The Beach Time Never Ends

Menahaunt Yacht Club in winter

Windy Winter Day on Menahaunt Beach

One of the things I discovered about myself late in life was that I love the beach. I came to this realization late because I have the kind of skin that burns to a crisp instantly and I grew up south of Cleveland Ohio. I never saw the sea until I was twenty (and that was on the ferry to Prince Edward Island in late winter). The things I love about the sea are not the things you find out on a ferry crossing or from pictures or books. I love the smell of the sea, and the sound of it. The sound of waves is deeply relaxing, as is the scent of salt air. I can sit happily on the beach all day reading and listening to podcasts as long as I have an umbrella and industrial strength sun protection. Heat is no bar to enjoyment. Oddly, I am not a swimmer. I dislike swimming at the best of times and I do not fish. I do like to snorkel and kayak, but it is mainly just being near the sea that I love.

One of the great luxuries to living on Cape Cod is that you cannot be more than seven miles from the sea.

Roxy and Mitzi on the beach

What that means to me is that I don't have to plan a beach day to get a little fix of seashore. Especially in the winter, I can zip out to any one of the many beaches within a half hour drive and take Roxy for a little walk any time I want. It's not too much trouble to just go there on a whim. Whenever I am in Falmouth  for the day I take Roxy and Mitzi to Menahaunt Beach. If an afternoon is especially warm and lovely I drive up to Sandwich to enjoy the town beach and its beautiful marsh. The State Park beach and Mashpee town beach are narrow strips with some really nice walks through the marshes and dunes, especially pleasant if the wind is light. Those are the three I visit most often, but every one of the beaches has its own special appeal. Shana is fascinated by the beaches in Chatham because of the possibility of a shark sighting (Jaws!). I think the most beautiful beach is Nauset Beach, but it's farther from home so it's not my impulse beach of choice.