Cape Cod today is divided into three regions, all with
distinct landscapes, lifestyles and moods: the more rural Outer Cape (Chatham to Provincetown), which has the
best beaches and trails; the more commercial Mid Cape (Dennis, Yarmouth and Barnstable - including Hyannis),
which offers the best antiquing along Route 6A, shopping and bed & breakfast establishments; and the
Upper Cape (Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee and Bourne), an eclectic blend of the Mid and Outer Cape.
The Islands themselves are discernibly different from the Cape:
Martha's Vineyard, with its lush forests, rocky farmland, grassy
plains and steep, clay cliffs at Gay Head; Nantucket with its
magnificent and unbroken stretches of shoreline, cobblestone village, and rustic landscape with a fragrance of
the sea and reminders of its whaling past.
The Outer Cape offers the area's only ocean beaches, and the best are located inside
the Cape Cod National Seashore, all off Route 6. Nominal parking fees are charged.
We recommend Nauset Light Beach and Coast Guard Beach in Eastham for adults, and Marconi Beach in Wellfleet
for families with small children; access to the beach is easiest. The Cape Cod National Seashore,
a 30,000 acre preserve of shoreline, trails and bogs, was established by the late, President John F. Kennedy,
whose family compound is in nearby Hyannis Port.
The Seashore also is blessed with the finest hiking trails. Maps are available at the Salt Pond
Visitor Center in Eastham (1-508-255-3412) and the Province Lands Visitor Center off Race Point Road in
Provincetown (1-508-487-1256).
For biking, your best bet is the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a paved railroad bed that runs through the woods, around
ponds and bogs from Route 134 in the Mid-Cape town of Dennis all the way to Lecount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet;
the National Seashore also has a fine bike trail that runs from the Salt Pond Visitor Center to Coast Guard
Beach.
If you are looking for a great museum or an activity to capture the imagination of the most restless child, we
suggest the
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster (1-508-896-3867), with its many exhibits,
programs and trails.
If antiquing and shopping are your priority, spend a day in the Mid Cape, along Route 6A in Yarmouth Port and
Barnstable and Main Street in Hyannis. End your excursion with a visit to Hyannis Harbor or a walk on Corporation
Beach in Dennis on Cape Cod Bay, a great spot for children or for taking in a sunset.
The Upper Cape is known for its museums. Visit Woods Hole, home to the world-famous Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution; scientists from this institution led the expedition that discovered the Titanic. Also located in
Woods Hole are the Marine Biological Laboratory and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Sandwich, the oldest and one of the most charming towns on the Cape, offers another wonderful day trip. In the
village area, visit Dexter's Grist Mill, the Hoxie House (oldest house on the Cape), the Sandwich Glass Museum
(displays of early Cape glassworks), Yesteryear Doll Museum (antique doll displays), Heritage Plantation
(impressive collections of wooden decoys, folk art and classic automobiles) , the Thornton Burgess Museum
(honoring the works of the renowned childrenís author) and the Green Briar Nature Center. Call the Chamber
of Commerce (508- 759-3122) for more information.
For great biking along the waterfront, try the Cape Cod Canal trail, with access off Freezer Road near the
Sandwich Boat Basin and the Shining Sea Bikeway that runs from Woods Hole near the ferry to Locust Road in
Falmouth Center.
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