May 27, 2016

Craigville, Kalmus, Veterans and Hyannisport

When I left the 1856 Country Store, I was really close to Craigville Beach so I went down to check it out.  The beaches are bit different on the Nantucket Sound side.  The sand is coarser, with more crushed shells than rocks.  The beaches are also flatter from the parking lot to the water.


I haven't been down there since the mid 80s.  It was high tide so beach combing wasn't that good.


I accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up in an exclusive part of Hyannisport.  I pulled over to take a few pics and got out of there.



Back on the right road, I pulled off at Kalmus Beach.  I saw July 4th fireworks there in 1987 with one of my friends.  The first couple of fireworks misfired and set the beach grass on fire.  The fire department had to put out the fire before the show could continue.  Then we were directly under the fireworks and firey, hot, smoking embers were literally raining down on everyone.  It was a comical sight watching all of us frantically gathering our blankets and crap and running down the beach to safety. That's the last time I went there.  And I think the first time too....kids in Sandwich didn't venture to Barnstable beaches as we had our own.


Waaaay over there is the Kennedy Compound.  I'm assuming it's still in the family even though so many of the old family has passed away.  



Just up from Kalmus Beach is Veterans Beach and the John F. Kennedy Memorial.  Somewhere there is a picture of me, around age 4, with my cousin and aunt from Yonkers, sitting on one of those benches.  



This is the Korean War Memorial.


I thought this was pretty cool, and I touched the stone.  


Looking out towards Veterans Beach.


10 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:21 AM

    Very timely and beautiful memorial. I love to drive along the beach roads and find those little hidden paths but I do the same thing, stumble into those no access entry ways. Oops! I was in DC a few months ago and came across an entire no access neighborhood. Yikes!

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    1. Thanks! Hyannisport isn't gated...well the Kennedy area is...but there really isn't anywhere to pull over and access the beach. The one good thing about being on Cape Cod is that you can never really get too lost cause no matter what direction you drive, you are going to hit the water at some point. lol

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  2. You do a nice job explaining your exploring. Sometimes I feel like I could almost be there with you.

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    1. Thanks Liz! It's a really pretty place. There's a saying around here, 'We live where you vacation'.

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  3. Interesting memorials. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't need such memorials any more? Lovely pix as usual. How come you didn't go visit the Kennedys?

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    1. Thanks Jo! I actually did meet John Jr at Craigville Beach in the summer of 83. I didn't know it was him at the time, someone in the parking lot asked if my cousin and I knew who had just invited us to a party. We thought it was just some frat boys. Didn't believe the guy in the lot, didn't go to the party, then that night on the 11 pm news they showed John's graduation from Andover and said he'd headed down to the Cape with his friends. Diane and I were stunned.

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  4. H JoJo,

    Thanks again for a fascinating tour. All those memorials, most timely and poignant. Thanks for sharing some more of your marvellous photos, JoJo.

    Have a peaceful, positive Memorial Day weekend.

    Gary

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    1. Thanks Gary! I hope it's peaceful, but trying to drive anywhere is an exercise in futility. lol

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  5. Replies
    1. The water is much warmer on this side, but I prefer the Bay side beaches, even though the water is ice cold.

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