Getting Ready for Cape Cod! Help Please

**mcphlips** · 07-05-2008, 02:39 PM

Our family is getting ready for Cape Cod. We can't wait for this vacation. We have about a 6 hour car ride. Other than DVDs anyone have some unique suggestions for keeping DD and DS occupied in the car?
I bought sand buckets for the trip and I was going to fill them with fun things for the car ride etc.
I already have the usuals... crayons, activity books, cards.
They also have their gameboys.
I just wondered if anyone had come across anything different or unique.

Also.. what should we NOT miss in Cape Cod? Any great family friendly restaurants?

Thanks!

**Lady_V** · 07-05-2008, 07:39 PM

Have fun at the Cape!!!

There are a lot of nice places to go at the Cape. Depends on what part of the Cape you will be staying in... it's bigger than people think

Everything may be close mile-wise... but add in tourist traffic and it's a long ride from A to B, especially if it involves the Bourne bridge and the rotary area.

When I worked at HeadStart, we were low on funds. I made magnetic games for the kids for next to nothing. I took a cheap cookie sheet, some ABC/# magnets as well as a strip of magnetic tape. I made X & O's and 4 long straight lines for tic tac toe, and bought foam shapes at the dollar store. -- They make great car toys too.

Give this a peek -- 27 Fun Things to Do On Cape Cod

*** I don't know if you are familiar with the Cape at all... but I wanted to let you know ahead of time, if you travel to Provincetown (P-town), it is a beautiful spot, but it is very Alternative Lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with open homosexuality, you may want to avoid it. (and no, they aren't doing *bumpy bumpy* on the sidewalk, but there is PDA

)

**AmyBoz** · 07-05-2008, 07:43 PM

I was going to suggest you go to some printable websites and print out some games and activity sheets, but it sounds like you already have that.

There is a website, and I forget the name right now, that has a gajillion car activities. If you google it, you might find it.

Enjoy your trip! I'm jealous!

**mcphlips** · 07-06-2008, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Lady_V

Have fun at the Cape!!!

There are a lot of nice places to go at the Cape. Depends on what part of the Cape you will be staying in... it's bigger than people think

Everything may be close mile-wise... but add in tourist traffic and it's a long ride from A to B, especially if it involves the Bourne bridge and the rotary area.

When I worked at HeadStart, we were low on funds. I made magnetic games for the kids for next to nothing. I took a cheap cookie sheet, some ABC/# magnets as well as a strip of magnetic tape. I made X & O's and 4 long straight lines for tic tac toe, and bought foam shapes at the dollar store. -- They make great car toys too.

Give this a peek -- 27 Fun Things to Do On Cape Cod

*** I don't know if you are familiar with the Cape at all... but I wanted to let you know ahead of time, if you travel to Provincetown (P-town), it is a beautiful spot, but it is very Alternative Lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with open homosexuality, you may want to avoid it. (and no, they aren't doing *bumpy bumpy* on the sidewalk, but there is PDA

)

Thanks for the website.. I'll check it out.
I've been to the Cape before...my team took our sixth graders there on a class trip for a few years, so I get Ptown. We'll have to see about that one, because there are some great shops there and I think the lighthouse is there. It is on my things to do if we run out of the other list I have of things to do

**Megareader** · 07-06-2008, 10:27 PM

Can you please, please, please take pictures of the area and post them for us to see?

**Michelle** · 07-07-2008, 06:59 AM

My dh grew up on the Cape, and I lived there for 2 summers with him and his family

We're thinking about going there for a few days in August, but I'm not sure yet.

Where on the Cape will you be staying? Falmouth area, Hyannis, or closer to P-town? As Lady_V said, the traffic on the Cape can be atrocious, so it's best to plan where you want to go, especially with gas prices what they are now.

There's a really neat candy shop on Main St. in Hyannis that my kids love. They have a lot of penny candy and stuff that one just doesn't see any more as far as mainstream candy.

http://www.kandykorner.capecodshops.com/

My bil & sil took my kids to the Zooquarium in Yarmouth. They loved it! I've never been, but it's a combination of a zoo & aquarium.

http://www.zooquariumcapecod.net/info.html

If you give us an idea of where you'll be staying, we can come up with more specific ideas for you

HTH and enjoy your trip!

**mcphlips** · 07-07-2008, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Megareader

Can you please, please, please take pictures of the area and post them for us to see?

If I can figure out how to do that, I would be happy too!

**mcphlips** · 07-07-2008, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by Michelle

My dh grew up on the Cape, and I lived there for 2 summers with him and his family

We're thinking about going there for a few days in August, but I'm not sure yet.

Where on the Cape will you be staying? Falmouth area, Hyannis, or closer to P-town? As Lady_V said, the traffic on the Cape can be atrocious, so it's best to plan where you want to go, especially with gas prices what they are now.

There's a really neat candy shop on Main St. in Hyannis that my kids love. They have a lot of penny candy and stuff that one just doesn't see any more as far as mainstream candy.

http://www.kandykorner.capecodshops.com/

My bil & sil took my kids to the Zooquarium in Yarmouth. They loved it! I've never been, but it's a combination of a zoo & aquarium.

http://www.zooquariumcapecod.net/info.html

If you give us an idea of where you'll be staying, we can come up with more specific ideas for you

HTH and enjoy your trip!

We are staying in Yarmouth. I'll have to look into the aquarium. I am hoping the traffic won't be too awful because we will be there during the week and will miss the weekend traffic. I am expecting that part to be a slow go anyway. Thanks for the insight on the candy store..that will be neat to check out.

**Michelle** · 07-16-2008, 12:17 PM

How was your trip?

We're headed down there soon for a long weekend vacation

**mcphlips** · 07-16-2008, 08:30 PM

We haven't gone yet! Next week!

**staciah** · 07-16-2008, 08:42 PM

We will be camping at Nickerson State Park At the end of Sept. I am hoping it wont be too cold but it wont be the first time we camped in the fall. I'm not too concerned about the beach because we go to the beach here in NJ. You will have to let us know what you all did so I can get some good ideas.

**Michelle** · 07-22-2008, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by mcphlips

We haven't gone yet! Next week!

Have a good time

We're headed down there on Thursday :yes:

**mcphlips** · 07-30-2008, 03:51 PM

We're Back!! and we had a great time!
Thank you to all who offered suggestions.
We really like the Cape Cod Rail trail. We took our bikes and this easy going trail was great. My DS who is 5 biked 10 miles!
We also hit up the beach in Hyannis, did the main street thing,
drove up to Wellfleet and then stopped at all of the art shops on the way back. We mini-golfed, swam and jumped on the trampolines visited a lighthouse and a windmill. DD and DS had a great time without us even getting into the fishing, whale-watching, zooquarium thing!
We had breakfast at our hotel evey day and then paid for lunch and dinner. I was a little under budget on meals, but not by much...this was out splurge.. DH wanted to eat seafood eveyday, and twice I had lobster. The Red Barn pizza place in Wellfleet? I think was GREAT..loved the pizza and pretty inexpensive.

Thanks again!

**frugalandsimple** · 07-30-2008, 04:00 PM

Have fun at Cape Cod! If your kids can read, those books with conversation questions or jokes can make time go fast

**Michelle** · 07-30-2008, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by mcphlips

We're Back!! and we had a great time!
Thank you to all who offered suggestions.
We really like the Cape Cod Rail trail. We took our bikes and this easy going trail was great. My DS who is 5 biked 10 miles!
We also hit up the beach in Hyannis, did the main street thing,
drove up to Wellfleet and then stopped at all of the art shops on the way back. We mini-golfed, swam and jumped on the trampolines visited a lighthouse and a windmill. DD and DS had a great time without us even getting into the fishing, whale-watching, zooquarium thing!
We had breakfast at our hotel evey day and then paid for lunch and dinner. I was a little under budget on meals, but not by much...this was out splurge.. DH wanted to eat seafood eveyday, and twice I had lobster. The Red Barn pizza place in Wellfleet? I think was GREAT..loved the pizza and pretty inexpensive.

Thanks again!

Glad you had a good time.

Where did you stay?