Woods Hole was settled more than 300 years ago, and for centuries, it was a fishing and farming community. Today, thanks to the abundance of fauna in its waters — luring researchers from around the world — it’s known as a center for marine, biomedical and environmental science.
It’s home to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the largest such research institution in the country; the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), where more than 50 Nobel Prize winners have taught, taken courses or conducted research; and divisions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Together, these institutions occupy about 170 buildings in town and operate a dozen research vessels and collecting boats. Walking into Woods Hole (and especially crossing over the drawbridge, which few tourists do) feels like walking onto the set of a marine biologist reality show.
But to fully enjoy this show and all the town’s treasures — bike path, small beaches, fiery sunsets, deck dining, resident scientists — the best time to visit is just after Labor Day, after all the college students, post-docs and those making a beeline for the Vineyard ferry have gone home. Or alternatively, before it all begins around Memorial Day.
During my most recent visit, I picked up a bike map at Pie in the Sky bakery and started each day with an early ride. The town’s commercial center is tiny, but it’s worth exploring the MBL campus, nestled around Eel Pond. Woods Hole is surprisingly hilly, and no matter which direction I headed in, my legs enjoyed a serious workout. Some days I followed the path of the Falmouth Road Race, which starts at the Woods Hole drawbridge and then passes the Nobska Point Lighthouse, a long stretch of beach and finally the gray-shingled houses of Falmouth.
Other days I pedaled along the Shining Sea Bikeway, a 10.7-mile paved path along the shore of Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and North Falmouth. Morning tweets and chirps provided surround sound, fog hung low on the path, bunnies scampered into the woods, and I often wouldn’t see another human for miles.
During the off-season, it’s easy to feel like a local in Woods Hole. Before long, you’ll know the schedule of the drawbridge (every half hour), and you’ll start calling Coffee Obsession “Coffee O.” You’ll become a regular at Pie in the Sky because you can’t resist the popovers, and for the simple reason that you have to adore a place that keeps a dog bowl and bike pump on its patio. And once you discover the lobster and grilled fish tacos at Quicks Hole, you will find yourself making excuses to eat there at least once a day.
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