Summertime on the Mid & Lower Cape

Beach time

Cape Cod is a beach destination, and all the beaches are lovely. Choose one on the Nantucket Sound if you prefer a bigger wave, or one on the bayside if calmer waters are more your style.

Family time

Generation after generation, families often choose to summer in the same town, so there are many options for family-oriented activities: mini-golf, bowling, and candy shop–hopping all come to mind.

Quiet time

There are so many independent bookstores on the Cape that there is even a Cape & Islands Bookstore Trail. Some favorites are The Yellow Umbrella Bookstore in Chatham and the Brewster Bookstore. Pick up a map and sticker at participating bookstores and get to reading!

Museums

There are several museums on the Cape where you can while away an afternoon. The Whydah Pirate Museum, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, and the Edward Gorey House are just a few.

Day trips

Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are just a ferry ride away, should you feel the need to get off Cape. Hy-Line Cruises in Hyannis Port makes it easy to get to either island, and they offer inter-island ferries as well. Each island has its own personality: Nantucket skews prim and preppy, while the Vineyard has a more laid-back feel. Both deserve at least a day!

Field trips

Summer would not be summer on the Cape without the Cape Cod Baseball League. The league is perhaps the best known summer league in the nation, and many of the college players you see here will be drafted into the majors. Games happen almost every night all over the Cape, so choose your team, bring a lawn chair, and get ready to play ball.

Breakfast

• Grumpy’s (East Dennis): This casual diner-style restaurant might not be good for your waistline, but where else are you going to eat seafood cake benedicts? In the high season, be prepared to wait in line outside as it is first-come, first-served.

• Wolfie’s (Dennis Port): The breakfast sandwiches are customizable, and the massive muffins are to die for at this to-go spot. Park in the lot if you can; otherwise, there is plenty of neighborhood street parking.

• Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry (Yarmouthport): Ever heard of a Fluffy Seagull? Well, this is the place that invented it! Grab one of these viral coffee drinks to pair with your gourmet sandwich.

Lunch

• The Rooftop at Pelham House Resort (Dennis Port): The food is great, and the view is even better. Enjoy a glass of chilled white wine with your lobster roll, all while looking out at the Nantucket Sound. If you’re lucky, you might see some seals frolicking in the waves below.

• Sesuit Harbor Cafe (Dennis): This classic seafood shack offers divine lobster rolls and fried seafood with a harbor view. Just remember to bring cash.

• Dog House (Dennis Port): Craving a hotdog topped with mac and cheese? Or maybe tater tots loaded with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Wash it all down with a watermelon frosé in a package reminiscent of Capri Sun. YOLO!

Dinner

• The Ocean House (Dennis Port): Old-school, traditional, get-dressed-up-for-dinner kind of place with a celebratory vibe.

• The Pheasant (Dennis): This is a newer restaurant on the scene, and its sustainability-focused, locally sourced menus offer a nice counterbalance to the fried seafood that is widely available on the Cape.

• Captain Parker’s (West Yarmouth): Quite possibly the best chowder on the Cape. You could buy it at the local grocery store, but of course, it tastes better at the bar with a cold local brew.