Help in deciding where to stay.

Hello all,

We are planning a trip to Cape Code next month and are undecided where to stay. We would like to visit Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket and the cape itself. Where would you recommend to stay as a home base in order to be able to visit all these places. We have like 3-4 nights in this area.

Thanks for your time and help

Help in deciding where to stay.

Hi - the places on the Cape with ferry service to one or both of the islands are: Falmouth, Hyannis, Harwich. What other things are you interested in and what type of place would you like stay at? Will you be there over Memorial Day?

Help in deciding where to stay.

Thanks for the reply...... We will be there May 9th and stay for 3-4 nights haven%26#39;t decided yet and on things to do the only thing that we have thought of is to drive around and take in the scenery.

Any suggestions on what to do would be great since we have never visited the area.

Thanks again

Hi, as long as you have a car, I would suggest Dennisport or West Dennis as a good place for you to stay. My reasoning is this - you are in a better position to travel to the National Seashore beaches (which are gorgeous and shouldn%26#39;t be missed) as well as having access to the ferries in Hyannis - here is a link to a good map so you can see where I am talking about :

capecodtravel.com/gettingaround/maps/printma…

For information about Dennis (W. Dennis %26amp; Dennisport are sections of Dennis) http://www.dennischamber.com/ There are reviews of many places stay here on TA

Here is a link for the major ferry line in Hyannis:

http://www.hy-linecruises.com/

And the National Seashore Beaches : http://www.nps.gov/caco/

Early May is not peak season but everything is starting to open up again and you should be able to get decent rates on places to stay.

You can decide for yourself if a location on the outer cape suites your needs. Since you do not really have an idea of the area I will try to give you some idea of the reason we love it so much. (We stay in Eastham so I will reference the time to get to different locations from there.

The National Seashore, which begins in Eastham and goes up the Atlantic coast (with some bay-side land as well), includes the scenic dunes and beaches that you see in the Cape Cod advertisements. There is less commercial development but there are pockets of activity year round and should be more than enough to keep you busy for 3-4 days, especially if you intend to take a day trip to one of the islands. The Salt Pond Visitor%26#39;s Center in Eastham is great for getting specific help and advice about the numerous walking trails and historical sights. The Fort Hill Area which has scenic views over Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic Ocean is our favorite place to walk, especially at this time of year. You might want to check it out or perhaps the Great Island walk if you are looking for something a bit longer. Don%26#39;t miss Coast Guard Beach in Eastham and take a look at First Encounter (bay) beach at both high tide and low tide to see the dramatic change on Cape Cod Bay when the tide changes. Several hours at the Wellfleet Wildlife sanctuary is fun...if you like to walk through a conservation area.

Orleans is less than 5 minutes from Eastham. You will find a few boutiqes, galleries, clothing stores etc, several great places for lunch and fabulous fine dining restaurants in Orleans.

A day trip from Eastham to Provincetown (30 minute drive) would be fun. Stop at the Truro Vineyard for a wine tasting and bop into Wellfleet to walk around the village and the town pier. Not much going on in Truro Center but you could just venture off Rt 6 onto 6A, stop at Atlantic Spice for some great fresh herbs and spices, and then meander into Provincetown for the rest of the day walking around Commercial Street. Folks from P-town can give you advice about the things going on there or you can just go and figure it out along the way. Do take a drive through the Provincelands and go to the top of the observation tower for some free views. Bring your binoculars to see some right whales just off the coast. (If they are still there...or take a whale watch instead)

Take another day to drive to Chatham (20 minutes) along Rt 28. Cute Main street with some shops open, Fish pier and scenic overlook at the Coast Guard station. There is lots here on the forum about Chatham.

Take one day to drive to Hyannis (30 minutes) and catch the high speed Hy-line ferry to Nantucket. There you will be enthralled with the cobblestone streets and architecture. Lots to see in Nantucket without a car so it makes a great day trip.

If you want to visit MV (I would not visit both islands...pick one) it will be a bit of a haul from Eastham...about 75-90 minutes to Woodshole ferry and 45 over to the island. But if you want to get an early start, you can see some of the other towns along your way or, even better, mosey along Rt. 6A on your return trip for at least part of your drive.

I hope this has been helpful! Let me know if you want other information about the outer cape area.

please tell us a bit about yourselves so we can properly advise you.

Thank you all for the great information we appreciate it!!!!