|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Little Magazine
by and for the
Residents of Southport
Number 4
September 2010
|
|
|
|
|
Summertime...
|
 ...and the livin' is fun.
Check out the photos at the end of this edition of SVV to see how some Southporters celebrated the last days of August.
Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is just around the corner as I write this note. Hurricane Earl is barreling up the East Coast; maybe our summer will end with a bang, perhaps with a whimper. We'll know in a day or so.
I've already heard some folks talking about heading south for the winter. But after a summer with way too many 90-degree days, I'm looking forward to cooler weather. I can't even remember what cold weather was like.
My thanks to the SVV Team and others who helped to put this edition together, and to those of you who send notes of appreciation and encouragement. Your comments, suggestions, and leads for future stories are invaluable.
Look for the next edition of SVV in the first week of October. Enjoy!
David Kapp, Editor
REMINDER If your edition of SVV arrives without pictures or looking strange, let me know. I will guide you to the archived edition, which always looks the way SVV is intended to look. |
|
 |
|
|
|
SOUTHPORT PROFILE
An Interview with Don Post
by Ernie Ruber
| |
 Don (Donald E.) Post was born in 1928 on Staten Island, New York, the fourth of seven children. When his three elder brothers enlisted in the US Navy in 1938, Don became responsible for all chores, including sawing up old telephone poles for the furnace and keeping it fed and stoked. At 11 he was selling ice cream at the ballpark. Two cents weekly was deducted and properly sent to Social Security.
He worked at a gas station and then at a foundry molding foot pedals for the P-51 fighter plane; there he had to wrestle with molds that weighed 140 pounds. After being exposed to toxic gases in an accident, he left that job and got another as a shipping clerk in a chocolate factory. He graduated high school with a college eligibility degree and a technical specialty in electricity.
In 1948, at 20, he enlisted in the US Air Force where, after six months, his commanding officer recommended him for pilot training. Don: "Sir, do you think that I could fly an airplane?" Response: " Yes, I think you could." Don passed air cadet training and qualified in F-80 and F-86 fighter jets, the most advanced fighters of that time.
"After graduation, while serving on alert for the defense of Los Alamos, we were sent to investigate an unidentified airplane. It was a B-29 bomber headed towards Los Alamos; it refused to acknowledge radio transmissions or to change direction. The lead interceptor was instructed to fire across its bow, which he did without response. I was then ordered to shoot it down after we made a last attempt to communicate. I turned to execute the command and with my finger on the trigger, that plane suddenly banked and reversed course. We escorted it to Kirkland AFB where it was taken to a hangar at gunpoint. We never learned what that was about. Training or real? But that pilot took his life in his hands."
Don flew 93 combat missions in his F-80 fighter during the Korean War.  | In 1950, Don married his first wife, Veronica, and in 1951 they had a son. Ten years later, they adopted two daughters. Six months out of flying school he was sent to Korea; it was April 1951. "I flew 93 combat missions in F-80's and was sent home. My plane was hit 13 times, one time badly, as they shot up my tailpipe and my engine. I limped back and landed dead-stick as my engine failed on the descent. The turbine blades were shot away and the engine was full of holes. I was told that they sent that to the air museum at Patterson AFB to show what they could withstand, but I couldn't find it when I went there. Got three air medals for service there."
Back in the states, Don was sent to the 73rd Fighter Squadron in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and then to the 56th in Michigan, where events occurred that affected the trajectory of his career. "I volunteered to replace the engineering officer while he was at school. We had two 'hangar queens,' planes that for lack of parts, despite requisitions, just sat there. I got the old requisitions, flew a C-45 to Wright-Patterson AFB and demanded to see the boss. I was just a first lieutenant and they tried to talk me out of this, but I insisted. Ended up in the office of a full colonel. 'You know you've got your neck stuck way out lieutenant,' he said. I explained about the planes, that we had valuable equipment deteriorating on the ground and that was limiting our ability to execute our tasks, and finally he said, 'Tell you what. Every Wednesday you bring your plane to the dock and we will have a load for you.' And that was how it worked and by the eighth week we had one of those 'queens' in the air. I test flew it."
Preparing to fly a T-6 Texan  | "The base commander gave me a commendation for this and said he wanted me to serve as his flight safety officer and accident investigator. And so I was, at this post and various bases for the next 15 years. I flew 22 different types of planes, including helicopters and the de Havilland Beaver. I often had my head inside the engine nacelles with a stethoscope trying to hear odd sounds reported by the pilots that the mechanics could not diagnose. I was very successful at this but ultimately it ruined my hearing. I was able to continue to fly only because earphone volume on the plane could accommodate me."
"I flew the de Havilland Beaver regularly to Canada to transfer personnel and supplies. In the winter I landed on skis; it could be 40 degrees below outside and my windshield would completely frost over, as the heater could not keep up. Fortunately the field was humongous and with the aid of radio and wind direction I learned to land blind, load, unload and take off the same way. By the time I reached Michigan it would be warm enough to thaw the windshield and I could land normally. I did this for two years, logging 1,500 hours of flying time. Once a fellow officer went along for the ride and I made my usual blind landing and he said, 'I don't know how you do that.' 'Practice, I answered.'"
Don spent three years in Air Defense at Malawi in northern Japan, flying supplies to offshore islands. Once, a snowstorm stranded a Japanese weather station high up in the mountains. Helicopters could not fly in the strong winds at that altitude. Don and a sergeant volunteered to bring supplies with the Beaver. "When we arrived, the winds were gusting up to 90 mph. The Beaver had a top speed of 120 mph and I balanced the velocities as best I could, flying into the wind while the sergeant was lowering canisters on a rope as fast as possible. About eight minutes later we were on our way. The next day a limo came to my house (and to the base commander's and to my sergeant's houses also) with a thank you and a case of apples.
Don & Ali Post in Yuma, Arizona, where they go to escape New England winters.  | "On a less desperate note, Bob Hope came to do a show. Afterward, he asked to be flown to the offshore islands. I took him, and after we got airborne he asked if I would let him fly the plane. I did, and he flew quite well. When we reached the island I suggested he circle it and take pictures if he wished, which he did. He then asked, 'Where do we land?' I showed him a tiny dirt strip running from the wharf up a hill, and said, 'That's it.' He slid the controls over and said, 'You got it!' After his show he asked, 'How do we take off?' I indicated that we turn and power straight down that hill towards the wharf and take off. 'You got it,' he said. "Ten years later at another base I was part of a group of men invited to see him arrive. He recognized me, came over, threw an arm around my shoulder and said, 'Hi Don,' and to the base commander, 'I want him for my pilot.' He got what he wanted, although I flew co-pilot on that one."
In 1965, following five years as flight safety officer at two stateside bases, Don was posted to Clark AFB in the Philippines. He flew more than 150 combat missions over Vietnam and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal and the Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. In the course of his service he became exposed to Agent Orange and other defoliants. Today he suffers from Type 2 diabetes, neuropathy of the feet and legs and cardiac ischemia--three of the 27 listed illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure. He was operated on for ulcers and retired from the Air Force after 20 years.
Don enrolled at the University of New Hampshire, where he earned his BA and worked on a master's degree in education and plant science. When his GI Bill money ran out, he took a job teaching horticulture at Manchester (NH) High School. There, he used his greenhouse, classroom and $500 to teach his students not only about
Don demonstrates his championship table tennis form.  | plants but also how to run a successful business. Over the next ten years, they made over $100,000, which was used to purchase equipment for the school. Feedback from his former students, even those who did nothing with horticulture, indicated that learning how to run a business was a most important part of their education. One of them went on to become director of the Arnold Arboretum, one of the foremost research gardens in the country. In Manchester, Don also became involved in civic affairs, ultimately serving as selectman. But after ten years, health problems forced him to retire from teaching. (He is classified 100% disability by the VA). Sadly, his first wife died, but he is now happily married to Alice Kapp (Ali), whose husband had also died. They have traveled to all the states and flown to many countries. In 2000, they moved to Southport, where he plays golf and table tennis. Don was Yuma County Senior Games Champ and New Hampshire Senior Games Champ at table tennis (and he wants you to come and play Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m.) And they dance!
Ernest Ruber retired from Northeastern University where he was Professor of Biology and Ecology. He and his wife, Natalie, have lived at Southport since 2002.
|
 TRAVEL
Great American Waterways
by Bonnie Towle
| |
On July 26, 2010, my husband Al and I headed for Chicago's Navy Pier where we boarded the Niagara Prince (see above) for a 15-day, 1,600-mile boat trip from Chicago, Illinois to Warren, Rhode Island. Our small ship, built and owned by the Blount family of Warren, was operated by Blount Small Ship Adventures (formerly known as the American Canadian Caribbean Line). Al and I had wanted to take this trip for a long time and this year it finally worked out for us. Our voyage included one of the most amazing itineraries imaginable, with striking water views of Chicago, Cleveland, and New York City and contrasting panoramic vistas of rural areas along
The Great American Waterways cruise passes through the Erie, Welland and Oswego Canals. |
some of America's most historic waterways. We navigated Lake Michigan, Straits of Mackinac, Lake Huron, St. Claire River, Detroit River, Lake Erie, Welland Canal, Lake Ontario, Oswego Canal, Erie Canal, Oneida Lake, Mohawk River, Hudson River, New York Harbor, East River, Long Island Sound, Block Island Sound, Rhode Island Sound, Narragansett Bay, and the Warren River. This itinerary comprises a third of what is known as the Great Circle. The second leg would be Rhode Island to Florida via the Intercoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. From there the third leg stretches from Florida through the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi River back to Chicago.
Al and I arrived in Chicago a day prior to sailing, which enabled us to reconnect with the city and to get acquainted with what would be our home for the next two weeks. At 10:00 p.m. that Saturday evening the lights of the Navy Pier's ferris wheel were turned off and a fireworks display over the harbor delighted all of us onboard. It was a wonderful way to begin our small ship adventure.
What an adventure it was! We departed the pier at 5:00 p.m. the following day in sunshine and
Replica of the US Brig Niagara |
enjoyed the impressive Chicago skyline as we sailed out of the harbor into Lake Michigan. But a nor'easter blew in during the night and treated us to extremely rough seas during the night and all day Monday. We all kissed the dock when we arrived at our first port in Manistee, Michigan.
We often sailed during the night and were able to enjoy a morning cup of coffee on deck as we pulled into our next port. Some of the highlights of this trip were Mackinac Island, Michigan; the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Niagara Falls, New York; and the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.
When we arrived in Oswego, New York, we watched as the ship's pilothouse was retracted so that we could sail under bridges along the locks and riverways. We traveled through more than 40 locks via three canals: the Welland Canal, Oswego Canal, and Erie Canal. Along the way, we saw several magnificent tall ships, including a replica of the U.S. Brig Niagara. The pilothouse was raised again when we reached Troy, New York, on the Hudson River.
Bonnie and Al Towle visiting Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt at Hyde Park. |
From the dock in Kingston, New York, we motored to Hyde Park for a tour of the home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. On the way, we passed the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck, which claims to be the oldest operating inn in America ( since 1766) and where guests from Chelsea Clinton's wedding stayed. From Kingston we sailed to West Point. Since it was a Sunday morning we weren't able to visit the chapel or any of the other buildings but we did get to spend time talking with an upper class cadet. I was raised on Long Island and spent time in New York City, so it was wonderful for me to be able to sail down the Hudson River and view the New York skyline. We sailed by the Statue of Liberty, saw the Empire State Building from a new perspective, and passed the United Nations Complex on the East River. It was dark as we sailed by my hometown of Cutchogue on Long Island but I was excited to be back in familiar territory and was up with the sun as we sailed Block Island Sound and passed Newport, on our way to our final destination in Warren, Rhode Island.
Viewing the New York City skyline from the Hudson River was a wonderful experience.  | Small ship sailing was just perfect for Al and me. With only 57 passengers and 15 crew members, we got to know everyone and enjoyed sitting with different people at each meal. This was a very casual cruise where no one dressed up for meals. Many of the passengers had traveled with this cruise line before; one couple was sailing for the ninth time. Al and I were the youngest passengers and were called "the kids" by the crew. I believe we brought the average age down to 75. Betty, the oldest passenger, celebrated her 95th birthday on board. She attributed her longevity to being married to a younger man; her husband Jimmy was 89 years old. We enjoyed talking to everyone and learning their stories. This cruise and ship may not be for everyone. The cabins measured 8' X 10' including the bathroom. The bathroom was a wet bath; one had to sit on the commode to take a shower. Al and I enjoyed meals that were delicious and plentiful, but a few picky eaters found it hard to find food they liked. One passenger spent his portside time looking for places to eat. The evening entertainment was a current movie or a speaker or musician brought on board while at dock. Some were better than others. If you didn't like the evening activity, the only other options were to go to the top deck or your cabin. Smoking was limited to the aft fantail. The long days of cruising may not be for everyone and, while 17 laps around the deck equaled a mile, several people were glad to hit land to stretch their legs. Al and I would sail with Blount Small Ship Adventures again and we look forward to cruising the Atlantic coastal waterways with them in the future. |
 TECHNOLOGY
Managing Your Money Online
by Jonathan Leavitt
| |
Your money is coming and going all the time.
Today you can keep track of all of it via the Internet
(except that which you may have stuffed under your mattress).
BANK ACCOUNTS Most if not all banks feature online banking. With electronic banking you can have a minute-to-minute view of the state of your accounts. As soon as you deposit a check in an ATM it will show up online, subject to final verification. I assume the same is true when you use your debit card. I have never had one.
CREDIT CARDS Some, but not all, credit cards permit you to view charges and payments to your account online, usually with a few days delay. Credit cards issued directly by a bank, such as CitiCard and CapitalOne, are available for viewing on the Internet. Credit cards issued by retail stores and administered by banks may or may not be available on the Internet. You have to ask.
INVESTMENTS More and more investments, such as mutual funds and trust accounts, are available for viewing via the Internet. Fidelity mutual funds, for example, are quoted on a daily basis with the buy or sell price based on their next end-of-day value. All of the major stock market indexes are accessible in real time.
STATEMENTS: ELECTRONIC OR PAPER? Banks and credit card companies push you to accept an electronic statement only; it saves them printing and mailing costs. That is not in your best interest. It assumes that you will always be able to check your financial status electronically, which means that both your computer and their website have to be operational when you need the information. In addition, bank and credit card records are available online only for a limited time; retrieving information from an archive may be difficult and/or expensive. We may be a paperless society some day, but not yet. Maintain your paper records.
PAYING BILLS Paying bills with cash or by writing out checks is no longer necessary in almost every financial transaction you will encounter. There are lots of variations, but these are your basic options for conducting your financial affairs online:
*Pay with Your Credit Card When you use your credit card at the point of sale, you are paying for goods or services online. When costs accumulate regularly, like your monthly phone and cable television bills, you can have the vendor automatically bill the charge to your credit card.
*Pay with Your Debit Card When you use your debit card at the point of sale, you are authorizing the vendor to take the money directly from your designated bank account.
*Let Your Bank Do the Work When you are assessed regularly for a fixed amount of money, you can authorize your bank to pay the bill by electronic fund transfer or by check from your designated bank account, specifying the amount, the payee, and when you want the bill to be paid. If the amount to be paid will vary, e.g., your monthly gas or electric bill, you can authorize the vendor to collect it and your bank to pay it when the amount is known and due. You can also authorize your bank to pay a bill that will not recur.
A representative from your credit card company and/or your bank will be happy to tell you about their bill-paying services. Be sure to ask if there are fees for their services and what happens if there are insufficient funds in your bank account to cover the bills the bank is authorized to pay.
Finally, although authorizing your credit card company and/or bank to pay most of your bills can make life considerably easier, be aware that if you should change your bank or credit card issuer you will have to re-establish the bill-paying processes you have set up with your former bank or credit card account. 
Jonathan Leavitt holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS in the same field from the University of Pennsylvania. He has lived at Southport full time since 2008.
|
SOUTHPORT PROFILE
Steve Memishian: Boxer, Insurance Man, Artist
Interviewed by Joy Evans | |
The son of Armenian immigrants, Steve Memishian began his life under the poorest of conditions. After a terrifying experience in the Armenian genocide, Steve's parents and brother walked to Syria from Turkey. Their goal was to make it to America but they needed a sponsor before they could come to the US. In 1917 they ended up in Greece where, in 1921, they located a sponsor in Cranston, Rhode Island and immigrated to the US; three weeks after their arrival, Steve was born.
His father and mother went to work in a costume jewelry factory in Cranston, but eventually the Memishian family moved to a four-decker cold water flat in the slums of Chelsea. Life was rough and tough in Steve's neighborhood and every kid needed to know how to defend himself. When President Roosevelt instituted the Works Progress Administration in 1931, professional athletes were recruited to work with the nation's youth as part of the program. Two professional boxers, Tommy Rawson, featherweight champ, and Red Chapman, lightweight champ, came to Steve's school to teach the boys how to box. Among the ninth graders, Steve stood out from the crowd, earning extra attention and instruction.
Steve Memishian won the medal he is wearing as the welterweight champion of the 4th Army Air Corps Boxing Team during WWII. In 1996, he was inducted into the New England Boxing Hall of Fame.  | Around 1938 or 1939, Steve's friend and upstairs neighbor, Izzy Silverman, told him about Izzy's Uncle Sam, who was 28 years old at the time and ran boxing shows in Revere. Sam was always looking for extra help setting up and cleaning up before and after the fights. Izzy and Steve could earn fifty cents a night at this job, pretty good money for a kid in 1938.
Trainers and managers from area gyms came to Revere with their stables of boxers, but on occasion not all of the boxers would show up. Izzy told his uncle that Steve could fight, so, from time to time, Uncle Sam would put him in the ring with opponents of every size. There were nights when he fought more than once. When Steve filled in for an absentee fighter, Uncle Sam would give him an extra dollar for the night.
Steve was a high school senior in 1939 when Sam Silverman took him to the Charlestown YMCA where Steve began training for the New England Amateur Athletic Union (NEAAU) tournament. At this time, interest in boxing was sweeping the nation and Sam Silverman ultimately became a nationally renowned boxing promoter. Sam wanted Steve to work toward a championship fight and sought the support of Steve's parents for this, but they were reluctant to approve the move. Eventually Steve's brother convinced his parents that they should let him try.
Steve won the NEAAU championship fight in 1939 and became the New England amateur lightweight champion. But before he could fully appreciate his accomplishment, his title was taken away. Someone reported to the Boston Post that Steve was a professional boxer because of the occasional one dollar he earned filling in for Uncle Sam's absent fighters back in Revere. The title was then given to Fred Earls, a man Steve would meet more than 60 years later on Cape Cod.
In 1942, Steve was drafted into the Army Air Corps and became an airplane mechanic stationed at Grand Central airport in Los Angeles. There, he was able to continue in the sport he loved. He qualified as a member of the 4th Air Force Boxing Team, which traveled from base to base in the western half of the US, fighting all comers. Steve won fight after fight in the welterweight division and ended up as welterweight champion of the team.
The walls of Steve's home are lined with his paintings of beach scenes and landscapes.  | After his years in the service, Steve went to art school and launched a successful career in the insurance industry, where he rose to be president of the Greater Boston Association of Financial Planners in 1974 and president of the General Agents and Managers Association in 1978. He was a long time director of the Boston Life Underwriters Association and was active in the civic affairs of Natick, where he lived.
Through the years his involvement in boxing and his love for boxing remained very much alive. He has been a referee and a judge for both amateur and professional matches at such venues as Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun and the Boston Garden. At the request and with the help of his old mentor, Tommy Rawson, who was now in his mid- 80s, he became deputy commissioner of boxing. In 2004, he founded Ring Seven, an organization for Cape Cod veteran boxers and served as the group's president for three years; the club is now merged with Ring Four, its counterpart in the Boston area.
In 1996, Steve was inducted into the New England Boxing Hall of Fame. Now, at age 89, he is still in great shape and remains active. He took up golf when he moved to Southport and gets out on the course four or five times a week. Twice a week he walks the course early in the morning, repairing the divots on the greens. He continues to paint in both watercolor and acrylic, and the walls of his home are filled with his beach scenes and landscapes. His son and daughter, grandchildren, and other relatives provide a steady demand for his paintings. He has donated pictures to various organizations to be auctioned including Southport's Mashpee High School Scholarship fund. And every once in a while he paints a picture of a boxer.
.
Joy Evans retired from her position as a college administrator in 1995.
She and her husband Bob moved to Southport six years ago.
|
 GOLF
Let's Make It Simple
by Paul Butters | |
How did the size of the golf ball hole come to be standardized at 4.25" in diameter? How many times have you lipped out a putt and wished that the hole in the green were just a little bit larger? Why is the hole that size to begin with? Like many things in golf, the standard size of the hole comes to us courtesy of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews, with an assist from the folks at the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, both in Scotland. New rules issued in 1891 by the R&A decreed that the size of the hole should be standard on all golf courses, everywhere. The precise diameter of the hole was determined to be 4.25 inches for no other reason than that the folks at Musselburgh had, in 1829, invented the first hole-cutter set to that size. That ancient hole-cutter is still on display at the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club. The exact reason for why that first tool cut holes at the now standard diameter is lost to history. But it was almost certainly a completely arbitrary thing, a notion supported by the story that the tool was built from some excess pipe that was lying around at the Musselburgh links. Want to Lower Your Golf Score? Now? That's a silly question isn't it? Everyone wants to lower his or her golf score. There are three keys you can use to shoot lower scores right now. Here they are:  1) Play the Shot That Needs to be Played Not the one you want to play. Be honest with yourself. You need to know your game; you need to know which clubs to hit with, and when. There is no point in using a club just because other golfers are using it. If they hit with an 8-iron for 155 yards but you hit much less with that club, use a 6-iron instead. Many scores balloon because players are playing "ego" golf instead of "scoring" golf. If you want to score well, hit with the club that will put you in the best position for your next shot. Play the percentages. Play the correct shot even if you are tempted to go for the risky shot. How many times have you hit a bad shot and said to yourself, I should have used another club? Play the club and the shot that needs to be played every time. Be smart. If you don't have the distance, then lay-up and take a bogey if that's what is necessary. How many times have you "gone for it" only to add two or more strokes to that hole?  2) Keep It Simple Every hole presents you with the information you need to make the right choices-for your game. Focus on where to hit your shot, not on where not to hit it. Don't complicate things; keep it simple. Don't try to be too perfect. Just hit the shot that will keep you in the fairway. Every golfer should have a routine and focus on it. Visualize where you want the shot to go; have a rhythm and balance in your swing. Focus only on what you can control, not on the condition of the course or your playing partner's attitude.
 3) Practice Your Short Game It's important to spend time on your short game skills. Everybody wants to hit the long shot off the tee, but take a closer look and you might find that chipping, pitching and putting are where your strokes add up during a round (especially at Southport). Imagine what your scores would look like if you learned to chip and pitch the ball closer to the hole. The more you do this, the more confidence you will gain. In addition, your putting will improve because you'll be a lot closer to the hole more often. Great golfers spend a lot of time on this part of their game because they understand that this is where strokes can add up. Remember, the long ball looks great but it's the short game that brings the numbers down on your scorecard.
 Paul Butters didn't have much time for golf while he was raising his five children and running his own business. Now, living at Southport, he considers himself lucky to be able to play golf three times a week. He is reacquainting himself with his game and finding time to practice what he preaches. |
 EXPLORATIONS The Cape Cod Rail Trail
by Diane Goeldner | |
To begin, I would like to share my first experience riding the Cape Cod Rail Trail on my first visit to Cape Cod with my love, Roy, leading the way. He, at 68, was devoted to bicycling and enjoyed the company of like-minded enthusiasts; he participated in and led rides with various cycling clubs on Long Island, New York. I, at 60, was a devoted speed walker.
Our mutual enjoyment of outdoor activities led to our meeting in late 2007 via Match.com but, in the spring of 2008, after a ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, I was having second thoughts about Roy. I was exhausted by the time we had done 30 miles of the 44-mile round trip at a challenging pace. Roy kept encouraging me to keep going, and I did because I had to get back to the car!
Meanwhile, a committee was meeting in my mind to decide how to tell this crazy man that we were not meant for each other, as I was sure I could never ride with him again. Well, I got better at bicycling, and Roy slowed down a little for me. Things work out; now the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is one of our favorite bike trails.
Beaches along the trail offer a chance to take a dip and cool off.  | The CCRT is an easy ride with very few inclines, and the 22-mile trip from Dennis to Wellfleet is scenic and interesting. However, if you don't get on a bike very often, the return trip can be quite tiring. A more relaxing way to enjoy the trail is to ride it in sections. Park at one of the eight entrance lots along the trail and use connecting bike routes to explore the towns and sights at the heart of Cape Cod. Here are some of our favorite side trips along the CCRT.
Dennis to Chatham Center The trailhead in South Dennis is on Rte 134, on the left about .25 miles south of Route 6. Start early; the parking area fills up quickly. You will ride through an unexciting industrial area for about 1.5 miles until the beauty of the trail reveals itself. Woodlands, salt marshes, fresh water ponds and cranberry bogs begin to line the trail at that point and continue along the entire length of the trail.
Commercial cultivation of cranberries began in Dennis in the early 1800s, and many of those early bogs are still in production along the CCRT. At 3.5 miles you come to a bicycle rotary where you can rest, check out the trail map, and either continue along the CCRT or head toward Chatham on the Old Colony Rail Trail. Be adventurous; take the 4.25-mile-long trail into Chatham Center. Riding the bike routes through the village, down along Shore Road and out to the Chatham Lighthouse is a delightful way to explore this beautiful village.
The Pleasant Lake General Store has been in operation for 150 years.  | Harwich & Brewster The parking area at Headwaters Drive in Harwich is the gateway to this section of the CCRT, which features three beautiful ponds. Hinkleys Pond is first up on the left. This pond also has been called Pleasant Lake, and a stop at the Pleasant Lake General Store, where the trail intersects Route 124, will take you back in time. The store has been in operation for 150 years and was once a post office and a station stop for the Old Colony Railroad. Grab a snack here and head down the trail to Long Pond. At 743 acres and 66' deep, it's the largest body of fresh water on the Cape, a great place to kayak and often used as a runway for seaplanes.
Seymour Pond, a little farther down the trail, is a favorite swimming area for bicyclists. A bit of history: In 1852, an enterprising cranberry grower saw the need to lower the water level of Seymour Pond to expand his bog. He, his two teenage sons, and a few extra hands, dug a five-foot wide canal through 30 foothills to drain water from Seymour Pond into Hinkleys Pond. They managed to do this in seven months. The cranberry bog flourished but eventually was abandoned. Although Cahoon's Cranberry Canal cannot be seen from the trail, is still intact, if overgrown.
 Nickerson State Park, East Brewster At 1,900 wooded acres, Nickerson State Park is one of the state's largest parks; you can enter it from the rail trail. Park at Route 137, Underpass Road in Brewster and ride 1.5 miles to Nickerson's entrance. Camping, hiking, swimming, eight kettle ponds, and eight miles of paved biking/hiking trails make this a very special place. Stop at the information building for a map of the park and enjoy a day of exploring. Bike trails pass by two of the park's main attractions: Flax Pond and Cliff Pond. Ruth Pond, a popular swimming area, also can be easily reached by a trail. Hiking trails lead to other ponds in the park, including Higgins Pond, a favorite of birdwatchers. One caveat: biking trails here offer spectacular scenery but some have rather steep hills. If you are not up to strenuous riding, ask the ranger at the information building to suggest the easier trails.
Salt Pond Visitors Center & Nauset Bike Trail The Cape Cod National Seashore Visitors Center is located at the Great Salt Pond in Eastham, just off Route 6. Park there for access to the Nauset Bike Trail. The center also can be reached from the CCRT by exiting the trail at Locust Road in Eastham and following bike route signs over Route 6. The center is a trove of information about Cape Cod's ecosystems and the view of the Great Salt Pond, Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic Ocean is spectacular. Take time to watch the short interpretive films offered here; you will come away with a new appreciation for our wonderful island.
The Nauset Bike Trail starts at the center and meanders for 2.0 miles on a paved path through rolling
The wooden bridge on the Nauset Trail leads to the Atlantic Ocean at Coast Guard Beach. | woodlands of cedar and locust, with views of Nauset Marsh. After crossing a wooden bridge you arrive at the Coast Guard Beach parking lot. The former Coast Guard Station here is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore and now used as a residential environmental education center. Sit awhile at the picnic benches and take in the beautiful vistas of ocean, marsh and bay.
Wellfleet, CC National Park Headquarters & Marconi Area The trailhead in South. Wellfleet is a short distance down LeCount Hollow Road off Route 6. It is impossible to get to this parking area without first stopping at PB Boulangerie Bistro at the beginning of LeCount Hollow Road. This French bakery is the best! We never ride the CCRT on Mondays or Tuesdays because the bakery is closed on those days.
After enjoying a delicious treat at the Bistro, hop on the CCRT and head .75 miles east to the entrance of the Cape Cod National Park Headquarters at Marconi Station Road. Half a mile down Marconi Station Road is the site where Guglielmo Marconi successfully completed the first transatlantic wireless communication between the US and England in 1903. There is a weatherworn model of the site as it looked in 1903.
This is the narrowest part of the Cape, and you can see the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Cape Cod Bay to the west from a viewing platform on top of a dune. Standing on the cliffs and looking out across the Atlantic toward England, you can't help but marvel at how far communications technology has come. Perhaps the spirit of Marconi could inspire a solution to poor radio and iPhone reception at Southport?
We hope that you will take time to explore the Cape Cod Rail Trail. To learn more about the history of the trail and other Rails to Trails adventures, check out these websites: www.traillink.com and www.cctrails.org.
|
Summertime, and the Livin' is Fun
Southporters Aboard the Liberte & at a Backyard BBQ
|
Sunset on Nantucket Sound
 |
Sailors
 |
Hot dog specialists |
 |
Hungry people
 |
She's a champ.  |
You can never have too much whipped cream.
 |
A study in blue | |
|
|
|
Coming in the OCTOBER issue of SVV...
-
SOUTHPORT PROFILE An interview with a neighbor, or two
-
EXPLORATIONS TBA
-
UNUSUAL JOBS A chat with former innkeepers
TRAVEL A report on a two-month trek through the West
- TECHNOLOGY Using your computer to improve your life
-
COMMENTARY Musings from our favorite local philosopher
- DINING OUT Recommendations on where to find a good meal
|
|
|
|
|
|
