Visiting #Brewster on #CapeCod #QuarantineLife #Hiking #Barnstable #MA #nature Cape Cod #Travel

Historic Stony Brook Grist Mill in Brewster, MA

Like many people, I am struggling to stay positive during this time of isolation and find fun things to do to keep my family active and get us out of the house (safely, where there are no crowds) when possible.  The weather here on Cape Cod has not been particularly cooperative, but a few weekends ago we had a beautiful Sunday, and the four of us took a trip to explore some trails in Brewster, a town further out along the bent arm of the Cape.  If you picture the bent arm, the bridges from mainland Massachusetts are near the shoulder, and Provincetown is up at the curved hand.  Brewster is along the bay side of the peninsula, between the "bicep" and the inside of the elbow.

Stunning scenery at Stony Brook Grist Mill site

Since we were not in a hurry, we took the scenic route...6A. (Sidebar...the faster way is via Rt. 6, which is a highway that runs continuously across the U.S. from Bishop, CA to Provincetown, MA.  A bucket list trip!)  Route 6A is also known as the Old King's Highway, which makes me think of Game of Thrones.  It definitely offers amazing history, with buildings, homes, churches, and cemeteries dating back to the 1600s, and Native American sites going back much further.  One of my novels, Haunted Souls, incorporates a ghost mystery that begins in the Old Jail, which is the oldest wooden jailhouse in the entire country, built circa 1690 and found along 6A in Barnstable Village.

View of Cape Cod Bay from Eddy Bay Trail in Brewster
(in the direction of Wellfleet and P-town)

It was a beautiful drive, with farms, old stone walls, blooming trees and flowers, cranberry bogs, and kettle ponds.  When we arrived in Brewster, we headed to a trail known as the Eddy Bay Trail, as the land was once owned by the Eddy family.  The trail loops through the woods with a gradual climb to the highest bluff in Brewster.  From there is a breathtaking view of the Cape Cod Bay.  In the distance, you can see the land mass of Providence, RI on one side and Provincetown, MA on the other.

An old foundation along a river
Eddy Sisters Trail

The Eddy Sisters Trail is across the street, with markers indicating the remains of old buildings and farmland.

From there, we headed over to the Stony Brook Grist Mill, which is the sole remaining structure from the 19th century Factory Village in Brewster.  The museum inside the restored mill was closed, of course, but we enjoyed the trails along the brook and the herring run.  The herring, known as alewives, make their way from the bay, up through Stony Brook with help from a series of ladders, to return to the freshwater ponds where they were born so they can spawn.  It's an incredible and dangerous journey, and a sign of spring here.

The herring run at Stony Brook Grist Mill

It was a wonderful day and an amazing opportunity to explore some areas that we rarely see, since it is often human nature to forget about the treasures we have in our own "backyard".  We've lived here over 20 years, and there is still so much we haven't seen!  Since many of my novels are set on Cape Cod, I do try to spend a lot of time visiting the area I'm considering as a setting, and I often use pieces of Cape history as inspiration for my stories.  If you'd like to virtually visit some of the other towns or landmarks I've blogged about, check out Visiting Truro (setting for my latest release, Ghost Moon), Visiting Falmouth, and Exploring Bourne Farm (inspiration for The Haunting of Hillwood Farm).

If you enjoy Romantic Suspense and Ghost Mysteries, check out some of my titles and take a fictional visit to Cape Cod while getting lost in a page-turning story!  Reading is a proven stress-reliever too :)  Thanks for coming by and stay safe everyone!

Gull Harbor is set in a fictional village in Wellfleet
and is a #1 Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestseller!
Also available on Audible as an audiobook!