Boston - Cape Cod 25th Anniversary
 

My wife and I celebrate our 25th Anniversary at the end of June 2010. We honeymooned on the Cape and would like to return there to mark the occasion. We will fly into Boston and drive to the Cape from there. Our best man and his wife, who have never been to Massachusetts, will join us. We would like them to get a taste of the area. While we have enjoyed Martha'sVineyard, Nantucket, and Provincetown on various trips over the years, we need to be more focused this time. We will have 3-4 days and can plan so as to travel before or following the July 4 weekend. We know this is peak season and the Cape will be crowded so any suggestions as to how to plan for this celebration, where to stay (Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard or somewhere on the Cape) would be very much appreciated. The trip is not so much about sight seeing as quality time and dining with friends - maybe a little beach walking. Thanks for helping us start the planning process.

I recommend staying close to the Cape Cod National Seashore. The beaches are just beautiful and unspoiled and great for walking. One of my favorite towns is Wellfleet. We frequently stay at the Inn at Duck Creek but there are other inns, B&B's in Wellfleet, too. Just depends on how much you want to spend, how upscale you want to go. We love having lunch at the Bookstore Restauant overlooking Mayo Beach. You would also be close to Truro and Provincetown. Especially since this is your friends first time to the Cape, you MUST stay in the lower/outer Cape. I don't recommend Dennis/Yarmouth area or Rt 28. We drove down 28 last summer in that area & it was all tacky shops, very commercialized, heavy traffic, etc. Hope this helps.

I would also like to add that one time we took a peak at the Inn on Little Pleasant Bay in Orleans, and it is beautiful, upscale & has gorgeous views. We haven't stayed there yet, but it does look like a nice place for a special celebration.

You might consider Wequasset in Chatham.

The Cape will get busier yet right after July 4th. Staying near the National Seashore is a really good idea. There's a place right in the Seashore in Eastham called Fort Hill b&b that's nice. They have a cottage for rent with nightly rates. The beachside walks from here are wonderful and the b&b always gets glowing reviews.

Hi there - Wellfleet is a good base as there are several good restaurants, it's quite charming, and doesn't quite get the hoards that Ptown does (don't get me wrong - it will still be crowded!) I work in Chatham (live in Harwich) and though it is a thoroughly charming beachside town it is absolutely packed in July/August. Depending on your tolorence for crowds this may be a bummer. Orleans is a also nice - Nauset Beach is a great ocean beach, plus Rock Harbor on the bay side has spectactular sunset viewing. If you could plan your trip mid week it might help a bit with the crowds. Also, if you give me more of an idea of what your interests might be I could suggest more specifics - although staying on the Cape as opposed to the islands might be a bit less constrictive. There is a ferry from Harwichport that goes to Nantucket which would make a fine day trip as it is much smaller than the Vineyard and Harwichport is a lot easier to get to than Hyannis from the Lower/Outer Cape (plus free parking for day trippers). Anyway - hope this local perspective helps! Let me know if you have any further questions...

Thanks so much for the quick responses and excellent suggestions. I may occasionally post additional questions as decisions start getting made. This forum, and those who contribute to it are a terrific resource.

Definately come before July 4th. The Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich has a lovely restaurant with wonderful food and service. I haven't stayed at the inn, so I don't know what their rooms are like, but based on the way that they run the restaurant, I would think it might be worth a look.