A seven-mile slice of dark blue water runs from the towns of Bourne to Sandwich, Massachusetts eliminating a one-hundred and thirty-five mile journey around the cape.
Although the initial dream of pilgrim, Miles Standish, building the Cape Cod Canal was an overwhleming prospect for men without engineering experience and proper equipment. It was a New Yorker, August Belmont, who made the canal a reality. Opening in 1914, Mr. Belmont saw the canal as a business opportunity – he charged tolls to those who chose to use it, which resulted in many opting to travel the length around the cape instead of using the new waterway. In 1928, the United States Government purchased the canal, widened and deeped it, using 1400 men who were victims of the depression. In 1940, the canal became the widest sea-level canal in the world, with more than 20,000 vessels using it each year. In just a few minutes’ walk along the scenic stretch, you are likely to see private yachts and fishing boats, tugboats, and ocean-going vessels of pleasure and commercial variety.
The walkways, one on each side of the canal, are wide enough on which to drive a vehicle, the Army Corps of Engineers use it all the time. Walkers, with or without dogs, bikers and roller-skaters, enjoy a fairly smooth and beautiful place in which to gather some fresh sea air and exercise. It is a social place where strangers nod or say hello to those they encounter along the way. The place is not to be missed as one travels over either bridge to the cape – it is well worth the stop to take a brief walk, to sip a hot coffee, or just to day-dream. I have always loved waving to the foreign ships. Sometimes I can’t see a single human on board, other times, there are many. I wave no matter what, kind of like letting them know that this is my country and they’re welcome here.
The plush greenery of spring through autumn is like no other. The bayberry, beach plum, and Ponderosa Pine trees are not only beautiful, they are hardy. Often the trunks and branches are twisted from persistent winds and penetrating salt mist. The foliage reminds me of strength and survival, qualities we all need to function well. I have a hard time deciding what to be aware of most, the controlled flow of the sea or the greenery – I try to do it all. I hope you will also.
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