Connecticut to Cape Cod

Hank, Debbie, Carolyn, Marion, Cheryl, Haley

After resting for four days at Carolyn’s niece’s home outside Hartford, we headed east, first to visit another niece in Chepachet and then on to Cape Cod.  We crossed the Connecticut River from Rocky Hill to Glastonbury on the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States.  The ferry first operated in 1655.  The ferry has been powered at various times by poles, oars, a horse treadmill, and a steam engine.  The current ferry consisted of a small barge and a tugboat to tow the barge across the river.  The ride from Kensington to Willimantic and then to Chepachet involved considerable climbing and we arrived at Chepachet totally exhausted.  

Historic Ferry across the Connecticut River between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury

Railroad Bridge over Cape Cod Canal

In Chepachet, we enjoyed our visit with Carolyn's niece Debbie and her son Gregory.  After resting for a day, and with most of the climbing now behind us, we left Chepachet and we headed southeast to Taunton MA and then down to Wareham where we spent the night with one of Hank’s classmates, Karen.  From Wareham it was a short but very scenic ride through Onset, across the Bourne Bridge and along the Cape Cod Canal to Sandwich where we spent three days with another high school classmate, Curt. 

Heritage Auto Museum

On Monday, Labor Day, we toured the Heritage Museum in Sandwich in the morning and the Sandwich Glass Museum in the afternoon.  The building housing the Heritage Museum's car collection was modeled after the Shaker Round Stone Barn in Pittsfield MA. The museum houses a collection of classic cars, many of which were concept cars.  Hank’s favorite was a Buick Wildcat two seat sports car.    We also walked the gardens and took a ride on an antique carousel.  The Sandwich Glass Museum documented the history of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, which prospered in Sandwich in the first half of the 19^th century.  The factory was built in 1825 after the federal government placed a high tax on imported glass from England.  The factory, which closed in 1888, was located in Sandwich to take advantage of the abundance of timber to fuel the glass furnaces.   In addition to the traditional glass blowing, the Sandwich Glass Company developed processes for making pressed glass.

Buick Two Seater Concept Car 

Curt and Elaine

Hank and Carolyn on Carousel at Heritage Museum

Wild Turkey on Curt and Elaine's Bird Feeder

Steve, Susan, Carolyn, Hank

We left Sandwich on Wednesday and rode east to Brewster where we stayed with our daughter’s in-laws, Susan and Steven Logsdon.  While in Brewster we also visited friends from our Pennywise Cycle tours, Dave and Jane Buck and Hank’s childhood friend Betsy and her husband Cedric.

Cedric, Betsy, Hank, Carolyn