The pull of the ocean. A wave of nostalgia. A yearning to be one with nature.
The notion of Cape Cod may strike people in different ways, but its universal appeal as a coastal escape is undeniable.
Henry David Thoreau, who famously walked mile upon mile of the coastline 175 years ago, epitomized his journey in the book, “Cape Cod,” published in 1865:
“A man may stand there and put all America behind him,” Thoreau said of his 30-mile trek along the Cape’s Atlantic seashore.
For perspective, Cape Cod sits on the extreme southeast corner of Massachusetts, approximately an hour’s drive from Boston to the peninsula’s northwest border. Completely surrounded by water, the Cape’s fishhook-shaped expanse extends some 70 miles into the Atlantic Ocean.
Cape Cod’s place in history is captured through the towns and hamlets and villages that snake along Old King’s Highway (also known as Route 6A), a 65-mile span that once served as a Native American trail and trade route whose existence is said to date back thousands of years. Approximately half the length of the highway that runs along the Cape is designated as a National Scenic Byway, emphasizing its prestige as the largest contiguous historic district in the United States.
From the vibrant blooms in spring and summer to the rich tapestry of the autumn landscape, the scenic stretch is a sight to behold, putting on a display of American architecture from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, as seen in the churches, shops, private homes and inns, and other points of interest along with way. The 15 towns that dot the upper, mid and outer peninsula are characteristically distinct, enhancing the mythical, magical charm that has drawn generations to Cape Cod time and time again.
STAY
PELHAM HOUSE RESORT
You know you’ve found your home away from home on Cape Cod when you start planning your return trip just moments after checking in – such was the welcoming atmosphere at Pelham House Resort in Dennis Port, a recently renovated mid-Cape property on Nantucket Sound.
Its best asset is its location: a jaw-dropping front-row seat to where water and land seamlessly come together. We were immediately drawn to the beachside pool area, with its thoughtful attention to detail, complete with cushy seating spaces, fire-pit tables and a heated pool. It was the perfect perch to catch the first rays of sunrise and watch the fading light of the sunset, or simply to sit and enjoy the nearness of the ocean.
Our Ocean View King Room – a calming hideaway with muted coastal-inspired interiors and a dash of colorful artwork – provided us even more reason to feel content. Every morning, we had coffee on our private balcony to jumpstart the day.
Pelham House also features exceptional rooftop dining and an off-site bakery to satisfy every sweet tooth (more on this below), as well as an ideal launching point for exploring the Cape.
SEE
PROVINCETOWN
From Dennis Port, the 1-hour drive to Provincetown arches north toward the tip of Cape Cod. The seaside community – affectionately called P-town – is multidimensional in so many ways. Provincetown brims with history and an established cultural scene that’s been declared America’s oldest continuous art colony, where literary lore and art intersect with individuality and freedom of expression. Long considered a haven for artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Provincetown’s all-embracing spirit is evident, from the inviting front lawns and storefronts to its come-one, come-all vibe.
PILGRIM MONUMENT AND PROVINCETOWN MUSEUM
A good starting point in Provincetown is the Pilgrim Monument, which commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World. The pilgrims arrived in Provincetown in November 1620 and spent five weeks exploring the tip of the Cape before they reached Plymouth. It was also in Provincetown where they drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact.
Built between 1907 and 1910, the monument atop High Pole Hill stands 252 feet tall (350 feet above sea level), making it the tallest all-granite structure in the country. If you’re curious, it takes 116 steps to the top, approximately 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. You’ll be rewarded by sweeping views of the city and the bay.
The museum, located at the base of the monument, gives a clearer understanding of Provincetown’s historical significance and its rich maritime tradition and how they impact the community today. There’s also a spotlight on the life and times of the town’s earliest settlers and their complicated, sometimes-turbulent relationship with the indigenous Wampanoag – the first permanent exhibit in the world to tell the story from the Wampanoag perspective.
Accessing the monument and museum is worth the price of admission: A glass elevator – called a funicular – takes you to the top of the hill in high drama, its steep ascent showcasing P-town in all its glory.
ART’S DUNE TOURS
One of Provincetown’s most extraordinary destinations are the mystical sand dunes along the eastern edge of the Cape. The subject of many a literary and musical homage, the dunes are protected by the National Park Service as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The beauty of the land is in its diverse flora: More than 800 species thrive within a coastal environment of grasslands, wetlands, prairies, dunes and marshes.
More than 75 years ago, a local man named Art Costa started providing dune tours in his 1936 Ford Woody. The company he built – now overseen by his son, Rob – is the only one allowed to take visitors on an off-road journey through 2,000 acres along the National Seashore. Each tour is led by an expert guide who is well-versed in the area’s history, geography and ecology. These days, the tours utilize a fleet of Suburbans with special tires that protect the fragile ecosystem, while still allowing visitors an opportunity to indulge their senses at every turn, whether it’s to feel the ocean breeze, to hear the seals’ playful roar, or to catch a glimpse of the storied artist shacks.
The great playwright Eugene O’Neill, who arrived in Provincetown in 1916 with “a trunk full of plays,” spent several summers in one of the shacks, where he wrote his earliest works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Anna Christie.” Others who stayed and created work or just “summered” among the dunes include Tennessee Williams, Jackson Pollock, Norman Mailer and Bette Davis. Only 19 shacks remain today, all without electricity and running water, just like they were during their artistic peak from the 1920s to the 1950s. The shacks are primitive, at best, but that’s their allure – the anticipation of a creative breakthrough amid the solitude. These days, opportunities to stay in a shack for a week or an entire summer are granted to artists and residents through a National Park Service lottery system.
GALE FORCE BIKES
Another great way to explore P-town is on two wheels, and dedicated bike lanes along the main thoroughfares and neighborhoods make pedaling safe, regardless of speed.
Near the center of town is where you’ll find Gale Force Bikes, a full-service bike sales and rental shop with an array of choices for all ages, including electric, cruiser and mountain bikes available by the hour, day, week or month. Plus, there’s an in-house market for on-the-go snacking and supplies. We opted for easy, breezy e-bikes for an afternoon ride, giving us maximum mileage without breaking a sweat. Another plus: Gale Force is the closest shop leading to the bike trails along the National Seashore.
JOHN F. KENNEDY HYANNIS MUSEUM
John F. Kennedy’s presence still looms large on Cape Cod, where he and his family spent summers, special occasions and even historic moments from his time as president.
JFK welcomed world leaders and dignitaries to the “Summer White House” at the idyllic Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port. The 6-acre estate includes the president’s house, with a front lawn large enough to land Marine One and deliver the leader of the free world to his front door. Also on site are “The Big House,” where patriarch Joe Sr. and wife Rose held court, Bobby and Ethel Kennedy’s house, and a cluster of smaller residences occupied by members of the Kennedy family to this day.
But because the Kennedy Compound is not accessible to the public, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum is the next best thing. Less than 10 miles away from Dennis Port, the museum is located on Main Street in the heart of Hyannis. A lifelike bronze statue of a youthful JFK, barefoot and walking in the sand, greets visitors at the entrance.
Inside, galleries highlight JFK’s deep connection to the area, including the long-term exhibit, “Presidential Summers: The Kennedys on Cape Cod.” Filled with rarely seen photographs, videos and artifacts, some of the images are deeply moving, including one of Jack and Bobby and the family dog, a photo of JFK taking his children and nieces and nephews for a spin on a golf cart, and little John-John playing on the beach. In addition, there are fascinating anecdotes, such as what happened on election night when the race was too close to call. As the story goes, JFK went to bed before a winner was declared, only learning about the outcome when he woke to little Caroline greeting him with, “Good morning, Mr. President!”
CAPE COD MUSEUM OF ART
Just a short drive from our home base at Pelham House is the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis. Nestled amid a sculpture garden in a tranquil neighborhood, the museum is the place for Cape Cod art and artists, with plenty of coastal landscape paintings, watercolors, prints and other original artwork that exude the region’s artistic identity. One unique find is the museum’s Sculpture Porch, where a full-size likeness of Eleanor Roosevelt watches over the space.
Don’t miss the museum’s gift shop and its one-of-a-kind, only-on-Cape Cod items such as handcrafted jewelry, artwork of all shapes and sizes, books, home décor and more.
BASS HOLE BEACH AND BOARDWALK
Punctuate your trip to the Cape with a stop at Bass Hole Beach and Boardwalk in Yarmouth, arguably one of the area’s most picturesque spots. While it’s less than 10 miles from Dennis Port, the surreal setting of marshland and sand make it feel like a world away.
Bass Hole has a beach, picnic areas, a pavilion and a scene-stealing, 800-foot boardwalk – a great vantage point for watching the sun rise over Cape Cod Bay, an even better spot for sunsets. There’s an abundance of history at Bass Hole, too. A few interesting tidbits come from the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, including the area’s role during the American Revolution. According to a British map printed in 1776, the redcoats recognized Bass Hole as one of only two harbors on Cape Cod; the other was Provincetown.
SAVOR
THE LOBSTER POT
No trip to P-town would be complete without visiting the legendary Lobster Pot, with its iconic red neon beckoning diners on Commercial Street. Live lobster tanks and memorabilia through the decades line the walls of the two-story establishment, which has been around since the 1940s. The McNultys – only the second family to own the restaurant in its 80-year history – are hands-on, with Tim McNulty as head chef and brother Shawn overseeing front-of-house operations. It was here where we had one of our most memorable meals on the Cape, complete with a view of Provincetown Harbor.
For the uninitiated, the menu can be mind-boggling, with page upon page of specialty items featuring all kinds of fried, grilled, baked, boiled, pan-roasted and stuffed seafood. There’s even an entire menu page dedicated to lobster with every preparation imaginable!
As you ponder your choices, sip on a Cape Cod Cherry Lime Ricky or the Lobster Pot Tonic & Gin with raspberry purée and mint. For starters, there’s an option to build your own cold appetizer dish with Oysters on the Half Shell or Shrimp Cocktail. The same goes for the hot appetizers, where we created our own sampler consisting of Oysters Rockefeller, Sautéed Squid and Blackened Tuna Sashimi. In the mood for chowder? Tim’s Clam Chowder has won a long list of accolades, including top honors from the Cape Cod and Boston chowder festivals.
Of course, it’s a must to sample the house special: fresh lobsters from the bay! We opted to have ours flambéed with brandy then pan-roasted and topped with an herb butter sauce (insert chef’s kiss here). For dessert, the signature Blueberry-Lemon Bread Pudding and the Key Lime Pie caught our eye – lucky for us!
THE ROOFTOP AT PELHAM HOUSE RESORT
Pelham House Resort’s lively rooftop restaurant is the spot, even for the locals! For hotel guests, The Rooftop affords them the best of the Cape’s epicurean delights just steps away from their room, with an al fresco fine-dining experience (heated during the colder months) overlooking the ocean.
The seasonal cocktail menu rises to the occasion, with selections such as Sweater Weather Spritz (citrus gin, elderflower, grapefruit, lime and prosecco), La Holiday (tequila, lime and kiwi) and Fireside Fiesta (jalapeño tequila, mezcal, apple cider and maple syrup).
Spirits warmed, we embarked on a gourmand’s feast from a dinner menu consisting of from-scratch starters and small and large plates made with fresh, local ingredients. We couldn’t resist the Maple Brook Farms Burrata, a menu staple served with arugula, charred cara cara orange, toasted pistachios, chia seeds, pomegranate and grilled country bread. Next came the hearty Beef Meatballs for Two with house-made ricotta, followed by the signature Lobster Roll just the way we like it on a warm, buttered toasted bun and served alongside a lemon and dill aioli. From the Large Plates menu, we opted to share Day-Boat Scallops – freshly caught just hours prior by a local purveyor – with coco-butternut puree, farro, and chipotle and lemongrass maple syrup. For dessert, we sampled the Apple Almond Crisp with almond milk ice cream – a very sweet ending, indeed!
PELHAM ON THE RISE
Speaking of sweets, we took a quick 5-minute drive one morning to Pelham on the Rise, the resort’s newly opened bakery near the center of town. Just like their culinary counterparts at The Rooftop, the bakers at Pelham on the Rise bring their A game to the forefront, with a bountiful array of from-scratch goodies such as freshly baked cookies, croissants, scones, muffins and other pastries. To top it off, the coffee is excellent, supplied by Three Fins, a local roaster just down the road from the bakery.
Peak Cape Cod season unofficially kicks off in just a few weeks, when visitors descend on the peninsula for a summer of beach-bumming, sightseeing, golfing, whale-watching, lighthouse-hopping, outdoor festivals, concerts and more. But one of the region’s best-kept secrets is what’s being touted as the Cape’s “Second Summer,” which begins after Labor Day. In recent years, the weather has cooperated through November, allowing for a plethora of even more fun, including farmers markets and art fairs, cranberry harvest season and the region’s celebrated fall foliage.
Ready for your escape? Visit Cape Cod Chamber to get started.
