Shining Sea Bikeway

[New Name]

I took a bunch of pictures at the newly opened "Shining Sea Bike Way" in Falmouth, MA (on Cape Cod). Part of the bikeway has existed for many years (the part from Falmouth town center to Woods Hole) - but the extension has just opened, totaling 10.6 miles.

None of the pictures are technically extraordinary, but the bikeway is - so here goes:

The original starting point of the bikeway (now in the middle of the trail):

The new starting point in North Falmouth. The rails to the left stop shortly after this photo, and the dedicated ROW is entirely given to bikes

These houses used to back up to an unused railbed. Now they back up to bicyclists. Judging by the mentality of many New Englanders, they're probably not happy to have people this close to their private space.

It seems like you're in the woods here, but it's just a well protected natural area in a dense residential town:

This is a shot taken at 23mph:

This house actually fronts the bikeway - I think - either that or this is their backporch - not too shabby if you ask me!

This was probably a kid's fort in the back yard when the traintracks were there - the owners of the house seem to embrace their new bikeway - sorry it's a blurry.

Here is another blurry shot of the same thing:

Various small road crossings as you get closer into town:

Now you enter Bournes Farm or is it Bournes Pond? It's a small preserve and cranberry bog:

Notice the very old utility pole (power or phone?):

Crossing the Great Sippiwissett Marsh (tidal marsh to Buzzards Bay):

[New Name]

Okay, now you're through the Great Sippiwissett Marsh, and you come into Saconesset Hills neighborhood:

A cool old bridge (when I lived here as a kid, I used to cross over on this bridge for my paper route! That's when it was just an abandoned railbed):

You may think you're in the middle of the woods, but you're not - you're in a very prestigious gated neighborhood (those are the 2x4s for a future fence ) :

Okay, on into the Town of Falmouth (kinda):

Everybody wants a piece of the action - including Seafood Sams!

At this point, the bikeway comes to Depot Avenue, so named for the fact that the bikeway used to be the traintracks; so you will ride right up to the former trainstation (which is now the greyhound bus).

This awesome old tree and stone wall is there:

Here is the bus (former train) station. When I was in high school, I remember being able to walk onto the abandoned train platforms in the back - now, you can't even see them:

Sculpture, bus station in the background, litter, and I like how they decided to keep up the railroadXcrossing signs:

Onward, we find a couple more tucked away paths leading to houses just off the bikeway:

And then we start coming out to small tidal ponds (Oyster Pond, Salt Pond) which flow to/from Vinyard Sound (notice the wind turbine):

I want to retire to this house someday:

Crossing the inlets to the ponds, now fully along the oceanfront of Vineyard Sound:

Getting out to Woods Hole:

In the distance is the end of the line (the ferry to Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket):

[New Name]

Okay and here are some pictures around Woods Hole (which is part of Falmouth):

[Neo]

That's an amazing bike path! I wish we had something similar locally.