Cape Cod - Day 1

Growing up on the West Coast, my awareness of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was primarily defined by its being one of the first points of contact for the Pilgrims (circa 1620) and the summer residence for the Kennedys. Of course, the Cape is much more than that; it is a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, known for its sweeping beaches, weathered lighthouses, and seaside villages. For many, the Cape conjures visions of salt-sprayed cottages, clam shacks, and sun-drenched memories, unless you happen to be here at peak season when your memories will include traffic, no vacancy signs, and over-crowded beaches.

We have timed our visits to the off-season when there are no crowds, bargains on rooms and empty beaches. This trip was planned to provide a break after a busy start to 2025, but it also comes just two weeks before we head off to England for our Coast to Coast walk (183 miles in 18 days). Our goal is to just be, get away from everything, get some decent walks in (training for England), and read a book or take a photograph(s).

Cape Cod is only an hour and a half drive from our home, but it is an entirely different environment in many ways. We decided to expand our understanding of the area with a visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). For those old enough to remember, WHIO is the home to the Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin,used by the oceanographer Robert Ballard during his many National Geographic television appearances. We did not know what to expect. We had seen the Institute from the Martha's Vineyard ferry terminal and had always wondered what was there.

There is a relatively small visitor center and a gift shop. I cannot recommend a visit to the WHOI visitor center highly enough. I do not know what the visitor center was like before the recently installed interactive display, but wow, oh wow! Many of the photographs below are taken of the displays. It was beautiful and informational.

Time to wrap this up and get some rest.

P.S. This page was created using the Squarespace iOS app. It was my hope that I would be able to use my iPad to put up blog posts on our Coast to Coast walk. I am not sure that is going to work out - this was a pain in the ass!