pks10

Hi all, DH and I are meeting up with some very old friends for Thanksgiving weekend this year. We have a 2yr old and they have a 6 month old baby so the main reason we chose Cape Cod was to just be away from all the hustle and bustle, relax and let the kids play with each other. We will be there by noon on Friday after Thanksgiving and will leave around noon on Sunday. We have booked a vacation rental in Dennis Port. Can you suggest some places to visit? We would love something like the Fall Festival I read about on Martha's Vineyard that same weekend or some touristy streets we could just walk up and down on or children's carousel with Christmas lights. Any recommendations for must eat at places also welcome! Thank you all in advance and look forward to hear from you!

Ackislander

State Route 6A ("King's Highway") is more or less lined with cute antique shops and upscale women's clothing shops from Sandwich to Brewster, though many are probably catering to an older demographic than young mothers.

Provincetown is always lively, and Eastham, Chatham, and FalmouthWoods Hole at the other end of the Cape are also pleasant places. You can in addition to explore the National Seashore and so forth. What I can't tell you is what the weather will be and what will be open. On Nantucket, we have had Thanksgivings with sun and mid-fifties and Thanksgivings with highs in the 20's and snow showers. Many shops and eating places may not be open, but Thanksgiving also begins the "Second Seasom" for merchants, so there may be plenty, or enough.

What I can pretty well guarantee you is that traffic going Off-Cape on Sunday will be heavy and slow, especially at the bridges.

vincenzo32951

Suggest heading to Provincetown. Lots of shops, restaurants, places to wander. Go to the library; the 2-year-old will enjoy the replica of the ship on the 2nd floor.

As previous poster noted, the weather is a wild card. Could be OK for walking around or could be not-so-OK.

I hope you don't have a long drive on Sunday. It could be brutal.

starrs

Second on Ptown.

gomiki

You need to go to the 6A side to see the antique sea captain's houses and maybe some Christmas lights on the houses.

In P-town the lobster pot tree is lighted on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
https://www.facebook.com/ProvincetownLobsterPotTree

This restaurant is in Dennisport and we like it. Great oysters from the owner's grant in Dennis.
https://www.zagat.com/r/the-oyster-company-dennis

Chatham has a charming village center with interesting shops. Try Yankee Ingenuity.
https://yankee-ingenuity.com/

If you pick up the Cape Cod Times there will be a weekend section with listings of all the activities for the weekend.

vincenzo32951

Speaking of Chatham: head down to the dock in the afternoon to see the fishing boats come in with their catch and the seals frolicking nearby.

pks10

Thank you all for all your suggestions! The Sunday drive is from Cape Cod to Boston from where we fly back to California on Monday night. I was hoping to see some of Boston on Sunday evening and Monday morning... well going by your predictions it might only be Monday morning then. I was not aware Cape Cod would be busy in winters!

jubilada

Thanksgiving weekend is not winter but it is very busy.

clarkgriswold

I would just stay on Cape Cod til Monday noon instead of dealing with the insane Boston traffic on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Tons of people heading to/from Logan.

jubilada

I would agree with staying until Monday also. That Sunday is a huge traffic day.

330east

You might look to eat at Chillingworth or Ocean House