Scargo Tower, Dennis, MA

We had a brief break from the humidity at the end of July and I took advantage of it by taking a morning trip to Dennis & Yarmouth.  I took the highway down to exit 9B in Dennis, and made my way north to Rte. 6A.  That whole corridor, which starts in Bourne and ends in P-Town, is a protected Historic District.  That's where you find the oldest homes and the most history of the area.  There are very strict rules about what a home can and can't have, including paint colours and whether or not window a/c units are allowed to be seen from the street.  Therefore, it's a beautiful ride past huge, white homes with old brick chimneys, inns, churches & graveyards, many which contain the town-founding families.

My first destination was Scargo Tower, in Dennis.  I'd been there once as a kid and once in the 80s but had no pictures of it.  It's really kind of off the beaten path and really doesn't get a lot of visitors and Russell had never even heard of it before.

The tower is on a hill and has a sweeping view from Sagamore Beach, all the way to Provincetown.  

Just a short climb to the top; I went up 3 times the day I visited so that tells you how easy it is!

The large body of water is Scargo Lake...the water on the horizon is Cape Cod Bay.  Scargo Lake is shaped like a fish.  There is a great Native American legend of how the lake got it's shape....do take a few seconds to read it HERE.  I'd like to head back there in the fall and maybe look for arrowheads.  

It was a little bit hazy & I'm not happy w/ my zoom lens,  but you can still see Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown.  

That's the lighthouse and cottage village at the tip of Sandy Neck Beach.  If you scroll back to the top of this post to the map, Sandy Neck is that chartreuse coloured spit of land in Barnstable.  

Sagamore Beach over on my side of the Canal.

The power plant in Sandwich.  I've heard if it's really super clear, you can even see the top of the Sagamore Bridge.

One more trip up to shoot the cool clouds

And my car.