Cape Cod stretches from Provincetown in the northeast to Woods Hole in the southwest. Cape Cod encompasses Barnstable County, and is in full jurisdiction of the Cape Cod Commission, which includes a small part of that area that is on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal (which includes Buzzards Bay, Bournedale and Sagamore Beach.
If you want to avoid hordes of tourists, sneak in a visit during the spring shoulder season. That way, you can take advantage of all the tourist hot spots that are opening up shop. The weather slowly warms up too, with temperatures rising between the high 30s and low 50s in April, and by May you'll rarely see a day under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. But keep in mind that hotel rates get progressively more expensive as Memorial Day weekend nears (it is after all the official start of the summer season).
The best time to visit Cape Cod is during April, May, October or November. These shoulder months are far less crowded and expensive than the busy summer season, plus the weather is warm enough to enjoy the outdoor attractions. Visiting between June and September is best if you want a beach-centered vacation, but you'll pay through the nose for it. Plus, crowds get unbearable on holiday weekends. In contrast, the Cape is near abandoned from December through March. And hotel prices are cheap then. If you're looking for some time to curl up with a good book in quiet solitude, winter is the time for you.
Although Cape Cod has a year-round population of about 220,000, it experiences a tourist season each summer, the beginning and end of which can be roughly approximated as Memorial Day and Labor Day, respectively. Many businesses specifically target summer visitors, although the "on season" has been expanding somewhat in recent years due to Indian Summer, reduced lodging rates, and the number of people visiting the Cape after Labor Day who either have no school-age children, and the elderly, reducing the true "off season" to six or seven months. In the late 20th century, tourists and owners of second homes began visiting the Cape more and more in the spring and fall, softening the definition of the high season and expanding it somewhat (see above). Some particularly well-known Cape products and industries include cranberries, shellfish (particularly oysters and clams) and lobstering.
Cape Cod is known around the world as a spring-to-fall destination for sport anglers. Among the species most widely pursued are striped bass, bluefish, bluefin tuna, false albacore (little tunny), bonito, tautog, flounder and fluke. The Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape, from Sandwich to Provincetown, has numerous harbors, saltwater creeks, and shoals that hold bait fish and attract the larger game fish, such as striped bass, bluefish and bluefin tuna.
The outer edge of the Cape, from Provincetown to Falmouth, faces the open Atlantic from Provincetown to Chatham, and then the more protected water of Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, from Chatham to Falmouth. The bays, harbors and shoals along this coastline also provide a robust habitat for game species, and during the late summer months warm-water species such as mahi-mahi and marlin will also appear on the southern edge of Cape Cod's waters. Nearly every harbor on Cape Cod hosts sport fishing charter boats, which run from May through October.
You can also visit the Heritage Museums & Gardens which is comprised of three galleries and expansive gardens located in historic Sandwich, Massachusetts. It includes galleries for American Folk Art, a vintage carousel, automobiles and traveling exhibitions.
The gardens feature a collection of thousands of rhododendrons, including a collection of the world-renowned Dexter variety. Their typical bloom time is from Memorial Day Weekend to mid-June. Other horticultural areas of interest include: holly, daylily, herb, hosta, and heather gardens, as well as more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers.
The grounds also include the Old East Mill, a windmill built in Orleans, Massachusetts in 1800, and extensively restored in 1999-2000. In 2002, a labyrinth was also added to the grounds, designed by Marty Cain, one of the best-known labyrinth designers in North America. Also located on the grounds is the Hart Family Maze Garden and the Cape Cod Hydrangea Garden.
 |
| Cape Cod Natural Museum |
Or you can visit the Cape Cod Natural Museum:
The Museum first met at the Brewster Town Hall, then relocated to a tent on an 80-acre site on a salt marsh on Cape Cod Bay, purchased by the founders. In the early 1960s, a small building replaced the tent. Today, the Museum is housed in a 17,000 square foot building. Three hundred acres of town conservation land now border the Museum's original site.
The Museum offers collections-based exhibits, including whales and birds; live marine exhibits, educational programs for adults and children, and many off-site nature tours. The grounds have three nature trails and a wildflower garden.
