HawaiiVirgin

Hi experts! My husband & I are finally getting ourselves out to the Cape this summer. Been a long time coming. No kids, just the 2 of us, spending a week in late July.

Already have a place (anyone familiar with Braemar Resort in Truro? Would love some feedback before we sign the papers). We know it's on the shuttle route to P-town, so we plan on getting there a few times. We already have an idea of some things we'll do:

- whale watch, naturally
- rent bikes in P-town & head to Provincelands
- seal sail out of Chatham
- taking our kayaks & hoping to hit the marshes around the National Seashore
- planning on morning walks on the beach, evening strolls on the ocean beaches (will be getting a National Seashore pass for the week)

Any other ideas? Looking for more "off the beaten path" ideas, not so much the touristy things and definitely not things for families with little kids. We're in our early 50s and we've been there/done that. This vacation is for US.

Also, looking for "not-too-expensive" restaurant ideas. We've got a place with a kitchen, so we'll TRY to eat in a few times so we can afford to do other things.

Thanks so much for all your help. It's great to know that the Fodor's Forums are out here. What a great resource!!

Thanks,

Karen
(have to figure out how to change my screen name, since I lost my Hawaii-virginity a couple of years ago, lol)

drbeier

We've been going to Truro for 20+ years so here are few tidbits.

First things first - when you come, stop at PJs on Rt 6 in Wellfleet and get fried clams - you have officially arrived (skip Arnolds in Eastham - their food is fine but not worth the ridiculous lines).

Walks:
A must - High Head - walk the 1/2 mile sand path from the parking area to the beach, then turn left for another 1/2 mile - last few years there have been hundreds of seals hanging out on sand bars near shore. Bring a day pack with water and towels to sit and watch the show.

A little longer walk thru the dunes past the Dune Shacks - park at Snail Rd/Rt 6 intersection. Very pretty, no seals tho.

More PTown (very tip) - 1 mile over the breakwater to Long Point light houses.

Long walk thru varied terrain (beach, pine forest) - Great Island in Wellfleet.

Nice walk through vegetated areas (what the outer cape was like before it got stripped for firewood) - Pilgrim Spring (2 easy loop trails).

Audobon property in Wellfleet has a long scenic walk.

Check out the Ranger led programs out of the Race Point station - easy and informative.

When in Ptown check out the Pilgrim Monument, even on a rainy day - great little museum about local history at the base.

Bad news is Ptown restaurants. Despite their abundance, not too much in mid-price range. Fanizzi's comes to mind. Also Lobster Pot - despite being the definition of touristy, they have a diverse menu and they know their seafood. At least get some fresh shucked little necks from the counter at the front. For high end, Jimmy's Hideaway gets alot of love from foodies and we had a wonderful meal there yesterday. Also Ten Tables from JP now has an outpost there and is likely to be excellent.

Chatham is a deceptively long ride from Truro, not sure I'd bother as there is plenty to do on the outer cape.

cybor

Bubalas is a fun outdoor/indoor place in PTown that's not horribly expensive. Pepe's, as well. We kayak up with our dog to both for drinks and lunch. There's a town launch on Rte 6A where you can put the kayak in on the bay side. It's much calmer on the bay side than the ocean side.

Michael Shay's is also fairly reasonable but not on the water. You can eat indoors or out on the patio.
There's also many take out Mexican, burgers, African and many other very casual restaurants in PTown. Spiritos (sp.) has great pizza.
You can take a small ferry to Long Point Light House - bring a picnic or you could walk the rocks to the same spot and ferry back to town.

jubilada

I like Moby Dick's for mid priced food, on rt 6 just below Truro. Napi's in PTown has a range of prices, not cheap but not expensive and good value, abundant.
Another nice walk is near Pamet Harbour in Truro. The town just bought a large pice of land and there is a walk that winds around near MIll Pond ( can someone help with the name of that walk? )
Also, take a dune tour in a 4 wheeler, really a treat.
The library in Ptown has a full size whaling ship assembled inside, as well as knockout views from the third floor, which also has great collection of art books, if you like such things. And good bathrooms, an essential in PTown.
Michael Shays has a 7.95 all you can eat breakfast on Sundays; some items not great, but the omelets and bread pudding alone are worth that.

Nikki

Drbeier, my husband has been boycotting Arnold's for 25 years because of an insanely long wait for clams one summer night. We figure the cemetery across the street is peopled with folks who got tired of waiting.

cybor

Arnold's has reconfigured their ordering/cooking system. The wait doesn't seem to be as long as in the past. At least it wasn't last year.

HawaiiVirgin

Thanks for the info!! Definitely adding the High Head hike & kayaking to P-town to the list!! Maybe even the dunes tour if we can afford it. Wow, so much to think about. Only thing mentioned that I'll probably skip (sorry drbeier) is PJs. We LOVE seafood, but we just don't like it fried.

Now I can't wait for summer!!

drbeier

No worries, PJs has excellent grilled fish sandwiches (including local stripers when they are running) and decent clam chowder (on the thin side, which I prefer), so you can still get a "Welcome to the outer Cape" fix without the cardiac side-effects.

yellowbyrd

If you venture into Wellfleet, here are a few suggestions.
Mac's Seafood, on the pier in Wellfleet has great fresh fish, not all fried, outside on the harbor. This is a much nicer location than PJ's, which is on the highway, in my opinion.
The sister restaurant, a bit more pricey but offering great sushi, is Mac's Shack, on the road that leads to the pier in Wellfleet. I believe that Mac's Seafood has a retail fresh fish place in the center of Truro if you are planning on eating in some nights.
More pricey but up-scale and funky is the P+B Bistro and Boulongerie on Rt 6 in South Wellfleet.
And a bit further south along Rt 6 in South Wellfleet, is Finely JP's (not to be confused with PJ's which is a clam shack further north in Wellfleet) JP's is open all year, chef-owned and offers reasonable prices with fresh seafood....this is one of our favorites.

HawaiiVirgin

Thanks for the tips. We do plan on spending some time in Wellfleet, so I'll definitely keep Mac's on the list.