Quissett Knob and Harbor, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

 

Driving with the windows all down, arm resting on the frame half in and half out, the radio blasting - it was one of those kind of summer days for a trip to CapeCod and a visit to Quissett Knob in Falmouth.

That's the knob at center-right above.

There are beaches on both sides of the peninsula - one facing the harbor, the other facing the bay.



Days like today I wish I was on a sailboat.



Perhaps its the brevity of a New England summer that makes me enjoy a day like today with such appreciation.

I hope these sails are all raised soon.........

Quissette Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Bright sunshine and a temperature in the low-forties Fahrenheit make for a nice quiet outing on Quissette Harbor in Falmouth on Cape Cod. (Click to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).



Blustery, watercolor clouds rendered in black and white accompany a late afternoon sun on the harbor.

Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Sometimes, timing, opportunity, and weather all come together to create ideal conditions for a particular photographic location. In this case, Nobska Lighthouse on Cape Cod. The current structure was built in 1876 but the lighthouse function has been ongoing since 1826. (Click on an image to view a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).



On this particular morning, it was cloudy, overcast, cool, with low visibility but, I knew a weather front was pushing through over the next few hours. The clouds would break-up, blue sky would peek out, the air would be fresh and sharp, and cloud formations perhaps dramatic.....



....it was a promising set of circumstances to do a study of the Nobska Lighthouse.



The seasonal wreath and bow was an added nice touch.



The evolving sky was as expected and desired.























One of these views is my favorite image - I'm just not sure which one!

Quissette Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Quissett Harbor is one of the best protected scenic harbors on Cape Cod. The neck of land that terminates at the Knob provides a natural barrier to protect the harbor area.

The trail and the Knob is owned by the Quissette Harbor Preservation Trust and offers a very pleasant and scenic walk.

Most of the year, it is too cold to go in the water in New England - but during a few weeks in mid-summer it is almost warm and comfortable for swimming - if you are a hearty sort.

A quiet beach on the Buzzards Bay side along the walk to Quissette Knob.

A rope handrail, set in stone, leads down to the water.

Gulls Rule, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

I don't know if it is by design or desire, but there was not a single boat on the water in this part of the harbor.  The gulls were the only sort-of-residents I saw on this cold, windy day.

Without human traffic, a gull can simply lie out in the bright sunshine, maybe waiting for and dreaming of kids, fish, and french fries to return to the walkways and slips.

The oft-maligned gull is a majestic guardian of the harbor, standing sentinel, watchful, and waiting.

  The fair-weather occupants, humans and boats, haven't come out of their winter hibernation yet. This great black-backed gull gets to wear this beautiful coat of feathers all the time. 

 No wonder he stands so proudly.

The Silver Sea, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

I always learned to not point a camera directly into the sun but frankly, I do it it often and many times enjoy the result.  This view is from the Falmouth coast, facing south across the sound - you can see the narrow sliver of land on the horizon - it's the island of Martha's Vineyard.

Same as above with different framing.

There is something mesmerizing and peaceful about tethered sailboats silhouetted on a silver sea.

 

 



Falmouth Heights, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

The ubiquitous white trim with gray, weathered cedar shingles is common in the Falmouth Heights area of Falmouth.

Not sure what this different style of architrecture is called - it's unusual for this area - but it too, is in the Heights.

I can guess the evolution of this house. It started with an open porch, then they put in screens, then they put in windows and made it a year-aound space.  That's a lot of glass to clean often to remove the salt spray from the ocean 100 yards away - but oh, what a view across the sound towards the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.



Quissett Knob, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

 

 

The Quissett Knob , a narrow promontory that juts out into Buzzard's Bay, was donated by Cornelia Carey for conservation.  A pleasant walking trail is open to the public and meanders out the thin neck to the promontory at the Knob.  It affords beautiful ocean views westward into Buzzard's Bay as well as views of Quissett Harbor. The view above is northward along Falmouth's west coast.

This view is southward from the Knob and captures the mouth of Quissett Harbor and part of a golf course on the Falmouth hillside. Only a sliver of sunlight broke through the clouds - this photo does not do it justice.

 



Downtown and the Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

 

Falmouth is located in the southwest corner of Cape Cod. Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote the lyrics to "America the Beautiful," called Falmouth home. The downtown area is a nice place for a stroll and features small shops and restaurants.

 

Long shadows at midday - definetly fall weather.

There is a big and bustling harbor with lots of very white boats.  It seems to me that Americans tend to like white boats.  Boats in other countries I've visited often seem more colorful.  I wonder if that is an accurate observation?

Still a large number of boats in the water. 

 



Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

A Nobska Lighthouse has stood here in Falmouth since 1828.  This current version was constructed in 1876. It is visible 17 miles out to sea.

A few folks are enjoying the beautiful fall day on the beach by the lighthouse.



Falmouth Coast, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

View along the coast of Falmouth, looking southwestward towards Woods Hole and the Elizabeth Islands.

An abandoned dock, the view southward, the island of Martha's Vineyard on the distant horizon.

A really small cottage/house right on the Falmouth coastline just above the high tide line.

Falmouth Harbor, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Judging by the high number of boats still in the harbor, I'd say  folks are looking forward to lots more boating before the winter weather closes in.

I watched this couple in a well choreographed act - from unloading the car, to rowing the dingy out to the boat, tying up at the port stern, unloading the gear, tying the dingy up at the buoy but beside the port bow, then climbing up onto the boat.  No movement was wasted - looks like they've done it hundreds of times getting ready to go out sailing.

Woods Hole, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Woods Hole is one of the villages of the town of Falmouth and is most known today as a scientific enclave hosting such esteemed institutions as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the Marine Biological Laboratory, NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and the USCG Marine and Geology Center to name a few. It's other most well-known function is where folks catch the ferry boat to Martha's Vineyard - and in the summertime the folks come in droves for just that purpose.

This drawbridge in the small downtown section allows boaters access to Eel Pond where many harbor their boats. There's something really nice about a place that has to stop for a drawbridge - it's really okay to hang out and wait for a few minutes.

The drawbridge in the down position.

Boats in Eel Pond.

A scientific research ship? A freighter?

Looking out from this small park, Martha's Vineyard is visible on the far horizon, about a 45 minute ferry ride. The ferry ( hauling folks back and forth since 1818)  is $16 round trip for an adult - kids, bikes, surfboards, vehicles, etc. are extra.