russk007

I am planning a surprise trip for my husband and me in August (leaving the kids behind). We have never been to Cape Cod, so I have no idea where to begin. I have been looking at staying at the Red Jacket Beach Resort, but am open to suggestions. Would like to spend $200-300 - the cheaper the better. We will be staying for 4 nights and will have a car. Where should we go? Any must-try seafood restaurants (both fancy and casual)? I would love to see all the gorgeous areas, but also want to relax and enjoy our time without the kids. Can anybody help with an itinerary?

seafox

I guess my first question is what sort of things interest you? The Cape is very large - over 60 miles long. You have 4 days and it will best to focus your energy in a defined location that reflects your interests. Red Jacket is in S. Yarmouth, in my opinion a more touristy area and in August very busy, almost frantic, traffic families, etc. I would suggest going out further on the Cape, perhaps Chatham, a quintesential cape town, nice, beaches, dining and shopping and not too touristy. Search on "Cape Cod" and read some other posts with advice. If you love nature and have a fair for funky, there is Provincetown which is a fishing village, art colony, gay Mecca and has some of the counties most fabulous beaches. My point is the Cape is varied and the more you can tell us what you like the better we can guide you,

gomiki

Is that $200-300 per night? If so, there are many lovely choices. seafox is asking a good question as far as needing more info to help you.

ssvw27

Go to Falmouth and stay at the Inn on The Sound- fabulous. From there you can travel all over the Cape. Boats for the islands leave a 10 minute walk away from the Inn.

colbeck

I second the vote for Chatham, which is a wonderful little town, and central Cape, so accessible to everything.

There is a wide selection of lodging opportunities there. The Chatham Bars is a beautiful, but pricey resort on the beach. There are several nice motels, cottage colonies and B&B's. We love the Captain's House Inn (www.captainshouseinn.com)which has lovely in your price range. They also serve an excellent breakfast. You might go to Trip Advisor to check out the reviews.

For a casual seafood experience, Arnolds in Eastham is a must - great lobster and fried clams. Eat there, inside or out, or take out. Prepare to stand in line - it's very popular!

capxxx

I really think you ought to get out past the elbow, at least to Chatham, Orleans, and maybe to Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, Provincetown. The south part of the Cape will be chocka-block with families, and the beaches are nowhere near as nice as the ones further on. It will be all traffic and people with greasy sunburns.

Red Jacket is nice enough, but it has a postage-stamp sized beachfront, and it is surrounded by town and traffic. You will spend a lot of time in the car driving to the good stuff.

If your goals are see the gogeous areas, relax, enjoy time without kids, then definitely further out on the Cape.

Here are some snaphsots. If you stay in one of these towns it is easy to make daytrips to the others.

Provincetown has restuarants, night-life, lots of B&Bs, and whale-watching tours. It is surrounded by stunning scenery of the National Seashore. It welcomes a number of gay and lesbian tourists as well as plenty of straight couples.

Truro is remote and scenic, mostly with small cottages on the bay side for rent. Not much of a town center.

Wellfleet has quaint town center, lots of artist galleries, and a nice harbor. It is very near the best part of the National Seashore. Mostly houses for rent by the week, but there are a few cabin rental places and B&B's.

Eastham is similar to Wellfleet, but with no quaint town center. More hotels and cottage rentals.

Chatham, Orleans, Brewster have busy town centers. Lots of hotels and restaurants and such, more tourist things to see and do.

russk007

Thanks for all the advice. I was told we would love Chatham, and to stay at the Chatham Bars Inn. Although it looks incredible, it was about $500 per night - way too much. Would love more advice on cheaper places in Chatham that are recommended (pool would be great).

Yes, I did mean $200-300 per night.

To answer some questions, we like to relax at the beach, maybe take a boat out, nice dinners, would be nice to be in an area with a night life so we can have a few drinks after dinner. We also just like to wander around and take in the beauty, etc. Thanks for your advice!

russk007

I just looked at the Captain's House Inn which looks perfect, but of course it is completely booked. Any more ideas similar?

yellowbyrd

Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast is a small but surprisingly sophisticated B+B inside the National Seashore in Eastham. They sit on a little knoll overlooking Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic Ocean and are surroundedd by the Fort Hill Area with its walking trails and whaling captain's museum. Fort Hill is our #1 place to stay on the outer cape because, aside from the luxury and privacy it affords, it is close to lots of places (mid-way between Provincetown and Chatham), just minutes to fine dining in Orleans and Wellfleet, yet it is has those ocean views and trails that set it apart from every other place we know of. The innkeepers are warm and friendly but not overbearing. They serve a great full breakfast and there are no taxes or tips. htp://www.forthillbedandbreakfast.com

Eastham is the beginning of the National Seashore so the Visitor's Center and several world-class beaches are just a short ride away. They are small, so you should move quickly if you decide to try them. They have accommodations in your price range and come highly recommended by Fodor's (Editor's Choice last year!).

colbeck

I have not stayed at any of the following, but they look similar to the Captain's House, and they offer rooms in your price range:

Moses Nickerson House Inn (www.mosesnickersonhouse.com)

Bradford Inn (www.bradfordinn.com)

Queen Anne Inn (www.queenanneinn.com)

You can check online for availability at all of them.

Good luck!

capecodshanty

If you go to boston.com/travel.com you will fine quite a bit of information about Chatham, the town, its accomodations, restaurants, etal.If you put in the names of other towns-ie Wellfleet, Brewster, it will also show you what is available in those as well.
That said, the previous poster has given you some wonderful Chatham Inns. The Moses Nickerson House , is beautiful, and has wonderful breakfasts. The other two I've toured, as part of the Christmas open house in Chatham. Both would get my recomendation also.
If you do decide to stay in Chatham, The Impudent Oyster is a good restaurant. Locals love the Chatham Squire, and The Viking Bistro is another, as well as the Roo Bar.
Go on each towns websites, and you will find a myriad of information-as well as Fodors- punch in Cape Cod, and lots will turn up.

Gene

Russk: I would go with your first choice the Red Jacket Beach Resort. We have stayed here many Summers and never been disappointed.

Everyone local agrees that Chatham is absolutely wonderful but that doesen't mean it's within everyone's budget.

You have four nights stay which means you have 3 full days to do what you want.

In those 3 days you can decide if you want to go visit Chatham Provincetown or any other part of the Cape or be satisfied where you are.

Cape Cod lovers on this forum tend to overwhelm first time visitors with where they should go and spend their time.

I'm telling you to ignore these people and go with your own instincts which I feel are pretty good judging from your postings.

Here are some hints if you decide to venture off to other towns like Chatham. Provincetown et. al.

#1 - Leave as early in the morning as you can to avoid traffic of others with the same idea.

#2 Use routes 28 or 6A for much more scenic drives than routen 6.

@3 - Get yourself a good map of the Cape so you can get around easily.

#4 - Don't be afraid to take any road you want. the Cape is really an island and you will eventually find water and have to turn around,

raineday

I am a frequent Cape visitor. Two weeks to go in fact. I would avoid the Red Jacket and that whole area south of Chatham. Too commercial. ick.
The real Cape is the outer Cape. I say Wellfleet and up to P-Town. You lose the crowds, which is important to me.
Chatham would be a good base. Nice town although a little snotty.
You can get a shuttle boat from the fish pier in Chatham that takes you to a spit of land with lot's of seals and lot's of nature and no people. You can also rent a sailboat out of Wellfleet Harbor or P-Town Harbor. You can also rent kayaks to do the various bays or rivers.
There are not too many resorts on the Cape especially the outer Cape, mainly motels some with pools. The luxury stops in Chatham at the Chathams Bar Inn mentioned.
There is no night life outside of West Yarmouth/Dennisport or P-Town. Of course there are drinking places everywhere.
I stay in North Truro at a cheap motel with an outdoor pool. Very shabby, but I only sleep there.The views are to die for. And that foghorn.

russk007

Thanks for all your help! I went ahead and booked our trip at the Bradforn Inn in Chatham. It looks perfect! Now the fun begins - figuring out how to spend our 3-4 days in Cape Cod! Any advice on what to do near Chatham without going too far out (don't want to waste our trip in the car)...

ccrosner

You have made a great choice. Chatham will give you everything you want....just be sure that you realize that anywhere on the Cape in August will be busy.

Here are some activity ideas:

Drive up to Ptown for the day. Take a whale watch boat if that interests you. Climb the Pilgrim Monument for awesome views if it's a nice day. Rent bikes at Nelson's and ride around the Province Lands (truly beautiful and breathtaking). Have lunch somewhere on Commercial STreet. Stop in Wellfleet on way back and have dinner at The Beachcomber (a Cape Cod institutions on stunning bluffs overlooking the Atlantic) or The Bookstore (on the Cape Cod Bay side).

Ride the Cape Cod Rail Trail from Chatham.

Take a tour out to see the seals on Monomoy Island.

Consider a day trip from Harwichport to Nantucket if shopping and poking around is your idea of fun.

Enjoy!

colbeck

If you like the beach, Hardings Beach in Chatham is a good one. Nauset Beach in Orleans is quite dramatic and not far from Chatham. Try to get there before 10:00 a.m. for a parking space.

Check out www.mychatham.com for other ideas. There's plenty to do on the Cape!

Gene

Good choice. Chatham is wonderful during the day for shopping etc.

For nightlife you will need to travel west to Harwich, Dennis, Yarmouth or North to Orleans, and beyond.

seafox

In Ptown if a whale watch is not your thing, consider Art's dune tour. They take you into the dunes of the National Seashore. The view are breath taking and you certainly appreciate the decision during the Kennedy Admin. to save the land from development.

yellowbyrd

If you decide to venture past the shopping and main street that makes Chatham so popular in the summer, and head out to the outer Cape where the National Seashore is, first stop should be the Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham. You will find wonderful resources there, from short films to trail maps, ranger led activities and museum to helpful suggestions by the volunteers. By all means, spend some time at the great outer beaches that the Park Service runs and then, just for contrast, go 3 miles to the west to see a Cape Cod Bay beach. The water (if the tide is in) will be warmer for swimming. If the tide is out, you can walk for about 1 mile in shallow pools. Have some lunch at the Land 'Ho in Orleans or a lobster roll at the Friendly Fisherman in Eastham and then head out to Provincetown or Wellfleet for some browsing and dinner. It is a bit of a haul from Chatham to Provincetown so you will want to plan one day with a few stops along the way.

seafox

When driving around the Outer Cape pay close attention to speed limits and follow them. This is especially true on the 30 min. ride from the Orleans traffic circle to Provincetown (route 6). The police force is everywhere and in the Summer the ticket revenue gets them through the Winter. Driving time from Chatham to Provincetown is about 45 - 50 min.