Cape cod in late October
 

I'm visiting the cape in late October and am a little worried that everything mightbe shut down at this time of year!? I'll be travelling with my husband and two young children (3 and 5) so would appreciate advice on where to stay and what do at the very end of October.

Why don't you try for a warmer place on the Atlantic coast?
If you must go to the Cape, try to get there earlier.

"Everything" will not be closed, but some places may be by then. But there's actually a lot open until Thanksgiving. I think it depends on where you go, however. I can say with personal knowledge that a lot of places in Provicetown are still open in the fall, but I don't know the other towns very well, so I can't speak to them. But it may be cold and wet, not really the best time to go in my opinion.

We were due to take this trip in May but due to illness have had to postpone to October. We will be staying in New York and Boston and plan was to have a few days in the middle in CapeCod however my fear was that it's now not thebest time of year for visiting the cape, which you have now confirmed. Are there any other areas, roughly placed somewhere between Boston and New York, which may be more suitable at this time of year?

The Cape will still be pretty as long as the weather is good! It does get a lot quieter after Columbus Day weekend, but as Doug said, not everything will be closed.

Between NYC and Boston, the town of Mystic, CT is good for a day or so with the aquarium and some cute shops.

Better IMO is Newport, RI, just because it's a busier town year-round and you can get very good hotel deals in the off-season. (My favorite is the Hotel Viking.) Walk along the Cliff Walk for views of the ocean as well as the mansions; spend time looking at boats in the marina; and the quirky Green Animals might still be open at that time of year.

Around Newport, there are plenty of small towns with farm stands - lots of apple orchards in the area. From Newport to Boston, take the local route in RI to Tiverton Four Corners. Cute shops, an art gallery or two, good sandwiches at the Provender, and the best part of all, terrific ice cream year-round at Gray's! (I mention this because to me, an integral part of a trip to Cape Cod is the homemade ice cream, but most of the places on the Cape will be closed for the season by the beginning of October.)

For Cape Cod in the off-season, you might find some inspiration in these two recent threads:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ionsadvice.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...short-time.cfm

(The latter has a bunch of discussion about the OP's logistic combining the Cape and Boston, but overall might be useful...)

I have a house on the Cape and although each month has its own unique charm, October weather can be cold and rainy. There's a sense that the 'party's over' and moved on once the clocks change and the days are short. However, the majestic beaches, many great restaurants and plenty of shops and galleries are all still open. Upside: No traffic!

I think Mystic and Newport are good alternatives.

Thank you! I'll look into all these options.