A Romantic Fall Walk on Cape Cod--Rock Harbor and Cape Cod Bay

Today is rather a blustery day on Cape Cod, but the sun is shining over the marsh rendering a cacophony of color. The sea grass is showing off its golden color, which almost seems to sparkle in the sun -- natures own "amber waves." Ground cover on the dunes has turned a dark shade of red. This back drop really shows off the white of the gulls circling about.

The trees have all taken on their fall jewel tones. The evergreen trees are emerald with berries of jade. The blue spruce certainly challenges the blue of any star sapphire. The oak trees run the gamut from smokey quartz to the dark shades of the cat's eye. The ruby red fire bushes stand out in nature's fall array. Added to this mix of color are the brilliant citrine yellows, the agate oranges, and all splattered with garnet splotches.

So come on down for your own romantic walk on Cape Cod. Afterwards sit by your fire, read that book you haven't had time for, enjoy a bowl of clam chowder at one of our many area restaurants, do a little holiday shopping, or book the best massage ever, after relaxing in the sauna, hot tub, and resistance pool. Check out our November specials, and we will see you soon.

Sunny Cape Cod Activities -- AAUW, Book Signing, Square Dancing and Guided Hikes

The weekend of October 24th through 26th brought a really nice group of people to the Inn. We shared in anniversaries, birthdays, and family get-to-gethers. Guests enjoyed the property, massages, breakfast and happenings in the area. One family was especially pleased with our itineraries and spent the day finding all the sights mentioned in it. Thanks to the many great restaurants in the area, guests said a diet was in order starting on Monday.

This week on Cape Cod (October 27 through October 30), there are a couple of things that you may not want to miss.

Monday, October 27 -- chair yoga begins with Patty Renauld at the Eastham Methodist Church, Route 6. Call 508-349-1915 for details.

Tuesday, October 28 -- University Women at 12:30 at St. David's Church, Old Main Street, South Yarmouth. Jeanmarie Fraser, "Women as Leaders at CCCC," open to the public.

Book signing and reception for Beverly Ryle "Ground of Your Own Choosing," 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Brewster Ladies Library, Route 6A, Brewster.

Nau-Sets Square dancing, multilevel with intermediate rounds, 7:30 to 9:30 PM, workshop 7:3- to 8:00 PM, Dennis Senior Center, Route 134, $7.00, 508-896-5237, Halloween Dance.

Wednesday, October 29 -- Guided hike with the Eastham Hiking Club, 9:00 AM, free, open to all, 508-255-3808. Meet at south Street parking lot for Dennis-Crowes Pasture hike, just past Quivett Cemetery.

Wednesday walks with Naturalist Connie Boyce, Flax Pond to Run Pond, Dennis, leave Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, route 6A, Brewster at 9:40 AM, 508-896-3867.

Thursday, October 30 -- Free film screening "Iron Jawed Angels," with Hilary Swank, 7:00 PM at Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth.

Radio hoax lecture 70th anniversary of the 1938 War of the World radio hoax, 7:00 PM, Brooks Free Library, Harwich. Bart Stewart, author, reads excerpts from his story "Theater on the Air."

Theater
"Beatlejuice" Starcreations Theater, 7:30 PM, Thursday, October 30th at Hyannis Elks Club, 852 Bearses Way, Hyannis, $10, 508-747-1234."The Importance of Being Earnest", comedy, Chatham Drama Guild, 134 Crowell Road, Chatham, 8)) PM Thursday - Saturday; 2:00 PM Sunday, October 23rd through November 16th. Call 508-945-0510 for ticket information.

"The Producers" Academy Playhouse, 8:00 PM, Thursday through Saturday; 2:00 PM, Sunday through November 9th, $20, Main Street, Orleans, 508-255-1963.

"Shining City", mystery, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (W.H.A.T.), 8:00 PM, Wednesday through Sunday: 3:30 PN Sunday, through November 1, Julie Harris Stage, 1 Kendrick Avenue, Wellfleet, $32, $22 matinee, 508-349-9428.

So call now for your reservations at the Inn. You don't want to miss any of the great events, nature, and the arts that the Cape has to offer. See you soon!

Weekend Walks on Cape Cod to Celebrate Cape Cod Pathways

This weekend is the annual Cape Cod Pathways' "Walking Weekend," with interesting excursions planned for around the Cape. Parking is available at all walk locations.

Friday, October 10:

1:00 pm Wing's Island Brewster
1:30 pm Stony Brook Preserve, Brewster

Saturday, October 11:

9:00 am Namequoit Bog Ramble in the Bramble, Orleans
10:00 am Provincelands Dune and Bog Walk, Privincetown
10:00 am Schoolhouse Pond Watershed, Chatham
1:00 pm Wing's Island, Brewster

Sunday, October 12:

9:30 am Three Pond Hike, Orleans
1:00 pm Wing's Island, Brewster
2:00 pm Archaeology Walk, Harwich
3:45 pm Sunset hike on Griffin Island, Wellfleet
5:00 pm Full Moon Tour at Nauset Light, Eastham

Monday, October 13:

7:30 am Birding: Fall Visitors, Truro
9:00 am Bird Walk at Bank Street Bogs, Harwich
10:00 am Kenrick Woods, South Orleans
10:00 Glacial Ponds Parks trail, Eastham
1:00 pm Bridge Creek Conservation, West Barnstable
1:00 pm Wing's Island, Brewster

Guided Hikes at National Seashore and Museum of Natural History

Tuesday, September 23rd, visit the Salt Pond Visitor Center, Eastham for an illustrated program by Park Ranger Jenna Sammartino, "Shifting Sands of the Shore" at 6:30 PM.

Wednesday, September 24th, there will be a guided hike with the Eastham Hiking Club at 9:00 AM. It is free and open to all. Call 508-255-3808 for more details. Meet at the entrance parking lot at Nickerson State Park, Route 6A, Brewster.

Guitta Blau, member of Boston Mycological Society will host a foraging walk and talk at 10:00 AM at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Route 6A, Brewster. The cost is $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Call 508-896-3867 for more details.

Cape Cod National Seashore Passes for Seniors

WOW! Did you Know 62 Isn't so Bad? Here are three really important items for those turning (or have already turned)62 years of age. First of all, the National Parks offers, for a one-time fee of $10, a National Park Pass that is good for any National Park in the USA, and it is good for the whole of your life.

Secondly, Cape Cod National Seashore, which is a nationally recognized premier destination for those visiting the Cape, is a place where you can use this great little pass.

Created by an act of Congress in 1961, here is what the National Seashore has to offer: 43,000 acres of coastline, dunes, kettle ponds and trails. It is a vibrant source of education and entertainment for locals and visitors alike. You can sightsee by car, canoe, bicycle, kayak, or backpack. There are six beaches, 11 self-guided nature trails, nine lighthouses, numberous picnic areas and countless breathtaking views. At the Salt Pond Visitor's Center, open from 9 to 4:30 daily, pick up trail maps, event calendars, and knowledge of the area. There is also a visitor center in the Province Lands in Provincetown, where the bicycle trail offers a challenge.

Third, you can spend your vacation at the Whalewalk Inn on our three acre compound. Become a part of the history of this 1830s whaling captain's house. Also, check out our wildlife -- bunnies, coyote, deer, and birds galore: Gold Finch, Red-tailed Hawks, Robins, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees, the Phoebe bird, Bob Whites, Orioles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Crows, Morning Doves, Sparrows, Grackle, and squirrels, who think they are birds.

September is a beautiful time of year on the Cape. It is warm in the day, cool at night, and the water is actually the warmest of the whole summer. Get into the nature of the Cape by also visiting the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 508-896-3867, Green Briar Nature Center 508-888-6870, Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary 508-362-7475, Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary 508-349-2615, and the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, which is the country's oldest acquarium for public education and scientific research 508-495-2267.

See You in September

Well, children are back in school, the weather is still amazing on Cape Cod, and the traffic is smooth sailing. There are still many events planned for fall visitors, so hop in your car and come on over to the Cape.

If you are spending the day on Nantucket, now through September 5th is the 16th Annual Nantucket Arts Festival featuring a vast array of local talent. Call 508-325-8588 for details.

Right here in beautiful Eastham -- step back in time and enjoy a three-day Eastham Windmill Weekend. The "Fabulous 50s" is the theme so you can listen to the rock and roll sounds of the Juletones, check out the sand art contest enjoy the Cookout on the Green or check out the Antique and Classic Vehicle Show.

September 6th cheer on the swimmers and kayakers at the 21st Annual Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla.

Enjoy bird watching -- September 6th and 7th the Bird Carvers' Show and Sale comes to East Sandwich. The show includes works from 20 of New England's most prominent bird carvers.

The Cape Cod Museum of Art current exhibit, "Spirits of Sea and Land: Skip Treglia's Found Objects, has an unusual twist. He uses objects he finds in nature to craft pieces depicting fish, shamans, and other figures. See now through September 28th.

At the Heritage Museums & Gardens host the first ever Cape Cod Scottish Highland Festival. There will be dancing, athletic competitions, sheep herding, authentic food and tons of music from the Cape Cod Fiddlers. Call 508-888-3300 for details.

September 13th is the Second Annual Provincetown Music Festival held at the high school from 5 to 9 PM. For information call 508-274-2513.

September 19 to 21 is the Truro Treasures Annual Gala Weekend. The exciting weekend features activities like a silent art auction, antique and classic car show, treasure hunt and golf tournament. Visit trurotreasures.org.

So see you at the Inn and make plans to enjoy many of the festivities around.

Thursday, July, 31 -- What's Happening about Town

Just a couple of things to do to kick off your vacation. Art show and sale by the Eastham Painters guild, 9 AM to 5:30 PM at the Schoolhouse Museum, Route 6, Eastham.

The Guild of Chatham Painters is having an outdoor art show Thursday and Friday at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Main Street, Chatham.

The French Cable Station hosting guided tours 1 -- 4 PM, at 41 South Orleans Road (Route 28), Orleans. History and equipment of telegraph cable from France to the US. Open through Sunday.

If Wildlife sightings are part of your perfect vacation, things are starting to heat up in the shorebird world. Numbers and varieties are increasing as are rarities and uncommon shorebirds showing up.

The first rarity of the season was a Ruff spotted at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet. Also spotted was a Wilson's Phalarope. Although the Wilson's Phalarope breeds in Massachusetts, they can still be difficult to find away from breeding grounds.

South Beach continues to bring in large numbers of shorebirds. In Chatham this past week those seen were: black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, piping plover, American oystercatcher, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, willet, spotted sandpiper, whimbrel, husonain godwit, ruddy turnstone, red knot, sanderling, semipalmated sandpiper, least sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, dunlin and short-billed dowitcher. That surely is a full days exploration.

Right here around the corner from the Whalewalk Inn at Nauset Marsh a good number of shorebirds are being spotted.

Not only are the birds plentiful, but the whales continue to dazzle guests with their numbers and their antics. Humpback whales still number from the 40s to 60s, while the Minke and fin whales continue to put in a nice appearance. There have even been Sea Turtle sightings and if you are fortunate enough to spot one, please report it to 1-888-732-8878.

For more information please call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 508-349-2615. If you want to take a one night trip to Cape Cod, we do have a couple of one-nights availabel -- and don't forget the 15% discount.