Sankaty head Light on Nantucket is making its move before nature takes its course.  Beginning the first of October and taking three to ten days to travel 400 feet to a safer location the 150 year old active light house will be on the go.  Just short of a hundred feet from the precipices (Originally built 250 feet away. That's one net foot of land lost each year.) the move has been fifteen years in the making without a year to spare.  Anticipating this years winter storms and the nine foot buffer of land remaining before the safe zone for moving the lighthouse is encroached upon the project was moved forward.  

Read more about the historic move.

So, who do you call to move 450 tons of brick?  A chimney moving company, of course!  That's right, there is a company out of New York that is famous for doing these jobs.  The process is slow and methodical. Requiring Hydraulic lifts to raise up the structure, steel girders implanted to reinforce the surrounding walls and foundation and Hilman Rollers (more still girders) to roll it to it's new location. 

This is not the first lighthouse threatened by erosion to have to make this journey.  The Highland light in Truro and the Nauset light in Eastham were moved a few years back for the very same reason. Others have been moved in Cape Hatteras and Block Island by the same company. Of course, the government is not the hero in this saga but rather the local non profits that have been formed to take ownership and financial responsibility.  (As we mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the government is unloading lots of lighthouses due to the high cost to maintain them.)  In Sankaty Head Lights case a trust took over the lighthouse through special legislation so it could start raising the four million dollars that was going to be needed to make the move.  The local golf course surrounding the light gave an easement to move it and set it down on adjacent land. Short just under a half million to pay for the project it was decided the project couldn't wait another year.   

*Special thanks to the articles written by Peter Brace for the Nantucket Independent and the Cape Cod Times

The Melody Tent in Hyannis and the Cape Playhouse in Dennis are one of two dozen or so playhouses on Cape Cod.  Unlike the two famous ones that bring in celebrity actors and musicians from May to September the local theaters are open year round performing a wide variety of plays from the avante guard to the traditional Broadway musicals. If you like theater you can't go wrong when you are here.  

Read more about the Cape theaters . 

Some of the theaters are converted historical buildings like the "Academy Playhouse" in Orleans which was originally built in 1873 as the town hall.  Some are reconverted churches like the Harwich Junior Theater just down the street from us.  And others are state of the art new facilities built from the ground up for the performing arts like the new W.H.A.T. (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater).  Each one has it's own unique personality. Most are upfront and personal putting the audience right on stage or in the middle of the actors, in some cases.

Why would you want to do theater here.  Well, besides the entertainment factor and the uniqueness of the venue you can choose to see something not yet seen by mainstream audiences.  The Cape has become more of a sounding board for performers and playwrights to try out new material before taking it to the New York theater crowd.  "Readings" are one of the most common venues used to "try out" new material.  The performers sit on stage facing the audience and read life into the authors words.  Sometimes they will add movement to the script which leaves your imagination to fill in the scenery throughout the performance.  Check out what's playing for your next visit at the Cape Cod theaters.  

October signals our last month to be open for the 2007 season.  This month usually sees good weather - 40's to 50's at night and 60's to 70's  during the days.  We close the outdoor pools but the outdoor whirlpools and indoor pool remain operating till the day we close on the 22nd of October.  It is easier now to get a last minute booking on the weekend with the exception of Columbus weekend.

Those that come this time of year will find most restaurants open with only a few that close weekdays or a couple of days during the week.   Most of the activities will run through this month like whale watching, mini golf, kayaking etc. and many more run year round like Island ferries.  With few T shirt shop exceptions all the stores will be open most with heavy discounting.  (Provincetown stores are notorious to run 50-75% off to run down the inventory before they close.)

More about October events. 

If the activities are not enough the towns run festivals to attract visitors.  Nantucket has an Arts Festival that runs September 29th to October 7th.  Geared more to the cultural seeking adult market it offers literature readings, painting expositions, and a performing arts venue.  

Yarmouth has the Seaside Festival October 5th to the 7th, (Columbus Weekend), for the family market.  Best described as a down home old fashion social.  Pie eating, sand sculpture, a road race and a kayaking challenge are the more competitive events.  It wouldn't be a family festival, however, without the fireworks, parade and carnival/flea market atmosphere that we all come to expect.

Wellfleet offers the following weekend the Oyster Festival October 13th to the 14th.  You wouldn't know it but Oysters are a big deal here.  Dennis and Wellfleet fight over who has the better tasting oysters.  But I'll save that for another article.  Anyways, the two day event has all the trimmings of fun things to do as well as to eat. 

Don't be left out this Fall.  Make the Cape your next visit, if you can.