Escape to Almost the Cape.
Today I had the opportunity to visit sweet little Onset Island. Located at the Western end of the Cape Cod Canal in the town of Wareham. Picture the day, 75 degrees, clear blue skies and so sunny - a particularly picturesque day. We pull up to the parking lot for Onset Island and we walk down the boardwalk all the while looking at the prettiest view of boats littering the jetty, glittering from the sun, dancing back and forth in the swell of the waves and wind.
All Aboard.
Lillian Ramos gets the call we are ready for her and I can see her little dinghy start it's 4/5 minute journey to shore from Onset Island. As soon as she docks and allows us to clamor in, I am already in LOVE with how adorable this whole experience is. Lillian pulls away from the dock and we start our trek over to Onset Island. While we are in the boat we can see the Bourne bridge in the distance. Using a dinghy is the only way to access the island, although you can see the bottom of the water so walking through the water could very well be a possibility.
As we dock at Onset Island, other residents who come for the Summer months are loading their dinghy and are making their way home, back to their year round houses. At the dock, there is a ramp of "cars" - wooden carts which are used to wheel goods and belongings back and forth to the cottages. Everyone is so friendly and Lillian points out that the lagoon to the right of the dock is low because it is low tide. She tells us that usually that is where the little children play.
We start to walk towards the Ramos' property and we walk up the beaten paths and pass more locals who are wheeling more goods to their dinghy. The lamps of the island that we pass, usually stay on until 11PM during the summer and go off at 10PM once the children are back in school. As we continue our walk down the beaten path, we pass a large green opening where the movies are shown. A lot of the locals and their children will come down and watch the movies with blankets and pillows and popcorn. It all just sounds so magical.
After a short walk we make it to Lillian's and to the left of her property is a walkway to a popular part of the island for people to sit and hang out, swim, sunbathe and to the right, down "old colony way" - which is just another beaten path, is boardwalk beach. I was happy to be able to explore both areas and walk across the island in a matter of 8 minutes, if that. Along my first trek I met Jeff Meeks, he chatted happily with me about the island and told me that his parents had a cottage there when he was younger and that his own children wished to have the same for their children as they had. He explained that the "streets" were just walkways and that even his own front yard was really a walk way that anyone could come through. He also told me that the islanders refer to the island as,
"the Cape without the bridges".
Anyone who comes to the Cape during the summer month weekends will surely know what he means.
Love is in the air.
The big major news for the island is that a couple are getting married there this weekend. A long term - local resident and daughter of one of only three couples who grew up, met and became married from Onset Island. Her niece is the person getting married this weekend and they were in full swing of preparations - Her husband had built 2 outhouses were guests could go to. The island is steeped in so much history, beauty and simplicity that I am sure this will be one stunning wedding. The whole community will undoubtedly be wishing the bride & groom a lifetime of happiness and love.
Onset Island is a hidden gem of piece and tranquility, a step back in time to when things were more simple, when the necessities were more than enough and when community and working together was everything. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this little excursion, but maybe you should buy a little slice of heaven and experience it for yourself.