Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, Massachusetts, USA

The Sagamore Bridge in the distance.

What makes a place a place? What gives it a pulse, its own purpose, a pace, a set of behaviors or activities? I really enjoy the Cape Cod Canal.  It showcases some of the beautiful accomplishments of both humans and nature. Sun, and sky, and clouds, and water, and trees and roads, and bridges, and people and critters, and an able infrastructure to support it all.

The water moves swiftly as it rushes east and then west to balance the water levels between Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay as the ocean tides rise and fall.. Gulls wheel through the sky and cormorants skim above the surface. The canal combines natural beauty with practical utility for boats and ships of many needs and also includes a large dose of walking, biking, or roller blading into a concentration of purposeful human activity. There are seven miles of paved trails on the north side and 6.5 miles of paved trails on the south side of the canal.

The orange tubes are either fishing rod holders or fireworks launch tubes - maybe both depending upon the season/event!

I don't know if this canal is similar to canals in Europe or other parts of the world in terms of look and feel. I suppose each culture stamps its own style and nuance -  ours is pretty darn wonderful and it's only 15 minutes from home! Kudos to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who operate and maintain it all.