Each summer people flock to Cape Cod, but there’s an option for getting in the water that doesn’t include dipping your toes in the ocean at all. Kettle ponds are one of the Cape’s true treasures, and you’ll never have to worry about even remotely coming close to a shark.

Around 20 of these freshwater ponds are scatted throughout Wellfleet and Truro. While some are hard to find and difficult to reach, others are great for a day out in the sun.

Made famous in recent years by travel writers, the ponds of Cape Cod are just as appealing as they are unique. Likely formed around 15,000 years ago by melting glaciers, the massive holes left behind eventually filled with fresh water, forming the kettle ponds we know today.

The larger ponds are called

You’ve likely heard about its beautiful beaches and its small-town charm, but there are plenty of other things you may not know about Truro. To begin with, Truro only has about 1,700 year-round residents. During the summer months, though, that number can reach 20,000!

Of course, Truro also has a rich history. The ancestral home of tribes including the Wampanoag People, the Pilgrims first came to Truro after anchoring at Provincetown Harbor. Colonists came up with the name Truro in honor of a province in England.

Truro’s history is also connected to the Cape Cod Light. The original lighthouse was built in the late 1700s, then replaced with the current one in the mid 1800s. It’s now Cape Cod’s oldest operating lighthouse.

Truro is also home to

Photo: kathy1006

Birding on Cape Cod does not have to be left to the busy tourist season. Void of the big crowds, winter can be a great time to do just that.

There’s very little traffic during the winter months. While you won’t find yourself fighting the crowds, you will likely spot some birdlife you may not necessarily see in other places.

Provincetown, in particular, has several good birding locations during the winter months. If you have the time, consider heading to Herring Cove, Beech Forest or Race Point.

If time is a consideration, try one of the easier spots to get to like Provincetown Harbor. You can drive onto MacMillan Wharf and even stay in your car if you want. It’s a good place to spot gulls, seabirds, loons and ducks.

Some

Cape Cod may draw in big crowds over the summer months, but the destination’s not just for those in search of a summer vacation. The Cape also draws in thousands of professionals hoping to gain new skills to take back home when they leave.

In fact, it’s relatively well known that Wellfleet and nearby Truro commonly drawing in a large number of psychiatrists and others in the mental health profession each year, some who come for seminars and some who come on their own accord. The latter is a tradition that’s been in the making for decades.

Years ago, psychoanalysts first began gathering in the Wellfleet area, although at the time it was mostly an informal affair. Flash forward to more modern times and the location now hosts week-long seminars,

Cape Cod has long been known for its focus on inclusiveness and respect for all cultures.  But until recently, vacationing on the Cape for parents and spouses of people with disabilities was uniquely challenging.  Most motels and rentals aren’t ideal for wheelchair use, and the Cape’s vaunted beaches and ponds can be an obstacle course rather than a haven for children and adults with mobility issues.

Thanks to the non-profit organization, SMILE Mass — Small Miracles in Life Exist — vacationing on the Cape just got a little easier.  North Truro is now home to a newly renovated beach-accessible condo.  Located at 544 Shore Road adjacent to the Beach Point and Noon’s Landing neighborhoods, the condo is a two-story, 1,100 sf oceanfront home.  Located

Known by some as the flower cottages, the Days’ Cottages in Truro are truly part of an iconic Cape community. A staple in the area since the early 1930s, the cottages offer perhaps some of the best and most immediate access to the sand and water.

Identical from the outside, the 22 cottages are right on the beach between North Truro and Provincetown. Standing all in a row, the cottages have no doubt been the subjects of countless photographs over the years, and they have quite a story to tell.

The Days’ Cottages are all painted white with green shutters, but they’re individually recognized by their names. The original owners named each after its own flower, giving some individualized identity to the Truro beach cottages.

After all, it’s hard

Now the destination of curious visitors to Cape Cod, the North Truro Air Station maintains a unique history. Spurred by Russia testing its first atomic bomb, the North Truro Air Station was born in the early 1950s. Its location was utilized to monitor Soviet bombers, as one of the first radar listening stations.

Decommissioned, however, in the mid 1990s at the end of the Cold War, most of the land of the abandoned military site came under control of the National Park Service, and part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Still though, its old barracks, officers’ quarters, buildings and even a bowling alley remain. While the radar dishes are no longer there, the concrete pads where they used to stand remain in the ground.

Some buildings have been

Offering up a more peaceful and remote escape than many other areas in the region, the Outer Cape is a place for relaxation, far away from the large crowds and the vibrancy of many other waterfront destinations. Basking in the beauty of the Cape Cod National Seashore, tens of thousands of acres in the region sit undisturbed, offering an alluring location for visitors and locals alike.

The attraction of the Outer Cape is evident, from the miles upon miles of hiking and biking trails to the historic sites and stretches of long sandy beachfront that often draw people to the area. Much more removed than other locations on the Cape, this is the place to find inspirational unspoiled beaches. It’s also, though, a place of contrast, from more lively

One of Cape Cod’s most prominent landmarks is closed for the time being. Truro’s Highland Light just closed down for at least a year, part of a $1.2 million project to address safety and structural concerns with the lighthouse.

Known as Cape Cod’s tallest and oldest lighthouse, the Highland Light currently sits on the National Register of Historic Places. Also known by some as Cape Cod Light, it is traditionally open for guided tours during select months of the year, with its grounds open all year long.

Owned by the National Park Service and part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, a non-profit operates the lighthouse as a tourist attraction, while the Coast Guard operates the light. It’s a landmark, though, that’s served Cape Cod for centuries, with

With good waves for boogie boarding and for surfing, Ballston Beach presents a quiet, less crowded option for beachgoers on Cape Cod. This Truro beach also allows for some outstanding views, not just of the ocean but also of the nearby hills.

Nature isn’t just responsible for the scenery, though, it’s also gradually changing the beach itself. For years now the beach has been at the mercy of Mother Nature, with hurricane force winds just a few years ago heavily damaging the dune and flooding the nearby parking lot.

That was followed up by yet another winter storm and another overwash, creating an even wider opening in the dune. It’s a theme that’s repeated itself over and over again. That’s led area leaders and residents to question the future of the