Dune Shacks: taste of Cape Cod's floating & well-aged homes

[@paysontom1]

I had the wonderful good fortune to live there back in 1970/71 while stationed with the Air Force at North Truro. I spent a great deal of time walking and at that time driving these dunes in an old vw dunebuggy. Rebuilt an old sailboat with a buddy and sailed it out of N Truro harbor. Hunted for gold coin from the Widdah. Maintained property near the Coast Guard Station. Homes now long devoured by the collapsing sand dunes. Collected driftwood and flotsam and made items for our small apartment. Still have a few of them. Kale soup on a cold winter night. Harvesting scallop and clams. Discussing Nietzche, Kant, and other poets and philosophers in the small tavern in downtown P Town. I will never forget the wild ride from P Town to Otis as we headed to the Hospital for the birth of our first child at Otis AFB. Police escort at 1am town to town all the way down rte 6 at 95mph. Decades ago now but the sound of the wind in the grass, the wind whipping the sand the sheer fear of trying to outsail a November squall and making it back into harbor safely, are still fresh in my mind all these years later. May these Dune shacks remain, forever a reminder of Freedom. Individuality and wild nature.

[@SWS1493]

@@paysontom1 🤍🤍

[@drivenhome7840]

My Aunt lived near Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia in a tiny house with her husband. I was young when I visited and remember how tiny her house was and how large and round my aunt was. But she was a cook and her tiny wood stove made the best chowder and pound cake on the continent. I loved that visit.

[@licensedsalesassociatemich3157]

A saying in our family is "it's not the room in your house. It's the room in your heart that matters." I love that your Aunt had a big heart!

[@sirich7751]

This man's narration is like a poetry in its own. So eloquently simple and descriptive.

[@30dayride67]

I love coming back to this video whenever life gets too cluttered with stuff and I'm not able to physically get away to recharge. It just soothes the soul. Thank you to all involved in making and sharing it with us.

[@janie5630]

Beautiful. I was there one winter and watched the sunset at the beach near Provincetown, and it was the first time I had ever cried watching a sunset purely for its beauty. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Maxcactus]

This documentary is a work of art. Thank you.

[@slobomotion]

If you ever want to go here, I have some tips for you. It's fascinating and I was delighted to take my French spouse here in 2000. He was fascinated and flipped out at the drive-in movie in Wellfleet, ha ha ha!!! He loved this!

[@MsFrosteetoes]

slobomotion One of the few drive-ins left in this country. It is a treat.

[@slobomotion]

MsFrosteetoes Thank heaven! It was wonderful fun, everyone with their folding chairs, coolers and bug spray. The kids went over to the play area. Well-attended. We of course didn't care what the movie was -- that wasn't the point! :)

[@TalksWithDirt]

Rex Miller Its not a work of Art. It's a work of Kirsten Dirksen.

[@Titahood4life]

So beautiful how you tell the story and your love for the area , much of the dunes of O’ahu , Hawaii , humans flattened but during my childhood they were all there . One of my favorite songs of my dad who grew up on the east coast was Cape cod and I still love it , I have never been my home and birth place Hawaii he fell in love with along with my native Hawaiian mama . So admire these beautiful “ Pu’u One”( sand hills)

[@RJCooper2]

I want to thank you very much for bringing me back to 1966 or so and spending a day with my Dad, whose outlook was very much the same - just refreshing.

[@patriciasalem3606]

This is one of my favorite docs and KZbin videos. Del Deo is so articulate and passionate about the fragility and beauty of the dunes. While the visuals were stunning, his commentary was also so vivid and inspiring that a blind person could listen to the soundtrack to this film and still enjoy it. Kirsten, you were wise to just let him speak and to add your camera's images to enhance and play off his words. I live on the other side of the continent, in the dunes of Baja California, Mexico, which is a less-protected but equally fragile desert ecosystem. This film resonated with me in ways that sent ripples beyond just the 25 minutes I spent watching it. I am a writer, and not only did this help me formulate ideas about the finish of one novel and what my next project will be, it made me realize how much I need to spend more time simply absorbing the nature around me here in Mexico to lend clarity to my work. I'm from Massachusetts originally, and have spent many days on the Cape. In fact, my parents live in Yarmouth. My dad introduced me to the National Seashore and the wonders of Cape beaches as a child. This film makes me yearn to return there to write--maybe as an artist in residence one day soon? Thank you for posting this!

[@EastCoast2010]

As a Dune Tour Driver working for Rob Costa, this is one of my absolutely most favorite jobs. It was a dream come true to have Rob ask ME to work for HIM and the Dune Tour Family! This video is AMAZING! Thank you SO much!! :)

[@MrCanigou]

Beautiful Kirsten ! Reminds me of the dunes at Dunkirk - France near which I grew up. Same blue-greyish sky an sea, same vegetation. Thank you for sharing this pure marvel.

[@40ny]

I love his yardstick of what's worth worrying about: how will it stand up to a windstorm. Well said!

[@capecodislife5104]

Agreed!

[@ogaustin1372]

Yes ! My sentiment exactly.

[@SJM6791]

I couldn’t agree with him more.

[@MayimHastings]

Wow, this was gorgeously done! Why did he have to say everything so perfectly? Thank you for this, it’s an honor and privilege to see it. 😘💨

[@cherylanderson3340]

This is the Cape few ever see. Thank you so much for bringing me along to share in another enriching experience, for another charming visit with a unique dweller who has a valuable perspective, who lives in an exceptional location & who is such a pleasure to encounter, as he showed us around a dwelling which he has lived with since childhood. There's a story to be told & our guide touched upon many aspects - each as interesting as the next. .

[@Seastorm-nh8cv]

When I first started watching KZbin [and I was not prepared for the good stuff I find here] I watched this Video. A part of New England history and life that I never knew about. I started to follow alternative homes which were in abundance here. I no longer watch television, don't even have cable. What a wonderful "old friend" this video is, and I keep coming back to it just to experience the history it uncovers, Thanks!

[@randolphtorres4172]

I see others that provide video documents as you do but seriously, your style of interviewing, editing is my favorite, well done young lady. THANKSGIVING

[@perk2211]

No doubt one of the best produced documentaries I’ve seen which perfectly describes the beauty and history of the outermost shacks on the cape. Simplicity is oftentimes hard to capture and describe. This short documentary captures both.

[@margiepeary8003]

This video restored beautiful memories of a weekend visit to my friend's shack owned by her g'father. It was located on Island beach State Park at the Jersey Shore. We swam and collected mussels during the day and climbed the abandoned 'lookout tower' used during WW2 and played cards by candlelight after a simple meal. There was a magical dormitory type upstairs screened room where you could see the ocean on one side and Barnegat Bay and lights from the mainland on the other side. Truly one of my BEST childhood memories ever!!!

[@matthoward1174]

That is such a beautiful park. I go there all the time in the fall, when the crowds are gone.

[@061356]

watching this video was like viewing a fine movie about history and present day. I love it.

[@karimaosmani4211]

So much beauty. Filmed in late afternoon, how unusual! How precious this little film is! This person is a poet and someone I would love to cross path with one day. What a brilliant man. Kirsten, this is a jewel. Very well done and, Thank you!!!

[@Jackwagon]

Another amazing vid!!! This fella is SO well spoken and knowledgable about his surroundings.

[@SWS1493]

Such a beautiful film. It’s about everything that really matters to me anymore. Thank you 🤍🩵

[@2bsirius]

This reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time Henry Beston's "The Outer Most House"...As Beston phrased it, "Nature is a part of our humanity, and without some awareness and experience of that divine mystery man ceases to be man.”

[@ShakespeareCafe]

2b Sirius nice

[@melaniek1984]

Amazing! Thanks for this glimpse into the life of Dune Dwellers.

[@chancebronson9375]

I couldn't sleep... Stumbled on this it brought me such joy. It also got me thinking about Sal and Dorothy who was so wonderful and amazing... Thankyou 🙏

[@Mfnorty]

Thanks Kirsten! Beautiful part of the Cape! Entire Cape is just awesome!

[@capecodislife5104]

Absolutely captivating video about the beauty and simplicity of nature on the outer Cape. Thank you so much for this!

[@dennismckee9710]

Wonderful! I've been on the dunes last year but didn't encounter the shacks. This video made me stop and think about our place on the earth. Thanks.

[@yourmajesty3569]

This guy is well read. You can tell by his speech and vocabulary. He could engage me for hours with his conversation. Wonderfully done. Such a deep understanding of what is happening in that environment. We've been blessed with his tour.

[@alexxxandder]

this guy is very well spoken. good video.

[@sashastarshanti3599]

It's 1/5/21 this video is a gift encapsulated in sand, wind, water, wood, time, and beauty beyond imagination. I so hope all the dune cabins and dwellers within them are still there. Thank you.

[@WhyNot-zr5kl]

What beautiful way to live...just a really wonderful place. Loved the gentleman speaking, was a truly wonderful watch and listen.

[@Itwasallwonderfulnot]

What a treasure of a documentary!

[@catherinemira75]

Very eloquent man. A pleasure to listen to. An education as well as an inspiration. ❤️

[@BeeVeggieFriend]

This was just a beautiful video...Very calm and positive. Thank you for going out there and recording this Kirsten and also to Romolo. It is just an amazing place..Barbora, Slovakia

[@SurfBeatle]

I enjoyed this story very much. thank you for a wonderful half hour trip.

[@fringestream990]

I truly appreciate the love this man has for this area. I know I'm in the right company here, but I wish more people have a similar love for preservation of nature. And really preservation of Simple Living too! Shame things seem in the total opposite of that though....

[@achoirofneurons]

Excellent Kristen. So glad I found your channel. Love your work.

[@carlyhall7821]

I could listen to you all day . I grew up on Martha's Vineyard and spent hours on the beach with my dog just combing the dunes and ocean. My mother would often have to send the local police out to call me home and I was always up right before sunrise sneaking out back to my home on the dunes...... I so want to go back home!

[@sallygoodnow1144]

I walked those dunes in the late '60' s on our family vacation to the Cape. Loved it.

[@gloriasligh6679]

I've just returned from the Cape Cod Seashore and I am again fascinated with it. I will reread The Outermost House and Cape Cod. There is something magical about this place...the colors of the sky, water and grasses. I have never been a beach lover, but I am a loner and this place draws me in. This is a beautiful video...I can feel the peace and love.

[@9amStudio]

Love your videos. I look forward for each new uploads.

[@shevetlevi2821]

Cape Cod is my favorite place on the East Coast. I love Cape Cod architecture; rustic and simple and it seems to embrace you. We were blessed to live on the Vineyard for 5 years and the drive at the beginning of this video reminded me of when we'd take our little Suzuki Sidekick 4x4 out on in the dunes of Chappaquidick. Frenchy's shack reminds me of Dogfish Bar on the other (western) side of the Vineyard. Such a nice period for us. Watching this again 2 years later (July 2023). We just returned from an extensive road trip that included Cape Cod. We stayed 3 days in Provincetown which included a sunset tour in an SUV of these same dune shacks of Peaked Hill. I hope that the stakeholders can find that balance that enables them to preserve these special dwellings. I didn't catch the name of the gentleman who guided us through this video but all of his comments and observations rang true and were of value. I'm reading a coffee table book about Peaked Hill and its dune shacks. In contrast to this video some of the comments made by the well known artists and writers who lived in these shacks are so pretentious that I'm tending to just skip to the beautiful photos in the book. I live in south Florida now which of course is another world from the Cape Cod National Seashore but in 2005 we were visited by hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, 2 months apart. We lost electric for 14 days and water for 3 days. Large trees fell across U.S. Route 1, a 6 lane highway which goes all the way to Maine. There was no electric, no cars or other powered travel during this period and life literally returned to much of how it was during the beginning of the 20th Century. It was an interesting glimpse just as this beautifully narrated tour is an interesting glimpse of life pared away to elemental living.

[@rachelo3548]

Thank you for this! We are planning our first trip to the Cape this fall. I'm really excited to see the beauty. This man is so well spoken and makes some great common sense points on so many subjects!

[@mauricepowers3804]

It's sad to hear that even before the making of this country human beings were devastating the landscape! Thank You once again for a wonderful video!

[@steveblake4578]

I knew before watching that this would make me cry and be happy at the same time . Spent many happy days on the cape as a child . thanks .

[@Foundinthewoodsbushcraft]

I loved this interview. You always manage to find the most unique, interesting & humble people. This is wonderful.

[@alfriedar]

Kristen .. great job.. I actually liked that you said so little and he had a long story line .. It worked on this piece... I was on Cap Cod often and never knew this was there..

[@lydiarowe491]

Cannot imagine our existence not having places like this to escape to..what wonderful custodian of this home in the dunes...a sanctuary for the mind..thankyou for this amazing experience..⭐

[@jkam2524]

Kirsten this is your best video I've seen yet. How wonderful you have documented this.

[@404now]

This is a very interesting video and very beautifully done. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this

[@lucrtrvl]

What a fantastic place to live in! I love P'town. One of my favorite places in the world! Thank you for the lovely video!

[@capecodislife5104]

P Town is one of the most beautiful places ever!

[@jazzy-pizazz]

the homes, the scenery, the history, the humanity - a wonderful watch from start to finish! p.s. add edward hopper to the list of great artists who spent a lot of time out there

[@Jarjarjar21]

Love it! I hitchhiked to Cape Cod when 16 ...many many many moons ago...from Canada...walked the beaches...My English ancestors founded Rhode Island colonies....

[@MrComaToes]

I remember seeing one of these homes 30 years ago out on those dunes and thought it was a shame that it was being swallowed up by the sand. What I assumed was that the shack was abandoned, but more likely it was merely the shifting sand and it was one of these homes you've showed. Glad to see that they still exist, hopefully they will continue into the future! Nice Vid!

[@laurac56]

Wow! Fascinating.Very interesting man and location. Re anyone who thinks these houses are wrecks-the outsides look like other Cape Cod exteriors, perhaps a little more affected by nature than most, and the inside of his looks like a summer camp. Nothing wrong with that.

[@kathleenwyllie4104]

I love this. I always enjoy your posts, but this one, as many others have said, is special. What an engaging and learned man. Thank you for the treat.

[@jgally74]

I grew up coming to Cape Cod and continue to now bring my own family during summertime. This was an excellent of one of the many naturally beautiful places which will keep me coming back for the rest of time. Excellent video!

[@josephinetyree1476]

This just popped up again....on my list ...So wonderful to 're-live' this....Thanks once more....!!!

[@ellencooney5563]

Me too, on the eve of Sept 2024.

[@FishKungfu]

Excellent video! I had never heard of these dune shacks before.

[@johnbergholm]

even tho this is 3 years old now, it maintains it's relevance. thanks for making this one.

[@Gigi714]

Bravo! I so enjoy your amazing finds both in terms of sites and incredibly articulate and insightful local storytellers and dwellers. Thank you for sharing your work!

[@almannone]

Another gem, Kirsten. Thank you.

[@MsSherryjh]

I think this is one of the most beautiful films you've shot. And so interesting.

[@demolitionwilliams]

Looks like I'm a little late to the party, but I'm so happy to have found your channel none the less! Just when I'm thinking there's nothing else out there to spark my intrigue... I come across a channel like this. So excited to dive in!

[@kirstendirksen]

Thank you Daniel.

[@moebiusdune1115]

I love this episode.Great work Kirsten.

[@SteveLebeau]

Thank you, K! Beautiful as always.

[@J.Cameron.Stuart.Adams.]

What a passionate, well spoken, and intelligent man. The world today lacks men and women of this caliber. I am humbled by his passion for preservation and protecting a simpler existence. Granted he returns to his modern home. Like him, I wouldn't be able to permanently sustain a live on the dunes. Have you followed up with him since the series of storm that have continued to change the landscape? His shack is so close to the shore. I supposed my number one inquiry for him would be: Are you going to move the shack if the mighty Atlantic comes knocking on the door? Thank you for posting another fantastic episode. Cheers from Seattle!

[@AZ-vt7dt]

Really good piece....Spent a lot of time out there myself. Don't tell anybody, it's one of the best spots ever......if you didn't gather that by the great interview/discussion/treatise.

[@jasonshockley280]

Awesome video. I have driven the dunes with Art's Dune Tours out of Provincetown before, but have never seen an up close and personal account of the shacks themselves. Very well narrated!

[@deborahbigham4522]

I love places like that. It's surprising how little you really need to survive. When the hubby and I were first married we lived in what my in laws called the little house. It was two rooms, bedroom and office/wash room. So with no kitchen the hubby obtained a camper for me and we gutted it and then put in electric appliances and a mini hot water heater. It worked! So it was all we needed. It was like camping all the time. I loved it.

[@TheDrunkardHu]

beautiful video, thank you for sharing! i could listen to this guy talk all day, :D

[@dbona4445]

I always wanted to know more about the dune shacks. This is really excellent!

[@jeanneamato8278]

That was so wonderful it brought me to tears. I envy you but in a good way. Thank you for taking care of the Cape.

[@ccartist516]

vivo en Provincetown desde 2015 y siempre he soñado con ver uno de estos Shacks. Ahora entiendo la idea propósito e importancia de ellos. Thanks! Love it 💞

[@karenchakey]

What a beautiful place to live in a tiny house! Absolutely love it! I could live there for sure!

[@Helloverlord]

Among a few top videos I've seen on this channel so far.

[@alwaysbreathe48]

Your work is amazing. I love that it's a family endeavor. The education your children are receiving! This episode and the one about the tiny homes in Texas are so informative about codes and rules which desperately need revision. As we come out of consumerism mentally, perhaps they will be. The money chain doesn't allow natural inexpensive solutions unless we seek them out. We must become "seekers". This gentleman's perspective - beautifully pure, in resonance with nature and life force. Thank you for doing the work you are doing - "art in motion" and environmental structure awareness . Your family is lovely! Your eldest is most definitely your "mini-me" Be well. In love & appreciation Aneela

[@LaurenDelsackAstrologer]

"Being reduced to speechlessness." Love that ;-)

[@DonWilsondigginTimeUSA]

Fantastic interview, of a great person, and a great place.

[@frankie2234]

Really loved it. So articulate.

[@SapioiT]

I think a small solar+wind powered water distillery and a solar oven could be used to slightly increase the quality of life. Maybe even adding more stilts and importing some ground, just to have planting pots where to grow food.

[@teenac718]

I miss my home. Lived there for 60 years. Moved 2 years ago. Instant regret. One of our field trips in grade school was 4 days at National Seashore. We slept in tiny cabins. I think they still do it. Beautiful Cape Cod❤.

[@araneus1]

That was stunning. Thank you. I hope this bloke is still okay. 6 years is a long time these days. Terry

[@rockmassa4151]

Really Enjoyed This...I Lived On A Tiny Island In The Summer, Growing Up...No Electricity Or Telephone...I Truly Understand The Feeling Of Vastness And The Humanizing Quality Of Environment Around You.

[@Marimilitarybrat]

I love Your description of the social environment that surrounded the creation of the Mayflower compact.I haven't heard the phrase representative democracy since my government classes in junior high school. The fact that I say junior high school certainly does place me in a certain generation. Do you think you could expand on that very brief conversation about the founding of America and spread it around on KZbin? It was lost information.

[@jzt999]

Thank you for the most wonderful reminders of the life I lived on the Cape with my late husband's family. They owned one of those cottages on one of the beaches since before there was a USA. I spent my honeymoon there, and we rented the cottage to friends for a month each summer, while we camped on the dunes. We were ever so careful of the grasses, birds, and other wildlife. Many green-bottle flies sustained themselves on my flesh. Life goes on. I live on an island on the other side of the country now, but there's no place like home.

[@jackstrubbe7608]

Curious what island, as I spent some time in Truro in the sixties, and Friday Harbor and 20 years on Vashon Island until very recently. I still occasionally return to watch the rookeries I know of when my 71 year old body permits beach walks.

[@collinshepherd1454]

This may be my favorite view of yours. Thanks for sharing it!

[@josephinetyree1476]

Absolutly love this lifestyle...Have several pictures that look like the interior of this place !! If only 'we' had ...choices like this ....to live peaceably ...on our own without the 'push/shove/'have too's' ' of modern society!!..Good Job Kristen !!!

[@josephinetyree1476]

@Alexandra McLean I Believe that my anestry...does go back in time just 2 generations ago... : ) Thanks for asking !!

[@russellcardinal9074]

I love the Cape. This was so cool to stumble upon. I live like this in the Keys.

[@drewviz5102]

when dawn comes around, every hour you miss around here, it pains you cause you're missing so much beauty every single day..

[@superbug1977]

This film/video is delightful. We have been given an insider's view, a backstage pass. The USA has many aspects and this is a very charming example.

[@matthewfike4491]

Thank you for making this film.

[@RLeeVanCamps]

I have taken a dune tour In the past and actually saw some of these. It was such a moving experience. Must be amazing to be able to live in one.

[@HeiwaPaz2000]

Thanks for this inspiring and wonderful story! I wish I had a place like that to go to...

[@Mr91495osh]

My great uncle built a fishing shack on a CAY off Key West. It’s was so much fun. Good memories.

[@SJM6791]

This is a fascinating video and it’s wonderfully narrated. I find these Dune Shacks to be very interesting. They’re a throwback to a much simpler time in our country’s history. My family and I are lucky enough to own a beach house. The conservation efforts needed to preserve our home and beach front environment is a pain in the a** at times, but it’s absolutely necessary. Fortunately, 99% of the people who live/visit our beach want to preserve the beautiful environment for future generations. I’d live at the beach the rest of my life if I could afford it. Unfortunately, I have to work a hundred miles away just so I can afford to visit it as much as possible. Thank you for the video and God bless my friend!

[@mtruman42]

This video was amazing. Last spring my partner and I spent a week at Fowler. Each morning I walked over the top of the dunes to your shack. There was a family of foxes living under the shack (one of the sweetest things I've ever encountered) and we decided to call this "the fox shack". Our week in the dunes was the most amazing time that either of us had spent - either together or alone. Somehow I knew that connections like this would arise as we walked down the road...

[@limjahey9244]

Im hooked on all your documentations!! :))

[@reneecannon1250]

The view just got better from your windows, fresh tall green grass, blue ocean, blue and lavender sky with white clouds ♡