Cape Cod?

[leebee]

HI! I'm a native New Englander, grew up just north of Boston, but I've never been to The Cape! I drove past Plimouth Plantation once, but that's the closest I've ever gotten to being on The Cape. DH and I are looking for a vacation spot for a week this summer, and I wondered about renting someplace on The Cape and just relaxing. We'd like to be near a swimming-beach, but we won't be spending all day, every day lying on the beach so we'd need to be in/near a cute, maybe museums (planning a visit to The Plantation and Plimouth Rock, of course). Yes, I know it's going to be one giant tourist trap- my family lives on the southern coast of Maine, I know about Tourist Season... but near what towns on Cape Cod would you recommend for a vacation?

 

[HeatherC]

Anywhere on the Cape is special in its own way. We do love the Town Neck area of Sandwich, however. It is right over the bridge and you can walk to the canal and the Sandwich boardwalk. While the beach itself is rocky there, it also has the marsh side with a small beach area. It is really neat because when the tide comes in or out you can ride your inner tube like natures own lazy river. At high tide, people jump off the boardwalk and float down the river.

It is also close to Heritage Gardens in Sandwich and an easy commute to Plymouth for the day.

You will get lots of advice and it will all be great. No matter where you choose on the Cape, it will be fun!

Have fun planning!

 

[Simba's Mom]

We used to rent in South Dennis, near West Dennis and Swan Pond River every summer and loved it. We'd rent in June when it wasn't too "touristy"-busy.

 

[ToTLaugher]

I prefer to avoid the lower Cape as it is much more crowded there. Anywhere from Harwich on east is not as crowded - still crowded in summer but not as bad. My favorite is Chatham. It's right on the elbow so you can head in either direction for places to visit within short drives. Chatham has fun shopping and plenty of beaches. Just remember, in summer, to keep an ear out for shark sightings as they have been increasing around the Chatham area. You can check out the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich for nice place to visit.

 

[skyblue17]

Eastham is my favorite town on the Cape. It's close enough to the lower Cape (which I agree is not the best place for a home base) to visit, it's close to Chatham, which is a lovely side trip, and it's a relatively quick and easy drive to Provincetown, which is fun to visit (and has a great museum and monument to climb). Eastham is also on the National Seashore, which is the ocean portion of the Cape AND the Bay. The beaches are beautiful! You can go for surf or for calm, and walk for miles! It doesn't have the downtown area that some towns do but it is still small, quiet and relaxing. The Outer Cape is def where it's at, especially for relaxing and nature!

 

[siren0119]

You could also consider renting somewhere in Onset - it's just off the cape, but not too hard to drive over to the beaches, or up to Plymouth, and Onset is a really cute coastal community with its own pretty beaches and things to see!

 

[SueInBoston]

Wellfleet, we rent a week every summer.

 

[Micca]

No Capes!

 

[mousefan1972]

I live just north of Boston. My advice regarding the cape? Don’t. Overrated, overpriced, too crowded. Heavily congested.

 

[low-key]

I know its beautiful up there but the name reminds me of some kind of gross looking fish

 

[kaytieeldr]

I drove past Plimouth Plantation once,

You never went there on a field trip? I thought it was mandatory! Sixth grade, maybe?

(disclaimer: leebee and don't know each other, but we're from the same city so the same school system)

I live just north of Boston. My advice regarding the cape? Don’t. Overrated, overpriced, too crowded. Heavily congested.

You think they should visit Salem instead?

 

[siren0119]

You never went there on a field trip? I thought it was mandatory! Sixth grade, maybe?

(disclaimer: leebee and don't know each other, but we're from the same city so the same school system)

You think they should visit Salem instead?

I thought Salisbury beach was the mandatory stop for north shore folks LOL

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not on a school field trip! Nothing educational about Salisbury Beach, and we've got better beaches closer; King's, Nahant, West, Revere, The Willows...

 

[capegirl]

Cape Codder here chiming in. You've been given some great suggestions, so I'll just add my 2 cents. Many vacationers don't realize how big the Cape really is. It takes at least one hour just to drive from Hyannis to Provincetown. Logistically speaking the mid Cape would be best for exploring both ends of the Cape, plus there are many cottage rentals in the Yarmouth/Dennis/Harwich areas, but I would definitely start looking for a rental now. Route 6A is a lovely, picturesque drive, with many interesting shops and great restaurants. If you are a little more adventurous, you may want to try a whale watch out of Barnstable harbor, or a day trip to one of the islands, (Nantucket is so pretty). There are truly so many options for vacationers on the Cape you are going to have to some research; Trip Advisor is a wonderful resource that will provide you with reviews on just about everything. As far as traffic, make sure you make it over the bridge by 10:00 am coming and going and you'll be fine.

 

[leebee]

You never went there on a field trip? I thought it was mandatory! Sixth grade, maybe?

(disclaimer: leebee and don't know each other, but we're from the same city so the same school system)

You think they should visit Salem instead?

Nope, not even on a field trip. We did field trips in different grades to Salem (Pioneer Village, the Gables, Peabody Essex Museum) and Boston (Freedom Trail, Science Museum, aquarium, USS Constitution), and a couple to amusement parks (Whalom, Canobie Lake). For 9th grade civics class we drove past Bunker Hill Monument (because field trips had to be educational) and then went to a Red Sox game- now THAT was a field trip!

 

[kaytieeldr]

One year in high school, we went somewhere historic in Boston, then to the State House/Boston Common. There was a protest on the Common, and some of my classmates ended up on the news.

No more field trips that year. Oddly, I don't ever recall a field trip to Salem (family trip, either, since it's "right there and you can go any time." ). No Canobie Lake, but a couple of trips to the more distant Lincoln Park.

 

[siren0119]

We did the gamut - Plimouth Plantation, Sturbridge Village, Freedom Trail/Fanueil Hall, Aquarium. I think we did Salem one year in Middle school, definitely went to the MOS a few times. Most of our summer field trips during camp were roller skating or Horseneck Beach.

 

[Hikergirl]

I love The Cape! I think I have stayed in pretty much every town there throughout my life.
My favorite area to stay and relax is Truro, it is a short drive to P'town.
I also think Chatham is a wonderful place to stay, plus it's kind of in the middle.
We don't really go anymore because it is just so congested in the summer- which is why I prefer staying in the Truro area, it really thins out out that way.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm not on the Cape very often, but I do have friends in the Falmouth area, and it's very nice!

 

[Sweettears]

I live just north of Boston. My advice regarding the cape? Don’t. Overrated, overpriced, too crowded. Heavily congested.

Not the Cape that I frequently visit.