November 18, 2008

Thanksgiving on Cape Cod

While the Pilgrims ultimately settled in Plymouth and established the Plymouth Colony there, they first landed in what is now Provincetown, a town on the northern tip of Cape Cod. After scouting the area for some time, a group of the leaders took a dory up to what is now known as the town of Eastham, approximately 25 miles away. As they approached one of the beaches in the town a group of curious Native Americans appeared on the shore, watching their progress towards land.

It was there, in what is now called First Encounter Beach (right), where the Pilgrims and the natives met for the first time. The spot is marked only with a small plaque, but each Thanksgiving for many years I've visited that spot, first with my children, then with friends and now with my grandson and anyone else who wants to take the short ride from my home on Nauset Beach.

Like so many historical spots, it is a very evocative place and you can almost feel the presence of those settlers and the natives, who were probably terrified of these strange interlopers. There is no place I'd rather be on Thanksgiving than Cape Cod and I never miss visiting First Encounter. You can find spots like this all over Cape Cod, each playing its own unique part in the colonization of America.

And, if you would like to experience all that the Cape has to offer as a resident, please visit my website at or .

Posted By: Joe McGann