Lower Cape Day Trip

Brewster
Begin your tour at the Higgins Farm Windmill in Drummer Boy Park (east of the Dennis town line) on Route 6A.

The 1795 windmill was moved to its present site from Ellis Landing in 1974. Now fully restored, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Harris Black House behind the mill also dates to 1795. This primitive, one-room home, perhaps the last remaining one on the Cape, once housed a family of 13.

Continue east on Route 6A to #869, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The museum is open year-round and is a great place to learn more about the nature and history of the Cape. If inclined, follow the John Wing Trail behind the museum. Edward Bangs of the Mayflower Company owned this island in 1655. (This Guide's founder, Pat Brooks, is a direct descendent!) Later, a saltworks operated here, and salt hay was also harvested.

As you continue east, note the Brewster General Store on your left. Although merchants have been selling groceries and general merchandise here since 1866, the building, erected in 1852, was originally the Universalist Church. Nearby, discover the Brewster Egg, a stone monument housing the old town pump. A short detour down Breakwater Road on your left leads to The Old Burying Ground, with markers (including Captain Edward Bangs') dating to the Revolutionary War.

If you've brought your bike or are up for a hike, Nickerson State Park, on your right, is the next stop. The park was once part of multimillionaire Roland Nickerson's estate. Paved and dirt trails, eight kettle ponds and more than 2,000 acres of rich and varied land await explorers.

After the Park entrance, take Crosby Lane on your left. Just before you get to the beach, note the Crosby Mansion on your left. Wealthy businessman Albert Crosby built this mansion overlooking Cape Cod Bay for his second wife, Matilda. Unable to destroy the modest 4-room home of his childhood which occupied the site, Crosby incorporated it into this lavish, three-story, 35-room summer palace. When the multimillionaire tired of the extravagant and frequent parties his wife adored, Crosby opened a secret door and retreated into his other home.

Orleans
As you enter Orleans, turn right at the intersection on Eldredge Parkway. Continue through the next set of lights, then turn right at the next intersection onto Main Street. The Academy Playhouse, a center for the performing arts, sits atop a hill on your left. The building, erected in 1873, was once the Town Hall. Continue through East Orleans Village, then veer left onto Beach Road. Follow this to Nauset Beach, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Retrace your steps to Main Street and continue straight across the Route 28 intersection. On your right, look for the French Cable Station Museum, a wireless communications center. Between 1890 and 1941, this station received transmissions from Best, France, via a 3,000 mile underwater cable. News of Charles Lindberg's Trans-Atlantic crossing and Germany's invasion of France were among the communications. If you follow the short road next to the museum, you will reach a town landing on beautiful Town Cove.

Backtrack and turn right on Route 28, which soon intersects with Route 6A. The Jonathan Young Windmill at Town Cove Park on your right was built in East Orleans around 1720 and moved several times (including to Hyannisport) before finding a home in this scenic overlook.

Continue to the Eastham/Orleans Rotary. Take the second exit onto Rock Harbor Road. This pretty, winding way leads to historic Rock Harbor. In the early 1800s, packet vessels began transporting goods, then passengers, from here to Boston. Saltworks once dotted the beaches. Today, this is one of the best places to watch the fishing boats come in and the sun set.

Continue on Rock Harbor Road, which becomes Main Street. At the lights, cross the Route 6A intersection, then take a right at the next lights onto Route 28. Follow this pretty backroad into Chatham.

Chatham
At the first traffic light in Chatham, follow Shore Road to the Fish Pier on Chatham Harbor. Enjoy the view from the free observation deck, then visit the Fisherman's Monument, designed by Sig Purwin, a sculptor from Woods Hole.

Continue to Chatham Light, built in 1828 and rebuilt in 1876. Vessels 15 miles out to sea can see this beacon. At the adjacent overlook, notice the breakthrough in our barrier beach. A violent storm pushed through this protective barrier and took several waterfront homes into the sea. Backtrack a bit to Main Street, one of the nicest Walking Main Streets on the Cape. Grab a bite and picnic in Kate Gould Park, home to the summer band concerts.

Before leaving town, turn left onto Stage Harbor Road for a peak at the Old Atwood House Museum, #347. A sea captain built this gambrel-roofed home in 1752. Now owned by the Chatham Historical Society, it houses maritime memorabilia, Sandwich glass and other historical treasures.

Harwich
Continue on Route 28. Here, you'll be treated to wonderful views of Saquatucket and Wychmere Harbors. Just before entering Harwichport, turn right onto Bank Street and follow to the Route 39 intersection.

You'll see Brooks Park, home to summer band concerts and the annual Cranberry Harvest Festival, on your right.

Turn left, then take another left opposite the church. Brooks Academy is on your right. The country's first school of navigation, established by Sidney Brooks, was once home here. Although the museum is closed off-season, look for the gunpowder house and 1872 outhouse on the grounds.

To complete your tour backtrack to Route 124, which intersects with Route 6A at the General Store in Brewster.