Destination: Cape Cod
The world to-day is sick to its thin blood for lack of elemental things," wrote Henry Beston in his 1928 Cape Cod classic, "for fire before the hands, for water welling from the earth, for air, for the dear earth itself underfoot." It is this that Cape Cod most has to offer an increasingly complex and artificial world: the chance to reconnect with elemental things. Walking along the shore poking at the washed-up sea life or watching birds fish in the surf, listening to the rhythm of the waves, experiencing the tranquillity of night on the beach or the power of a storm on water -- all this is somehow life affirming and satisfyingly real.
Shaped continually by ocean currents, this windswept land of sandy beaches and dunes has an amazing natural beauty. Everyone comes for the seaside, yet Cape Cod's crimson cranberry bogs, birch and beech forests, grassy meadows, freshwater ponds, and marshlands are just as splendid. Local history is fascinating; whale-watching offers an exhilarating encounter with the natural world; bike trails lace the landscape; shops display everything from antiques to fashions to kitsch; and restaurants cook up seafood as fresh as it comes, as well as fine international cuisine.
Beaches
Cape Cod has more than 150 ocean and freshwater beaches, with something for just about every taste. Bay-side beaches generally have more temperate waters and gentle waves. South-side beaches, on Nantucket Sound, have rolling surf and are warmed by the Gulf Stream. The inland areas of the Cape are dotted with numerous freshwater ponds, many with warm water and sandy beaches that are ideal for young children. Ocean beaches on the Cape Cod National Seashore have cold water, serious surf, and are, by and large, superior -- wide, long, sandy, and dune backed, with great views. They're also contiguous: you can walk from Eastham to Provincetown practically without leaving sand. This almost always ensures privacy, if you stroll far enough away from crowds.
Conservation Areas
Bustle and noise may seem unavoidable on a Cape vacation, but you'll find a surefire escape at one of the numerous nature refuges. There you can delight in seeing an osprey nest, the slow-motion stalking of a great blue heron, the head of a river otter coursing through the water, great shorebird colonies, a meadow in late summer, or that stray berry-studded blueberry bush. This is simply the best way to experience the vitality and diversity of the region.
Dining
Cape Cod received its name from the thickness of the schools of cod that early explorers found around its shores. These days the ominous local joke is that the peninsula should be renamed, except there is no alternative species certain to be around for the next few generations. But don't give up hope and expect to eat steaks. Plenty of great seafood can still be had, and here's one encouraging little secret: largely because of strict federal regulations, codfish have been making a quiet but remarkable comeback in the past few years. Fresh shellfish is a great bet at restaurants and markets.
For a quintessential summertime Cape experience, nothing beats simple standbys. The standard summer lunch is a lobster roll---a very light lobster salad with practically no mayonnaise on a plain white frankfurter roll. One of the best meals you may ever have on the Cape might just consist of nothing more than a catch-of-the-day dinner and a drive to a sunset beach: a plate of local steamers or mussels, a six-pack of Sam Adams, and a special someone.
Nightlife and the Arts
Since the early 1900s creative people have been drawn to Cape Cod summers, and their legacy and ongoing contribution is a thriving arts scene. In addition to professional theater, which offers top-name talent in season, almost every town has a community theater that provides quality entertainment---often mixing local players with visiting pros---throughout the year. The Cape also gets its share of music stars, from pop to classical, along with local groups ranging from barbershop quartets to Bach chorales to classical music or chamber ensembles, often playing at school auditoriums or town halls.
Nighttime on Cape Cod can be very special in many ways. In less developed areas, the stars are amazingly bright and make beach walks even more wondrous. Lighthouse beacons cutting shafts through the night sky have a fascination impossible to resist. If you're up late, or really early, head for Chatham Light or a National Seashore beach to catch a terrific sunrise.
Shopping
Art galleries and crafts shops abound on Cape Cod, a reflection of the long attraction the area has held for artists and craftspeople. Throughout the Cape you'll find weavers, candle makers, glassblowers, papermakers, and potters, as well as an inordinate number of shops specializing in country crafts from straw dolls to handmade Christmas ornaments---and, of course, plenty of tourist schlock. The region is also popular for antiquing, which means that both the genuine articles and the kitschy wanna-bes are in ready supply
Sports and the Outdoors
The Cape is a top American destination for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, and indulging in virtually all other water sports. Shipwrecks make for interesting dive sites, but don't expect a tropical underwater landscape. On the water, canoeing and sea kayaking are great around the bay's marshy inlets. The Cape is also one of the world's finest whale-watching spots; a whale breaching alongside your boat is an awe-inspiring sight?.
Fishing on the Cape is both a profession and a pastime. Hundreds of freshwater ponds are good for perch, pickerel, and trout; surf casting off beaches and deep-sea fishing for blues, bass, and flounder is also popular.
Golfers will find a number of excellent courses, including championship layouts; most stay open nearly year-round. Bicycling is a joy on the mostly level roads, along paved and scenic bike paths, and through the many nature preserves. Bird-watchers have many habitats from which to choose, often in a single nature preserve. The Cape Cod National Seashore has nine walking trails through varied terrain, and there are paths through conservation areas and nature preserves Cape-wide.
Town-Band Concerts
Traditional New England town-band concerts are held weekly each summer in many Cape towns---take along chairs, blankets, sweaters, and a picnic supper if you like and go early to get a good spot .
