Discover America 2025

On my way towards Cape Cod, I drove through the outskirts of Plymouth. I should have stopped by to see the historical markers near Plymouth Rock, where the first Pilgrim settlers arrived and where they supposedly have a replica of the Mayflower, but I flew past too quickly to turn off the road. I tried to get my first glimpse of the cape from Sagamore Beach, but all of the beaches were private and there was no place to park to get a view. So, I got back on the highway and drove over the Sagamore Bridge which connects the “mainland” with the cape. As I drove over the bridge, I wondered if Cape Cod was actually an island but found out later that the body of water under the bridge is a man-made canal, so technically Cape Cod is a peninsula. The canal was considered as far back as the late 1600s, but never actually built until 1916. It serves as a shortcut for sailing vessels between Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay.

It would have taken a few hours to drive the full length of the cape up to the tip (Provincetown), but none of the beaches are dog-friendly, so instead I drove down the western edge of the cape to Woods Hole below Falmouth. I stopped at the Nobsca Lighthouse, constructed in 1876. It came under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard in 1939 when the U.S. Light House Service (note – I didn’t know that was a thing) merged with the Coast Guard. It became automated in 1983 and is still functional, and the keeper’s house is now the residence of the Woods Hole Station Coast Guard Commander. From the lighthouse grounds, I was able to see Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island off in the distance, as well as Buzzards Bay.

I drove west and stopped at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, which is comprised of a few buildings near the New Bedford waterfront on Buzzards Bay. In the Visitor Center, there are exhibits describing the history of whaling in America. Whaling was a very profitable business, and also the genesis of an active relationship between the U.S. and the Hawaiian Islands in the 1800s, when the whalers on the eastern shore became aware of the very large whale populations in the Pacific. King Kalakaua of Hawaii actually visited New Bedford in 1874 t see where the vessels were made that visited his islands.

Next to the visitor center were a whaling museum (not part of the National Park) and a Customs House, built in 1836, where whalers would register their cargo before they were allowed to enter or leave the port. The duties collected in the 1800s were substantial and ultimately paid for roads, railroads, lighthouses and public buildings. The New Bedford Customs House is the oldest continuously operated customs facility in the country, and the New Bedford port is still a very active commercial port.

I next entered Rhode Island, which (much like Cape Cod) is also not an island, although the coast has many smaller islands. I wanted to hike along the Newport Cliff Walk, which is dog-friendly, but not trailer-friendly. So, I just drove through Newport and headed up to Providence, the capital and largest city in the state. Of all the capitol buildings I have seen, this may be the most impressive – very large and very beautiful. Whereas the Massachusetts State House is impressive, it is also crammed in with buildings all around it. In Providence, the capitol building is set on a hill, surrounded by mature trees and well-maintained green lawns, and overlooking the downtown area. BTW, I still can’t wrap my head around why capital (with an a) cities have capitol (with an o) buildings.

I left Providence and drove west to Connecticut. The drive took me through Hartford, so I entered the city hoping I could find some interesting views. But Hartford is like a mini-Boston – very crammed with no place to park. I continued on to my campsite at the Austen Hawes Memorial Campground in the American Legion State Forest. When I registered at the park office, the clerk advised that bears were active, and I should lock up my food. After feeding the dogs, we almost had a little excitement when the family camped right across from me yelled out that they saw a mother bear and cub walking no less than 50 yards away, but they were gone into the woods by the time I walked closer. Sean made me buy bear spray and a bear horn, and I thought I might finally get to use them, in Connecticut of all places.

Photos include the Cape Cod lighthouse and associated view, the New Bedford Custom House, a whale skeleton from the museum, a view of a beach near Newport, the Rhode Island State House and a view of the Providence downtown from the steps of the State House.