Cape Cod with Two Kids and a Wheelchair: Outer Cape

Wellfleet, Truro & Provincetown

Amanda in her new glasses

We spent a week on the Outer Cape - Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. It's a great area for kids, but a little tough for anyone with a disability. For instance, Amanda's glasses' frame broke and due to the strength of her prescription Kevin had to make a 4+ hour round trip to get them repaired. There were more high points than low, however.

PJ's in Wellfleet

Our favorite place to eat was PJ's in Wellfleet. The menu is so comprehensive that it spans two walls. They serve good hamburgers, hot dogs, fabulous seafood, etc.. They also make their own ice cream - both soft serve and hard. The soft serve comes in vanilla, chocolate, raspberry and coffee. While there are always lines in front, the main dining area is accessible by a ramp and is rarely crowded.

We ate there at least 4 times over the course of the week so its safe to say that we've tried a good number of the items. I liked the fried clam roll - more than enough clams for a meal! Friends liked the lime marinated shrimp and the lobster roll. My girls love the  kids' fare - especially the macaroni and cheese. They have thick, crunchy onion rings and crispy sweet potato fries. You can eat inside in the breezy dining room or outside at a covered picnic area. PJ's opens at 11AM and has a line all day.

Lighthouse Mini Golf

We've been loyal Poit's customers for years. There is a grill in the main building as well as pizza and ice cream in the snack bar. However it was a big disappointment. The pizza was awful - squares of what tasted like frozen pizza reheated for $3.95 a slice. The snack bar had a good ramp, but the main building only had a small ramp in the front. We had to back Amanda over the high threshold to get her into the arcade area.

For years Poit's had a little mini golf course consisting of astro turf ramps and some cement statues. It was kitchsy but it had charm. The owners must have recognized this because they saved two of the original animals next to the newly designed course. As glamorous as the lighthouses and water features are, the course is the same. There are none of the challenging obstacles that make mini golf exciting. And it wasn't accessible. We bumped poor Amanda up and over the edges of the golf course. Also, it was expensive - even with a $2.00 off coupon we paid $5.95 per person.

Midway between Poit's and PJ's, in South Wellfleet, a small sign signals the entrance to an often overlooked site: "MARCONI STATION SITE -- NO BEACH ACCESS. Site of first United States Transatlantic Wireless telegraph station. Built in 1901-1902."  Take the turn - it's worth the drive!

The Marconi Station is a  great site for a picnic with several small decks looking over the ocean. It's the end of a bike trail so its very accessible - while we were there a man with an artificial leg rode up on a recumbent bike. There is also a nice walking trail through the White Cedar Swamp. It is not a beach access - the dunes are a sheer drop. For beach access follow the signs to the Marconi Beach.


Shopping in the center of Wellfleet is a delight, but completely inaccessible. Every store has at least one or two steps. Many have four steps. Amanda and Kevin sat out our shopping trip. I doubt either of them was heart broken. My favorite stores in Wellfleet are Abiyoyo (an amazing toy shop), Newcomb Hollow Shop (lovely pottery pieces and affordable limited edition jewelry), The Secret Garden, and the Wellfleet Marketplace. We also enjoyed the whimsical crafts at the Luna Sea gift shop.


"Fairy Door" at Luna Sea

There are wonderful art galleries in Wellfeet as well. My favorite is The Left Bank. Over the years I've bought several pieces from the Left Bank  including framed prints, sculpture and a lovely bird bath. I also love The Blue Heron and the Kendall Gallery. There is a weekly gallery opening "wine and cheese" on the weekends during the summer - a great date activity if you can find someone to stay with your kids (we couldn't).

We did take the kids to the Wellfleet Pier for the Wednesday night square dance. In case you're concerned that you'll be surrounded by big skirts and cowboy hats, this isn't really a traditional square dance; its more of a line dance. There is a DJ calling out the moves using instructions like "turn to the harbor, turn toward the town, turn toward Macs, turn toward me." It was fun. Unfortunately the night we went the tide was very low and it reeked to high heaven. We couldn't stay because we were overwhelmed by the smell. If the tide is in your favor its an easily accessible activity for both kids and individuals in wheelchairs.

A sentimental favorite of mine is the Wellfleet Historical Society. It spans two buildings, interrupted by a small art gallery. One side is a museum full of artifacts, the other side is designed to represent a typical 18th century seafaring household. My mother was a passionate, dedicated volunteer to the Historical Society. My father donated the funds to develop the front garden in her memory. While we were there we purchased a memorial brick in the walk for $50.

Truro is the town next to Wellfleet. We toured the Truro Vineyards. They offer tastings every 30 minutes for $8. My friend and I shared our selections so we had the opportunity to sample ten wines. There are crackers and water to cleanse your glasses and palate. Plus you get to keep the very pretty souvenir wine glass! There is a gift shop with everything from wine to openers, T-shirts and cheeses. The wines were mostly good and the prices fair (about $14/bottle). The shop had steps in but the tasting area was level as were most of the paths around the vineyard. The incredible scenery and lovely picnic area on the front lawn make it worth a visit.

Highland Lighthouse

We also visited the Highland Lighthouse. It was $4 for the tour of the lighthouse including a video and a guide inside the actual light. Kevin was the only one to get to the top - lots of stairs and you had to be over 4 feet to climb them. I nobly volunteered to stay at the bottom with the girls. Okay, I'm scared of heights... The view from the observation deck is spectacular and free - and at ground level.

The farthest point on Cape Cod is Provincetown. Provincetown is a fun, funky place with lots of great food and good shopping. However, like Wellfleet, most of the stores are in older buildings and not accessible by wheelchair.

While we struggled with accessibility at most of the Outer Cape's beaches Herring Cove in Provincetown was a pleasant surprise. In the middle of a bicycle trail, it has a paved "boardwalk" running the length of the beach. While the embankment is too steep in most places to safely maneuver a wheelchair down to the beach there is a ramp at the far left end. The beach itself is flat, but rocky near the water. As a bayside beach the water is calm and a bit warmer than an ocean beach. Happily it is a National Seashore Beach so Amanda's new Access Pass got us in for free. Parking is typically $10. There are bathrooms, accessible showers and a small concession stand. It's really a nice family beach - although, in fair warning, it is "nudity friendly" in parts.


Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown

For more information on Wellfleet and the Outer Cape, please see:

http://www.wellfleetchamber.com/Shopping.html
http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/marconi-beach.htm
http://www.wellfleetma.org/public_documents/wellfleetma_RecProgs/summer/Square%20Dance
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/massachusetts/cape-cod/review-134704.html

Cape Cod with Two Kids & a Wheelchair: Eastham

Today we went to the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham. It has a wonderful view of the salt marsh. It also has a small museum, complete with a box of shells pleasantly labeled "please touch." Danielle loved listening to the sound of the ocean in a whelk and was mesmerized by the prehistoric looking horseshoe crab.

She was amazed when I told her that horseshoe crabs were around before dinosaurs. In fact, the oldest  horseshoe crab fossils were found in 445 million year-old rocks. She would have loved to see a live one. Unfortunately she's unlikely to see one this time of year. They're deep sea dwellers most of the year, coming to shore mainly in May and June.

Horseshoe Crab

While we were at the Visitor Center we got Amanda a National Parks "Access Pass". This is a free pass available to any U.S. citizen with permanent disabilities. The Access Pass admits the pass holder and up to  3 adults for free where per-person fees are charged. (Children under 16 are always admitted free.)  It also admits the vehicle the pass holder is riding in for free in parks where vehicle entry fees are charged (for instance, Yellowstone National Park.)

The Park Rangers were friendly and helpful. We got the pass in less than five minutes. Not only that, but the Ranger pulled out a map of Cape Cod and marked all of the National Seashore beaches on it, highlighting the ones with free surf chairs.

I love the wild ocean side beaches on Cape Cod, but for the most part they aren't accessible by wheelchair. Now Coast Guard Beach in Eastham has a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the beach and two submersible wheelchairs. Most summer visitors take a shuttle bus from a remote parking area, but anyone with a handicap parking permit can park at the top of the hill. The Ranger at the booth at the bottom of the lot checked our parking pass, tipped his mounty hat and waved us in. The view from the parking lot is spectacular.  

There were a lot of cars in the lot reserved for individuals with disability parking permits, but we only saw one other person in a wheelchair. She was in a power chair, looking at the view from the parking lot. It made me wonder why she wasn't down at the beach.

It turns out that it is a long trek down the dune even with a ramp. The two surf chairs were free and readily available. But, why are the surf chairs left at the beach end of the ramp? This is one of those instances where things may have been set up by someone with good intentions, but no practical experience.

A person in a wheelchair needs to either have a companion walk to the far end of the ramp and bring one up to the parking lot or has to get his/her usual chair down the ramp. Then where do you leave your wheelchair? We left ours at the end of the ramp, getting sand in the wheels and heating up in the sun. I suppose one of us should have pushed the empty chair back to the car.

The beach chair worked, but was it heavy going through soft sand. And I don't think it could have actually been used in the water at that beach (at least not during high tide) because there is a sheer drop at the shore and a heavy undertow. I was happy to get Amanda on an ocean beach for the first time in 6 years- I'm just not sure that we'd do it again.

I am sure that we'll be back in Eastham later this week. Danielle specifically asked to see a "red lighthouse." The closest I can find is Nauset Light. It's white with a red top and a light that flashes red and white at night. It's open on Wednesdays so we should be able to drop by in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, this is one place that Amanda just won't be able to access.

Maybe when we're in the area we'll go for a short hike. The Nauset Dunes Trail starts at the Visitor Center and is not too tough for wheelchairs and strollers. It's about a mile and a half with a slope at the beach end. However, the views of the dunes and marshes make it worth the climb, even pushing a wheelchair. When I was a kid we took our puppy, Noodle, for a walk here. He got so tired that my father had to carry him the entire way back to the Visitor Center. I'd better make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to Danielle if we do hike!

For information regarding the National Park Service Access Pass please go to: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

For information about horseshoe crab fossils please go to : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207135801.htm