In this issue, we take you on a trip to every Cape and Islands community. From Bourne's canal out to Provincetown's tip, from Wellfleet's beaches to Nantucket's cobbled streets, we share facts, historical information, and helpful hints. Through the voices of people who live in each of those places, Associate Editor Jeff Harder brings you fine stories that reflect the vitality of each community.

I know it will take me a long time to be able to close my eyes and visualize our region's entire shoreline, a talent our publisher Brian Shortsleeve writes about in his column on page 136. When I close my eyes, the only coastline I can come up with is that of our hometown, Centerville. We have only lived here past the summer for a few years. I can see the Centerville River moving along Long Beach's gentle curve. I can tell you about one of my favorite places there, where a wind-blasted tree's branches are hung with shells, a tribute to the shore's resilient beauty.

The first time I saw the tree, I thought it was a rare flowering specie rising above the beach grass. All year round, in bright July sun or gray November mist, the tree glimmers.

I know a spot on the ocean side of Long Beach where someone has anchored an old skiff in the beach grass, tied together with a couple of beach chairs. I often wonder if the owner would mind if we borrowed the chairs for a rest after our walks. Further down on Craigville Beach, I know that wooden piers once stretched out to the ocean, instead of lines of sun-loving bodies. A few years ago, we watched giant earth-moving machines uncover the remnants of those piers.

I can visualize some of the shoreline of Hyannis, and further out on the Cape, sections of the beaches we have explored in Chatham, Orleans, and Provincetown. I can come up with some bay-side sights and island views, but not enough to write about.

One of the best things about living here is the endless places to explore. I want to know about Martha's Vineyard's meadows and to learn about Falmouth's 68 miles of coastline. I hope to walk along all the beaches of the Outer Cape and find the spot where my Pilgrim ancestor, John Alden, stood on a cold 1620 day after coming ashore for the first time. I wonder how long it took him to know—with his eyes closed—this new home.

Sincerely,

Susan Dewey, Managing Editor