A Walk to the Beach…

The Lamb and Lion Inn’s 3.5 acres is surrounded by beautiful places to explore. Across Old King’s Highway (also known as historic Route 6A) from the inn’s driveway are hiking trails that curve and climb, loop and dip, separate, and then find each other again. The trails meander around miles of conservation land through thick wooded areas and cricket filled meadows. The trails connect to Old Jail Lane, which was given its name back when the country’s oldest wooden jail was located on it. The jail, which dates back to around 1690, was discovered to be a jail when the person who owned it, thinking it was an old shed, discovered that the carvings on its interior walls were the scribblings of pent up prisoners. The old jail was eventually relocated about 1 mile away to the property of the Coast Guard Heritage Museum, in the heart of Barnstable Village. The old jail is open to the public and is a high point of haunted ghost tours

Behind the Lamb and Lion property, just over the old train tracks, are lovely Mass Audubon Trails, which are loaded with wild life, and features an observation deck which looks out over Great Marsh, the largest marsh on Cape Cod (you can see a pictorial overview of these trails just a few blogs earlier on this site). But without a doubt the prettiest walk from the inn is to the beach, located at the end of Scudder’s Lane. The beach, which is part sandy, part rocky and part seagrass, is a relaxing stroll from the inn (about a half mile) and is a popular destination for Lamb and Lion Inn guests, whether for a brisk morning run, a romantic hand-in hand sunset stroll, or a relaxing dog walk, with a little extra salt watery treat for Fido at the end. To get down to the water, you simply take the path left at the bottom of the driveway and you’re on…your….way…

From the moment you leave the inn’s driveway you’re surrounded by a sense of history. Old signs mark historic places–or the ghosts of places that used to be–and clapboard homes with smoke billowing from the chimneys  offer a sense of pride and peace. (Note: The white door with the horseshoe crab knocker marks the home of one of our old neighbors, the late writer, Kurt Vonnegut).

                   

The peaceful walk down Scudder’s Lane is lined with wild flower gardens, historic barns, old moss covered rock walls and plump, puffy blue hydrangea. As you get closer to the water, there’s even a forest of bamboo!

If you clear your head and take in your surroundings, you’ll no doubt be enchanted by little paths and long forgotten walkways that seem to lead to nowhere. It’s part of the magic of your short journey…

                               

And then suddenly as you turn the corner, a white sail appears in the distance. The smell of salt air fills your walk and the echo of a clanging halyard and single seagull’s cry can be heard in the distance. Enjoy a peace-filled walk along the shoreline and take in all the surprises nature has to offer. Welcome to your vacation…and to Cape Cod.