Bicycling in Cape Code in September 2015

At the start of the tour, the route leaves Myles Standish State Forest too soon. I try to make it last: I drive back through the Forest to Plymouth where I leave my car in a well lit, busy parking lot; then, I ride my bicycle back to the campsite where I stashed my gear.ⁱ

We camped in Myles Standish State Forest the first night. It was peaceful and dark. I noticed that many others had a head lamp. I'd say now that a head lamp is almost essential on a fall tour that stays in natural campgrounds. I do like these places lots, but it's nice to see one's way to the washroom, eh, without staying out all night finding one's way back! So, I go to the local Walmart and get a headlamp.

The first morning is the worst weather of the trip with rain in the morning and heavy clouds until late afternoon. The sun comes out too late to count as a navigational aid. By that time, the tour is on seaside roads where we follow the coast line. Before that, we ride a series of back roads near Freetown and rural Dartmouth that mostly run through built up areas of single family homes and small businesses on streets that wander and twist with the landscape. The road network is so complicated that I almost get lost once, but find my way after re-tracing my steps, and reading the trip directions, at last! Shortly after, I pass the tour leader who wants to be the last rider ... but, not this time, eh?

Amidst all this chaos the housing varies from shacks to large mansions, some with well groomed lawns. Some other lots in rural areas have lots of machinery piled in their yards. Some of it is historic, but mostly it's just rusting away.

The riding is almost like home where I live up north with rural roads with trees, breaks in the treed landscape, and just a few cars most of the time. In Cape Cod, though, there are some more southern trees and fewer evergreens.

The scenery changes markedly and improves after University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. I circle the campus and find many cyclists riding around, and note the signs, as I leave the campus, that indicate that today was a bicycle century day with other longer and shorter routes also occurring. Over the next few miles, I see lots of riders returning to the campus in this huge event ... maybe 100 times the number of participants in our tour? Quite an impressive number!

The views are much better after U Dartmouth. I can see the ocean and smell it a bit – great stuff to a landlubber like myself? An enlightening experience, eh? The amount of displayed wealth improves: the houses are all mansions, or at least well kept. All the yards look immaculate. There are no longer any lots with junk piled in them as there were earlier today. This is definitely upscale.

I just need to see some more and explore some more of this area. I take a side route on Main Road in Westport, MA. Near these houses, I talk to woman who is out riding on a racing bike in racing gear, whose 65th birthday is today; she's out for a ride; regularly goes on luxury tours with hotels and hot water in the evening – I don't tell her, but our trip is more rustic and closer to the land. I encourage her to investigate www.adventurecycling.org. She likes the tours and tries to ride 100 miles per week to train but lately has only been doing 50 so cancelled going on a tour this fall ... too many other things to do, like a daughter's wedding. It's a rather posh area of the country when I meet her out riding, err, just starting. I ride along with her for a bit. Maybe I've found the love of my life? My path out of poverty? But I stop when the route starts going downhill ... best to leave on an uphill draft, eh? Or, at least not too far down?

Shortly after this is the causeway and bridge across Horseneck Channel to Horseneck Beach State Park where our group stays this evening. I take many pictures of Horseneck Channel.

The tour pauses for a few hours at Horseneck Beach State Park where we put up our tents and sleep for a bit after eating some great food. It sure is a windy place today. I walk the trail to the beach with Ms. Terry and Dave. I know Terry from at least one other trip. We watch two people try to swim in some huge waves.

The weather almost develops into rain this evening before dinner, but holds off. There are huge black clouds for awhile, but then only a few drops, followed by a gradual clearing of clouds. It's very windy at camp this evening – a good test of all our tents? The wind shifts direction when we're sleeping. This is the most open campsite of all the trip ... ah, life on the beach.

Next day – Day 2 of Cape Cod Trip

On the second day, the trip starts off going on a couple of side routes around a couple of peninsulas. It's all somewhat the same: large lots with expensive homes. There are a few people picking vegetables at 1 point in a market garden.

There are many fences of piled stones along the road. I'm told these stones are from local fields, but the stone fences are all well kept at the current time.

I do take a picture of the sign in front of “Round Hill” estate, but cannot see the main building. There are fences and guards all around the property, then a forest blocking one's view of water and the main building that is featured in the sign that supposedly is historically significant, at least, that's what the sign claims. So much for a fulfilling life as a tourist.

In contrast, I do see and appreciate the Quaker Meeting House across the street in Apponegansett. SPICE: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality. Great values to live by. Some of these thoughts flow forward to modern mindfulness.

I find this interesting “Spirit of the Immigrant” memorial outside Southworth Library in Dartmouth. The memorial was designed by Azorean-born artist Alvaro Raposo De Franca to commemorate the importance of all immigrants. It was presented to Dartmouth in 1997 by its sister city of Povoacao, on Sao Miguel in the Azores. It is a seven-foot-high bronze statue of a man with outstretched arms in tattered remnants of clothing.

I go into the library, use the washroom and get some water. It looks like a very nice library. Next stop is the Big Value Outlet store next door. The sign, at the front of the store, is being installed at that moment I'm here. The store contains limited choices and items of clothing; looks like this store only sells items for which it can get discounted prices?

Somehow I left home with only 2 t-shirts. I purchase a 3rd one this morning, at this Big Value Outlet, for only $3. It looks like this is clothing with name brand “Fruit of the Loom” on it that is fake brand-name clothing as the trademark is crossed out on many of the items piled in the store and the price is much too low. By the way, the t-shirt has survived since that time. It's quite sturdy and keeps its shape well when washed. Perhaps, it's a bit rougher on the skin than a real “Fruit of the Loom” t-shirt, but still smooth enough to wear.

The next pictures are of my trip around the peninsula of New Bedford. I enter New Bedford and soon find a bicycle trail. It's quite empty today and looks magnificent. I follow it along the seashore of New Bedford, on a small peninsula. I gather some other people on the tour stopped at an interesting whaling museum in New Bedford, but it's such a nice day so I take a slow ride on this bicycle trail to see what I can find. I usually spend way too much time indoors – you know, in an office. It's so great to be outside all day and it's such great weather – sunny with a few clouds, warm enough for a t-shirt and bicycle shorts!

The first big fort of the trip is Fort Rodman at Clark's Point in New Bedford that was started, but it never quite completed for the American Civil War. Instead, the need for defence during the Civil War was augmented by Fort Taber that was an earthen work fort near by. Fort Taber is now just an image, an outline in the ground in the Fort Taber Park. The remnants of Fort Rodman continue to this day. It was later rebuilt under the Endicott Program, an effort to have better coastal defences in 1898.

I notice how the road that I'm riding beside on a bicycle trail, Rodney French Boulevard, goes through huge steel gates with high piles of rocks on each side ... this is the New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier. Obviously, the doors are closed when a hurricane is expected.

After New Bedford there's a bridge to Fairhaven. It's behind the Hurricane Barrier.

In Fairhaven, I see an old church, go towards it and find a historic district with large church, many homes, and a library from 1840's

There are piles of rocks along the shoreline in New Bedford and Fairhaven. A sign says that this is the New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier. Eventually I see the entry for ships and can walk to it in Fairhaven. I bike to the gap that ships pass through in calm weather.

Shortly thereafter, in Fairhaven, I find that I'm on Fort Street and go up a short hill. Then I can see the ocean, so decide to go to the end. At end is an ancient fort, Fort Phoenix.

The route continues along a bicycle trail after Fairhaven. I find the trail boring as it just goes through a continuous forest. It gets to be like a northern road, you know, all I see is forest-trail-and more forest. I decide to take highway 6 instead as it runs parallel the trail. Highway 6 would be rather dangerous during heavy tourist season when 3 to 4 times as many people are here, but it's almost OK today: most cars drive in the centre lane at this time of year. There is almost a continuous stream of single family homes and small businesses along the highway. There are a few closed businesses for rent, but overall, all looks very prosperous. It's all rather private, though: I go down one side road looking for the beach and ocean, but there are no access points to be found. The road just ends amidst house lots.

Luckily I stop and take a picture of the town hall in Marion as this is point where the route of our trip leaves highway 6 and proceeds through town on quieter roads.

Soon I ride through the historic Onset Village that started in the 1800s as a self-sufficient resort community.

A bit further on is the Cape Cod Canal at Buzzards Bay. We ride the 7 mile length of the Canal on the bicycle trail to get to tonight's camp spot in Sandwich at Shawme-Crowell State Forest. The current canal was opened in 1914 and is the widest sea level canal in the world at 480 feet. Ships that use the canal avoid the violent storms that occur at the tip of Cape Cod. There are many ship wrecks there from the era before the Cape Cod Canal.

Near the western end of the Cape Cod Canal is Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge. It goes down and up again at least once a day in summer, spring, and fall, for the tourist trains operated by the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The bridge opens very quietly as it takes very little power to move this bridge that has huge counter-balance weights.

While stopped having a snack and taking in the scene at Buzzards Bay Recreation Area, I talk to a local person before riding along the canal across “the cape.” This man is retired. He says that he rides the canal at least once every day. He has just ridden to where I meet him since his friend is fishing there. I see many people fishing with huge fishing rods and using small fish as bait. Another local man on a mountain bike, tells me that 30 pound fish are common.

Day 3: Woods Hole and on to Martha's Vineyard

The route today starts out going back along length of canal on the opposite side to yesterday – the south side of Cape Cod Canal this morning. Before riding back across the cape, I go to the Canal Information Centre and take the trail to the eastern end of canal. This part of the Trail is sand and gravel, not paved like rest of bike paths olong both sides of canal. There are others out enjoying this wonderful morning. I pass a man who is fishing. After viewing the Atlantic Ocean and trying to see Europe, I go back along the Canal, continuing around a boat basin and along the paved bicycle path. There are even more people out this morning, bicycling along, fishing, a few walking, a couple of joggers - people of all ages, many look retired.

I'm hoping again today to take a picture of a big ship in the Cape Cod Canal. My question, last night, at dinner, at camp, of the trip leader, was “When will there be a large ship in the Canal? A super-tanker, perhaps? I want to take a picture of at least one ship.” None of the assembled could help me. I'm disappointed. There's all this enormous amount of tonnage that goes through this canal every year according to the statistics and tourist information. Where are all these big boats? I want to show the folks back home what it's all about? In the end, I settle for this picture of a recreational sail boat. This is the largest water craft that I see on this trip along the Cape Cod Canal.

At the western end of Cape Cod Canal, the route turns left, up the southern shore of Cape Cod to Woods Hole where we stay this evening in the hostel.

Along this part, It take a few pictures of beaches and natural areas, though, one could take just as many, if not more pictures of mansions and deluxe cottages.

This Pocasset River is right along the route. It is scenic. Wikipedia tells us: “The Pocasset River is a small tidal river and estuary on the eastern shore of Buzzards Bay, in Bourne, Massachusetts, United States. It is located between the villages of Monument Beach and Pocasset along the western coast of Cape Cod. The river flows westward through a series of small ponds and wetlands, with a total length of about 2 miles (3.2 km).”

The Quaker Marsh Conservation Area is an example of attempts by the locals to preserve their natural environment. It is rather small. I see a few ducks in the Conservation Area.

“A small parcel with two cottages is an unusual acquisition for The 300 Committee, yet the .74-acre lot on Quaker Road in North Falmouth had many special features. The property has a rich topography that includes upland, coastal bank, floodplain and estuary. It is in a strategic location: it borders Wild Harbor River on two sides and links to a 4.8-acre narrow strip of marshland given to the town in 1988. On the opposite side of Quaker Road is Dam Pond, a Massachusetts Natural Heritage Endangered Species Protection Core Habitat, also owned by the town.

“The 300 Committee purchased the Quaker Road Marsh property in the spring of 2007 from Caleb and Martha Fraser after a developer's plan to build a duplex there fell through. The land trust razed the dilapidated cottages, which opened up a view of the marsh from Quaker Road. Stone benches were added and an osprey platform was built and erected at the edge of the marsh by T3C volunteers. At high tide, boaters can launch canoes or kayaks and head out through the marsh to Buzzards Bay.

Soon we're on the Shining Sea Bikeway that was created in 1977 along the route of two former railroads: the Cape Cod Central and Plymouth and Vineyard. The view here is the best! At times this trail gets somewhat crowded with other bikers. At one point I get off the trail and ride along the road. The streetscape is more of the same as yesterday: large well kept houses that are, perhaps, a bit more elegant, in general, today. This is definitely an upscale trip.

The traffic gets heavier as I get closer to Woods Hole. The road winds and twists, too. I'm a bit lost, again, but just follow my nose and the traffic jams. Everyone is so polite and somewhat laid back at this time in the morning.

Woods Hole

In Woods Hole I initially have lunch in very peaceful park on Water Street. There are some employees from local institution also sitting around in the park on their lunch breaks. After snacking, I visit Woods Hole Science Aquarium, Woods Hole Oceanographic institution, and Woods Hole Historical Museum. All are free with donations accepted. I do donate a bit to the aquarium. All are small. The aquarium is the oldest in the US. It is impressive due to the large number of fish in tanks, the large full-sized models of sea turtles, the dolphins out front that were injured and are now rescued. I do see 1 or 2 dolphins come up for air. It's hard to tell whether 'twas the same dolphin both times. These dolphins have prior injuries that prevent releasing them into a natural environment. One is blind. I see Tiger fish and learn that these are aggressive predators that eat other fish and are very adaptive to new habitats. Salmon are also featured and being studied as part of the efforts to revive the fishery of these in the Atlantic Ocean near by. On the second floor of the aquarium are all these tanks and apparatus. It's more like a laboratory for the research being done at the Aquarium.

In the Woods Hole Historical Museum, I read about Woods Hole's smelly past as guano factory town, and other attempts to make money through fish processing and shipping with railroads through town to the docks of the naturally deep port. It has since fallen out of favor as dredging technology made other ports more accessible. The railroad lines are now the bicycle trails that we rode to day and will again tomorrow.

After visiting the Aquarium, Oceanographic Institution, and Museum, I ride around town a bit. I find the Nobska lighthouse from 1840s that is still used today though now automated.

Finally, it's time to take the 3:45 ferry to Martha's Vineyard. There are a few other tourists on the boat. I talk to one other cyclist who lives on Marthas Vineyard in summer and Florida in winter. I gather he's retired.

On Martha's Vineyard I do follow the map, but go a bit further east than planned. There are many wide bicycle trails beside the narrow roads on which a few drivers, at least, drive like maniacs. One of the many bicycle trails stops at a t-junction. A local cycling enthusiast soon speeds by. I put up my hand to get him to stop. He does and gives good directions. I'm headed to the hostel, at last?

There is lots of sand on the roads of Martha's Vineyard. I'm told it was blown there by past storms and hurricanes. I take pictures of the Scrub Oak trees that are unique to this place Marthas Vineyard, but are everywhere.

Paul and Lisa are waiting on bicycle path near the hostel when I arrive.

Day 4: A Day of Rest on Martha's Vineyard?

The tour stays at Marthas Vinyard Hostel, the “Manter Memorial Hostel.” It is “The First Purpose Built Hostel in the USA.” It is very well kept and clean.

In this hostel, the dorms are segregated by sex and the married couple has their own room – men's dorms at one end of hostel; women's dorms at other end. There's lots of room in the hostel so there are empty bunks in the men's dorm that we use, at least, with 5 bunk beds for the 7 of us. There's lots of room for all our junk. I learn how to put a fitted sheet on an upper bunk bed.

Today is a supposed rest day on Marthas Vineyard and we stay at the same hostel tonight. I plan on taking the bus around the island. Bus tickets for all day are rather inexpensive at $8. I take bus to Aquinnah, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven.

Aquinnah

The Gay Head Cliffs are a National Natural Landmark. The interpretive sign says: “The Cliffs rise 150 feet above sea level, and due to their outstanding contribution to our natural heritage, were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1965. The cliffs are held in trust for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), whose ancestors have lived on Noepe (Martha's Vineyard) for over 10,000 years. The Cliffs are sacred to the Wampanoag, and play a major role in the culture and traditions of the tribe, as well as economic development. The businesses atop the Cliffs are owned by tribal members.”

I stop at Gay Head Cliffs for an hour as bus comes every hour. It looks like this outcrop will last awhile yet though the lighthouse was just moved back 150 feet this year. The experts predict the new location will be good for another 150 years.

I first see the cliffs from above, near lighthouse, and, then walk a length trail down to beach. Going to the beach is worth it as I see some red cliffs from beach; whereas, only cliffs see from above are plain off-white coloured ones. Overall Gay Head Cliffs is a dramatic sight.

Edgartown

The second place that I visit today is Edgartown, founded 1642, incorporated 1671. It is the largest town on Martha's Vineyard. It's sheltered bay made it a port for the whaling industry in 1800s. There are some old, ancient homes. Many were built by whaling captains. I jog around town and look at these before and after eating lunch at “House of Flowers” restaurant where the food tastes real – the fresh fish melted in my mouth. I do walk and jog down to the beach to visit the lighthouse and take pictures. What a great day with such wonderful weather. Edgartown is near Chappaquiddick Island, the location of Ted Kennedy's infamous incident with a bridge and a drowning in 1969. I must go there again, take the quick ferry to Chappaquiddick and find the bridge.

Sengerontacket Pond and Bend-in-the-Road Beach

On the way to Oak Bluffs, I have an extra stop at Sengerontacket Pond and Bend-In-The-Road Beach. There's more on this at the web site of Friends of Sengerontacket Pond http://www.sengekontacket.org/FOS/Welcome.html. Interpretive sign by the beach says:

A barrier beach is a narrow, low lying strip of land generally consisting of coastal beaches and coastal dunes extending parallel to the coast, and separated from the mainland by a narrow body of water or a marsh system. It may be joined to the mainland at one or both ends.

Barrier beaches play an important role in storm damage prevention and flood control. Coastal dunes provide a buffer from storm waves and elevated sea levels for landward properties and landward coastal wetlands. Erosion of dunes by waves or wind supplies snat to the adjacent beach which helps maintain or increase the volume of the beach as it loses sand during storms to nearshore areas of the ocean. Without the supply of sand from dunes, beaches will gradually be depleted of sediment and disappear. In addition, barrier beaches move landward when sediment is carried across to the backside of barrier beaches by storm overwash surges. This forms deposits known as "washover fans" which may develop into coastal dunes. Tidal inlets widen barrier beaches by means of the deposition of sand aprons or flood tidal deltas on the landward side of hte barrier beach.

Vegetative cover such as beach grass contributes to the growth and stability of coastal dunes by providing conditions favorable to sand deposition. Coastal dunes are also valuable for wildlife habitat, as a number of birds such as terns and gulls nest at the base or sides of dunes or in the interdunal areas.

Barrier beaches also play an important role in protection of marine fisheries. Tidal flats, which are situated within barrier beaches are valuable habitats which provide an abundant food source for the young stages of commercial fish and crustaceans.

Oak Bluffs

I get off the bus again near Oak Bluffs, walk along the beach and through Oak Bluffs. There are a few tourists in the “historic district” today, and many small firms renting bicycles. I bet many are rented in the summer since there is a good bicycle path beside the road that I just travelled. There are lots of huge older homes along water front. Many were originally built by whaling captains in the 1800s. Original inhabitants were the Wampanoag people who lived here for 10,000 years. Europeans arrived in this area in 1642. It was re-incorporated as Oak Bluffs in 1907 and named after a stand of Oaks on a bluff overlooking Nantucket Sound. Oak Bluffs is one of the first planned communities towards tourism in which summer religious camps originally played a major role.

Vineyard Haven

My next stop is Vineyard Haven where the ferry landed yesterday. I only stay 20 minutes until next bus, but do walk along a few streets in “Historic District” and see same kinds of stores.

Day 5 - Falmouth & Cape Cod Rail Trail

The trip continues today with a 7 am departure from the Hostel to get the 8:15 am ferry, for sure, as it's my turn today to cook dinner with Lisa. We eat breakfast at a diner near ferry, The Black Dog Bakery. Today's route is back through Woods Hole, then the rail trail to Falmouth where we follow the beach as much as possible. Falmouth was settled in 1660 and named after Falmouth, Cornwall, England. The British, in turn, bombarded it in war of 1812, but the expected landing never occurred. A few years later, Falmouth was noted for wool production, based on local sheep farming with a population, at one point, of 50 sheep per square mile.

I have lunch on a beach in Hyannis looking towards a large natural harbor that makes Hyannis the largest recreational boating and second largest commercial fishing port on Cape Cod. I'd just ridden through Hyannis Port, the location of the Kennedy Compound[5], that I need to return to as it is projected to be open to the public a times under a non-profit educational institution. Over the years, Hyannis has become more urban and somewhat of a hub of many commercial and transportation activities in Cape Cod.

Eventually, after Hyannis, the route is along the CCRT Cape Cod Rail Trail. It is well used. Many other cyclists ride by. Most are recreational riders; there are also a few racers and triathletes that zoom by. We talk to one at a small store where we're having a pop. He's from Boston, but loves training in Cape Code on the CCRT and is an enthusiastic competitor in local triathlons. The CCRT sure beats training on the local, busy roads. The CCRT is along the route of the former Old Colony Railroad of the mid 1800s that became part of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1893 and later merged into the Penn Central before going bankrupt.

This evening we stay at Nickerson State Park that is right on CCRT. Our campsite is near a kettle pond, Flax Pond. Ponds like this one were formed as glaciers retreated from the Cape over 10,000 years ago. The kettle ponds in Nickerson State Park are completely dependent on groundwater and precipitation rather than having streams running into them. The water level in the ponds fluctuates from season to season and year to year.

Lisa and I go to Shaw's in nearby Orleans and buy some food ... then cook up a mushroom flavored chicken special on rice – a different flavor from corned beef, eh? It's yummy.

Orleans was incorporated in 1797 and is named after the French Duke of Orleans in honour of the the French support of the rebels in the American Revolution. The French connection continued in 1898 when the French Cable Station in Orleans became the terminus of a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable for the French Cable Company. It is now the French Cable Station Museum that is only be a mile away from our route tomorrow – a potential site to visit on my next trip?

Day 6 – See the tip of the Cape at Provincetown

Today the tour gets to Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod where the Pilgrims landed in 1620. Provincetown's traditional industries were fishing and whaling; tourism is dominant today.

First off, the route continues on Cape Cod Rail Trail for 10 miles. After this, there are side roads and bits of highway 6A. The last 6 miles is on highway 6A along a long beach approaching Provincetown. Fortunately, there is good weather along this trip so I take a number of short side trips to see the area and enjoy the natural beauty of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

In Provincetown the group stays at a local campground, the Dunes' Edge Campground. Before going to dinner at a restaurant, some people take a side tour along Province Lands Bicycle Trail on tip of Cape Cod near Provincetown in Cape Cod National Seashore. This was the first bicycle trail ever constructed in a national park. This is my second spin on this trail ... and, undoubtedly one of the top spots to see by bicycle in eastern North America!

In Provincetown the group eats dinner at Lorraine's Restaurant. I order fish 3 or 4 times until I get something that is still “in stock.” In the end I eat salmon, lots of it. It's great.

Day 7 - Return trip along eastern shore of Cape Cod

Today's the last day of this trip ... I ride back to my car in Plymouth from Provincetown. In Plymouth I do take a short trip to see the reconstructed ship, The Mayflower, and the Plymouth Rock.

Today's route is mostly on main roads of highways 6, then 6A, then 3A, so I encounter a bit more traffic at times. More tourist traffic is to be expected, though, as it is a pleasant Saturday in the fall. Highway 6 does have a wide paved shoulder most of the way, and everyone is polite to me the rest of the time. There are relatively few pictures of today's travels as I need to travel a long ways. I do get to Plymouth by mid-afternoon and find my car where I left it.

Ah, Plymouth at last, the end of the trip is nigh? Before that I visit Pilgrim Memorial State Park in the downtown and see The Mayflower and Plymouth Rock. Pilgrim Memorial State Park was created on the 300^th anniversary of the Pilgrim's landing in 1920.

The Mayflower brought many Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. Plymouth Rock is the spot that historic lore claims to be the location where the Mayflower landed, and many Pilgrims took their first steps onto the terra firma of mainland North America – other lore indicates Plymouth Rock was a convenient spot for docking the boats that carried the Pilgrims from the Mayflower to the shore though now the rock is a few yards from the shore due to more recent landscaping and the preservation of The Plymouth Rock.

The Pilgrims established the second successful English settlement in North America after Jamestown, Virginia that was started in 1607. However, Plymouth is seen by many as “America's Hometown” as it is the first settlement that has existed continuously to the present day unlike Jamestown that is now only an interesting archaeological site where no one lives. The Pilgrims came to Plymouth seeking religious freedom and found it.

Plymouth became a centre of ropemaking, fishing, and shipping for many years that featured the development of the large Plymouth Cordage Company, though tourism is Plymouth's major industry today.