Wheels, Waves and Whales

Heading for Provincetown today for our first Tour of Honor site. Spent a little time planning the route and included USA Tour and the Smoke Chasing Tour as well. To make time to the Cape we slabbed on I-495 all the way down to the Bourne Bridge. We then routed ourselves across Sandwich Rd to RT 6, the Mid-Cape Highway. Traffic was light on our side; however the traffic going over the Sagamore Bridge was intense. I sure hope this is not what to expect on the way back.
Our first stop was Pig Out Premium BBQ and it was a bust. A great way to start the day. Grabbed South Yarmouth United Methodist Church for the USA Tour. MeAsWe indicated she was getting hungry.

Heading for South Dennis I pulled into this place for breakfast. MeAsWe had some French Toast concoction and I had the eggs with homemade hash. Our waitress indicated it was homemade deli style, which was a combination of roast beef and corned beef. How can you go wrong? Did some clowning around while we ate. 

The food shot that I always seem to forget.

One of the neat things about riding is people seem to talk to you more readily than if you were just somebody there. I don't know why this is, but it is. This older gentlemen (I can't really say old guy, because by all standards I fit into this category as well) was telling us about the wheat fields in Kansas and the fact he could get a 10 cent cup of coffee. We had quite a conversation about his travels. I have been to Kansas and we are headed back to Kansas this year for a BBQ place, so I will have to keep an eye out for the wheat. I do remember the corn of Iowa though.

Grabbed the South Dennis Library for the USA tour and headed for our next stop.

Since we were on the Cape, we stopped at the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond visitor center. I have been here at least 3 times, but never watched the video. Today would be different.

The movie is actually very good. When we got out of the movie I went to the counter. This little girl just completed her requirements to become a Junior Ranger.

Picked up a surprise BBQ joint for the Smoke Chasing Tour.

Back out on RT 6, and exited not to long later for the South Wellfleet General Store.

As we headed for Provincetown I was thinking we should really grab some of the lighthouses out here for the IBA National Lighthouse Tour, but said there is always next year for that. The winds picked up as the cape narrows heading into Provincetown.

Grabbed the Pilgrim and Mayflower Compact memorial as the kickoff to ourTour of Honor.

Headed for the Provincelands VC for another stamp for the NPT. When we arrived it was closed up for the season. Since we're not in a rush and some folks on a bicycle pointed out the Coast Guard station, we just had to stop and see the Atlantic Ocean. As we approached the beach a lady standing at the entrance told us there were 3 whales off the coast you could see. MeAsWe headed back down and I went back for my Panasonic point and shoot that zooms to 10X. As I was walking down to the shore line I was saying to myself boy it is gonna be a work out to come back to the bike in this soft sand. I was right.

We spent around a half hour watching the birds dive into the sea. These seem to pinpoint where the whales were, probably going after the same fish. You would see the whale blow water and then barely see their back as they arched and dove again. MeAsWe was fascinated since she has never seen a whale before. As we began the trek back to the parking lot another couple commented on our riding gear and of course we had to stop a while. We pointed out the whales and one of the arched enough and showed their tail. They were far enough off the coast a good picture was not possible.

Headed for the last destination of the day on the other side of the bridge, Sagamore Beach. Riding back on RT 6 I said to myself that this road was really pretty boring. I also said this ride in the summer would have been a zoo. Before we crossed I realized I never marked  MapSource with Sagamore or Sandwich MA for the USA Tour. I must be slipping or we are simply doing to many tours at once.

 A view of our journey