A trip to Ballston Beach always brings a smile to my face. I skip rather than walk. I shiver with anticipation. Oh, the excitement! Here’s why:1.) The access road winds through the pristine National Seashore.
2.) Any buildings along this road hark back to a time when Truro was mostly farmland.
3.) Ballston Beach is often deserted in the off-season.
4.) The beach itself is a beautiful shape and so peaceful.
5.) “Gil’s house” has not tumbled in yet.
6.) In the distance stands the Truro Hostel, a reminder that young people can still find cheap accommodation on the Outer Cape.
7.) The parking lot is close to the ocean and the air smells of salt.
8.) Beyond the hostel, there’s a hill with the sign explaining the storm of 1991.
9.) Sven and I have been observing the erosion here for quite some time and have seen some unusual configurations over the years.
10.) What can I say? This beach is special.
In the words of Truro artist and native Tom Watson, “Every time I go, I’m struck anew by its beauty. I have painted this beach many, many times but I still am unable to fully understand what is so fascinating about the meeting place of the three main visual elements – sky, land and water."
Today I read on Facebook that Safe Harbor
has started a barrier beach dune restoration project at Ballston. It is definitely a beach worth saving. Want to help? Mac’s Seafood has contributed a $500 matching gift, so your contributions will get a definite boost. Find out why this beach is special to Mac Hay here.Sven and I do not go to Ballston Beach in summer because it's in Truro, not Wellfleet. Are you familiar with Ballston? If so, why do you like going there? Do you know any successful restoration projects like the one Safe Harbor has started in Truro? What is your favorite beach and why?
