The unusually shaped island of Cape Cod was originally a peninsula reaching out from the Massachusetts mainland until a canal was forged through its narrow connection in 1914. The matching silver arcs of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges span the canal, prone to traffic slowdowns even in October when I was there and congestion that I can only imagine in summer.
Bike paths run along both sides of the canal. I joined cyclists, runners, walkers, fisherfolk, rollerbladers, birders, photographers, and parents with toddlers in strollers and babies in backpacks to walk the scenic trail from Sandwich to the Sagamore bridge. Ships passed through under the bridge; a train chugged by on the other side of the path. The canal reflected a deep blue that day.
I stopped to ask two men intently collecting something along the rocky shore.
“Clams? Mussels?” I asked.
“Snails!” one man responded, holding up his plastic bowl with a grin.
The nearby ice cream shop was closed. A shame, I would have ordered a Shipwreck Almond cone.
The iconic Sandwich Boardwalk stretched over a marsh and Mill Creek for about 1,500 feet. Destroyed by Hurricane Bob in 1991, it was rebuilt, then repaired again after storm damage in 2013. Plaques tell of the biodiversity, rare birds, and shellfish that thrive in the marsh’s environment. At high tide, I learned, people jump from the boardwalk to swim, and kayak through the creek and waterways.
I was fortunate to see the bridge in its current state. The town recently decided to demolish and rebuild the bridge, higher to avoid rising waters, with railings, and meeting accessibility requirements. It had not been declared a historic structure because of the rebuilding projects.
One more beach to share on this journey… At Sandwich, I walked through a gap in the dunes, the entry to all the beaches I had seen on the cape. it’s forbidden to trod on the dunes. They breathe of wildness, forming a natural barrier between residences and the sand and sea, with natural grasses hiding a busy life I read about it in Henry Beston’s book (Yarmouth, Chapin beach).
Rocks covered with moss filled one area of the beach. Mussel shells painted the point closer to the canal in blue and black.
Cape Cod: Yarmouth and Hyannis, Chatham, National Seashore, Provincetown, Yarmouth, Chapin sunset, Cape Cod Canal, Sandwich, Nor’easter, Falmouth, Woods Hole
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Another lovely walk in Cape Cod! It’s a shame that the ice cream shop was closed; the menu outside looks so colorful and cute! I’m sure you can return to try again and order your Shipwreck Almond cone.
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Thanks so much, Rebecca! Perhaps on another visit.
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Another excellent Cape Cod instalment Ruth. I really love the plank walk and could just jump into that photo to explore.
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Thanks for coming along, Leighton, and your kind comment.
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What a lovely-lovely walk! How on earth do you choose an ice-cream from that wonderful menu? Beautiful pictures Ruth!
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Thank you, Corna! I was taken in by the colorful menu, some creative names. Maybe another time.
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Thank you for sharing these photos.
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Thanks for visiting, Jay.
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I remember that bridge (and the traffic). I’ve only ever driven through Sandwich, but it looks like a lovely place to enjoy the sandy beach and ocean … and ice cream if the shop was open.
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The beach was a bit different and interesting, and the views of the bay. I didn’t find much of a town, but it may have been down other streets.
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What a lovely walk! Although it would have been even better with an ice cream (I’d be tempted to try the no-sugar coffee, although salty caramel is my current go-to flavour!) I loved the path through the dunes and the bridge and boardwalk over the marshes 🙂
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The boardwalk and colors on the beach made Sandwich an interesting stop. I also would consider the sandbar swirl flavor. Quite clever.
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This was a lovely vicarious walk. It’s a part of the world I’ve not seen, but your photos somehow make it feel familiar. It has that seaside town feel.
Alison
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Each of those beach towns seem to have its own flavor, similar yet unique. Thanks, Alison.
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So many rules about the jetty! It makes a person need to stress-eat an ice cream cone. I’ll have the coffee flavor. 😉
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I’m with you! 😄 There’s a Coffee Oreo if you feel like splurging.
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Beautiful place and wonderful pics!
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Now that is a list of ice cream flavours I just couldn’t choose between!!!
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I stood there for quite a while deciding before I realized they were closed!
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I wonder if it was named after Sandwich in England? The cool blue light would be fantastic for a painter. I hope the snails were for fishing and not eating…but who am I to judge??
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There are many places in the States, especially in New England, named for the lands the early Europeans came from. I assumed they were for eating, like clams and mussels, but I didn’t ask!
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I don’t think I would have asked, either…😃
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Fantastic photos, Ruth!
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Thanks, I appreciate your visit and comment!
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