Part two of our summer 2023 getaway brought us to a part of the country that we had never explored: Cape Cod. I have always wanted to visit the area and see if New England coastal charm really lived up the hype and I am happy to report that it absolutely did. We found that Cape Cod had great food, great beaches, beautiful flowers, and stunning homes. So without further hesitation here’s a look at where we went, what we saw, where we stayed, and where we ate!
It was about a 5 hour drive from my sister’s house in New Jersey to our VRBO in Eastham, MA in the “Outer Cape” portion of Cape Cod. We chose Eastham because the prices were much more affordable than some of the other cities on our list and Eastham is a great central location for visiting both Provincetown to the north and Chatham to the south. Once we got settled in, our first stop was Chatham.
CHATHAM:
The town of Chatham definitely gives off debutant brunch vibes and I totally expected the cast of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” to be walking down Main Street at any moment. But nonetheless it is really adorable and was described to me as “quintessential Cape Code” and for that reason it should definitely be on any Cape Cod vacation itinerary. And if you plan to visit in July during hydrangea season this is the town to see.
Visit Chatham Lighthouse
We started by driving down to Chatham Village Cafe and Bakery for lattes (for the adults) and croissants (for the kids). Afterwards we drove to the Chatham Lighthouse, which isn’t overly remarkable but still a beautiful area and from here you can walk down to Chatham Lighthouse Beach. You can park for free for up to two hours right there by the beach which was plenty of time for our crew to enjoy running down the beach and combing for shells.
Walk Along Main Street Chatham
After the beach we stopped into Buffy’s Ice Cream which Liam exclaimed was the “best ice cream ever.” We walked along the short but charming Main Street and although we did not do much shopping we did spend some time at the public art exhibit in Kate Gould Park. From there we wanted to head to the Pier and Fish market so we decided to load the kids into the stroller and walk. It’s a short walk but most of Shore Road does not have sidewalks and was not stroller friendly, so next time I would advise just driving there.
Go See the Seals at the Pier
Along Shore Road is the Chatham Fish Market Pier and once we arrived, we were treated to the best surprise: a family of seals swimming right below us! The fishermen were returning with their boats to the docks and the seals were right there waiting which we were told is common for this area and this time of day. From here you can grab a lobster roll or fish and chips at the Chatham Fish Market for lunch/dinner but there was a bit of a wait and our crew was getting fussy so we packed it in and headed back to the car. But the food looked really good so next time plan ahead for this! They have picnic tables and it looks like an easy no frills counter service.
Walking Past the Beautiful Chatham Homes
On our walk back from Shore Road to Main street we stumbled down some side roads and ended up seeing the most beautiful typical Cape Cod style homes, all with yards perfectly manicured for summer. We walked past Chatham Inn which is a beautiful but pricey hotel overlooking the water as well as the famous “Hydrangea House” here on Shore Road but we were a tad bit early for full bloom! We walked up Seaview Street and many of the homes had the picturesque gray shaker siding adorned with bushes of blooming lime light hydrangeas. So gorgeous! Once back to our car, we drove to see the Chatham Windmill before heading back north to Eastham for dinner.
PROVINCETOWN
The next day we ventured north to our next stop in Cape Cod: Provincetown. The drive from Eastham took about 30 minutes but it was an easy, beautiful drive. Many people describe the geography of Cape Cod as a persons arm and the kids enjoyed watching on the car navigation as we were heading to the tiny end of the “fingertip” of the man’s arm.
Parking in Provincetown is a little more tricky but we were able to find metered parking at the corner of W Vine Street and Bradford street. From there it was a nice 10 minute walk into the heart of Provincetown, taking us past some beautiful homes on Commercial Street.
Our first stop, of course is always food and we grabbed an early lunch at The Canteen.
After lunch we walked along the street some more, had ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s, grabbed some pastries from the Provincetown Portuguese Bakery for later, and then walked over to MacMillan pier.
The next day we came back to Provincetown and got aboard the Dolphin Tours for a whale watching tour. It was the highlight of trip seeing the whales in the wild come up to the side of the boat and even jump up and breach themselves out of the water. A sight I will never forget! Provincetown in known for whale watching so if this is something you have been thinking about crossing off your bucket list, I would highly recommend taking a tour out of Provincetown.
After seeing the whales, we grabbed sandwiches to go at East End Market before heading out!
OTHER SPOTS ALONG THE OUTER CAPE
Cape Cod is known for their lighthouses and one of our favorites on this trip was Highlands Light house in North Truro. Will took the two big boys up the windy staircase to the top for a small fee while the twins and I stayed down below (you have to be a certain height to go up). Highlands is a beautifully maintained lighthouse and it was fun to read the history about how its been relocated due to erosion on the beach. You can also walk out past the lighthouse for a stunning view of the ocean but you can’t access the beach from here.
VISIT MORE LIGHTHOUSES
Another infamous Lighthouse back in Eastham is the Nauset Lighthouse which was a quick 5 minute drive from our VRBO. You may recognize this lighthouse from the Cape Cod chips because it IS in fact the same light house. There is free parking after 5 at the beach so if you just plan to come just to visit the light house I would suggest coming after 5. Nearby is the Three Sisters Lighthouses and there was a cute path that takes you from Nauset to see those as well. For dinner on our last night we went to Arnolds in Eastham which felt crowded and touristy but had an amazing bowl of clam chowder and there are other options like burgers and fries on the menu in case you have had your fill of lobster rolls at this point!
That’s a wrap on Cape Cod. We mostly stuck to the outer cape on this trip but there is still so much to see and do, I think a return trip is in our future. Chatham, Provincetown, and Eastham all have such different personalities, I can’t recommend one over the other. I guess you TOO will just have to try it for yourself to decide!
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