing downwelling; warmer swimming water results.

The Nantucket Sound waters are much warmer, approaching 75 degrees in the summertime since the Sound is shallower and shielded from the southward-flowing Newfoundland current along the Atlantic coast. The beaches are narrower, and frequently there is seaweed in the water or washed up on the beach. The sand is also rougher, being a mixture of sand, shells, and gravel. Surfboarders and body surfers who prefer the high surf will seek the outer Atlantic beaches, but Nantucket Sound or Cape Cod Bay is best for windsurfers.

Along Cape Cod Bay the water temperature varies, depending upon the stage of tide and time of day. For bathers who prefer warm waters, this requires a bit of planning; rising tides over sunbaked sands provide the warmest waters, which can actually be toasty. The Brewster tidal flats are my favorite place to enjoy this mid-afternoon to early evening experience.

The alternative to saltwater swimming is the relatively controlled environment of the kettle hole ponds which dot the Cape's landscape. There has been increased use of these freshwater bodies, such as Nickerson State Park, which are usually quite clean and clear. They tend to be quite warm on the surface, but can be cold at depths where the deeper ponds are stocked with trout.

The Cape's climate may not seem mild to visitors from southern regions, but winter temperatures are usually above freezing, and many retirees call this place home. A winter day can feel much colder than it is due to dampness and almost constant winds. Cape Cod is actually windier than the "windy city" (Chicago) since it is surrounded by water and subject to land-sea breezes. The salt-laden breezes give the weathered cedar shingles their characteristic silver sheen. The marine conditions also moderate the climate in the summer, providing free "air conditioning," and making for a lovely, mild fall, extending this popular season on the Cape. After Labor Day is my favorite time to make the pilgrimage back to the Cape when the water is warm, the crowds are largely gone - and the hotel prices have dropped to much more reasonable rates.

Beaches surround Cape Cod; there are no hard-rock headlands as encountered elsewhere in New England. The best beaches are found in Cape Cod National Seashore, the 30-mile length of shoreline along the Outer Cape from Chatham to Provincetown. The gateway to the National Seashore is the Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham, where educational materials and videos will enlighten and inform visitors. Close by is the best beach in the area and a top 20 beach nationally: Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

Coast Guard Beach is reached by bicycle or via shuttle bus from the Salt Pond Visitor's Center ever since the New England Blizzard of 1978 destroyed the parking lot and facilities that were previously built on the low-lying sand spit. The picturesque old Coast Guard station still sits atop the glacial bluffs, where you can gaze down upon the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay that the French explorer Champlain so beautifully sketched in 1605. Lobsters were so numerous at that time that they could be caught by hand in these shallow tidal creeks at low tide. The delicacy that we cherish was often fed to slaves and indentured servants as a source of cheap meat in Colonial times. So prevalent was this practice that a law had to be passed to prevent the serving of lobsters more than twice a week.

At Coast Guard Beach you can see where the sand spit attaches to the eroding glacial cliffs that extend northward to Truro. As these cliffs continue to erode, artifacts are discovered; Native Americans also cherished this spot of land. The sand is fairly coarse, and thus the beach slopes steeply into the water. This makes for difficult walking, except at the waterline where the sand is water-saturated and compacted.



Marconi Station Beach in nearby Wellfleet clearly displays the relentless attack of the sea during coastal storms that are causing the cliffs to continue to crumble into the ocean. It was from these high cliffs that Guglielmo Marconi made history in 1903 by sending the first wireless transmission from the United States to Europe. The original station and four large metal towers that were used to transmit the signal across the Atlantic have all succumbed to the sea. They toppled over the cliff edge, a testament to the continuing erosion.

Further north in Truro is the most famous lighthouse on these shores, named Cape Cod or Highland Lighthouse. From these spectacular cliffs, that remind some of the Scottish highlands covered with heather, Thoreau (of Walden Pond fame) observed a large chunk of real estate falling off the cliff top during his walk across Cape Cod. The erosion continues at two to three feet per year on average, except that averages are virtually meaningless because clay underlies the cliff, which fails catastrophically. Nothing seems to happen for years, then suddenly a landslide occurs. For this reason, caution must be exercised in climbing down wave-cut, steep cliffs that tower over 100 feet high. In fact, the National Park Service does not allow anyone to climb down these cliffs for safety and erosion control reasons. The lighthouse was recently moved back from the cliff edge so that it can continue to serve as a sentinel to seafarers.

Rainfall wets and mobilizes the clay in the cliffs that when saturated flows out onto the Highland Lighthouse Beach. Potters have long used the blue clays because of their high quality. More recently, some beachgoers have also used the clay as a skin rejuvenator. Enthusiasts coat their naked bodies with the moist clay oozing from the cliff's base, then bake on the beach in the hot summer sun, and finally dash into the cold Atlantic waters. I was admittedly startled the first time I witnessed this horde of sun worshippers suddenly jump up from the beach and run screaming into the cold surf. Whatever effect this practice may have on the skin, such an abrupt change in temperature is certainly a shock to the circulatory system.

Provincetown at the tip of the Cape is a social experience that few will forget; it is at the cutting edge of alternative lifestyles. Inspired by artists and writers, think of it as Key West, another land's end, without palm trees. Sunset watching at Race Point in P-town is almost as popular as the ritual of watching the sun drop below the horizon at Mallory Square in Key West, Florida.

Whale watching is another popular sport, either at Race Point Beach from the Old Harbor Station (an original lifesaving station barged here from Nauset Spit) or on-board one of the many sightseeing boats leaving P-town Harbor. Sometimes you can spot a dozen whales spouting just offshore from the beach - but for a close-up of the spectacular breaching and other acrobatic acts of the humpback, finback, minke and right whales, a trip offshore on a whale-watching cruise with a good guide is the best way to go.

There are many good restaurants in Provincetown specializing in Italian and Portuguese fare. I recommend the quahog chowder, which is a local favorite. The clambake is also a Cape Cod tradition. Somewhat similar to a Hawaiian luau, layers of clams, mussels, lobsters, corn, and potatoes are steamed on a bed of hot rocks and hissing seaweed.

The beaches at Provincetown are best observed rather than experienced. The harborside beach, which is not the best, disappears at high tide, and Race Point Beach along the Atlantic Ocean is known for its swift and dangerous currents. A real treat here is the Province Lands dunes, which extend for miles within the National Seashore. Bring plenty of water on your walk up these "marching dunes," which are migrating across the landscape at rates of 10 to 15 feet per year due to the prevailing northwest winds. Some areas resemble the Sahara Desert due to their devegetated, bleak appearance. Walking in the loose sand makes for slow progress, but it is exhilarating to reach the crest of the big U-shaped or parabolic dunes. Mt. Ararat is the second highest sand dune along the East Coast, after Jockey's Ridge in North Carolina. Due to their enormous size, these dunes can best be observed in their entirety during a sightseeing flight from Provincetown airport.

The islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are great getaways from the crowds; the beaches are frequented by the jet-set and "landed gentry." The summertime people from New York City and elsewhere always return to their particular area, be it the Cape, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard or the Hamptons on Long Island's east end. Historic Nantucket, which began as a whaling port, is a quaint village; it's worth the time to explore the cobblestone streets by foot. While beaches are found in every direction around this small island, the water is warmer and the surf gentler on Martha's Vineyard.

The Best Walking Beach in the Northeast is Moshup Beach, Gay Head on the western end of Martha's Vineyard, where cliffs over 200 hundred feet high drop abruptly down to the sea-an impressive and picturesque sight. The scenery is extraordinary, with a lighthouse atop the multicolored cliffs on one side and views of Cuttyhunk Island offshore to the right and No Man's Island to the left. You never have to worry about getting too hot, as a quick dip in the ocean water will cool you down in a jiffy (but bring water and any food as there are no concessions here). The name "gay" is derived from the lively colors of sediments displayed in the cliff face, which were deposited here by great ice sheets during the last glaciation (about 15,000 years ago). The green and gray colored clays were gouged up from the ocean bottom, while the reds, whites and yellows were carried from the mainland. The clays had about the consistency of toothpaste when wet and squeezed under the pressure of the great ice sheets. They are jumbled together in a bewildering array of multicolored sediments in this high-cliffed headland protruding into the sea. Continuing erosion keeps the cliff face barren and the colors fresh. Last time I visited the area, I found a large shark tooth about the size of my hand and ran into a group of nude sunbathers.

Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
100 Cambridge St., 13th Floor
Boston, Mass. 02202
(617) 727-3201

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