Pharmacy Tales & Trails: Two Days on the Outer Cape (AKA the National Seashore)

My third weekend in Cape Cod was spent in the final unexplored territory--the Outer Cape; home to the famous string of beaches otherwise known as the National Seashore. With a general idea of the areas I wanted to see, I decided to drive to the farthest point of the Cape and work my way back from there. So me and Old Red drove about 1.5 hours along Route 6 to Provincetown, or "P-town," (at the very tip of the Cape). I stopped first at Race Point Beach. The windy morning brewed crashing waves that thundered towards the shore.

Afterwards, I visited the Pilgrim Museum and Monument, where I enjoyed learning about the history of the town. In 1620, the Mayflower Pilgrims made their first landfall in Provincetown. Before coming ashore, they signed the Mayflower Compact in the harbor, which laid the foundation of their new society. A few weeks later, the pilgrims sailed on to Plymouth (right below modern-day Boston). The monument was built to commemorate this event. The 252-foot climb was well worth the views.

Before leaving town, I walked through Commercial Street, pleased to find many unique stores and coffee shops still open during off-season.

Moving South, I went next to Truro. My first stop was at Highland Lighthouse. I also picked up a bottle of wine down the street at Truro Vineyards.

I made two brief stops at beaches on either side of the peninsula. The first, Great Hollow Beach. The second, Long Nook Beach. Here I could hear the distinct sounds of seals just offshore.

The next town en route was Wellfleet. I biked there last weekend from Dennis, but I did not do any exploring. This time, however, I embarked on the Great Island Trail. Most of the supposed 8-mile trail was along the beach (I don't know why I bother trying to rid the sand from my tennis shoes anymore). However, I will admit that I lost my way at one point, and ended up turning back to avoid getting stranded after nightfall.

Nevertheless, I made it out just in time for a spectacular sunset on Sunken Meadow Beach.

It was raining on Sunday, but there was one more part of the Outer Cape that I did not get to the day before--Eastham. So I packed my rain jacket and umbrella, and headed out. My first stop was at the National Seashore's Nauset Beach. The lighthouse there is famous for its cover picture on the Cape Cod Potato Chips bag. I also read how the lighthouse had been moved inland due to cliff erosion. Just down the street sit the three Sister Lighthouses, originally situated side-by-side near the Nauset Lighthouse.

A few minutes down the road was Coastguard Beach. The seemingly angry seas forced thundering waves toward the shore, crashing loudly upon the beach, and producing a distinct salty smell in the air. Here I picked up a hiking trail to the Salt Pond Visitor's Center. It was a pleasant, 3.5 mile nature walk.

Afterwards, I stopped briefly at First Encounter Beach--the apparent first meeting of the pilgrims and Native Americans.

Finally, I ended my journey at the Fort Hill Area, hiking the short Red Maple Swamp Trail and Fort Hill Trail. Despite the gloomy weather, the scenic views of the marshes and coastline were impressive. Even from a distance, I could hear the crashing waves along the shore...