A Day At Sandy Neck

By GEORGE Z. CLONDAS

Salt Life! You’ve all seen one of those stickers on the back of a Jeep, truck, car or minivan. But what does it really mean? I once saw one on the back of a car in Vermont. This made me wonder, have any the drivers of those vehicles truly experienced the “Salt Life?” I don’t have a sticker on the back of my truck. To me it’s a way of life, a feeling that lives deep inside you. It’s not a slogan.

I was asked the other day by a friend at a cookout, “What’s your favorite beach to go to on Cape Cod?” Without hesitation I said, “Oh! Sandy Neck!” This turned into a heated debate. Why not Old Silver or Chappy? Don’t get me wrong, I do go to all the beaches; they are all good. I’ll take a day at any beach over work anytime. But for me, if I really want to get away from it all and relax like I’m on a mini vacation, it’s Sandy Neck for me.

 

I proceeded to explain to my friend why.  For one, I don’t stop at the beach parking lot, load up like a pack mule and hump everything to the water’s edge and sit with the masses, only to pack it all up at the end of the day and shlep it all back. Once I get past the guardhouse and head down the road a little, I turn right onto the gravel road. From there, I deflate my truck tires, lock into four-wheel-drive and head over the dunes. You will need to purchase an Off-Road Vehicle sticker (ORV) and some special safety equipment but, for me, it’s well worth it. I’ve been out on Sandy Neck some days all by myself. This is usually on the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. I will admit it gets pretty crowded out there in the summer, around mid-June through August, especially if there are trail closures due to nesting plovers. But the reality is most of the beaches on the Cape get packed in the summer months.

For me, a trip to Sandy Neck is an adventure and usually last two or three days, depending if I can get out Friday night after work or if it’s a long weekend. It starts with putting my camper on the truck the night before or Friday afternoon, loading it up with provisions the family and even the dog and heading out Friday night or Saturday morning before the crowds. (Note, when you are on the ORV portion of the beach you can take your dog. You must clean up after them and they must be on a leash at all times.) 

 

Once we are at the beach it’s time to relax. It starts for me with a long walk. Some of my best walks with our dog have been here. You can go for miles and miles. I use a long leash, so I can let my Siberian husky run till he’s exhausted. When the pooch is sufficiently tuckered out, it’s my time to kick back and relax at the beach. I either sit back in a chair listening to music or an audio book and watching the family have fun, or if the conditions and tide are right, doing some fishing off the beach with hopes of catching dinner.

Food always tastes better at the beach. It could be a simple sandwich or hot dog and chips for lunch or an elaborate freshly caught fish taco dinner, cooked on the grill. It could be because everything tastes better with little bit of salt, be it seasoning or the natural brininess of the environment. I don’t know why—maybe it’s because you are forced to slow down, live in the moment, only focus on what is in front of you and not be distracted from the television in the background droning on and on about the day’s latest bad news. It’s refreshing only hearing sounds of joy and the beach.

 

Once dinner is cleaned up, and perhaps another walk for the dog, it’s time for another round of relaxation therapy as the sun starts to set over the dunes. This time in the form of a beach campfire. At Sandy Neck you are allowed to have a campfire at night usually after 7 o’clock until about 11 PM, weather permitting. If you have never had the pleasurable experience of a fire on the beach, you don’t know true, pure total relaxation. It’s a few hours of gazing into a fire and having a s’more all while listening to the symphony of crickets, accompanied by the crackle of the fire and the waves lapping at the beach. Many a time I have trouble keeping awake after a long day of fresh air, sun and good food. My wife usually has to wake me up to douse the fire and go to bed.

Once we are in the camper, I’ll leave a window cracked for the fresh ocean air and the sounds of the waves splashing on the shore. I always sleep great there.

 

In the morning I’ll get up early to watch the giant ball of fire rise out of water.

Lots of people rave about how beautiful a sunset is. You have not experienced beauty until you see the sun rise out of the water. I’ll make myself a cup of coffee and be the only person on the beach, at least for a little while. Sometimes I’ll even take a few casts and possibly catch a fish.

As I relax on the beach alone with my thoughts, one thing is for sure: I’m not thinking about leaving. It’s only Saturday. I don’t have to do a thing about that until tomorrow.