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MAY NEWSLETTER
The Cape tourism businesses are betting on it. Surrounded by over 500 miles of coastline the locals know quite well how delicate the balance is between using it or loosing it - our natural resources, that is. Take the drinking water, for example. Did you know that our water supply is constantly threatened by the pressure the ocean exerts on it. If we were to allow demand to get out of control (reducing ground water pressure) this crucial resource would be lost. There are lots of things going on behind the scenes to protect the Cape and its beautiful beaches. But, to bring this good work home some businesses are focusing on teaching the visitor about our fragile environment. Sustainable travel is the buzz word now. Expose the Cape's visitors to the ecosystem and you'll bring about awareness and change. A good example of this is whale watching. It was once started to bring attention to that endangered specie and has turned into a tourist driven industry for Cape Cod. Learn more about the Cape's eco friendly businesses... Today the Cape has a wide array of ecotourism activities that make it fun to learn about nature and how to protect it. For some its seeing things in their natural state that illicit an emotional reaction - a hump back and its nursing young - while for others its the practical aspect that makes sense - specie extinction by over fishing. What ever the reason, people want to see more and do more. Some of the businesses that make the connection for you are listed below. This summer might be a good time to do a little exploring while you're on vacation. The Cape Cod National Seashore offers Kayaking, canoeing, biking, and walking guided and self guided tours through its vast park system on the Cape. The latest schedules, activities and fees (most are free) are listed on http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/index.htm (As of this writing the interpretive program had not yet been updated.) The Wellfleet Audubon Society has similar programs as the National seashore as well as day and overnight camps. Trips include a walking tour of the bayside mudflats, Monomoy Islands bird and animal watch and Cape Cod Bay marine wildlife cruise for families. A complete list can be found on their website at http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Wellfleet/index.php There is another way to see the Cape Cod National Seashore - by sand dunes. Arts Dune tours out of Provincetown has the exclusive license from the park service to take visitors for hire in his fleet of four wheel drive suburban vehicles. Your guide will show you the original dune shacks and rescue stations. You'll learn about efforts to protect the endangered Piping Plovers and see their protected nesting areas. Nothing puts the awesome forces of nature in perspective like seeing the eroding sand cliffs along the eastern shore line. http://artsdunetours.com Walking trails are everywhere. Most are marked with information placards along the well laid out paths. One of my favorites is the White Cedar Swamp Trial in Wellfleet. Most people go to see the main event - the Marconi Wireless Station - but you'll not want to miss this trail loop for some of the best and most beautiful nature has to offer on Cape Cod. http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/places/whitecedarswamptrail.html Those that want to limit their involvement to an hour or two sightseeing can do so by taking one of the tour boats out of Hyannis, the Cape Cod Canal - http://www.hy-linecruises.com/ , Bass River http://www.capecodrivercruises.com and/or Provincetown - http://www.capecodecotours.com/ (the Viking Princess also has a critter cruise for young families. It's a hands on trip that the kids get to touch and feel some of the featured sea creatures.) These trips mix nature and local flavor for an interesting tale. Besides the Viking Princess critter cruise there are other hands on tours you can take. Zoo Aquarium out of South Yarmouth http://www.zooquariumcapecod.net/ has sea and animal life the kids can interact with along with a theater for shows and presentations. A couple of non profits on the cape work hard at not only teaching about our ecosystem but actually doing something about it. The Woods Hole Aquarium http://aquarium.nefsc.noaa.gov/ recently was in the news for their work on rescuing endangered sea turtles. Another great place for families is the Cape Cod Natural History Museum in Brewster http://www.ccmnh.org/Home_2000.htm This museum is also hands on kind of place with self guided walking trails and supervised field trips.
During the month of May many of the lighthouses on Cape Cod open up to the public and offer free guided tours. But, that's just one of many events the Maritime Festival has to offer each year. The festival has its roots from the Cape's rich history with the sea. Most will point to the Pilgrims landing in the 1400's (or was it the Vikings centuries before?), that started it all. But, it was the fishing fleets, whale hunting and ship building that connected our livelihood to the sea. The ocean brought us its fair share of tragedies, as well. Over 1000* ships have sunk off our coast from pirate ships, world war vessels, freighters, to passenger liners. (The most famous of the latter in modern times was the sinking of the Andrea Doria and the damage done to the QE2 traversing the Capes shallow waters and rip currents.) Can you hear the Cape Sea Captains calling you? More about the month long festival... We've listed some of the highlights of the festival but you can see a full listing on the website at http://www.ecapechamber.com/MaritimeDays/Default.asp SATURDAY, MAY 12 Highland
Lighthouse tours - and relighting Chatham
Maritime Festival - fishermen’s contests
of skills, seafood, children’s nautical crafts & games, musical
entertainment etc!
Open House at Three Sisters Lighthouses
- Eastham TUESDAY, MAY 15 SATURDAY, MAY 19 Arts by the Sea Festival - Hyannis
Fine Arts & Crafts Fair Boat shop tours - Osterville exhibits depicting the history of wooden boat
building. Open House at Three Sisters Lighthouses
Shipwrecks around
The Spring newsletter has been finished and should be in the mail by the 10th of May. Those of you not familiar its sent out to all those that stayed the previous season. It's intended to bring guests up to date on all the resort upgrades, changes and staff tidbits since the last time they were here. It's also our way of keeping in touch with those that don't use the electronic version of mail - like my parents! Didn't stay with us last year? Be happy to send one out to you. Just drop us a note and your address. Traveling couples and families seem to be more active each year. We've put together a few new packages this year and added more choices in the others to keep you on the go. Spring and Fall we've added the "Family Adventure" and the "May Entertainment" both of which offer two and three nights options. You'll find lots of fun and lots of choices at savings you couldn't do on your own. Speaking of savings, we've spiced up the summer packages like the seven night "Beach Entertainer" and the four night "Summer Fun". Check out all our spring and summer specials... You can find all the information on our "specials & packages" page on the website at: http://www.corsaircrossrip.com/specials.shtml Credits: *shipwrecks of cape cod http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/heritage/shipwrecks.html **the history of whaling in the Stellwagen banks http://stellwagen.nos.noaa.gov/about/sitereport/whalehis.html *** Light house pictures courtesy of Rudy and Alice website http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/index.htm **** Adult Piping Plover picture courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/ |