Day 18 - "Surfing" and Sightseeing in Cape Cod

Lee and Nina slept in this morning which gave me the chance to do a bit of blogging before we started on the day’s activities. The first chore was for me to sneak into the campground nearby to use their laundromat while Lee and Nina procured some breakfast for us all. Lee arrived back with our breakfast before too long, which we consumed in the salubrious surroundings of the laundromat. Lee then walked down to the beach we had been at yesterday to help Nina get our tent setup.


After my clothes had been washed and dried I too strolled in that direction in time to join them both for some more boogie board action in the pounding surf, which had waves that could easily have been an inch of two higher than yesterday. There must at least have been a bit more power in them because even I was able to catch a few waves.

 Nina, some dude, Lee

However not being as well covered against the sun I was the first to retire to the shade of the beach umbrella while Nina, a recent convert to what counts as surfing in this part of the world, started elbowing Lee off waves!

Once Lee was sufficiently prune like to decide it was time to dry off we abandoned the beach for the day and after de-salting headed into Provencetown to get a rather late lunch. The chosen establishment was a café that sold lobster rolls of which Nina was particularly fond. Thereafter – in my honour – we did the touristy thing and headed on to the Race Point Beach. We also called at the Visitor’s Centre, which neither Lee or Nina had even been to, and which proved to be quite good. It included a lookout that afforded a wonderful vista of the shoreline.

The climb up Pilgrim Monument

Next stop was the 252 foot tall Pilgrim’s Monument, built to commemorate the fact the Pilgrims on the Mayflower first landed here when they came to settle in the “New World”. However they clearly didn’t think that much of the place because after a few days looking around they moved on to establish their settlement at what became Plymouth. The associated museum was also quite interesting and exploring it gave us time to steal ourselves for the climb which awaited us. In fact it wasn’t too bad because the ascent is via a series of steps and ramps which makes the climb easier. From the highest point on Cape Cod there is a good view across Provencetown harbour to the Long Point Lighthouse.

By now it was time to think about food and we had a most agreeable repast of appetisers on a balcony overlooking the harbour. Then there was time for more photo opportunities as dusk set over the fishing fleet in the harbour and as the light faded on the remains of the old wharf. The appetisers had us feeling surprisingly full but Lee and I still had a further snack before a round of gelatos for all to finish off the evening as we sat and watched the passing parade that seemed every bit as frenetic as it was the previous evening. On the way back to the car Lee sought my semi-literate advice in a surf shop on the range of surf boards available.

Everyone was tired by the time we got back to Braemar, and with an early start tomorrow for the drive back to Boston, it was time to turn in – for my last night in the USA before departing for Iceland!