Unsung Cape

Most peninsulas on the Cape and Islands are well known; not so the series closest to the mainland in Bourne, which point westward into Buzzards Bay. These sandy points and shimmering marshes, teeming with marine life, are some of the loveliest on the Cape. Upstaged by glam-sites off Routes 6 and 6A, the points and wedges are known mainly to folks who live there, or those who explore (but seem never to share their find) on the way to Woods Hole.

The residential community of Monument Beach makes for a pleasant drive, especially Wings Neck Road. Cataumet has its own little point, Scraggy Neck, with a view of the lighthouse that directs ships entering the Cape Cod Canal. You might also investigate Pocasset, following Barlow's Landing off Route 28. Drive to the end of the road and you'll find old Cape scenes that summon the muted hues and views of vintage postcards.

Drive slowly. These are residential areas with narrow byways and lanes festooned with, but also obscured by, shrubs and vines. No one is wind-surfing or jetting along on performance bikes. Folks aren't even walking, but moseying.

Published in the Boston Globe Calendar's 1999 Wandering New England issue.