Our Weekend Exploring Cape Cod, Massachusetts

June 2024

Our Weekend Exploring Cape Cod, Massachusetts

While we love traveling internationally, there are so many domestic destinations in the USA we have yet to explore. One area that Kevin has had on his travel list for many years is Cape Cod, Massachusetts and we finally found the perfect time to add it to the itinerary. The hook shaped peninsula is iconic for many reasons – the gorgeous beaches, the elegant coastal cottage homes, and the diversity of the fifteen towns that make up Cape Cod – there is so much to see and do. From relaxing beach vacations, to jamming local bands, to miles of conserved wildlife sanctuaries, to exciting aquatic activities, and tons of seafood – the trip can really be whatever you are craving out of your vacation. We traveled here over Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start of summer – when the Cape is open for business but since it was early in the season, we did not bank on beach weather which left our trip very open for exploration. 

Our original plan was to arrive in Cape Cod late evening to get dinner there but work delayed our departure to 5PM and with a six hour drive during rush hour, we knew we weren’t going anywhere fast. We ended up driving the Cape in darkness, wondering what everything looked like which would have to wait until the morning. For this trip, we based ourselves in Wellfleet in the middle of the east side of the Cape. With fifteen towns, we knew it would not be possible to see everything so we focused just on the Outer and Lower Cape where we would have the ability to drive north to places like Provincetown and south to places like Chatham. Our Airbnb was perfect and I definitely recommend it if you are following a similar itinerary. After getting settled in way passed our bedtime, we immediately climbed into bed to get as much sleep as possible before our first day.

With that, our three day weekend travel plan was very simple: Day 1 – Outer Cape, Day 2 – Island Excursion, Day 3 – Lower Cape. 

Day 1: Outer Cape Cod

Our first day! We were so excited to get started and see the Outer Cape Cod. After driving straight through dinner last night, the first order of business was a proper breakfast at Harrigan’s Cafe. Attached to the Wellfleet Motel, this cafe is open to the public and has generous space inside and outside for guests. The menu is full of typical breakfast fare and executed perfectly – Kevin and I both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and it was a great foundation for a full day ahead. 

The first sightseeing stop was a few minutes south to Nauset Lighthouse – the lighthouse featured on Cape Cod potato chips. Since its establishment in 1923, the lighthouse has been relocated a number of times due to erosion. This is also the location of the French Cable Hut where the first transatlantic cable installed in 1869 that ran from France for “quicker” communication with Europe – down from two weeks to two minutes.

The Nauset Light Beach is a beautiful stretch of ocean and sand to enjoy. Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous this morning, we were so tempted to grab a blanket and relax on the beach for a while, enjoying the sun and sand with a book. Note that the ocean water here is quite cold – but that did not stop many surfers from taking advantage. This is a great spot to settle in for a perfect beach day – just keep an eye out for sharks!

Traveling several minutes north towards Wellfleet is Marconi Beach and nature area, and we opted to explore the nature area. This area is home to wildlife, beautiful coastal views, and the Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph Station. Developed in 1903 by Guglielmo Marconi, the Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph made the French Cable we just saw at Nauset obsolete. This station is famous for receiving the S.O.S. call from the sinking Titanic. There is a short boardwalk walkway to enjoy the views and see the monument of the station.

Besides this area, there is the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail which is an easy 1.2 mile loop which takes you through forested areas and a boardwalk through the swamp for opportunities to observe nature and wildlife. If you have time, it is a quick and easy stroll but a note that during our walk in the spring, the mosquito count was pretty insane so pack some bug repellent. 

Ready for Kevin’s second cup of coffee, we stopped by Blue Willow Fine Foods & Bakery and the spread here is definitely appetizing! We were hoping to sneak in a stop here in the future for a breakfast or lunch spot. Nearby was PB Boulangerie Bistro which I also had on the list – we just needed more stomach space. We grabbed Kevin’s coffee and a small pastry before moving to Wellfleet.

The ride through Wellfleet was very idyllic with art galleries and boutique shops before the road bends to the bay area and opens to a number of restaurants at Mayo Beach. There was not a great place to park for the first section we passed but there was ample parking by Mayo Beach so we set ourselves there to explore. Bookstore & Restaurant, Ceraldi, Pearl Restaurant & Bar, and Mac’s On the Pier are all popular spots within steps of each other. We selected Mac’s On the Pier to start our Cape Cod seafood journey by sharing a lobster roll. We only mildly gasped at the almost $50 bill for 8 oz of lobster meat but we knew it was a bit more expensive here on the peninsula. The lobster roll was great but with each of us having three bites, it was quite an expensive splurge. I wondered if we were better off at one of the other options but the lobster roll was tasty. After a quick stroll on the beach, we headed back to the car to continue exploring Wellfleet. 

Our last stop in Wellfleet was the Herridge Books which is a gem of a bookstore that features a wide range of books for all interests. Since we had the car, Kevin had no issues piling up books for purchase.  On our way out, Uncle Tim’s Bridge to Cannon Hill Park across the way also looks like a nice nature reprieve.

One spot that was recommended to us repeatedly was Beachcomber which sounded like the happening spot for drinks. When we arrived, the parking lot was already full but we spun around and spoke with the attendants who moved the cones and sent us through as they had a few spots open. When we reached the bottom of the driveway, another attendant greeted us indicating that it is $30 to park and that in exchange you receive a $30 voucher for Beachcomber that could be used on food and merchandise but not alcoholic beverages. Since we just ate and our intention was drinks only, this did not seem like a good deal for us so we turned around. Just know that if you go here that this is the deal.

The last stop on our tour of the Outer Cape was a spot we were very excited to check out – Provincetown! The official first landing of the Mayflower, a literal one light town, oldest continuing art colony in the country, and largest LGBTQ communities in the country – Provincetown is truly a destination unto itself. And my goodness, we absolutely loved it here.

Read about our afternoon explore Provincetown here!

I was not sure we would have time in the rest of the trip to come back to Provincetown but our full half day was a great showcase of what there is to do. You can easily spend the entire weekend or longer in Provincetown alone and I can definitely see us returning here in the future. 

Day 2: Island Excursion to Nantucket

Kevin definitely wanted to explore one of the Cape Cod islands of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. Since we only had a day trip to complete this excursion, Nantucket appeared to be the best option since it is more compact and you can see most things without a car. 

The drive to the Hyannis ferry port was 45 minutes and the ticket indicated you should arrive 45 minutes ahead of the departure time so we had to leave around 6AM for our 830AM departure. On our way, we stopped at Hole in One Bakery for a snack to hold us until we arrived at Nantucket around 930AM. This donut shop opened at 6AM and there was already a decent line outside but luckily they know how to move a line here – so long as the customers are decisive, of course. And the donuts here looked very legit – we got a chocolate frosted and a glazed for our ferry ride, along with a coffee for Kevin. We ended up eating these in line for the ferry and we enjoyed them tremendously. It would be dangerous living near one of these! The yeast donuts were light, large, and the frosting coverage was plentiful. 

For the ferry, there are a few options for ports and companies you can utilize for these journeys. We selected the most popular option of the Hy-Line cruise out of Hyannis Port as it had the most frequent ferry departures and times though I wish we arranged to go out of Harwich Port with Freedom Cruise since it was so much closer to Wellfleet but they only had a few departures a day with times that were not as good for a day trip. Tickets for the cruises are best purchased online far in advance since they will sell out during peak seasons such as the summer. In addition, we also paid extra for parking on site so it was one less thing we had to worry about in the morning. The price difference between on and off site parking was only $10 so it really was not too much of an expense to guarantee parking. We arrived at the ferry port and followed the signs for the Hy-Line Cruises and we were given a pass to park right next to the ferry dock – very convenient. And with that, we were ready for our day exploring Nantucket!

Read about our day trip to Nantucket here!

Again, the boat did not leave on time and the total journey exceeded an hour. This would not have been a big deal except with our return to port now at 7PM (should have been 645PM), and an hour drive back to Wellfleet, and many dining establishments closing at 8PM, our dinner options were narrowing down. Luckily since we sat right by the exit door and we had premier parking, we were able to get back on the highway pretty fast. While we were not starving, we definitely needed something else to eat before turning in. We contemplated heading back to Provincetown where we expected dining to be open past 8PM but with fifteen minutes to spare, we ended up stopping at Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar for fried clam strips and clam chowder, both of which hit the spot. The chowder was good though I enjoyed the one at The Lobster Pot more and honestly it was so chilly that the warmth from the chowder was A+. And the clam strips were some of the largest we have ever had so that was much appreciated. You will find many of these types of seafood establishments all over the Cape and I presume the quality is fairly equivalent. 

I really wanted to redeem our bad ice cream experience from today and nearby, Nauset Ice Cream was well rated on google with even one reviewer comparing it to Salt and Straw. And while I knew that would be a pretty impossible claim, I had hope. A lengthy line outside and happy customers eating their ice cream felt like a good sign. Inside, it was pretty difficult to see the flavors in their containers since it was so crowded so instead I asked the server which was their most intense chocolate flavored ice cream. She first said the chocolate mousse flavor but then proceeded to list every flavor with the word chocolate in it – which I should have taken as a sign. I went with her recommendation of chocolate mousse and knew immediately it wasn’t going to work. It looked more like vanilla than chocolate. And with the first taste, it was even more bland than this morning, which I did not think was possible. Kevin ordered the chocolate peanut butter and besides the broken up pieces of real peanut butter cups, the chocolate ice cream flavor was non-existent. At least at Nauset ice Cream, the price for the two ice creams was a more reasonable $10. I was in shock how we struck out twice in one day on ice cream – something that is pretty difficult to mess up. 

And with that, day two of Cape Cod comes to a close. After all that bike riding, we were looking forward to a relaxing evening and a bit nervous about the soreness in the morning.

Day 3: Lower Cape Cod

We had no physical challenges scheduled for today and the welcomed option to sleep in so our mild thigh soreness was tolerable. Today we were exploring the Lower Cape and with a loose itinerary, we took our time getting ready before driving to our first destination, Chatham. Chatham is another well established town in Cape Cod that boasts beautiful homes, a lively downtown, fresh seafood, and plenty of beaches.

Read about our day visiting Chatham here!

On our way back to Wellfleet, we made a few stops. The first was Jacknife Beach because on our way into Chatham, we spotted an osprey and a nest! The osprey nest definitely has residence which is very exciting. We also spotted horseshoe crabs which to my knowledge, I have never seen one alive. This beach is super family friendly as it is all gentle water. 

I really wanted to make things right on the ice cream front and I had my sights set on Ice Cream Cafe in Orleans. Like the other ice cream shops of the trip, we arrived to a line and a lengthy list. When we got inside, there was no ability to see the flavors so I asked the staff what the most chocolate flavor was and I ordered the Chocolate Fudge Brownie. And finally, we had well made ice cream on this trip – all the chocolate goodness – the best ice cream of the trip. I will say, the waffle cone was very stale but I did not care too much as I was just happy to be enjoying an ice cream cone. I feel like I need to return to Cape Cod just to find the best ice cream around but if you are around Orleans, this is definitely a great stop. 

Nearby is the Bird Watchers General Store and we nearly gasped out loud when we walked in. From an extensive books and reference section, to stickers and patches, to earrings and clothing, home decor and Christmas decorations, to bird feeders and seeds  – this store had something for bird lovers of all kinds and I think this is worth a stop. 

We returned to Wellfleet knowing we needed something to eat but were not hungry of us each to have a meal. We were better nearby places like Block and Tackle, Hog Island, Moby Dicks. We ended up at Block and Tackle, a BBQ restaurant, and it was not that great. We shared a rib platter and the ribs were very dry and the sides were mediocre at best. I think of the three going to Moby Dick’s would have been the better decision but that decisions is long gone. 

Back at the Airbnb, we relaxed a bit before packing everything up for our departure in the morning. 

Day 4: Departure

Our original plan was to stop in Sandwich on the way out of Cape Cod and hit a few staples like Treehouse Brewery, the Sandwich Boardwalk, grab some ice cream at Twin Acres or The Shipwreck, and get a lobster roll picnic box from Fisherman’s View for the ride home – sounds nice right? But ultimately we decided to start the long drive home to hopefully beat the holiday traffic – which we did. We will certainly be returning to Cape Cod and visit new areas such as Sandwich and Falmouth of which I got many recommendations. And we certainly were not completionists in the towns we visited – we missed the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, all the mini golf spots, Martha Vineyard, the Wellfleet Drive-In Movie, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, the live music scene, proper beach time, and so much more. We were so impressed by our weekend in Cape Cod, just how much there is in this region, and how beautiful it is both in the towns and at the beaches. If you live in the Northeast, this is an easy weekend getaway or a way to extend a trip to Boston. If you are visiting from further away, it is very easy to make this a full week destination either by enjoying a relaxing beach vacation in one town or visiting multiple towns like we did – there are 15 after all! And I still have to find the best ice cream. Thank you Cape Cod for a great trip and see you real soon. 

Read all blog posts for Cape Cod here!

See our complete itinerary here!

Planning your own trip? Read the Perfect Itinerary for Cape Cod here!