Approaching the Cape

Your primary goal may be to get to Cape Cod sooner rather than later, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't stop to see some of the eclectic towns you'll pass through as you approach the region—they're a mix of suburbanized colonial hamlets, low-key yachting enclaves, and riches-to-rags industrial communities enjoying varying degrees of resurgence. Though the approach to the Cape may not have the cachet of the Cape proper, there's plenty to interest travelers looking for something to do on a rainy day—or even those who just want to take a break from the road. In the communities that line the principal routes to Cape Cod, you'll find some of New England's seminal historic attractions.