“There is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”, or so the saying goes. So on an afternoon that could only be described as a Chamber of Commerce kind of day, or as Rich would describe it “severe clear”, we boarded the Blue Claw sightseeing boat for an adventure out to see the abundant seal colonies off the coast of Chatham.

We were greeted by Captain Rob, a ruggedly handsome man with windswept hair and a twinkle in his eye. A charming fellow who clearly loves what he’s doing, Captain Rob went over the itinerary for the afternoon, along with the requisite safety precautions, before heading out on our adventure. The hour and a half trip would take us through the salt marsh, past ancient Native American Indian grounds, areas abundant with wildlife, sites of storied pirate treasure, and my favorite: in front of spectacular waterfront properties impossible to see from land.

We cruised from the town landing at Meeting House Pond in Orleans, down The River, along Barley Neck, and out into Little Pleasant Bay. Here Captain Rob regaled us with a story of buried pirate treasure at Money Head on Hog Island, treasure attributed to the infamous Captain Kidd, a notorious pirate that sailed off the coast of Cape Cod in the 1800s. We squeezed through the Narrows along Sipsons Island, a private island that sold for the meager sum of $3 million dollars just a few years ago, through Pleasant Bay, and past Strong Island, where a magnificent summer wedding was taking place.

Our ultimate destination was Chatham Harbor, where large colonies of gray seals populate the waters year round. Their presence here is controversial, as the seals feed on striped bass, a popular sport and commercial fisherman’s quarry, and happen to be a tempting food source for great white sharks. According to Captain Rob, the seal population in the harbor is growing, by some estimates it is now in the neighborhood of 15,000 to 25,000. The recent sighting of great white sharks off the coast of Lighthouse Beach has created some tension among inhabitants of Chatham and other parts of Cape Cod, causing beaches to be closed to swimmers and a flurry of media attention of late.

We watched transfixed as the seals bobbed effortlessly in the gentle water of the harbor. Some were curious, seemingly trying to make eye contact with the strange creatures aboard the Blue Claw. Others paid no mind to our presence, content to float fat and lazy on their backs in the sun. We tarried for a while, then motored on to Lighthouse Beach, just off the coast of Chatham Light, then back through Aunt Lydia’s Cove, home of the Chatham Bars Inn, and up past the Chatham Fish Pier.

Too soon it was time to head back to where we began this afternoon odyssey. The captain skillfully navigated the return trip at speeds approaching 25 knots. The wind felt warm against our sun-warmed skin, and the boat bounced in the wake of other power boats out enjoying the spectacularly gin-clear afternoon, causing salt water to spray our faces and great glee among some of our younger fellow passengers.

For $30 per person, less for children and seniors, we spent a delightful afternoon on the water with Captain Rob aboard the Blue Claw. In addition to seal cruises, he offers beachcombing and sunset tours, as well as custom charters for special occasions from mid-May through mid-October. We highly recommend this trip for all our guests!

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

One of the nicest things about living and working on Cape Cod in the summer is the availability and diversity of fresh, locally grown produce offered at Farmer’s Markets throughout the region. Rich and I try to use only the freshest of ingredients in our breakfast offerings, whether it be native berries for our muffins, fresh eggs and veggies for our omelets, jams and jellies for our popovers, or locally harvested shellfish for Rich’s Lobster Benedict or Hangtown Fry.

If you’re vacationing on Cape Cod this summer, be sure to frequent our Farmers Markets. No doubt there is one near you, no matter if you are staying with us at the High Pointe Inn, or renting a cottage on one of our beautiful beaches. And if you miss the one that’s closest to you, you can always try another one nearby. There is a Farmers Market everyday of the week, except Sunday, beginning June 1 and lasting until late in December. Hope to see you there!

The Mashpee Farmer’s Market

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, the Village Green in Mashpee Commons, across from the new Mashpee Public Library. Opening Day is June 12. The market is managed by Hawks Wing Farm, a member of the New England Regional Foodshed Farmer’s Collaborative.

Bass River Farmers Market

8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays, at the Cape Cod Cultural Center, June 10 through the end of October. It has a petting zoo, an educators’ tent and a tie-in with a children’s program at the South Yarmouth library. It will feature farms as well as cultural center artists, and musicians.

Centerville/Marstons Mills Farmers Market

The fraternal (Masonic) lodge, 1987 Falmouth Road (Route 29); 2 to 4:00 p.m. Mondays June 14-Oct. 1

Falmouth Farmers Market

Peg Noonan Park, 300 Main St., Noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays, through Oct.14

Harwich Farmers’ Market

Brooks Academy Museum, Roue 39; 3 to 6 p.m. Thursdays , June 1-Sept.16

Mid-Cape Farmers Market

Hyannis Youth and Community Center, 141 Bassett Lane, Hyannis; 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesdays, June 9-Sept. 8

Orleans Farmers Market

21 Old Colony Way (across from Capt. Elmer’s); 8 .m. to noon Saturdays, through Nov. 27

Osterville Farmers Market

Osterville Historic Society, 155 West Bay Road; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, June 4-Oct. 4

Provincetown Farmers Market

Ryder Street; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, through Dec. 4

Sandwich Farmers Market

The Village Green, Route 6A; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, June 1-Oct. 26

View 21 Favorite Cape Cod Clam Shacks in a larger map

Rich and I had lunch at one of our favorite local restaurants the other day. It’s a cozy spot tucked back from the road just off Route 6A in Yarmouthport, MA called Jack’s Outback. We’ve eaten there so often over the years that we’ve gotten to know the waitresses, the proprietor, and some of the other regulars. We’ve commiserated with them when life has dealt a nasty blow, shared funny stories, and gradually become part of the Jack’s Outback family.

We often convene the “Breakfast Club” on a winter’s morning, sharing a table with fellow innkeepers and trading stories of life before and, eventually, after innkeeping.
But this day we snuck off by ourselves for a serving of quiet and calm that Jack’s so easily delivers. It was cold outside, wintery and windswept from a storm that was whipping up the east coast. Inside it was warm and toasty, with the fragrance of all things yummy emanating from the kitchen. We waved to friendly faces and slid into a booth. Most days we just order our “usuals” – a burger for Rich and a BLT for me. But on this wondrous day one of us was in for a treat. There among the “specials” were two words that brought a twinkle to Rich’s eyes:  Clam plate. (more…)