We are going to Provincetown, MA in June. I'm looking for suggestions on any "must sees" we should check out while in the Cape. We will definitely be doing a whale watching excursion and going to the ocean/beach. Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated!
Cape Cod in June
- Thread starter jkp464
- Start date
We live in MA and go that way every year for at least a long weekend so I have lots of them:
Depending upon budget one suggestion is heading up to Chatham and doing a seal tour - expensive but supposedly really worth it - last year there were lots of seals and lots of sharks.
One of the things we've done a couple of times is taking a tour of Cape Cod Bay on a schooner boat - the Bay Lady II is the one we've been on. You can do it in the morning, the afternoon or a sunset cruise (the sunset cruise is BYOW or BYOB) and fairly affordable. My whole family went last year for less than $100. I have photos I can share if you want to see them.
If you are not afraid of heights then climb the pilgrim Monument. There's also a museum of Provincetown history there.
Just go shopping - there are lots and lots of stores. One suggestion - if you have kids of any age with you AVOID Purple Haze. In addition to various other items it's primarily a sex toy/drug shop. There will be all kinds of paraphenalia you don't want to have to explain to a child. ETA - I was cringing last year watching a woman with a 4 yo come running out of there. The store has this neat really colorful exterior which appeals to kids.
Dinner or Lunch at the Mayflower. Really good homestyle food. My husband loves their burgers and clam chowder. We have to go there everytime we go to the cape on vacation whether camping for a weekend or in a cottage for a week.
You could do a Dunes Tour - again this one is pricey.
Get a copy of the National Seashore guide from the Provincelands Welcome Center or the one in Eastham. There will be tons of activities listed there. Some of them are free or really cheap. One of our favorites is to do the Nauset Beach Fire (in Eastham at Nauset Beach) hosted by the National Park Rangers. Another favorite is to see the Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration.
Not so much a must do but you could also go on a tour of the now defunct Air Force Base in Truro (Next town over)- again run by the Park Rangers. There are some amazing views of the coast from here.
Also, in Truro you can go for a tour of a lighthouse and if you have good lungs/heart/legs you can climb to the top.
ETA - you could also hit a drive-in move in Wellfleet or the flea market at the drive-in on Sat or Sunday morning. There's also lots of places along Rte 6 to go mini-golfing, get ice-cream, etc.
Depending upon budget one suggestion is heading up to Chatham and doing a seal tour - expensive but supposedly really worth it - last year there were lots of seals and lots of sharks.
One of the things we've done a couple of times is taking a tour of Cape Cod Bay on a schooner boat - the Bay Lady II is the one we've been on. You can do it in the morning, the afternoon or a sunset cruise (the sunset cruise is BYOW or BYOB) and fairly affordable. My whole family went last year for less than $100. I have photos I can share if you want to see them.
If you are not afraid of heights then climb the pilgrim Monument. There's also a museum of Provincetown history there.
Just go shopping - there are lots and lots of stores. One suggestion - if you have kids of any age with you AVOID Purple Haze. In addition to various other items it's primarily a sex toy/drug shop. There will be all kinds of paraphenalia you don't want to have to explain to a child. ETA - I was cringing last year watching a woman with a 4 yo come running out of there. The store has this neat really colorful exterior which appeals to kids.
Dinner or Lunch at the Mayflower. Really good homestyle food. My husband loves their burgers and clam chowder. We have to go there everytime we go to the cape on vacation whether camping for a weekend or in a cottage for a week.
You could do a Dunes Tour - again this one is pricey.
Get a copy of the National Seashore guide from the Provincelands Welcome Center or the one in Eastham. There will be tons of activities listed there. Some of them are free or really cheap. One of our favorites is to do the Nauset Beach Fire (in Eastham at Nauset Beach) hosted by the National Park Rangers. Another favorite is to see the Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration.
Not so much a must do but you could also go on a tour of the now defunct Air Force Base in Truro (Next town over)- again run by the Park Rangers. There are some amazing views of the coast from here.
Also, in Truro you can go for a tour of a lighthouse and if you have good lungs/heart/legs you can climb to the top.
ETA - you could also hit a drive-in move in Wellfleet or the flea market at the drive-in on Sat or Sunday morning. There's also lots of places along Rte 6 to go mini-golfing, get ice-cream, etc.
These are some GREAT suggestions. My daughter and I spent a few days on the Cape in Eastham last year, and I wish we had seen your list first. She wants to go back, so I'm filing your suggestions away. Can you tell me a little more about the dunes tour? Where does it leave from? Is it walking or a dune buggy?
java
<font color=darkorchid>I am embracing the Turkey B
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Love that list! Wanted to add that the water will be COLD in June. We went in early July one year and really couldn't swim in the ocean. We stayed in Chatham. Just beautiful. We spent time just relaxing, sightseeing and eating lobster!
Have a great trip.
Have a great trip.
crazyredhead
Earning My Ears
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- Sep 6, 2006
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Cape Cod is beautiful in June. It is warm but still not very crowded (the crowds arrive just in time for July 4th. The water will be cold but that never stopped us from swimming even on Memorial day weekend.
We had a house in Wellfleet growing up so I spent a lot of time there. I HIGHLY recommend a trip to the Drive-In if you don't have any in your area. The flea market there used to be one of my favorite things to do but IMO the quality has gone way, way down and is not worth the time anymore.
I love The Beachcomber in Wellfleet. It is ranked one of the top beach bars in the country. It is a fun place to eat lunch but check out their schedule - they have some great bands that come there to play at night. The best bands sell out early.
You have gotten some great suggestions what to see/do in Ptown. Art's Dune buggy tour is fantastic - http://www.capecodtravel.com/attractions/guidedtours/dunes0200.shtml Purchase any tshirts/sweatshirts/magnets etc. at Cuffy's for the best price anywhere on the Cape.
Have fun!
We had a house in Wellfleet growing up so I spent a lot of time there. I HIGHLY recommend a trip to the Drive-In if you don't have any in your area. The flea market there used to be one of my favorite things to do but IMO the quality has gone way, way down and is not worth the time anymore.
I love The Beachcomber in Wellfleet. It is ranked one of the top beach bars in the country. It is a fun place to eat lunch but check out their schedule - they have some great bands that come there to play at night. The best bands sell out early.
You have gotten some great suggestions what to see/do in Ptown. Art's Dune buggy tour is fantastic - http://www.capecodtravel.com/attractions/guidedtours/dunes0200.shtml Purchase any tshirts/sweatshirts/magnets etc. at Cuffy's for the best price anywhere on the Cape.
Have fun!
June is definitely slower - this year especially since many of the kids in MA will still be in school until the end of June due to all the snow days.
The water in June will definitely be cold, heck we went in August last year and Coast Guard Beach was freezing. But if you hit bay side beaches, especially Race Point in P-town (National Seashore Beach - drive up to the beach with your car if you head right from the guard shack), First Encounter or Sunken Meadow - town Beaches in Eastham or most of the town beaches Wellfleet (Wellfleet does have one beach that's on the oceanside) or Truro the water will be warmer. The only drawback is the water is shallower with a really long tidal basin so very little surf and more seaweed.
The beautiful thing about the Cape - especially the outer cape is that if you stick to the outer cape you can spend your morning and early afternoon doing something fun like a whale watch and still have plenty of time to hit the beaches in late afternoon.
Also, some other suggestions:
Top off a good day by watching the sun set over the ocean from one of the bay beaches - Race Point Beach has great views if you are in P-town. In Eastham hit Sunken Meadow - First Encounter is more popular but it has salt marsh that interfere with the view.
Bring Bikes or Rent and Ride the Cape Cod Rail Trail Bike Path. It stretches from P-town to Eastham. There is a restaurant in Wellfleet that abuts the trail - makes for a nice resting point and the ice cream is pretty good.
Tour the Windmill in Eastham center.
Rent sea kayaks in Chatham and do a self -directed paddling tour of Town Cove.
If you decide you've had enough of the P-town shopping experience try Wellfleet downtown. There are some great little shops there as well, not nearly as many as P-town but good for an afternoon. You can then hit the town dock for a take out dinner or lunch and watch the ships come in.
P-town has some fun night spots if you don't have children and aren't afraid of taking a walk on the wild side. P-town's night life does have a lot of the flavor of Key West. Though I don't know how rolling it is in June as we generally go in July and August.
For the best Shore Dinner (Lobster, steamers, corn on the cob, etc.) we recommend Arnold's in Eastham. Be prepared to wait as the lines are long even mid-week, but the food is really, really good. When we go camping in P-town we still drive back to go to Arnold's.
Not in my top ten but if you have a couple of minutes and are down that way hit Marconi Beach in Wellfleet to see the remnants of the first radio station. The size of this thing is amazing.
The water in June will definitely be cold, heck we went in August last year and Coast Guard Beach was freezing. But if you hit bay side beaches, especially Race Point in P-town (National Seashore Beach - drive up to the beach with your car if you head right from the guard shack), First Encounter or Sunken Meadow - town Beaches in Eastham or most of the town beaches Wellfleet (Wellfleet does have one beach that's on the oceanside) or Truro the water will be warmer. The only drawback is the water is shallower with a really long tidal basin so very little surf and more seaweed.
The beautiful thing about the Cape - especially the outer cape is that if you stick to the outer cape you can spend your morning and early afternoon doing something fun like a whale watch and still have plenty of time to hit the beaches in late afternoon.
Also, some other suggestions:
Top off a good day by watching the sun set over the ocean from one of the bay beaches - Race Point Beach has great views if you are in P-town. In Eastham hit Sunken Meadow - First Encounter is more popular but it has salt marsh that interfere with the view.
Bring Bikes or Rent and Ride the Cape Cod Rail Trail Bike Path. It stretches from P-town to Eastham. There is a restaurant in Wellfleet that abuts the trail - makes for a nice resting point and the ice cream is pretty good.
Tour the Windmill in Eastham center.
Rent sea kayaks in Chatham and do a self -directed paddling tour of Town Cove.
If you decide you've had enough of the P-town shopping experience try Wellfleet downtown. There are some great little shops there as well, not nearly as many as P-town but good for an afternoon. You can then hit the town dock for a take out dinner or lunch and watch the ships come in.
P-town has some fun night spots if you don't have children and aren't afraid of taking a walk on the wild side. P-town's night life does have a lot of the flavor of Key West. Though I don't know how rolling it is in June as we generally go in July and August.
For the best Shore Dinner (Lobster, steamers, corn on the cob, etc.) we recommend Arnold's in Eastham. Be prepared to wait as the lines are long even mid-week, but the food is really, really good. When we go camping in P-town we still drive back to go to Arnold's.
Not in my top ten but if you have a couple of minutes and are down that way hit Marconi Beach in Wellfleet to see the remnants of the first radio station. The size of this thing is amazing.
sydneysmom
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 16, 2009
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totally agree about Arnold's. it's fantastic. Also, Sir Cricket in Orleans has fantastic fish and chips....we used to get some fish and chips or lobster rolls then head to Skaket Beach in Orleans and watch the sunset....no one puts on a dinner show like God.
it's truly memorable. A beautiful thing to do is the Whaler's Walk in Eastham. It's, I believe, a national park....you'll see the old Whaler's house and there's a beautiful walk through the woods winding out to the ocean. The views from the bluff are priceless.... bring a camera for some spectacular landscape shots....
Also, if you go to Chatham, on Main Street there are tons of great shops, the Chatham Candy Manor is AWESOME and the Chatham Squire is a great place for lunch. (it's kind of a local pub) The beach in front of the Chatham Lighthouse is huge and really wonderful.
You could also head to Nauset Beach in Orleans and eat at Liam's Clam Shack (right on the beach).....the BEST fried clams and onion rings you'll ever have. (beware of hungry seagulls !!
) Cape Cod truly is one of the most spectacular places on Earth.... I was so lucky to call it home for 15 years !
Here's some pics more to make you even more impatient:
Sunken Meadow Beach:
The Cliffs at Marconi Radio Station:
View from the Bay Lady II cruise:
Another View from the Bay Lady II Cruise:
Town Cove
Loading stop for the Whale Watches in P-Town:
Coast Guard Station:
Sunken Meadow Beach:
The Cliffs at Marconi Radio Station:
View from the Bay Lady II cruise:
Another View from the Bay Lady II Cruise:
Town Cove
Loading stop for the Whale Watches in P-Town:
Coast Guard Station:
figment3258
DIS Veteran
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- Jan 26, 2008
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We love the cape any time of year. June can be well unpredictable usually warm. If you are coming in the beginning of June it will be better for the crowds. We love Yarmouth, actually yesterday I was craving the pancake man so we went for breakfast. Not too bad of a ride only 90 mins. 
Lucky my husband loves me
Lucky my husband loves me
#1hoosierfan
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I ADORE Cape Cod!
We took the high speed ferry over to Nantucket and spent the day there. One of the most gorgeous places on earth.
When we were the there in June it was chilly! The water was way to cold for us to get in, but we did get to sit on the beach a few days. The prices are generally cheaper in June, however.
We took the high speed ferry over to Nantucket and spent the day there. One of the most gorgeous places on earth.
When we were the there in June it was chilly! The water was way to cold for us to get in, but we did get to sit on the beach a few days. The prices are generally cheaper in June, however.
SPBendersky
Mouseketeer
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- Sep 24, 2008
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We stayed in Hyannis last July. Katies Ice Cream Parlor is a must stop on Main Street. Also A drive to Province town is a nice day trip with the old town Money feel to it, it is truly what Cape Cod is about. The Chatham homes are a site to see. This is where most of the big Money estates are. If you can make it down to the Harbor in Hyannis eat at Spanky's Seafood Shack It is The BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome pix - thanks for sharing! I agree with you on the best view pix!
The View in reality was even better. I had to stop myself from drooling.
Oh, and those pants kept slipping down. -
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