Martha's Vineyard/Cape Cod

[crazygoalie39]

Hi all,

We're looking to take a trip to the Martha's Vineayard/Cape Cod area this June and are wondering what the best things to do, places to stay, restaurants are. Thanks for any help!

[diz_girl]

I have a few questions first -

What are the ages in your group?
Boys or girls?
Are you nature lovers, or do you like more structured activities?
What's your price range?
Are you looking for motels, resorts or rentals?
Did you want to do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard or stay overnight or a couple of days?
Did you want your activities to be concentrated in one area, or are you OK with driving a bit to get to something interesting?

[NJGIRL]

We went to Cape Cod many years back and my son was bored. I think it was the only vacation that we have ever taken that didn't really interest him. We stayed right on the beach which was nice but he was used to the beaches in NJ and didn't care for the sand or water. We were up in Provincetown so the area you are going to may be different. If you have kids just look into if there will be enough for them to do.

[Scar]

Ride the oldest carousel in America and try to grab the brass ring. It's in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vinyard. We had a lot of fun and rode it multiple times.

[diz_girl]

What are the ages in your group?
Boys or girls?
Are you nature lovers, or do you like more structured activities?
What's your price range?
Are you looking for motels, resorts or rentals?
Did you want to do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard or stay overnight or a couple of days?
Did you want your activities to be concentrated in one area, or are you OK with driving a bit to get to something interesting?

Since the OP hasn't responded yet, I'll give my now before I forget.


The activities that we've done is -
Pirate Adventures - we did this in Provincetown two summers ago, but I can't find the Website for it and it may now have moved to Hyannis or Dennis (mid-cape). It's for younger kids (not teens) where they get on a boat and look for treasure and fight pirates (with water hoses attached to the side of the boat). It's really cute to see the kids get excited about it.

Mudflat Mania - Cape Cod museum of Natural History - Brewster - you basically bring a pail and shovel, and secure water shoes (flip flops are a bad idea unless you want to lose them in the mud) and take a guided tour out to the mudflats during low tide and see what's in the water and dig around. Kids love it.

Cape Cod Rail Trail - from South Dennis to Wellfleet (28 miles) - numerous points of entry/exit. Paved, easy terrain. Relaxing.

Heritage Museum & Gardens - Sandwich - there are gardens, a carousel, and an antique car museum.

Mini-golf is everywhere.

Lighthouses - there are several along the cape.


What we haven't yet done is -

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Whale Watching tour (it is a 3-4 hour boat ride) - Provincetown - $30-$40 pp and little kids are free. It's a pretty big boat with two levels for viewing, and actual bathrooms.

Seal tours to Monmoy Island NWR - Chatham and maybe Harwich - the tour is 90 minutes. But they are $30-35 pp for ALL. Boats only carry 20 people, so it's pretty confined, not sure about bathroom facilities.

Cape Cod Railroad - Hyannis - it's a 2 hour train ride along the cape. It goes from Hyannis to Sandwich and back.


If you're looking for a more touristy vacation, then mid-cape (Hyannis, Dennis) is probably right for you. If you're looking for a more nature-oriented vacation, then the outer cape (Wellfleet, Truro) may be more suited to your needs.

I actually like the Wellfleet area. There is a quaint downtown area with nice shops and restaurants, but you're still close to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Also, there are beaches on the bay that are more suited to swimming. The beaches along the ocean are always cold and the surf can be rough.

If you want to go to Martha's Vineyard, then you may want to avoid the weekend, especially Saturday, as that's when the rentals turn over. I've only ever done a day trip there, so I can't offer any advice there.

As for restaurants -
Breakfast - Laura and Tony's Kitchen in Eastham has good breakfasts. That's all they serve. It's a buffet. Please note that it's not cheap and beverages are not included in the price. Breakfast for two with tip is about $30-$35. It's about $10 per adult and kids are charged less, with 3 and under free.

Dinner - Van Rensselear's in Wellfleet is good too.

Any meal - the Bookstore & Restaurant in Wellfleet is good. I enjoyed their pan-seared scallops.

Lunch & Dinner - the Karoo Cafe in Provincetown serves South African cuisine. The food is good and I'm not an adventurous eater - there is something for everyone. Also good is Captain Parkers in Yarmouth - I loved their vegetable lasagna. It gets crowded for dinner.

If you have kids and if you visit Provincetown - there is a store called Toys of Eros - it's NOT for kids. But there is a puzzle store (or at least there was one), called Puzzle me This, down the street. Provincetown also has the Wydah museum, which is a museum of the only verified pirate ship wreck every found.

[NJGIRL]

Amanda thanks for all of the suggestions! My friend lives in Wellfleet and we stopped there to visit on our way to Provincetown. It was a nice little town.