Cape Cod Help

[christinou]

We are going to Cape Cod for a week in August, YEAH . We are camping and will be driving a motorhome and towing a car. I keep hearing how awful the traffice is, and how you can get backed up for hours on the bridge, now I am considering leaving from home Friday night, and then driving onto the cape or stopping right before so that we don't hit traffic, can anyone give me an idea of a place to park for that night. A big parking lot would be great, as long as they let people stay overnight....
I also would love any tips on what to do, we will be in Truro.
I am so looking forward to fried whole bellied clams......

 

[MAC3]

I betcha Debbi can help you!

 

[jjskribs]

Welcome to Cape Cod christinou........ I would probably suggest that you just drive right through instead of parking somewhere. You should be coming in over the Bourne Bridge which does not back up quite as much as the Sagamore. I'm in the Mid Cape area so I'm not really too familar with Truro. If you come into Hyannis there is a great seafood resturant called Cooke's which has awesome fried clams. They have lots of seafood and hamburgers etc. for kids.

I'm very familar with your trip as my son is a student at Ithaca College! In fact we are headed to Ithaca at the beginning of August to move some of his stuff into his apartment.

Maybe you could just bring him back for us

Enjoy your stay on the Cape

 

[aprincessmom]

A big parking lot would be great, as long as they let people stay overnight....

Most places on the Cape don't allow you to park overnight in their lots with campers. Even the WalMart which allows that in every other place in the country was specifically prohibited from doing it in Wareham.

I went back home this past Saturday for my nephew's birthday party in Falmouth and we hit light traffic going over the Bourne Bridge (waited about 20 minutes to get over the bridge) at around 9:30 a.m.

I agree that you should just drive through...it's August on the Cape and no matter what you do you will hit traffic of some sort. Be careful driving down Rt 6 to Truro -- it's a very narrow highway after Dennis...locals call it Suicide Alley. Have a great time...Truro is lovely!

 

[christinou]

Thanks for all of the answers, we cannot check in until 2:00 p.m. so if we get there around midnight we can't get in, which is why I was hoping to find a parking lot....
Oh well we might just wait and leave on Saturday morning, we should be at the bridge by noon, it might not be too bad.

 

[Lynn CC]

Truro is such a beautiful area!
You can go to www.capecodonline for a lot of information.
I would drive right through Friday night as well. My Brother comes from off-cape just about every Friday night around 6:30pm to go to Nauset Beach or P'Town's, Race Point to camp and he hasn't had any trouble with traffic this year so far, which is very unusual. I think Sat. mornings are worse for traffic. the reason for this is Saturday morning changeovers in a lot of the cottages that people rent. You could stay in the parking Burger King Parking Lot at Exit 6 (you can see it from the Highway) There is a Park and Ride Terminal there with plenty of parking spaces. We have left our car there overnight for many trips into Boston, New York etc. It's also a truck stop (I think they sleep there). When you get off Exit 6 on the Mid Cape Highway it's straight in front of you. You can't miss it.
Head of the Meadow Beach & High Head Beach in Truro are our favorite, I think there are around a dozen to choose from. They have lifeguards there if that helps.
If your driving down in the truro area and come across a breakfast place called Tony & Anns or Ann and Tonys....I'm sure of the Tony Part , but it might be a different name than Ann....anyways we ate breakfast there and it was GREAT!

What else are you planning on doing, are you camping at the beach?

I can double-check if your allowed to park overnight in that parking lot if you want me to.

 

[Rippington'sFan]

Originally posted by christinou
Thanks for all of the answers, we cannot check in until 2:00 p.m. so if we get there around midnight we can't get in, which is why I was hoping to find a parking lot....
Oh well we might just wait and leave on Saturday morning, we should be at the bridge by noon, it might not be too bad.

I have vacationed the last 20 plus years at the outer cape (Wellfleet) and I can tell you that we NEVER have a problem with traffic on the way down on Friday's. The traffic may be heavy but it moves right along. Saturday will be awful for traffic if you don't get a real early start. There will be a 5 mile back up to the Bourne Bridge by 10:00 or 11:00 am. I'm just not sure where you could park the motor home if you left Friday. You should inquire about that. Call the chamber of commerce in Truro or another town close by like Wellfleet/Eastham or Orleans. The only suggestion I can think of is at a Beach called Herring Cove in P-Town. The parking lots are usually full of Motor Homes everytime we go to that beach. It may be worthwhile looking into it.
We were just in the Wellfleet/Truro area last week. You will love it down there. Truro is great. We always go to "Head of the Meadow" Beach in Truro on the Cape Cod National Seashore. You will have to visit P-town of course. If you want to go out to dinner in Truro there is a great little restaurant called "Paparazzi" on route 6A in North Truro. It doesn't look like much from the outside but they have really good food and unlimited soup/salad bar. I highly recommend it.
The bike trails down there are great too if you are into biking. They also have some hiking trails. Pilgrim Heights in Truro is a nice short walk.
If you want anymore information I will be glad to try and help you. You can send me a private message or just post here. Whatever works for you.
Good luck and have fun

 

[christinou]

Lynn, thank you for the suggestions, you mention the BK at exit 6, is that off 495 before you get into the cape, or on the cape itseld. We are not camping on the beach, just in a campground, we are planning on going to Provincetown, going on a whale watch, eating lots of clams and lobsters, hiking in some of the national seashore trails, I was told Jeremy point at low tide is great, relaxing.... we have 2 DD 9 and 7. going to the drive in in Wellfleet, being tourist......

 

[christinou]

I am replying to myself, I really appreciate all of the info, we have reservations starting Saturday at 2:00 p.m. so technically we should drive there on Saturday morning, which seems like it could be a nightmare.....
Maybe we could spend a night at a state park, just to get on the cape....

 

[aprincessmom]

The BK is at exit 6 off of Route 6 on the Cape -- it's the West Barnstable/Hyannis line.

 

[Rippington'sFan]

Originally posted by christinou
Lynn, thank you for the suggestions, you mention the BK at exit 6, is that off 495 before you get into the cape, or on the cape itseld. We are not camping on the beach, just in a campground, we are planning on going to Provincetown, going on a whale watch, eating lots of clams and lobsters, hiking in some of the national seashore trails, I was told Jeremy point at low tide is great, relaxing.... we have 2 DD 9 and 7. going to the drive in in Wellfleet, being tourist......

Do you have a boat? Because Jeremy point is a very long hike. It's beyond the tip of Great Island. It would be several hours round trip. I don't think it's doable with small children. However hiking around Great Island is beautiful. Some other hikes I highly recommend are in Eastham. One is called "Fort Hill" and the other hike is from the visitors center near Coast Guard Beach. I forget the name of the trail but it takes you past the salt pond. Bring your camera. There are bike trails there also. No bike trail at Fort Hill. In Wellfleet you can hike the Cedar Swamp. It's off the entrance to Marconi Beach. No matter where you plan to hike I would recommend bringing bug spray. Lot's of mosquito's on those trails I mentioned. Oh the bike trail in P-town is great but it is very hilly.

 

[DMickey28]

There isn't much more advice that I can give you as I am from the mid-cape area myself.

I do love the National Seashore as well the 6A side of things in Brewster and Dennis. That would be a nice day trip....

Come over on Friday night and park in the BK parking lot. When I would come down from Taunton on Saturday Am's to see my parents this last year it was a nightmare... Friday's aren't nearly as bad.

By the way...

CAN YOU TAKE ME HOME????? PLEASE... I'LL BUY GAS

 

[Crankyshank]

My parents left for their cottage in Wellfleet last Friday night. It was a straight shot over the Bourne Bridge - very little traffic.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

Can you tell me about the traffic leaving the Cape on a Sunday? Do I have to leave very early to avoid bridge traffic?

 

[DaisyDebbie]

Can you tell me about the traffic leaving the Cape on a Sunday? Do I have to leave very early to avoid bridge traffic?

 

[Rippington'sFan]

Originally posted by DaisyDebbie
Can you tell me about the traffic leaving the Cape on a Sunday? Do I have to leave very early to avoid bridge traffic?

I would recommend leaving early on Sunday if possible in order to beat the rush off the cape. Although sometimes you can get lucky like we did last Sunday. We got a late start off the cape and we were expecting a 4 or 5 mile back-up and it was only a 2-mile back-up at 1:00pm. Sometimes what I do is stay on route 6 until the traffic stops and then get off the next exit and take route 6a. Sometimes that's better. Also if it's a real nice day sometimes people hang around the cape longer and the traffic is worse by late afternoon vs. late morning. Ya never know!
good luck

 

[Griggle]

UGH! My heart just sank reading Rippington's Fan post!

I hate to hijack but - we're leaving for the cape (two weeks in n. truro ) on Saturday and if we leave Jersey at 10:00, that puts us at the bridge at about 2 or 3 depending on the traffic on 95 in CT....what can we expect??? There's no way we're getting out of the house before 10...

DS is planning on a Lord of the Rings 3-movie marathon.....please, please don't tell me we'll be sitting through them more than once....

 

[Crankyshank]

I find if I leave home at 3, which puts me at the Bourne bridge around 4, the traffic isn't bad - most people go on Sat morning.

as far as leaving Sunday, traffic seems to be worse leaving late afternoon. We've always left around 10pm and never had a problem.

 

[aprincessmom]

Traffic is worst on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Cottage dwellers have to be out by 11 and new arrivals are trying to get in a full day despite their 4:00 check-ins.

Because of the rotaries the people trying to get off and the people trying to get on reach such a critical mass that it stops traffic. Also the roads are only two lanes at their widest and it's just tough trying to put so many people in such a small space.

 

[Lynn CC]

I think you will be alright Saturday afternoon as far as traffic goes. It's the morning time that it gets heavy.
Yes, the Burger K parking lot is at exit 6 on the Cape!

Have Fun to everyone visiting this summer!