Sue Katz: One Day Mid-Cape Cod Loop Without Walking Much

By Sue Katz
Reprinted with permission from Sue Katz’s Consenting Adult blog

It’s hard to be on vacation when your bad knee conspires with your tendinitis-afflicted feet to keep you from walking more than a block or so at a time. What to do?

We started out from the exceedingly comfortable Hyannis Harbor Motel, and walked one block along the Harbor to fuel up with a fulsome brunch at the Black Cat Tavern. Besides the classic breakfast, the hamburgers are stupendous. A conversation with the knowledgeable manager, Paul Crosby, who was born and bred in the area, led to him sketching out the perfect car trip for us.

We first headed for the Chatham Lighthouse (above) where there is an exquisite look-out parking area overlooking a white sand beach. We had luck: the sky was blue and the sun was shining, so only some sand bars separated the identically sparkling azure water and sky.

Next, Paul had told us, put Brewster Sea Camps into your GPS, but once you get to the Camp’s entrance, plug in Scargo Tower. That worked perfectly, except that we ran into a locked gate at the entrance of the road to Scargo Tower, and we so couldn’t mount to the top. Instead we wound around the residential lanes to share the views of the lucky locals.

We headed to the next suggested stop: Millway Beach (left) on Barnstable Harbor. By then the fog was settling in and the view of the long stretch was dimmed and delicate. Standing there, the world felt calm and subdued and lovely.

The final destination was Sandy Neck Beach in Sandwich. This was convenient, because my favorite source of real scones, clotted cream, and jam – and elegant lunch – is the Dunbar Tea House. It may be a bit pricey, but it’s cheaper than flying to London.

For those with mobility issues, this is a loop that provided a perfect day’s drive. It is always best to ask local folks, especially those who deal with tourists all the time. Thanks to Paul Crosby and to the Atlantic Ocean for a fine time.

P.S. For a day when you are able to walk a bit, try the splendid Bass Hole Boardwalk at Gray’s Beach in Yarmouth Port. Parts of it were washed away in a flood in the winter of 2018, but it’s all fixed up again. We went on a drizzly day at low tide and the marshes were a strange but gorgeous sight, strongly reminding me for some reason of the lava fields of Iceland.

Sue Katz is a wordsmith and rebel who has been published on the three continents where she has lived, first working as a martial arts master, then promoting volunteerism globally, and recently working with elders. Her book Lillian’s Last Affair is a collection of short stories about the love lives of older people. Her followup, Lillian in Love examines how two old women negotiate love. Read her blog “Consenting Adult” at www.suekatz.com, “friend” her at facebook.com/sue.katz, or write her at sue.katz@yahoo.com.