Cape Cod with DH in June - Any tips?

[Kari]

DH & I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage on May 26th, but have decided to wait until our daughters are out of school in June and Father's Day has passed to spend a full week in Cape Cod the last week of June.

We have never been and while we know we will have some splurges, we would appreciate any tips from anyone who has been there on ways to save money and/or things to do/see. Thanks!

[lisaflex]

it is just lovely....although we usually just drive on through to the woods hole ferry and move onto martha's vineyard!

we have many friends who do the cape yearly and just love it! there are lots of little towns w/ art galleries, ice cream shops and lots to see! and even wine tastings that are free at the art shops in the early evenings! lol...

the cape is a very picturesque place..just take your time and relax and enjoy the beauty.....fyi...the ocean will be very very cold at that time...

[dancemommy]

I don't have any specific tips, but we went there when I was 21 and we went on a whale watching cruise. The seas were a little rough, but it was amazing. We still talk about it 18 years later all the time!

[Frufru]

I went almost 15 years ago but it was wonderful. I remember being surprised that the beach was so rocky and cold compared to the Gulf Coast that I am used to.

[MTS04]

If you are driving, prepare yourself for bridge traffic. Never fun, so prepare for the days your are arriving and leaving. Sundays going off cape will lead to a long wait and back up,even with the new "flyover", it still gets backed up. saturdays going on cape is the same.
What do you like to do? The National seashore is awesome. Mind you, from Tip to Bridges is a 2 hour ride, so there is lots to see in between.
P-town and Wellfleet, Orleans, are absolutely gorgeous.
Hyannis has become a bit rundown and not what it used to be in my opinion.
Falmouth is a nice town, quaint shops.
There's a load of state parks, if you like hiking, bring bug and tick spray. There are LOTS of Ticks on the cape.
Cape cod potato chips in hyannis has a factory tour, not sure how great it is, as I've never been.
Nauset Light and Chatham light are nice to visit and frankly I don't think they should be missed (again, my opinion)
If you want to take a little tryst off cape,right up Route 3, exit 2 & 3, Plymouth has the Plimoth plantation, plymouth rock (you'll be surprised at the size of it) and the Mayflower. It's a nice tour. Finish off the day with a trip to The Cabby Shack for Clam chowder and then Cupcake Charlies. Some of the best cupcakes evah!
On cape, take a ride to woods hole, grab the Ferry to Nantucket and do a walking tour of the island. Martha's Vineyard is nice, but I think, over the years it has become a huge tourist trap. It's not what it once was. Nantucket you can easily do by bicycle (rent them on the island) or on foot. The vineyard you'll most likely need a car to see the whole thing.
Edited to add: I don;t know how old your kids are, but there is the Waquoit bay National Estuarine Reserve there is lots to see and do there. There are other links to other parks by visiting the DCR. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
I hope this helps.

[LynnLC]

If you are driving, prepare yourself for bridge traffic. Never fun, so prepare for the days your are arriving and leaving. Sundays going off cape will lead to a long wait and back up,even with the new "flyover", it still gets backed up. saturdays going on cape is the same.
What do you like to do? The National seashore is awesome. Mind you, from Tip to Bridges is a 2 hour ride, so there is lots to see in between.
P-town and Wellfleet, Orleans, are absolutely gorgeous.
Hyannis has become a bit rundown and not what it used to be in my opinion.
Falmouth is a nice town, quaint shops.
There's a load of state parks, if you like hiking, bring bug and tick spray. There are LOTS of Ticks on the cape.
Cape cod potato chips in hyannis has a factory tour, not sure how great it is, as I've never been.
Nauset Light and Chatham light are nice to visit and frankly I don't think they should be missed (again, my opinion)
If you want to take a little tryst off cape,right up Route 3, exit 2 & 3, Plymouth has the Plimoth plantation, plymouth rock (you'll be surprised at the size of it) and the Mayflower. It's a nice tour. Finish off the day with a trip to The Cabby Shack for Clam chowder and then Cupcake Charlies. Some of the best cupcakes evah!
On cape, take a ride to woods hole, grab the Ferry to Nantucket and do a walking tour of the island. Martha's Vineyard is nice, but I think, over the years it has become a huge tourist trap. It's not what it once was. Nantucket you can easily do by bicycle (rent them on the island) or on foot. The vineyard you'll most likely need a car to see the whole thing.
Edited to add: I don;t know how old your kids are, but there is the Waquoit bay National Estuarine Reserve there is lots to see and do there. There are other links to other parks by visiting the DCR. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
I hope this helps.

Lol. You sure will be! I am turning in my Bostonian card now.

[Lady_V]

Cape Cod is a "big little place"... meaning that it's vague. There are a LOT of things to do on the Cape, but it depends on what part you are going to be, and how willing you are to deal with traffic to get there.

I keep this site on the side of my blog because there are times that I want to take Diva somewhere in New England, and having ideas in all one place really helps out A Few Hours - New England - ExploreNewEngland.com

for things along the sea (but not necessarily Cape Cod (so, you have to sort through them) By the Sea - New England - ExploreNewEngland.com

[lisaflex]

also - go on TripAdvisor - you will find alot of useful info on there! it can truly be helpful.

i know that friends of ours go to Chatham often.

[Kari]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the tips! DH & I are going alone on this trip. Grandma & Grandpa will be spoiling the girls once they are out of school.

DH & I are driving (unless I find some massively cheap fare!) from MI to Eastham, where we found a one bedroom cottage on Minister's Pond for $875/week. We are ok with cold water as we would like to kayak, fish, bike & walk trails. We found a page for some frugal activities after googling Living Frugal on Cape Cod and plan to do some of those, like a local Cape Cod ballgame, lighthouses, Cape Cod Rail Trail, Salt Pond Visitor Center, etc. We are also planning to go to the Flea Market and Drive In in Wellfleet. We plan to visit Ptown and Truro (wine tasting!). I didn't know local art galleries do free tastings-- awesome! We each have our own snorkel gear from our visit to the Keys 10 years ago on our honeymoon. Is there anywhere we could do this in Cape Cod? (Although, remembering the cold water LisaFlex mentioned, maybe not the best ...) Being on the cottage, we will cook the majority of our meals in the cottage kitchen, but would love any recommendations on seafood and ice cream! Any any other place that is a must eat at! Dancemommy, whale watching sounds fun! Do you remember the name of the company? MTS04, We talked about Nantucket. We got married on Mackinac Island and loved biking around there, so it's on the possibility list. I am sure traffic leaving will be dreadful as we will be leaving on Sunday, July 1st (as people will probably be trying to get in for the 4th). Lady_V, thanks for the New England blog link.

Well back to the fun of researching! Thanks again all!
Kari

[MTS04]

I think the national seashore offers Kettle pond snorkeling adventures. Along the coast, Snorkeling will probably be disappointing, the water temp will probably be 50-60 degrees and it's not all that clear. Also, you'll probably want a wetsuit to stay in the water for any significant amount of time, if you snorkel from the beaches.

[ncarr]

The water will be COLD I love Wellfleet. The Beachcomber is a great restaurant there on the ocean-- The Beachcomber, Wellfleet MA, Cape Cod

[khaski]

I have not been in years but having grown up in MA we went yearly. Provincetown is not to be missed!