Get Your Goat in Barnstable

Ocean Song Farm has a great herd of goats that they graze on public lands. They are happy to have visitors come learn about the goats and the ecosystem, walk the goats from place to place, and participate in other "goaty" activities. Visitors can enjoy many other farm and nature pursuits on the farm, as well. The elementary and middle school kids I have taken there have loved it! - Kim Kay Holt, LEAP Arlington

Marconi Site and Provincetown

Last week, DayTripper Rick Silva had friends visiting at their place at Ogremoot on Cape Cod. "If [people are] visiting for the first time," says Rick, "one thing you've got to do is take the ride out to Provincetown, all the way at the end of the Cape."So, we set out Tuesday morning, and our first stop was the Marconi Site on the Cape Cod National Seashore in South Wellfleet MA.

This was the site where Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless telegraph message from the USA to England, bearing a greeting from President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII.

Actually, it occupies about half of the original station. Erosion has washed away about half of the land on which the transmitter stood. Inside the shelter is a model of Marconi's station. The Marconi Site has free parking, hiking trails, and beautiful views of the ocean, but no direct access to the beach. Although it isn't completely clear from Rick's photos, there is a sheer forty-foot drop down to the beach below.

See Rick's full photo essay on our Gather blog.

Here Comes the Train!

A friend from our church highly recommends the Cape Cod Railroad, which is open from May through October, when the "Halloween Fun Train" ushers out the season. "We took the "Scenic Fun Train," said Don Griffin, "and we definitely recommend it." For a schedule, visit the official website of the Cape Cod Central Railroad, located in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Subscribe to the Dispatches for exclusive discounts on the railroad and other Cape destinations.

Herring River Kayaking

We are hosting the teenaged daughter of a close friend for a few days here on Cape Cod while before she visits her aunt down in New York City. The weather hasn't been great, but yesterday was forecasted to clear up, so we looked around for an outdoor activity. We ended up letting our guest choose between a whale watch and kayaking with the Mass Audubon Society, and she picked the kayaking trip.The trips are run by Mass Audubon's Long Pasture facility. The cost is $40 per person, and all equipment is provided (although some people on the trip did bring their own kayaks and paddles). Trips run throughout the summer and can be booked at 508.362.7475 ex. 9355. The trips are scheduled based on the tides. Ours was a late afternoon paddle, from 3-6 PM. The starting point was the public landing at the Herring River in Harwich MA. - Thanks for this Dispatch from DayTripper Rick S., Gather.