cape cod this july...with grandparents, parents, and 11 & 13 y.o. boys
 

have never been, but we are looking for a relaxing, laid back, two-week house rental in cape cod.... question? WHERE!! have been recommended to the bay side towns of dennis and brewster. don't want to overwhelm grandparents with this trip (by that, i mean, dressy clothes, fancy people, too upscale and uptight, i am sure there are crowds, but any advice?). seems there are quite a few available on various sites, vrbo and homeaway, but don't quite know what to look for in locations. bay side versus ocean side???

doing day trips to nantucket and martha's vineyard. hear the dennis cape playhouse at night is great. want to beach comb, go clamming, and all the things that make this area great! as these texans need to escape the heat come july!!

any ideas are welcome ESPECIALLY on a location to stay

We prefer the ocean side of the Cape, particularly because of the beaches. My family rents two cottages in Chatham every year, usually near Hardings or Ridgevale Beach. Chatham is a great town in mid Cape location, so convenient to everything, including the ferry to Nantucket from Harwich Port. July is a very busy time on the entire Cape, so you should start checking right away. There are lots of online sites for vacation rentals.

We also prefer the ocean side--though others probably will make passionate arguments for the bay side. Chatham would also be my choice; Harwich is also a good location. Both towns have fresh-water lakes that are also nice for swimming; some are right on the bike trail.

We have rented in the past in South Chatham, near the Harwich line. You can get a pretty reasonably priced rental there, within a 10- to 15-minute walk of a beach. You then have to drive into downtown Chatham when you go, but it's not far--and the downtown is quite pleasant: picturesque and a range of stores from dime store to quite upscale. Also a range of places to eat that will please all ages.

The Monomoy Theater in Chatham is a great place to see theater. In the past we've seen both drama and musicals there. And nearly in its backyard is the Chatham A's baseball field--you can stroll over at intermission.

We love Cape Cod League Baseball. At least the last time we went, games were free and a hat was passed to raise funds. Check out the towns with teams, and the game schedule, at http://www.capecodbaseball.org/.

For us, the Cape wouldn't be the Cape without miniature golf. We particularly love Pirate's Cove, which is in South Yarmouth: http://www.piratescove.net/location/9 My kids are now in their 20s; we've been going to Pirate's Cove since they were 5 and under. We always love it. (My husband and I have been known to go without kids, too.)

Friends who live on the Cape year-round recommended the Marshside Restaurant, http://www.themarshside.com, in South Dennis. It's now on our list of must-do-on-the-Cape.

Hope this helps.

penel523,
Thanks for mentioning the Cape Cod Baseball League! I forgot about that, even though my husband played in it (back in the dark ages) The games in Chatham are always a big part of the family's Cape Cod stay.

A couple of family oriented restaurants that we always enjoy are Arnolds in Eastham for take-out or eat-in fried clams and lobster, and Land Ho in Orleans.

mmmooommm, will you be on the Cape over the 4th of July? Chatham has a fun parade. Pretty wild one in P Town too.....

Dennis and Brewster have the advantage of a wonderful low tide. In Brewster you can walk out on the tidal flats for miles. You can't swim at low tide on the bay in Brewster, but you can in Dennis, because of the configuration of the sand bars. There are also wonderful ponds for swimming, and the ocean is not too far to drive for a day at the beach there too. That is one of the joys of a day on the Cape, deciding which kind of beach to go to: bay, pond, or ocean.

No worries about dressy clothes or fancy people, it is all very casual.

great!! thanks all, booked a place in brewster, love the idea of this tidal area, great place, so that is done. thinking of going to mv for a day trip and nantucket. whaling museum etc. got a book on the area, so i guess any tips i may not find in the book, particularly good food! we will probably try our hand at clamming and cooking them (i do read we need a license...could be fun!) of course, the light houses, not much interested in the touristy t shirt shops, etc. (who is! :) ) just fun 'cape cod' stuff!! thanks, love the info i find here! mmmooommm

I just noticed colbeck's comment about the Marshside and wanted to point out that this restaurant is in East Dennis, just over the line from Brewster (not in South Dennis). Just so you don't get lost looking for it.

Of course my favorite thing about the geography of this part of the Cape is that if you are standing in West Dennis and go due North, you get to South Dennis.

And don't worry, there are fewer touristy t shirt shops in Brewster than just about anywhere else on the Cape. You will want to get schedules from the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, which runs all sorts of fascinating nature programs on and off the property along the bay in Brewster (http://www.ccmnh.org/). And farther afield, the Cape Cod National Seashore with its visitor center in Eastham (http://www.nps.gov/caco/, check the schedule of ranger guided activities), and the Aubudon Sanctuary located in South Wellfleet(http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Co...leet/index.php ), offer full programs that you should check out as well.

On the same property as the Cape Playhouse there is a wonderful movie theater, the Cape Cinema, that shows independent movies in a space with a great mural painted on the ceiling, large armchairs for seats, and floors that your feet won't stick to.