Quieter, non-touristy travel in Cape Cod/surrounding areas
 

My husband and I are looking at places to vacation this year. Last year, for our honeymoon, we went to Bar Harbor, ME. We really enjoyed being able to eat lobster whenever and especially lobster rolls for lunch at a roadside stand. It's not something we get often here in NW Pennsylvania, and we'd like to be able to experience that again, but don't want to go to the same place. We'd also like to find somewhere a little quieter, as Bar Harbor was very busy when we went in July.

I was thinking somewhere in Massachusets or further south, but I'm not sure how far south we can get the lobster like in Maine. We definitely want to be off the beaten path, with some access to parks for hiking and things like that. Any ideas?

The town of Truro, on Cape Cod is much quieter than the others. The hiking trails and emptier beaches of the National Seashore are all around. You could drive to a nearby town for your lobster fix -- just stay off the main highway on weekends to avoid the traffic.

You might want to check out Portsmouth NH or Portland ME (smallish cities) for the food, and the nearby White Mountains for hiking -- maybe a small town close to all three.

Block Island, RI still has some remote parts (good for bicycling tours), but I'm not sure what they offer in the way of lobster rolls.

But its hard to escape the crowds if you want to be near the shore (where the lobsters are) in July, especially if you are anywhere south of Maine.

Last summer, my husband & I wanted to go to Cape Cod, but planned too late (we're going this summer, tho). Instead, we spent 4 nights in Rockport, MA (Cape Ann). We stayed at a little place (The Eagle House Motel) in Rockport that was just a half-block from town and a very short walk to Bear Skin Neck. On the Neck is a great little place for lobster...can't call it a restaurant, tho. It's really just a little shack in the middle of Bear Skin Neck. It is "lobster in the ROUGH" in the truest sense. No frills...at all. But the lobster was fresh and fabulous. You walk thru the shack & sit out on the little deck. You sit on crates & use old barrels for tables. It's messy & not for the faint of heart. That being said, we ate there twice during our 4 night stay. We loved it. It really felt like being in a "fishing village." AND the lobsters were pretty cheap. They don't get fresher than this, either. It's called "Roy Moore's Lobster Co" not to be confused with the restaurant of similar name on the main street leading to the Neck. There it's fancier & more expensive. We never did make it there. Loved the shack!!

Should you decide Rockport might be in your future, check out Halibut Point State Park. You can hike thru the park, around an old quarry and right to the ocean. Loved walking around the rocks at the shore. Went there twice, too!!

Wow, I'm suddenly surprised at how many things we did TWICE! We also went, TWICE, on a whale watch out of Gloucester. Went out on the first boat on day 2, but by the time we got to Stellwagen Bank (the whale feeding grounds) the fog was pea-soup thick. So we got our "free pass" and came back the next spectacular morning. Whale watching is a must if you go to Cape Ann OR Cape Cod.

Nothing there was too crowded, so it might be worth looking into. Good luck & I hope you have a great vacation!

If you decide to go to Cape Cod, then focus on the National Seashore Park areas from Eastham to Provincetown. The Cape is a different kind of park from Acadia in that it was created around the existing towns. The National Seashore has lovely trails, much gentler than those in rugged Acadia, kayaking, biking and tours of historic structures, including lighthouses. On the outer Cape,there are activities like whalewatches, dune tours and sunset sailing cruises, or you can just stroll around the quant villages, all within a 30 minute drive of each other.

You won't find much lodging inside the park (most of it is on main roads) but there is one place, Fort Hill B+B, in the Fort Hill Area of the National Seashore that is quiet and away from the busy main road. It is a Fodor's Choice for Eastham so you should be able to find it on this site.

A great place to look at would be Block Island RI. It is definitely off the beaten path and stop by Galilee near Narragansett RI...fresh lobster galore. Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide!

I strongly agree with Yellowbyrd, focus on the National Seashore, from Eastham to Provincetown. We are partial to Wellfleet & have stayed at the Inn at Duck Creek many times. Love to have lunch at the Bookstore & Restaurant, directly across the street from Mayo Beach.
Recommend Herring Cove Beach, Race Point, & Skaket Beach.

Lobster rolls abound on the outer Cape... you could have one for each meal, do a compare and let us know which is best!

I haven't been to very many places so I can't compare them. But I've always loved Sandwich. The Daniel Webster Inn is wonderful, but there are also many other inns and motels to choose from for all budgets.

yellowbyrd has first hand knowledge of Fort Hill b&b and has written a review of her inn on Fodors. It is in a lovely spot! Cape Cod is a zoo in the summer. You might find that renting a house on Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard more to your taste. You can really get off the beaten track on these islands off the coast of Cape Cod.