Pilgrim Monument

On a gin-clear day you can see the Pilgrim Monument with the naked eye from the Sea Dream and Moonglow rooms at our Cape Cod Inn. Erected between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the Pilgrims’ first landing in Provincetown in 1620, it sits on High Pole Hill, which was deeded to the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial by the town of Provincetown in 1902 to be used as the site for the monument. At 252 feet tall, it is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States and rises 350 feet above sea level. The granite for the structure came from Stonington, Maine, and was patterned after the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

View from the top

President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the monument on August 20, 1907 and President William H. Taft led the dedication ceremony after the monument’s completion on August 5, 1910. Thousands of visitors from around the world come to Provincetown each year to climb the116 stairs and 60 ramps to the top of the monument. Not an easy task to be sure, but the view from the top is well worth the effort.

100th Anniversary 2010

August 5th, 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Pilgrim Monument and organizers have planned a weeklong series of events to celebrate the occasion starting July 31st. Sure to be a spectacular celebration of this landmark occasion, efforts are underway to convince President Barack Obama to be at the rededication ceremony. You can join this letter writing campaign by copying the invitation to the President and mailing or emailing it under your own signature.

Driving Cape Cod

Often on a sunny afternoon, Rich and I will head out to explore Cape Cod beyond the immediate environs of our bed and breakfast inn. Armed with my trusty Cape Cod Street Atlas and Rich’s GPS, we set off on an adventure of discovery. It was on one of these missions that we uncovered some of our favorite off-the-beaten path destinations on the lower Cape. Starting from the rotary at the Orleans/Eastham line where Route 6 and 6A meet, the drive continues as far as Provincetown, covering roughly 25 miles. You can take Route 6 from West Barnstable or follow the more meandering path of Route 6A to Orleans. We prefer 6A if time allows, as it is perhaps more scenic, but generally return via Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, as it is more direct and definitely faster. Traveling from the High Pointe Inn, the drive is approximately 120 miles round trip and will take the better part of the day to fully enjoy.

NOTE: All scenic spots are marked with the corresponding page number and grid marks in brackets from American Map’s “Cape Cod Street Atlas”. (more…)