Last Saturday night Rich and I attended the 16th annual Gifts from the Sea Auction and Lawn Party put on by the Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) to benefit Barnstable’s open space. This year’s event took place at a secluded estate located in the exclusive Oyster Harbors section of Osterville. The $12 million dollar estate sits on a private point overlooking West Bay. It turned out to be perhaps the most beautiful evening of the entire summer…warm, dry, still. We donned our best “Sunday go to meeting” clothes and joined dozens of other locals supporters of the non-profit conservation organization dedicated to preserving the natural resources and open space of the Town of Barnstable for an evening of festivity.

We signed on as silver-level sponsors of the event this year, as part of our annual contribution to the land trust that protects our scenic view, along with the wetlands, sensitive watershed parcels, wildlife habitats, and other important open land in Barnstable in its natural state so that our guests as well as members of the community will benefit now and in the future. Rich and I made a commitment to give back to the community we live and work in, as much as we are able to for as long as we can, when we first opened the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod many years ago. To that end we made a pledge to donate a portion of every room night we sell to the Barnstable Land Trust as our way of thanking them for preserving the fragile environment for future generations.

In addition to protecting the land for its natural, recreational, scenic, historical, or productive value, BLT also offers a series of walks and talks from early spring through late autumn so that locals and visitors alike can explore the great outdoors and learn about nature. With any luck you’ll find Rich and me on at least one of the hikes coming up and hopefully a kayak adventure as well.

The evening turned out to be magical. The setting itself all but insured that, but the music, food and drink, and entertainment enhanced the experience. There were wonderful items to bid on in both the silent and live auction, everything from art to jewelry, and travel to adventure. I must admit that I didn’t walk away empty handed. Caught up in the moment, swirling champagne and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres, I raised my paddle more than once and took home a lovely necklace and tickets to the Cape Cod Summer Playhouse as my reward.

The first ever list of 1000 Great Places in Massachusetts was released yesterday, July 12, 2010. Selected from over 12,000 nominations, the range of Great Places shines on every part of the state, but none so much as Cape Cod. Intended to celebrate what is truly special about Massachusetts, the list of 1000 Great Places gives visitors the opportunity to see the variety and richness the state has to offer. For those of us who live and work on Cape Cod, it was a point of much civic pride to realize that nearly 10% of the identified 1000 Great Places are right here on the lovely peninsular we call home.

So here in alphabetical order, are the places known and loved by many that make Cape Cod special, not only to the residents, but to those who come to visit us year round. You can view the whole list of Great Places in Massachusetts online, or visit the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism website.

Barnstable

• Cahoon Museum of American Art
• Hyannis Harbor
• JFK Museum
• Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary
• Melody Tent
• Sandy Neck Beach
• Sturgis Library
• The Hyannis National Guard Armory

Bourne

• Aptucxet Trading Post Museum
• Cape Cod Canal Bike Path
• Scusset Beach State Reservation
• The Herring Run Recreation Area at the Cape Cod Canal

Brewster

• Cape Cod Rail Trail
• Nickerson State Park
• Stony Brook Grist Mill
• The Brewster Flats
• The Crosby Mansion
• The Old Mill

Chatham

• Chatham Light
• Chatham Village
• Monomoy Island
• The Chatham Fish Pier

Dennis

• Bass River
• Cape Cod Museum of Art
• Cold Storage Beach
• Mayflower Beach
• Scargo Tower
• Sesuit Harbor

Eastham

• Cape Cod National Seashore
• Coast Guard Beach
• First Encounter Beach
• Fort Hill

Falmouth

• Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bourne Farm
• Falmouth Museums on the Green
• Falmouth Shining Sea Bikeway
• Highfield Hall
• Nobska Point Lighthouse
• Spohr Garden on Fells Road
• The Knob, Woods Hole
• Woods Hole Village

Mashpee

• Cape Cod Children’s Museum
• Old Indian Church
• South Cape Beach
• Waquoit Bay

Orleans

• Academy of Performing Arts Playhouse
• French Cable Station Museum
• Nauset Beach
• Rock Harbor
• Plymouth
• Brewster Gardens to Jenny Pond
• Ellisville Harbor State Park
• Historic Plymouth Harbor
• Jenney Grist Mill
• Myles Standish State Forest
• Pilgrim Hall Museum
• Plimoth Plantation
• Plymouth Rock
• The Cordage Historical Society in Plymouth

Provincetown

• Cape Cod National Sea Shore
• Commercial Street
• Fine Arts Work Center
• Hatches Harbor
• Herring Cove Beach
• Pilgrim Monument
• Art Association and Museum
• Race Point Lighthouse
• The Breakwater’s Rock Passage

Sandwich

• Benjamin Nye Homestead
• Heritage Museums & Gardens
• Historic Village and Historic District
• Sandwich Glass Museum
• Sandwich Grist Mill
• The Board Walk
• Thornton W. Burgess Society

Truro

• Ballston Beach
• Highland Light
• Highland Links Golf Course
• Artist shacks in the dunes
• Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill

Wareham

• A. D. Makepeace Store
• Church Street Historic District
• Cranberry Bog Farms Trail
• Onset Beach/Village
• Plymouth County Cranberry Country Routes 58 and 28.
• The Porter Thermometer Museum

Wellfleet

• Jeremy’s Point
• Marconi Station Site
• Mass Audubon Society Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary
• Newcomb’s Hollow Beach
• The Beachcomber
• Town Center and Harbor
• Uncle Tim’s Bridge
• Wellfleet Drive-in

Yarmouth

• Boardwalk onto the Marsh at Gray’s Beach
• Cultural Center of Cape Cod
• Edward Gorey’s House
• Judah Baker Windmill on Bass River