I’ve mentioned before on these pages that Cape Cod, a 65-mile-long chunk of sandy land bordered on three sides by magnificent open waters, is a locale in which I truly love to place my aged, scrawny ass. My wife Sandy and I fell for the Cape, which is in the southeastern part of Massachusetts, USA, during our first vacation there. That was in 1998. Since then, to both of our amazements, we’ve returned nearly every year, usually in autumn. Who’d have thought that there would be a somewhere we’d want to visit again and again? Not us!
Cape Cod satisfies us in many ways. For example, we spend plenty of time outdoors, walking on sands, in forests and beside marshes, and gazing at the endless seas. We go to museums, art galleries, movie theaters and restaurants. We play mini golf, fly our roughed-up but seemingly indestructible kite at one beach or another, and wander around villages that range from stately to countrified to funky. Yeah, Cape Cod is cool, a combination of ingredients and opportunities that both soothes and invigorates.
Last year was one of the two or three, since 1998, in which Sandy and I didn’t meet up with Cape Cod. There was little point in going there during a time when our artsy and gastronomic options would have been severely limited by coronavirus.
Autumn 2021 seemed worth taking a chance on, though. For one thing, and it’s an important thing, we’re vaccinated against COVID. Also, life in general is far less restricted than it was 12 months ago. Thus, in early October we crammed a shitload of clothes and other stuff into our car, and drove from our home in Philadelphia’s suburbs to Cape Cod. We unloaded the shitload in the house we’ve rented many times before, in the town of Orleans.
Thankfully, the vacation, two and a half weeks in length, turned out A-OK. Sure, due to staff shortages and other virus-related reasons, a good number of art galleries, cinemas, restaurants, you name it, had reduced their hours and days of operation. But we worked around all of that as best we could, planning our activities with care. We didn’t have to worry about the sands, forests, marshes and waters, of course, because they hadn’t altered their ways of doing business. I’d have sued the f*ckers if they had!
So, in the end we were almost as busy as we were in past years. We didn’t feel shortchanged at all.
Now, I could go on and on about where we went, what we did. But I’m going to leave most of that for another day. I do, however, want to write about an activity that I didn’t mention above, one that as far as I can remember wasn’t in my repertoire prior to Cape Cod entering my life. I’m referring to sunset-viewing. Man, I suppose that Sandy and I have watched our pal the Sun drop below the horizon something like 40 times during our Cape sojourns. We’re fans.
Our fondness for sunsets led us one evening this month to Skaket Beach, a smallish stretch of sand on Cape Cod Bay. Although it’s in Orleans, our home base, we hadn’t been to Skaket in years. Pulling into the parking lot, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were a lot of cars there. Several dozen. And strung along the beach were 75, maybe 100 individuals, more by far than I’d ever seen gathered to witness a sunset. Most of the attendees were seated on the sands upon folding chairs that they’d brought with them. Folding-chairless, Sandy and I grabbed seats on a bench a few feet behind the beach and admired the lovely skies. It was almost 6 PM, and the Sun was only minutes away from saying bye bye.
Well, as soon as the sun disappeared a good round of applause filled the air. Not only that, quite a few folks immediately left the premises. Huh? What the hell was their rush? The curtain hadn’t fallen. I mean, sunsets are generous. They linger and linger, gradually changing their patterns and color intensities. Sandy and I stuck around for another 20 minutes, oohing and ahhing and shooting the breeze. Maybe we should have stayed even longer, but darkness was descending and dinner beckoned. Back to the emptying parking lot we went, soon making our way to a nearby restaurant. We’d just seen the best show in town.
(Please don’t be shy about adding your comments. Mucho gracias. All of the photos are from October 2021)
Yeah, Another Blogger 
Uplifting and lovely.
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Thanks a lot, Stephen. Appreciated. Take care.
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It’s true that the life of a sunset goes way beyond the instant the sun goes down – sometimes it takes 15 to 20 more minutes for the sky to reach peak coloration. We rarely see great sunsets in Paris, but in Burgundy where we spend weekends we get exceptional long lasting ones.
Alan from Paris
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Bonjour, Alan. Burgundy has got what it takes!
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Sunsets are a social event! When I visited the southern part of Kauai, there was a spot with a long rock wall where large numbers of people would gather to visit and watch the sunset. Many people said if you looked at just the right moment you might see a green flash–I missed it, but the sunset itself was magnificent, as sunsets always are. Thanks for the pics!
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Hello there. It’s good that there are quite a few people who appreciate sunsets, and sun rises too for that matter. In many places, though, such as some big cities, good luck trying to find places from which you can clearly see sunsets or sunrises from.
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WOW! No need to explain why you love it so much. Your photos say it all. Drop dead gorgeous.
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There’s a WHOLE lot of beauty on Cape Cod.
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Nice. I miss the Cape. We spent a few summer vacations there when the kids were little. So idyllic. Our biggest decision was figuring out who had the best fried clams.
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Hey there. Right, the Cape is a seafood lover’s paradise. I ate plenty of cod, shrimp, lobster, etc. during the vacation.
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Glad to hear that you were able to return this year. We have the same employee shortages here too, so many restaurants and cinemas, while open, are on truncated hours. Your photos are beautiful, and that scenery is definitely unaffected by covid!
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I think that my favorite part of Cape Cod is the Atlantic Ocean coastline. For the most part it’s undeveloped, undisturbed. You can walk for miles and miles and miles on the sands there.
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I love this post, with such a description of the place, sea, and sunset!
Thank you!
Joanna
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Thanks, Joanna. There’s a lot to like about Cape Cod.
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It’s on my bucket list. Hoping to visit in October ‘22.
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Hi Sheree. I’m pretty confident that you won’t be disappointed.
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I’m sure I shan’t
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So, that’s where you have been and you couldn’t have been in a better place. We all certainly need to get away for a while these days and the open air is the very best of all places and sunsets are a very special bonus. Delighted to hear you have had such a good time.
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Hi. One thing about the trip is that we put faith in our COVID vaccinations. We ate indoors at any number of crowded restaurants, for example. We did not become symptomatic, for which we feel very fortunate.
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I admire your faith in the vaccines while we are not yet so confident. Despite very high levels of vaccination here in Ireland, the number of daily cases of infection and the numbers of people in hospital and in intensive care are at a worrying levels. We go for walks but would not venture into a restaurant/pub/or any such setting. Good to hear you had a good time.
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There are precious few locations in the U.S. where a person can view sunsets and sunrises over a sea that are within a short distance from each other. Places like Cape Cod are exceedingly rare.
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The waters that nearly surround Cape Cod are amazing, especially the ocean. Cape Cod Bay is a close second. Nantucket Sound is beautiful too, but comes in third in my opinion. I love gazing out at all three of these bodies of water.
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Good to be back!
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Absolutely. It was a treat
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I haven’t been to the cape in years. It’s an easy drive, well as easy as it ever is, from here, but I just keep moving it down the list. Your pictures have moved it up a notch or two. Thanks for sharing.
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Cape Cod awaits your return!
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Neil, the Chamber of Commerce should put you on the payroll, you always make this place sound fantastic. I’d go just for the minigolf, I stink at it (I once sent a cousin to urgent care because of my backswing) but love playing. Glad you guys can resume the summer ritual, the whole experience sounds just great.
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We got to play mini golf once this trip, on a challenging and creative course located in the town we rent a house in. Turns out we played on its final day of operation this year. They’ll reopen in about half a year. I did embarrassingly bad on some of the holes!
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It’s the darn windmills, they psych me out!!
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Looks like a great place to spend an autumn vacation, Neil. Great pics, as ever. Sunsets are definitely underrated as an experience.
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I like sunrises too, but I’ve only seen one or two in my life. I’m too lazy to get up in time to see them.
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Great to hear you had a wonderful time and always enjoy your photos.
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You’re a Cape lover too. I’m sure you’ll visit the Cape next year.
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We also missed last year although my daughter and her family went. So we returned this August with them, to Orleans, same house on a pond. Love the familiar and always find something new. We should do a Fall trip. This year on our way up and back we spent night(s) at the Griswold Inn in Essex Ct. Driving was easier and it added new areas, new restaurants.
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Hi Vincent. We both love Cape Cod. Do you dine in any of the Orleans restaurants, such as Mahoney’s and The Lost Dog Pub?
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That was a lovely post…so glad you managed to renew your love affair with Cape Cod and its sunsets.
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My wife and I had a real good time. We’re out and about a lot when we’re on the Cape.
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I visited Cape Cod once as a small child and have absolutely no memory of it, but you’ve made me want to go back. And you’re absolutely right about staying after the sun disappears….sometimes the best colors happen later! Also, I love it when people applaud the sunset. It’s one of the few times Nature gets her due.
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Hey, Kim. What you say is true — sunsets have a special hold on a lot of people.
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I know what you mean about sunsets. I watch them over Lake Michigan all summer long. They’re amazing. I’ve never been to Cape Cod. Of course, i’ve heard of it many, many times. But I’ve never had much of an interest in going until now! You draw a compelling picture!
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The most astonishing part of Cape Cod are the huge sand dunes and sand valleys in the towns of Truro and Provincetown. They are like a surreal desert landscape. I climbed in the dunes one time this trip. It was something else.
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Hello neil, Glad you had a good time. Sounds like an ideal place for an old hippie, maybe i’ll see you there next year. Have a great day. Jerry
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Jerry, you’d get a kick out of Cape Cod. It has a lot going for it. Enjoy the week!
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Glad you got there this year. I may have already mentioned that two of my ancestors (totally different limbs on the family tree!) helped establish Sandwich, which is the Cape’s original town. They were two of the “10 Men of Saugus” (Puritans) who founded it. If you see either Tupper Street or Almy Street while driving through town, I won’t object if you steal me a road sign.
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Will you post bail if I get arrested?
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No, but you can have a job at my tropical fish store.
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👍👍
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Great to read about another splendid Cape Cod vacation! Sure is beautiful, especially in autumn.
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Although there are still plenty of people around, both residents and visitors, the Cape is a lot less crowded in the fall than it is in summer. Summer is when throngs of folks vacation on Cape Cod. That’s a big reason why my wife and I prefer to go in autumn.
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A beautiful, beautiful place. Not hard to understand why you want to return year after year. Living in the woods, I don’t often see sunsets, but your fabulous picture sure illustrates what I am missing.
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Cut down those trees! They’re blocking your view!
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Not our trees. Our neighbors across the street wouldn’t be too impressed if we started cutting down their trees.
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Never been to Cape Cod, but it’s been a romantic notion since I first heard Patti Page sing about it.
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Right, she had a big hit with that song. She probably helped increase tourism to Cape Cod a lot.
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Great pictures! I’ve never been there, but after reading this, I’d like to put it on my bucket list.
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Hi, Denise. Thanks for stopping by. I bet you’d have a real good time if you visited the Cape. There are many beautiful areas, lots of restaurants, and a low-key cultural life, among other things.
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It is indeed beautiful. I hope to go visit there someday. Your mentioning sunsets while on vacation reminds me of a trip I took to Maui many, many years ago. I walked out on the beach at the 6:00pm hour to see a beautiful one, and there was a man strumming a guitar all by his lonesome. After exchanging pleasantries he said, “God paints a beautiful picture, doesn’t He? I’m selling bags of pot if you’re interested, by the way.” I had to give him credit for the conversational segue. 😉 – Marty
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Ah, grass and sunsets go together excellently!
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Love the slow and gentle pace with which you and Sandy experience life
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Hi. Your observation is, I think, right on the money. We try to enjoy ourselves, but not frantically!
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Lovely post with wonderful pictures! There’s just something about the sea … it’s certainly a place to unwind and “breathe”. I sometimes go to a small North sea island here in Germany, a three hour drive away, for a weekend getaway. Recharging my batteries. So I totally get the desire to return to places like that. (Well, one cannot compare the Cape to German North Sea islands 🤣 but it’s better than nothing!) Looking forward to your next post!
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Hello there. I appreciate your input. You know, I never connected to the seas in a meaningful way till I “discovered” Cape Cod. I was in my early 50s at that time. Better late than never.
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Glad you got back there and had a wonderful time. Watching a sunset right through to darkness is special indeed.
PS I’ve said it before but your Cap Cod beaches look very like some of beaches here in Scotland. Nice in summer but brrr… in winter!
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Cape Cod and Scotland are excellent places!
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Neil, it’s great that you and your wife were able to spend time this year in your favorite getaway place 🙂 Sunsets are spectacular when there’s nothing to obstruct the view.
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Hi. Right — trees and/or buildings often get in the way. We’ve got to do something about that!! 🙂🙂
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Sunsets over a beach is nature’s own TV. No cable required. I’ve been away from our coastal retreat too and it was/is a treat to be back.
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Nature reigns where you are. A magnificent region.
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You’ve made me want to visit – never been. I don’t go back to the same places a lot, but I guess mine would be Paris, city of my birth 🙂
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Paris is so great. We have very close friends who live there. We’ve stayed with them a couple of times. What a city!
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While I share the other commenters’ appreciation for your photographs and poetic writing, I myself equally enjoyed “We unloaded the shitload”.
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Paula, shitload is an understatement. A third person couldn’t possibly have fit in the car.
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Isn’t it funny how people applaud the sunset? They do it on Waikiki beach too! Like the sun is going to come back again for an encore!
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I know what you mean. By the way, one night my wife and I went to a club on the Cape to see a bluesy rock band. There were way more people at the sunset than there were in the club.
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Cape Cod hmmm? Never been there. Feels to me like a Normandy beach, endless and coooold. BUt I’m sure the walks are lovely. Thanks for sharing.
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Hi. Thanks for stopping by. I think you’d like Cape Cod. The sandy coastlines are beautiful, and some of the villages, such as Provincetown, have a lot of personalty and good art galleries. Take care. Have a good week!
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U 2
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So glad you made it. We all must enjoy whatever we can. Good for you! Cheers, Muriel
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Thanks, Muriel. The stars aligned.
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I’ve never been to Cape Cod. It looks beautiful. Maybe next years we’ll do the US east coast after seeing Canadasthis summer.
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A good plan! Hi. I appreciate your input. Keep on truckin’!
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Cape Cod is our favorite place walk around. Similar to our beaches here in Nova Scotia.
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Hi there. Many thanks for stopping by. Did you decide to visit Cape Cod because of its beaches?
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Yes we have been there many times..but we are in lockdown now.
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I’m so glad you got to go to Cape Cod for vacation! Vacations aren’t quite as carefree now as they were before Covid (and I hope to God things are better next year), but they are still good for the soul. We’ve always loved watching sunsets, and you’re right: they can be quite beautiful even after the sun goes down.
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You know, this vacation felt almost totally normal. Being vaccinated has eased our minds quite a bit For instance, we ate dinners in restaurants, some of which were very crowded. I guess we took chances doing that and other things. But, fortunately, we didn’t develop COVID symptons.
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I know that there are some “break throughs” with vaccinated people, but personally, I’ve chosen to trust it. My husband had his booster last month and I hope to get mine as soon as I’m eligible.
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So wonderful that you were able to go this year, Neil! The photos are gorgeous!
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Hey, Becky. It felt darn good to be on vacation in a locale that I know well and really enjoy. I’m fortunate.
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Yes, you are!
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Beautiful photos–especially the P-town dunes. Looking forward to hearing your vacation tales!
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Sandy and I will tell you all about it.
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I love Cape Cod! I have never been but all that I have seen and have come to know seems marvelous. Your photos Neil are truly a vacation package sell! Cheers!💞🍮🍮👍
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Evening, AOC. Yeah, I’m sort of a Cape Cod sales rep!
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And you are really good at it. Some people (you)can sell most anything because they have the gift of personable refinement.
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Feed the soul fella. That’s why we repeat these things. It’s really healthy (Listen to CB, talking like he knows something). You always give a reminder on getting out and enjoying what life has to offer (There I go again)
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CB, mini golf was a highlight for me and Sandy. If you haven’t played in a while, I recommend it!
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Dusting off the clubs.
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Sunsets are the best! We haven’t vacationed yet–just seemed too complicated this year–but I’m so glad to hear that others are traveling again. The Cape is a favorite spot, best enjoyed in spring or fall, I think. I’ll look forward to hearing more.
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Hi, Angela. Glad to learn that you’re a Cape enthusiast. I agree that spring and fall are the best times to visit. Way too many people and cars in summer. Way too cold in winter to enjoy the outdoors properly.
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Yes, Cape Cod keeps on giving. Loved the photo of the Provincetown dunes—haven’t been there in decades. And your paean to sunsets approaches poetry.
Very glad you got back there again.
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Annie, if it wasn’t for Cape Cod, my blog would have a whole lot less content than it does.
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YAY Neil! I’m glad you and Sandy were able to go to Cape Cod this year. I remember how fondly you’ve talked about it over the years, so this is exciting!
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Kathy, it definitely was good to be back. We kept busy doing a pretty big variety of things. The trip was a lot of fun (except for the long, traffic-snarled drives to get to and back home from the Cape. Those nine hour drives sucked big time).
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Jadi pengin pulang kampung, i want to back to my village, cause this
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Cape Cod seems to have it all, Neil. It has a good mix of culture and nature, amazing sunsets, and miniature golf. Why would you not want to return every year?
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I’m hooked!
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I love your ode to the sunset, Neil; everyone should have a Cape Cod in their life 🙂
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John, my wife and I are really fortunate that we “found” Cape Cod. The place really agrees with us.
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That’s kinda funny, applause, like the sun could hear them, lol. But why not? Then they got up and left like it was the end of a movie.
It sounds great, though. I’d like to visit the Cape at least once.
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Morning, Stacey. If the applauders wanted an encore, they’d have had to come back to the beach 24 hours later. And maybe some of them did.
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Still on my bucket list! Thanks for the reminder. Beautiful photos!
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Hi. I think you’d like it there. A relaxing and beautiful place with plenty of things to do.
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