Lieutenant Island
Though I understand the concept of the tides here on the Cape, I have never had to live by them. If they were low you could walk for miles on the beach. If they were high, you had plenty to swim in. I knew better than to get myself in a bad situation in the marshes by being too far out when the tide was coming in.
A few people upon hearing that we were renting on Lieutenant Island, commented that we had to be aware of the tides, that the one road in/out with the one lane bridge flooded, making travel impossible on and off the island. But someone else told us: "oh it only happens when it is an unusually high tide". So with that information I headed to the Island.
We arrived at five, only to see the road in under water. Larry and I looked at each other with a "it was too good to be true" look. The tide was not at its peak and it was clear that we were not getting over the bridge for at least an hour. We looked at each other, and said "wine"?
Nearby was a new restaurant which was not here the last time we stayed in Wellfleet, the PB Boulangerie Bistro. (for their recipe for croissants, visit the NY Times article on the place) . A glass of wine, a watermelon gazpacho, and salmon with toast later, we did not care if the tide was high; we were here.
Since then we have had to pay strict attention to high and low tides. High tide means we have to plan as to whether we stay on the island for the three hours the road is under water, or venture out to the other side for that time. Low tide means we can't swim on some of the beaches we can walk to on the bay, and also means you have to plan your kayaking unless you want to walk REALLY far to find water deep enough to paddle in. (that was Lesson #1). As the days go by, we have settled into the ebb and flow of water and how it affects the day's activities.
Right now, tide's up, and I am going for my second kayak lesson. This time the tide's up and we will actually get the kayak IN the water!
Patti O
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