MyCOLORADOLife.net
Late Monday a.m. start – didn’t wake ‘til 8 (slowly settling into lazy vacation life). Yogurt, handful of nuts. Day’s first stop: the Pilgrim Monument.
— The Pilgrim Monument was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown on November 21, 1620.
— The Pilgrim Monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States. The granite came from Stonington, Maine, and each stone is the thickness of the wall.
Toured the tired lighthouse museum. Hasn’t really changed over the years but I go every visit – LOVE history, LOVE our American story. Climbed 116 steps to the Monument top & took in its ocean view. Stunning. Best way to start a Monday morning 🙂
Walked Commercial thru P-town’s West End; met up with a local kayaker just past the Causeway. Paddled to the tip of the Cape three years ago. This trip toured Provincetown’s extensive water estuaries. Launched 2 hours before high tide, meandered thru tall field grasses…like something from the African Queen. Water fowl, fish, green crab & [salty, edible] pickle grass. Beached on a sand bar & enjoyed a short swim while waiting for the tide to come in.
One final dinner, one last evening show – then sadly, vacation time came to a close.
Tuesday morning ferry, another beautiful sunshiny day — AND 4 hours playtime before my airport return home. BOSTON! Day choice: Public Garden and a local cemetery. [Honestly] it’s the history that interests me, not crypts & dead bodies. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere – these early revolutionaries & signers of the Declaration fill our school books.
WOW, whatta summer! Visited both coasts of Canada, family vacationed in St. Louis, road-tripped thru Yellowstone, pony-trekked the Tetons…then ended ‘heat’ season, celebrating the big 5-0 on scenic Cape Cod. #noregretlife
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- 116 steps to the TOP!
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- sunshine & ocean – who doesn’t love Mondays?
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- in 1620, Pilgrims first landed here (before Plymouth Rock)
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- Provincetown Causeway
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- launched 2 hours before high tide
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- sand bar beached & enjoyed a swim
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- European green crab
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- our Nation’s 1st Chief
Whaling by day, dinner & a show by night. Living B-I-G on my BIRTHDAY!
After a half-day at sea whale watching, caught a few zzz’s on the upper deck of the Elephant Walk Inn (my P-town B&B). At my new advanced age, find an afternoon nap is the only way I can hang past 10pm. LOL>
Tea-smoked duck at the Front Street Grill (thanks Sheila & Patricia), followed by VIP tickets to Audra McDonald at the Town Hall (thanks Stephen). Lovin’ me some Broadway – and THIS gal delivered. A 6-time Tony WINNER, she captivated for an hour half – 7 months pregnant & in heels…and only 4 years my junior (yep, baby-making at age 46 – WOW!).
Fog rolled in & evening temps dropped double-digits. Perfect nite for a stroll.
Happy Birthday me, happy birthday.
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- the only way I can hang past 10pm
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- perfect Birthday dinner
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- tea-smoked duck — why I keep coming back
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- red dress & a strong handshake
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- perfect nite for a stroll by the Town Library
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- 6-time Tony WINNER, Audra McDonald
6-time Tony WINNER, Audra McDonald (audio only)
Another day of sunshine. However still feeling the effects of yesterday’s rays, so no beach today – that said, couldn’t stomach the idea of indoor activities at an ocean location…wrong, just wrong.
How ‘bout a whale watch? I’d be on the water but could avoid additional sun exposure if necessary. GREAT idea! (thanks Stephen)
Boarded our ship at 10am – half-day adventure on the North Atlantic, sailing an hour+ northeast of Provincetown. My third whale watch – North Pacific humpbacks in Hawaii last January & orcas off the San Juan Islands in June 2015. Lucky in life 🙂
No more than 20 minutes into our voyage, whale spouts far in the distance. Boat stopped another 20 minutes in, where we watched a large pod of humpbacks feed. So many whales, super close to our ship. Just WOW!
Learned all about bubble net fishing – a technique humpbacks use to hunt as a skilled pack.
this technique…unique to humpback whales, the animals exhale through their blowholes while swimming in a tightening spiral so as to create a cylindrical wall of bubbles under the water. The wall of bubbles acts as a net that fish are reluctant to swim through. The whales then suddenly swim upwards through the bubble net, mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in each gulp. This technique can involve a ring of bubbles up to 30 m (100 ft) in diameter and the cooperation of a dozen animals. Some whales take the task of blowing the bubbles, some dive deeper to drive fish towards the surface, and others herd fish into the net by vocalizing.
Eye trained for lime-green patches of ocean, 15-20 seconds later the circular circus of whales emerge, mouths open, fish feeding.
Way beyond my expectation to see so many humpbacks. Whale of a day! Captain partially blamed our good fortune on global warming. Whales are traveling farther south from Canada’s Maritime provinces – while their food chain’s migrating northward along the US Atlantic seaboard to avoid warmer ocean waters. A perfect storm for whale feeding!
Back mid-afternoon in P-town – late lunch & a nap. Big plans for tonite – it’s my BIRTHDAY! 🙂
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- Provincetown harbor
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- bubble net fishing
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- crazy close — WOW!
Whale of a Tale: North Atlantic Humpbacks
