the otherworldly beauty of cape cod
My research trip to Cape Cod, the mysterious power of the ocean, and beach reads I couldn't put down.
Last month, I took a research trip for my writing to Provincetown, Massachusetts. We walked through marshes, biked over dunes, and splashed in the surf of some stunning beaches during a three-day trip that was my first taste of Cape Cod.
We stayed in a quaint guest house in Provincetown just a few streets off the lively Commercial Street. Since we did the whole trip car-free, it was nice to be within walking distance of restaurants, stores, and everything we needed. A few things that felt quintessentially “Cape Cod” right away were vibrant hydrangeas, the weathered grey shingles covering the sides of houses, picket fences, and the coastal cottage vibe of homes and buildings. One such house is pictured here on an overcast morning when Ted and I took a walk down to the west end of Commercial Street, Provincetown’s main drag. (Pun intended, as you will see a few drag shows happening as you walk down this street at night.)
On our first full day on the Cape, my husband and I went biking. The guest house where we stayed had bikes available for us to use, so we took off for the day to explore the Province Lands trails. This trail is a hilly, paved loop of about five miles, with offshoots to the gorgeous Race Point Beach and Herring Cove Beach. First, we took the long way around the loop. It was truly ethereal beauty the way we climbed into the dunes, coasted down the hills, and then ascended back up, weaving through brush and across open dunes as we traversed the width of the outer Cape. Once halfway around the loop, we rode over to Race Point Beach, where we walked across more rolling dunes to get to the water. It was incredibly windy; this video shows how loudly the wind was roaring, beating against the seagrass as we walked down to the ocean.
The water was frigid, but some people were still swimming and kids were playing in the surf. We heard that Race Point Beach can have intense rip tides since it has a shelf that drops off rapidly. The drop-off also makes it easier for sharks to swim close to shore. We didn’t see any sharks, but we saw a seal swim up close to shore, just a few feet away from people in the water. He blended in so well and popped up so naturally beside the swimmers that I almost mistook him for another beachgoer.
After our stop at the first beach, we got back on the bike trail and rode to Herring Cove Beach. This beach is known to be better for swimming, as the waves are gentler and sharks aren’t usually drawn to the area, and it is also dog-friendly. Provincetown in general is extremely dog-friendly, and I’m already thinking of how we can bring our pup back there one day.
On day three, I wanted to explore a bit beyond Provincetown. We did the whole trip car-free, and although there are Ubers on the Cape (or at least in the comparatively urban area of P-town) it can take a while to snag one. We got an Uber to Head of the Meadow Beach, in the neighboring town of Truro. We sat under our rented canopy for most of the day and read our books, occasionally watching the antics of kids playing in the breaking waves or racing each other down the beach. Late in the afternoon, we walked down the beach, where tidal pools were forming in the sand, the water creating pretty rippling shapes. Ambling through these little pools, we admired the dunes and the beach’s namesake meadows in the distance.
As we watched three little boys splash around in the waves, I couldn’t help but be in awe of how enraptured these kids were. How the ocean was providing them with such pure delight.
I’ve always had a deep attachment to the ocean. I suppose a lot of people do. As my husband and I appreciated the simple, yet splendid beauty of our surroundings, I wondered why that is. Is it the way the sun and wind and waves tire you out after a beach day, the pleasant exhaustion stripping you of your worries? Is the connection to nature that the ocean offers? Or maybe how close you are to the edge of a country or continent that drops off into the abyss of the sea? Maybe, it’s the tranquil white noise that wind and waves create, the soothing effect of their rhythms.
From classics like Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea to modern-day favorites like Where the Crawdads Sing and The Paper Palace, water carries a lot of symbolic weight in literature. Water can signify birth, renewal, and transformation in the form of new life, new perspectives, and new ways of living. Mystery and the unknown are also associated with the ocean. The intrigue of what lies beneath the water’s surface, or beyond our line of sight on the horizon. And there’s how forceful and terrifying water can be. How it can transform to create riptides, hurricanes, and tsunamis, reminding us of the strength and ascendancy of nature.
In my novel, water is also a central theme, as key moments of awakening take place in pools and on a Cape Cod beach. For my characters, water calls for them to dig deep and find their inner power and truest desires. I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on these ideas in a gorgeous setting and reconnect with my intentions for writing this particular story.
Beach Read Recommendations
I can’t sign off this post about the beach without mentioning a few of my favorite lighter, summer reads. There is so much heaviness in the world in 2024, and I’ve been taking refuge in stories that offer escape, humor, and joy.
I started Emily Henry’s latest, Funny Story, at my apartment’s rooftop pool and finished it on our Head of the Meadow beach day on the Cape. Funny Story was delightful and moving, with flawed but likable main characters and a quirky cast of supporting characters. I’m not a huge romance reader, so for others who want to dip their toes into romance, I recommend this one. The protagonist Daphne felt complex and realistic, and her journey throughout the book went beyond just “getting the guy.” I like that she developed as a person and learned how to stand on her own two feet while finding love. And the setting of a northern Michigan vacation town was an immersive and fun backdrop for a beach read.
I also read What Alice Forgot, a charming work of women’s fiction with a magical slant. The story follows Alice, who wakes up after passing out in a spin class to find that the last thing she remembers is being pregnant with her daughter ten years ago. Now, she is about to turn 40 and mother of three school-age kids. Written by Liane Moriarty, the bestselling Australian author of the hit TV series Big Little Lies, What Alice Forgot is a tender and propulsive look at the power of our memories and how they shape us. This is the first book I’ve read of Moriarty’s but I loved the TV series based on her best-sellers Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers. Though both of these shows feature an ensemble cast, Moriarty manages to go deep into each of the main characters, giving them complex backstories and inner worlds. She also did this in Alice, deftly fleshing out the two other viewpoint characters, whose interiority is revealed through letters interspersed with Alice’s narration.
I read Good Material by Dolly Alderton on vacation in France earlier this year, and couldn’t put it down. After full days of adventuring around towns in the Côte d’Azur, I was excited to dive into this book each night. The novel follows struggling comedian Andy in the aftermath of a breakup as he tries to understand why he was dumped. In addition to being a fun and hilarious read, Good Material is also a big-hearted exploration of the dynamics of relationships and the reasons why we couple up (or don’t). And let me say Alderton nails writing from a millennial guy’s perspective. She noted in her acknowledgments that she did 20 hours of research interviewing her male friends to get the voice right. Her commitment and skill shine through these pages.
Comment below to share why you love the beach.