Rick, Shannon, Amy & Danny spend a week enjoying all the things to do in Cape Cod – beautiful beaches, history, baseball games and seafood!
Cape Cod
Things To Do in Cape Cod
Provincetown
Provincetown (or P-town) is located at the very end or tip of the cape. It’s a liberal, hipster town with a really fun vibe and great character. There are quite a few shops and art galleries all within walking distance of the downtown on Commercial Street. They’re all cute funky stores with knick-knacks, souvenirs, and other kitschy items. It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat and people watch.
P-town is also known for whale watching. Charter boats take regular trips out into the ocean to watch whales from April through October. We saw quite a few whales on our trip – it was a fun experience! If you go on one of these trips, be sure and take a jacket or sweater. It can be chilly and damp on the boat even in the summer. One of the best-know charters is Whale Watch Dolphin Fleet.
Plimoth Plantation
Have you ever wondered what life was like for the Pilgrims when they landed in 1620? Plimoth Plantation (& the Mayflower II) in Plymouth gives you a very realistic view into how the Pilgrims lived. It’s an actual village with everyone in character in authentic costumes, living as they were in 1627. You can visit with them and ask them about what they’re working on, what they’re cooking, what they’re building, etc, and they stay in character the entire time. (They know nothing about electricity, cell phones, or cars.) Experience how their lives were almost 400 years ago. Great for families and one of the top things to do in Cape Cod!
Green Briar Jam Kitchen
Green Briar Jam Kitchen is located in East Sandwich and you can watch them make homemade jams & jellies. There are a number of people slicing fruit, and slow cooking jams and jellies on big pots on gas burners. Products are also available for purchase. They’re a bit pricey but I bought a jar of nectarine preserves that are out of this world good! They also offer classes where you can learn to make your own jam to take home. It’s one of the more unique things to do in Cape Cod.
John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum
The JFK Museum is fairly small but has a lot of fascinating photographs and memorabilia about JFK’s life on Cape Cod and his presidency. It’s a very informative tribute to the Kennedy family, so I would plan about an hour to visit. The museum is located right on Main Street in Hyannis.
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League is generally regarded as the premier summer baseball league for the best college players in the country. Ten towns on the cape have teams that play 5-6 games each week from mid-June through early August. Thirteen former Cape Code Leaguers played in the 2016 Major League Baseball World Series. Admission is free to most games, so it’s a great family activity. It’s one of the most iconic things to do in Cape Cod in the summer! We saw the Chatham A’s play at their field in Chatham. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on the hill behind the field.
Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre
Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre is one of the few remaining drive-in movies in the country. The outdoors screen is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are also 4 year-round indoor screens, a dairy bar and grill, and a miniature golf course.
Cape Cod Beer Brewery
Cape Cod Beer is Cape Cod’s original craft brewery in Hyannis. We did a tour and tasting and enjoyed it. It was pretty crowded when we were there, so it’s a popular spot. They have food trucks, a farmers market, and a place to hang out with board games, cornhole, and live music.
Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory
Legendary Cape Cod Potato Chips are distributed across the country. Located in Hyannis, they offer free tours of the factory to learn about how the chips are made. We found it to be a very informative and fun afternoon, and definitely one of the more unique things to do in Cape Cod.
Beaches
There are so many great beaches up and down the Cape! Beach time is one of our family’s favorite things to do in Cape Cod! Here are a few of our favorite spots:
White Crest Beach
White Crest Beach is one of our favorite beaches. Park at the top and then walk (or roll!) down a giant sand dune to the bottom. It’s a beautiful beach and the sand dunes give it a quiet secluded feel! There is a good sized parking lot for a fee.
Chatham Lighthouse Beach
Chatham Lighthouse Beach is Chatham’s main beach. It’s a great beach, but parking is limited to 30 minutes. They offer shuttles from downtown, or you can park on the street and walk.
Chatham Lighthouse
You might recognize this lighthouse and beach from the movie The Finest Hours. Based on a true story of a dramatic coast guard rescue in 1952, part of the movie was filmed in Chatham. (More info about the movie)
First Encounter Beach
First Encounter Beach is on the inside bay side of the Cape, so it’s very calm with no waves. It’s said to be the place with the Pilgrims had their first encounter with the Wampanoag Tribe.
Nauset Beach
Nauset Beach is a great beach, but we go for the onion rings at the beach food stand! They’re little skinny onion rings – not your traditional kind! I’m not an onion ring fan, but I love these!
Restaurants
Kream ‘N Kone Restaurant in Chatham
Don’t let the small building concern you. Kream ‘N Kone in Chatham has great seafood and great clam chowder.
D’Angelo’s Sandwiches in Chatham
All the sandwiches at D’Angelo’s in Chatham are good, but in our opinion, their lobster roll/sandwich is the best!
Chatham Pier Fish Market
Chatham Pier Fish Market is a combination fish market and café. If you go in the late afternoon, you can watch the fresh fish unloaded off the boats. They will boil lobsters for you to take home, and have all the supplies you need. One of our family’s favorite things to do in Cape Cod is a fresh lobster dinner!
Lobster dinner bought at the Fish Market
Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar in Eastham
Everything at Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar in Eastham is good. Casual order at the counter service. *Cash Only*
Cabby Shack in Plymouth
All the seafood at Cabby Shack in Plymouth is great! Clam Chowder is award-winning. Outside seating.
Hotel
Pilgrim Village
Pilgrim Village is a family owned and operated facility that has New England style cottages on 40 acres of land next to White Pond in Chatham. Cottages have 1 or 2 bedrooms, full kitchen and baths, microwaves, and free wifi. Private beach on the pond has rowboats, fishing, picnic tables, fire pit for s’mores, and barbecue grills at no additional charge. Our family has stayed there for many summer vacations dating back almost 50 years, and it’s always a wonderful experience! They are open Memorial Day through Labor Day and offer weekly Saturday to Saturday rentals only. Reservations are accepted for the summer beginning in January, but they don’t accept credit or debit cards. Check out their web site for pictures of the cottages.
We love staying in Chatham. If you picture the Cape like an arm, it’s on the elbow, so it’s very centrally located. A lot of the things to do in Cape Cod are within easy driving distance of Chatham. It has a cute downtown area to walk and shop, a beautiful beach, and lots of New England charm.
The cottages are on a private beach on White Pond
Transportation
We flew into Boston and rented a car to drive to the Cape. It’s about a 2 hour drive, but traffic does get backed up crossing the bridge on Saturdays (peak time for people coming and going in the summers). You really need a car to get around everywhere because it’s about an hour drive from one end of the Cape to the other. There is a public bus system, but we didn’t use it. There is also a ferry from Boston to Provincetown.
Cape Cod Travel Tips:
Weather – Best time to go is early Summer to early Fall. Cape Cod is a summer destination and pretty much shuts down in the winter due to all the heavy snow they receive. There are so many more things to do in Cape Cod in the summer! Summer temperatures rarely get above the 80s, and most places don’t have air conditioning, but we’ve usually always had good weather in the summer.
Other travel guides you might like:
New York City, New York – Art Lovers’ Tour of New York City
Chicago, Illinois – Weekend Guide: Chicago, Illinois
Northern California – Road Trip Guide to the Northern California Coast
San Jose del Cabo, Mexico – Beaches and Margaritas: Destination San Jose del Cabo
Havana & Cienfuegos, Cuba – Guide to Travel to Cuba: Culture, Art & Mojitos
Save this info for later? Pin it!
