Wheelin' and Rockin' with DIanE

We arrived in Cape Cod on Tuesday at the Atlantic Oaks Campground in Eastham, MA.

After a few days on long drives, I was really looking forward to heading out on my bike on Wednesday. The easiest place to get started was on the Cape Code Rail Trail that passes behind the campground.

I took the first 10 minutes at a pretty relaxed pace. I wasn’t sure whether my bike was damaged at all when E’s took the flyer off the truck on Dokken Road. (If that doesn’t ring any bells for you, go back and read the “And We’re Off” post.) The trail is a a paved, flat ride for the first 10 km, but then it turned into more off-road conditions not meant for my road bike. Instead of turning around, I left the bike trail and headed out on a paved road that I’d passed earlier. This road had some nice rolling hills and few cars, so I decided to ride it until I was ready to turn back.

At some point, I saw a small gatehouse ahead with a few cars lined up. When I got closer, I saw that it was an entry point to the Cape Cod National Seashore. I thought that would be interesting to check out, and I was hot enough that the idea of at least walking in the water on the beach was pretty appealing. As I approached the gatehouse, I saw that there was a $15.00 fee for bikers, and I had no cash. ‘No problem,’ I thought. ‘I’ll come back with E another day.’

Before I could leave, the gatekeeper came over and asked if he could help me. I pointed to the sign and said that I’d come back another time. He said: ‘It’s free for you’.

‘Huh?’, I think. I asked for clarification, and he said: ‘That’s an old sign. Go on and enjoy your day.’ Well, I didn’t need to be told twice.

It’s a beautiful beach, and I will go back with E:

By the way, I did not go swimming:

Stay posted, Diane