Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne, Massachusetts is the perfect place to escape during your Cape Cod vacation. Bourne is much the same as it was when President Grover Cleveland came here to fly fish in the 1890s, although with an increase in traffic patterns over the past 100+ years. Mr. Cleveland loved the place so much, he built his "summer White House" at Monument Beach. Today, Bourne is a great getaway if you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience. If getting active is your idea of a great vacation, Bourne can accommodate with an itinerary to include beach combing, fishing, sailing, golf, parasailing, bicycling, hiking, shopping, sight-seeing, and any number of outdoor pursuits.History buffs will want to visit the Aptucxet Trading Post Museum, reportedly the first trading center built in America in 1627. It was here that early Pilgrims, Native Americans, and Dutch traders from New Amsterdam met to haggle over various products, seemingly the most important of which were native-caught animal pelts. The museum has a small collection of arrowheads, pottery pieces, and other artifacts excavated from the property. One of the most interesting is the Bournedale Stone, a rock that served as a threshold for a Native American church. When the rock was overturned, it revealed ancient ruins that fed a myth that Vikings once roamed the area. Also on the property is the private rail station used by President Grover Cleveland when he made pilgrimages to his house, Gray Gables.
Bourne has plenty to keep those interested in outdoor activities jumping. Sun worshipers can plop down a towel on Monument Beach. The beach is very scenic and, due to the calm waves, is a great place for the little ones. Cyclists and hikers share the Cape Cod Bike Path, which stretches out for 14 miles along the canal. Canoeing and kayaking practitioners will want to paddle around in Back River or Phinney's Harbor, which runs into Monument Beach. Hikers will want to make their way to Nivling-Alexander Reserve, a 42-acre nature area with 3 trails that twist past Red Brook Pond.
Anglers also hear the call of the ocean. The waters off Cape Cod offer some of the best striped bass fishing in the world. If big game is your target, there are numerous charter boats available to take you out looking for tuna, bluefish, bonito, and false albacore (albies). You can practically scoop herring out with a net in aptly named Herring Pond. If freshwater fishing is your particular cup of tea, toss in a line for trout and small mouth bass in Flax Pondor Red Brook Pond. If you want to cast for saltwater fish without a boat, you can toss in a line from various points along the Cape Cod Bay Canal.
