Thursday, April 2, 2015

Those Beautiful Brewster Beaches!

{How's that for alliteration?} 

Brewster is a lovely old historic town on Cape Cod that has some of the best beaches on the Cape and also in the country. It's become one of my favorite towns on the Cape. I went there several times last summer, mostly because the boys spent a week doing a very good day camp program at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, which is in Brewster, so I had some time to kill while they were there.

I also went with my family (my mother, sisters, brother, two nephews, and of course my two sons) on a Saturday in July and we were able to get parking spots before the lot filled up. I was hoping we'd be there at low tide, when you can wander far out on the flats and explore, but we had a nice normal beach day instead because low tide wasn't going to be happening for a few hours. 

At low tide, this kayak (or skiff, or whatever it is), would be sitting on the sand.


Sail away, sail away, sail away
(My tribute to Enya and one of my favorite songs in high-school)

   
John climbed out on this rock outcropping, which at low tide is basically a rock wall, as you can see in the picture after the one that's below.


See? A little while later, the rocks aren't underwater anymore. The tide was starting to go out.
There's my mom with Sam and my nephew Rocco out on the rocks. 
(I won't write about what happened soon after I took this picture. But you remember, right Mom? Ha ha!)


Fun in the sun --> Naps in the sun



 I love beaches that have clean white sand and lush green trees...


 ...and clear, beautiful water.



  



"I'm the king of the world!" Or at least, the king of the beach.
(Note the paddleboarder in the background. I  really want to try that next summer!)


John and Rocco, searching for crabs.


 As the tide goes further out, the seagrass begins to appear.


Looking for hermit crabs. The water was so nice and clear.


Going out a little deeper...


Now for a quieter version of the beach above...this was the same beach (Saint's Landing) earlier that week when I was there alone while the boys were at camp. It was such a peaceful, quiet way to start the day. I can't tell you the good it did for my soul. I will definitely do that again this summer. Beaches are so quiet and peaceful on weekday mornings.


There's the rock wall that John likes to climb out on...



No crowds! Only the sounds of the sea.



Something really neat about this specific beach is that at the time I happened to be reading a historical fiction book by a local author (The Widow's War by Sally Gunning) and this very beach and the town of Brewster are featured prominently in the story as the main setting. It's so neat to think that this very beach and the roads I drove down to get to it were used by colonial settlers and Native Americans. Talk about bringing history to life.





There was a big beach house for sale right next to this serene scene. It's the one below on the left. It was only a couple million dollars. No problem, right? Riiiight. That house will remain firmly entrenched in my dreams where it belongs!


Now that's a nice parking lot view!


It was even worth the parking ticket I got one of the mornings that week for unknowingly parking in this lot without a beach sticker. Brewster, you're beautiful, but you're also way too strict with your beach parking rules and enforcement! But I forgive you, and I'll get my proper parking stickers next summer. I'll definitely be back!