For the next two weeks we are staying at the Gateway to Cape Cod Outdoor World RV Resort located in Rochester, Ma. Today we drove to Provincetown, Cape Cod. Along the way we stopped in Yarmouthport, Ma. to eat lunch at Hallet's Store. This store was established in 1889 and has been in business for 123 years. It's a
very small store with all the original fixtures, a marble soda fountain, oak cabinets and a tin ceiling. Their ice cream is home made and they sell a variety of old-fashioned soda, frappes, root beer floats and malts. They also make sandwiches. They are known for their Clam Chowder and malts. So of course, I had to have their clam chowder and a chocolate malt. Not being a fish eater of any kind, Jim had a BLT and a chocolate malt. It was definitely a nice treat along our journey today. Our next stop was in Wellfleet to see the site of the very first wireless radio transmission from America to England by President Roosevelt and King Edward VII. Jim being an electrical engineer by trade was very interested in seeing this site. Guglielmo Marconi built this wireless transmission site in January 1903 on the sea cliffs of Wellfleet. When it was built, it consisted of 4 wooden towers 210 feet in height. The power requirements were tremendous. Kerosene-burning engines produced 2,200 volts. When fed to a Tesla transformer, the voltege was stepped up to 25,000 volts-the energy needed to transmit long-wave signals so far. The local residents had to endure the sounds of the crashing spark which could be heard for four miles downwind of the station. The sea cliff was eroding three feet each year threatening the eastern-most towers with collapse. The station was closed in 1917 and in 1920 it was scrapped. From Wellfleet we continued to Provincetown and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon going to all the little shops and watching the street performers. Looking forward to another day on the Cape tomorrow.
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