Hello Group!

Seeking some advice on a Boston/ Cape Cod/ Marth'a Vineyard/ Nantucket trip in early August this year.

We are an active family of 5- mom & dad and 3 teenage boys. Our best vacations run the gamut from your standard beach vacation (Rosemary Beach FL) to exploring (Venice/ Florence/ Canada). Never vacationed before in the Boston area. We would like to fly into Boston for 2 nights and do the city stuff - baseball game at Fenway/ Harvard/ history tour stuff. Second part of the trip is where I need help.

We'd like to find a place connected or near (walking/ bike ride distance) to a a village or town. We'd like to have easy access (not big on driving everywhere) to recreational activities (bike, water, ocean, pool). Any suggestions? We are considering a place on Cape Cod in the Falmouth area. Any feedback? Suggestions??

You might look into The Commodore Inn/Motel in West Harwich. Has the pool/ beach requirement. Lots of activities in that area. Mini golf, restaurants, paddle boats, batting cage, Cape Cod League Baseball, trampolines, canoeing, beautiful bike path etc etc

If you stay in the Falmouth area, your natural pull will be to Martha's Vineyard. It only takes an hour from Woods' Hole (worth exploring for itself) and makes a nice day trip, though the sites are spread out across three towns and some rural areas.

For a day trip to Nantucket, staying in Harwich or the Osterville-Craigville-Hyannis area is more convenient. There is a small private ferry from Harwich and two ferries from Hyannis.

The Steamship Authority operates both combined car-passenger ferries ("slow boats") and the Iyanough, a fast ferry. The Iyanough takes an hour. There is also a private company called the Hy-Line that operates fast boats from Hyannis to Nantucket (and the Vineyard) but they cost more than the SSA fast boats and in my experience are almost always late. The Hy-Line let you out at the foot of Main Street, where the SSA let's you off at the foot of Broad Street.

I emphasize day trips to the Islands because that is the busiest part of the season, and you may find three day minimums for hotels, at premium prices.

I would stay further out on the Cape so you could have easy access to the National Seashore bike trails. We always stayed in or near it. Besides the biking, you can go whalewatching, fish, and of course enjoy the water.

From Boston there is a Ferry right to Provincetown.

Cincyguy1963:

"We are considering a place on Cape Cod in the Falmouth
area"

With three teenage boys I would consider a vacation home but be aware that nearly all are rented on a weekly basis. A good place to start your search and see availability for Cape Cod Vacation Rentals - WeNeedaVacation.com Homes book up very early. Traffic from Boston to Cape Cod is very heavy in the summer on Saturday (change over day for vacation houses).

Good luck.

Sandy

How long are you staying on the Cape?

Wellfleet is a close match to your preferences. It is towards the end of the Cape where it is narrower - and you get easier access to both Bay and Ocean beaches. There is a smallish town with stores and several restaurants. There is less car traffic on that end of the Cape, you are fairly close to National Seashore and Provincetown is worth a day trip. Except at larger hotels, pools are not common on Cape Cod.

Seconding what is mentioned above - most cottages are rented Sat afternoon-Sat AM. Difficult to find a rental on a different schedule or for less time than the week. Mid-Cape there are hotels and traditional motels that will rent on a different schedule, but these are in areas less likely to meet your other preferences.