Hidden Activities – I Didn’t Know They Had That in This Area

By CHRISTINE LYNCH

Fall has arrived, and thoughts of leaf peeping and apple picking float to mind. No need to gas up or charge the car for a long-distance trek—you can do both activities right on Cape Cod. As the temperatures approach crisp-to-chilly, take a walk on a sunny afternoon by some of the Cape’s ponds. For your viewing pleasure, you’ll see a colorful tapestry of gold, russet and crimson tones not only on the surrounding trees but reflected in the serene pond waters.

The other popular fall activity is apple picking, and maybe having a cup of freshly pressed cider. Oh, and that may include grabbing a box of warm cider donuts as you leave. Don’t plan to head up way north; instead follow along Route 6A toward East Sandwich. Crow Farm is family run and has 50 acres of fields and orchards. They have quality produce, and you can pick your own goodies throughout the year. During the fall season, they go all-out with tractor rides to the apple trees, a corn maze and doughnuts.

Here are a few more ideas that aren’t typically Cape-related, yet are right nearby. 

Comedy Tonight – The fall is also an ideal time to consider taking a class. For many, the start of fall still rings that old school bell. On-Cape, there are many places to find art and crafts classes, and music or languages. But, what about improvisation? You might think you’d have to trek to Providence or Boston to find an improv studio. Nope.

The Cape has a lively venue for those looking to sharpen (or discover) their quick wits. Improv Cape Cod, located in Dennis Port, offers shows and workshops. You can join the challenging fun of spontaneous improv work with other like-minded people. “Any and all levels of experience are welcome to join us.” The instructors give you “a safe environment where goofiness is encouraged.”

Hammer & Stain Cape Cod – For those looking to enjoy a crafting experience, there is an extension of the art bars that sprang up a few years back. “Hammer & Stain Cape Cod is more than a crafting studio,” owner Theresa Martens said. “We are a place to come together as friends or make new friends.” They run creative workshops in their studios located in Sandwich and Harwich. And, yes, participants can BYOB and snacks to most sessions. Sea glass projects, or resin, wood or yarn might be the medium for their open-to-the-public classes. Private events can be scheduled for a group, and Hammer & Stain Cape Cod also holds fun pop-up gatherings, with ages 5 to 90 participating.

Cape Cod Ukulele Club – Did you know you can pluck and strum along with a fun group of “ukers” on Cape Cod? A world of upbeat music, good people and the chance to embrace your playful creativity is ongoing with the Cape Cod Ukulele Club. Together for about 10 years, it was started by Cathy Hatch, self-proclaimed “director/leader—the glue to all of the chaos.”

Music selections span many genres. Besides the ukes, “we have a bass player, keyboard, flute and fiddle and assorted noise makers kazoos and whistles.” The group is looking for more players and singers. All levels are welcome, although those under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Ms. Hatch said, “There is an Upper Cape group practice in West Barnstable at First Lutheran Church at 6:30 PM on Mondays.” 

Cave Spelunking – Another unexpected possibility for the area is spelunking, that is, exploring a wild cave. The Cape region, with its base layers of sand, doesn’t invoke thoughts of cave exploration. Still, a visit to Chamber Rock will change that outlook.

Technically, the rock is found over the bridges in Bournedale, but when Indigenous people marked this site as a sacred place, there was no canal separating the two land masses. This historic setting contains a massive granite boulder that, in time, was split. Legends speculate about what caused this fissure. Now set on a large parcel of town-conserved land near the beginning of Chamber Road, the rock’s openings beckon, daring spelunkers to enter the cleaved chamber.

That is worth a visit alone, but there also is a wealth of early Cape history on this land, going back generations, prior to the Wampanoag people first encountering settlers. The stories begin to explain why this stone also was known as Sacrifice Rock.

Sagamore Hill Military Reservation – And, while you are on the other side of the bridges, you can check out one of the most strategic defense systems of World War II. There are places that display WWII era ships and equipment, with the nearest to the Cape being Battleship Cove in Fall River. But the Cape certainly was involved with the war, from running training maneuvers on Washburn Island to the tactical placement of large guns at the canal entrance.

Now a mostly forgotten footnote to history, the Sagamore Hill Military Reservation is commemorated by a sign reading, “Sagamore Hill Historic Site.” History tells us that this site, off Scusset Beach Road, originally was a council gathering place for the Wampanoag and Manomet people. By the 1940s it was turned into a coastal defense outpost, manned by the 241st Coastal Artillery, Battery C. Military precautions were scrambled to protect American and allied vessels traversing the canal. Troops were quartered there, and 155mm cannon, long-range guns were installed.

For more on the Cape’s involvement with World War II, the Museums on the Green, on Palmer Avenue in Falmouth, has a special exhibit presented by the Falmouth Historical Society, in collaboration with the Cape Cod Military Museum (currently not open).

The Original Shopping Center – Not many people realize the significance of the bustling 17th-century Aptucxet Trading Post. Set on the banks of the Manomet River, the area now overlooks the mighty Cape Cod Canal. Today, the Museums at Aptucxet preserves the history that took place in that locale.

Located off Shore Road in Bourne, the main building is a replica—constructed with 17th-century materials—of the one built after the Pilgrims took over the trading post. There is an eclectic collection of artifacts and structures, each steeped in history. A saltworks, a still for making beer, a Dutch windmill and the Bourne Stone are just some examples there. Open through mid-October, Aptucxet has special events throughout the season, many in conjunction with its Wampanoag member liaison.

Have an activity that you’d like to do, such as visit a top-notch vineyard (Truro Vineyards), or visit an observatory for a Star Party (Cape Cod Astronomical Society’s Werner Schmidt Observatory in South Yarmouth), or ride a zipline (Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich)? Check for it first on the Cape. You might be surprised to find it right here.