Less than an hour away from the exciting hubbub of Boston is the more sedate Chatham, Cape Cod. Birdsong in the morning at Captains House Inn Chatham reminds visitors they are in the country.
Visitors who want to get a better insight into whaling history will want to take a quick high-speed Hy-Line Cruises ferry ride from Hyannis.to the island of Nantucket to see the superb Whaling Museum and the small and charming Brandt Light House. The town of Nantucket on Nantucket is so chock full of Cape Cod style homes and businesses that visiting is like going back in time. A stay at the elegant White Elephant is highly recommended.
The Crocker House Inn in Vinyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard
For additional island adventures, visitors can take a short Cape Air flight or the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, the playground of presidents and celebrities alike. The Crocker House Inn in Vineyard Haven is an especially charming place to stay thanks to the gracious hospitality of owners Jeff and Jynell Kristal.
Visitors to the Vineyard will want to stop in at least several of the small art galleries along the island’s thoroughfares, including the Field Gallery with its intriguing outdoor sculptures. The Mediterranean Restaurant in Oak Bluffs is one of the best fine dining restaurants on the island. For more casual fare there’s the Slice of Life, a café bakery in the same town.
The Vineyard’s most dramatic site is the Gayhead Lighthouse on the high Aquinnah Cliffs. First established in 1799, the current lighthouse was built in 1856. It’s an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation.
Whale Watching, the Pilgrim's Monument and More in Provincetown
After taking the ferry back to Hyannis, visitors can explore the Cape further by driving up to Provincetown for such diversions as shopping, whale watching and visiting the Pilgrim’s Monument and Provincetown Museum. Along the way are a variety of tempting stops, including the Cape Cod Lighthouse with its uniquely located Highland Links golf course.
Provincetown is a historic tourist Mecca that will remind visitors a bit of both Key West and St. Augustine. There’s an abundance of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants along its waterfront streets. Crowne Point Historic Inn, home to Shui Spa, offers elegant accommodations.
Dolphin Fleet takes visitors out into Provincetown’s surrounding waters where humpback whales jump dramatically again and again to everyone’s delight. Jeep tours of the high dunes of area beaches are also popular.
While the granite Pilgrim Monument is 252 feet tall, it’s well worth climbing. The adjacent museum tells the story of how the Mayflower Pilgrims actually first landed in Provincetown in November of 1620 before heading on to the famous Plymouth Rock. Had the tip of Cape Cod been less barren it likely would have been the site of the first colony.
“When you think about it, Boston and the Cape Cod area have had a pivotal affect on our history. Ours is definitely an area anyone interested in the history of our country should visit,” said Jim Bakker, executive director of the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum.
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