There once was a man from... (Part IV)

Sunday, June 18

After a quick stop at the General Store for some ice (chunky monkey) cream and postcards, I'm back on the bike to get a closer look at the Sankaty lighthouse. The building itself isn't impressively large, but the view of the ocean is spectacular on the cliff.



I'm not really a beach bum, but I'm still tempted to see the water up close (and give my legs a rest; by this time I've logged about 20 miles, and I could use a place to relax). Hiking down a nearby trail with my bike on my shoulder I make my way down. I'm not foolish enough to try to try to use the bike on the sandy trail, but it's tempting to try as the rear brake cable underneath the cross tube is digging into my shoulder. After about 10 minutes of walking I'm there. After locking my bike to a fence I kick off my shoes and let my bare feet sink into the sand.

It's relaxing alright, but I can feel myself being cooked out in the sun (and I forgot to bring sun block), so after about 20 minutes I'm ready to go. Hopping back on the bike I make my way back to the main town along the Polipis trail towards the Life Saving Museum near Shawkemo on Folger's Marsh. The entrance fee is only $5, but the real treat is meeting some people local to the island. My guide (I'm the only visitor there at the moment), Amanda, is native here, and makes some suggestions where to go next. Did you know that the to save stranded ships in shoals off the coast, Nantucketers would fire a canon with a rope attached to a projectile over the ship to pull the crew back to land?

My plan is to go to back to town and relax a bit. The wind is coming from the west making the ride back to town particularly strenuous. A beer right about now would be great. Once I make it back to town, though, I realize that it's not as quiet as 'sconset, and it's full of noisy tourists and... well... no bars. It doesn't take me long to realize that there's nothing for me here, so I might as well stay on the bike. I have a few options at this point, but I decide to keep heading west towards Madaket where I can only assume it's quieter.

But this also means heading west. Against the wind. And, as I soon learn, uphill. Oh well. I want to see as much as I can, right? I make my way through town and find the Madaket trail. Most of the way I'm struggling to maintain 10mph, but after about 25 minutes I'm there. From what I can tell, the entire town of Madaket has only one restaurant, the West End. Luckily for me, it's open, and they serve meat-free burgers. I order one, turn down the barkeep's suggestion of a "Madaket Mystery" (some crazy rum drink) and accept a Cisco Ale, a brew made right here on the Island.

Wait. There's a brewery here? Fuck yeah! But I'd better hurry as it closes in almost 2 hours and it's about 10 miles away. I thank the bartender (who is from Virginia, actually) and make my way back to town. What a difference going downhill and with the wind makes. I average 22mph, topping out at 31.

The Cisco Brewery actually turns out to be also a distillery and vineyard. I resist the temptation to try it all (the trip counter on my bike registers 39.9 miles) and try the sampler: five 4-oz. beers for $5. The Underground Brown is disappointing for a dark beer, but their ales are quite flavorful.

I leave the brewery, feeling pleasantly warm... but I've got to pee like a bitch, so I find a trail off the dirt road alongside a field and take a whizz. Since it's father's day, I figure it's a good time to give dad a call. He turns out not to be home but at Camp McKee, a summer camp for boy scouts, so I talk to mom instead.

So it's been a pretty full day, but I have two things left on my list of things to see: the Brant Point lighthouse, and the old mill.

I don't know why I'm so interested in lighthouses. I think it's partly because they're so picturesque, but also because their function is so simple yet so iconic of a simple life. A lighthouse is just that; a house. Particularly in desolate places on the coast, their inhabitants would live there with the sole purpose of keeping the light burning so that people they probably never will meet might stay safe. That and the fact that they're usually free to enjoy. Unless you're married, though, it's got to be the most boring job in the world.



Obviously, though, no one's living in this one. "It's a teeny-winy lighthouse. I couldn't even stand up in it."

The old mill was a bit more interesting. Being the oldest functioning mill in the country, it was worth the trip to see, and I got some really nice pictures, too.



Call me Don.

After a short bike ride back to the wharf, I'm ready to go. After a solid 45 miles of biking, I'm ready for a good night's rest, although after the hour-long ferry ride I'm still about 110 miles from home. It's been a fantastic weekend that has inspired me to see as much of New England as I can while I'm here.