Cape Cod - trying to pick where to stay!
 

We are a family of 4 (two teen girls) planning to spend 4-5 nights on the Cape in August. We love the beach and are pretty active. My husband really likes unspoiled outdoors, but the girls being teens do like shops and more comfortable lodgings! We are trying to choose between North Truro, on the bay, but an older lodging or a nicer hotel in either Orleans or West Yarmouth. They are pretty comparable in amenities and price.
My concerns with Truro is that it may seem too remote, but Yarmouth seems like it is more likely to be congested. Orleans seems like a good compromise. I would love feedback from anyone who has stayed in these areas!

We recently visited the Cape for the 1st time. We stayed at a Little Inn on Pleasant Bay, between Orleans and Chatham.

We found Chatham to be more charming of a village than Orleans, although we did not get out to East Orleans as other board members had suggested.

The Little Inn is a B&B, but our rooms had private baths. The hosts were as picture-perfect as the property. I really cannot fault any of our experience there.

I'm not sure if this directly addresses your question, but thought I'd add my recent $0.02.

We have stayed at West Yarmouth, though. We liked the variety of West Yarmouth it offered.

The Chatham Bars Inn would be very nice. They have their own beach. Check the web site.

Make reservations ASAP.

Chatham Bars looks beautiful, but it is above our budget! I found a new possibility in North Eastham - Captains Quarters. Has any one stayed there?

Hi Amy,
Yes, Truro can be remote. We are however, on a trolley line to Provincetown where you'll find many shops, restaurants and activities. You can also take another bus along with your bike down to Harwich with many stops along the way. If you're going to book, do so soon, as there's not much left.

When the tide is out you can walk up to P-town. Truro has beautiful beaches on 2 sides the bay and the National seashore. You'll also find many bike paths.

As for Yarmouth, it is indeed much more congested and spread out. The beaches are packed. It's a nice area for those with children who may not mind driving and like hotels with pools.
Orleans does have a nice beach but not much else. Chatam (small but very pretty) is nice as well and $$$$.
Good luck!

Not much in Eastam either but fairly close to the bike path and kayaking.

We have friends who stayed at the Captain's Quarters last year...they called it a dump. I felt really bad because they asked me about it and I said it looked really nice from the road with lovely landscaping etc. But my friends said that the rooms were shabby and not clean.
Apparently, the corporation that owns it is trying to turn it into condos so they are not really interested in getting return guests or in keeping up the motel. If I were you I would look elsewhere.

Thanks for the input. I booked the Cove in Orleans. My girls would not have been happy with a "dump" The photos of The Cove on their site look nice and they got good reviews on Trip Advisor.

The Cove is a good choice. They are individually owned condos managed and rented by a management company. They have a good reputation, as you noted, and are located on Town Cove. Let us know what you think of them them you get home.

You will be in a fairly busy section of town, but not far from Nauset Beach (Ocean beach with big waves) and Skaket beach (Bay beach with warmer water and wonderful sand flats to walk on at low tide.) You will be only 15 minutes from Chatham and about 35 minutes from Provincetown...both nice day trips. Orleans has some great restaurants and a coffe shop that your kids will enjoy....all the teens love the Chocolate Sparrow...you will too!

We stayed in Wood's Hole.It's nicely secluded.You have the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.Lighthouse...Paul

Try The Hawthorne Motel in Chatham (www.thehawthorne.com).

It also has its own beach and is walkable into town for dinner/shopping.

More reasonably priced than the Chathams Bars Inn.

We were there on Labor Day weekend a couple of years ago; I was surprised how uncrowded it was in town - busy but not suffocating. You'd need reservations for dinner at some of the more popular places.

enjoy.

janet