Am I crazy? (Framingham, Falmouth, Natick: rental car, rentals, how much)

[twiggy]

Ok, as some of you know I have been working on moving to Cape Cod for years now. Well, I have sold my home, saved my money and now am preparing for the journey.
My issue is, I am in a rental with a lease that is up on Feb. 15th. lol
Should I pay monthly until April or May to come back because of the winter weather? Or should I just tough it out?
I need to make reservations with Amtrak soon, to get specials. I am taking the whole family across the state in a family car on Amtrak. But, winter might not be the best time for this. The train stops in Chicago, and then on to Framingham. Then we rent a car and drive to the Cape.
We are from Phoenix, lol, and the only snow we see is in a "snow cone". ha ha
Any advise? Am I crazy to leave in Feb?
Thanks

[scarletfire]

Well, the Cape itself doesn't usually have as bad snow as we get, although if you've never driven in it it can be a scary experience. Also, just a tip, you'll need to take a cab from the Framingham station to get a rental car. There isn't a rental place within easy walking distance from there. And you might just want to be careful if you're walking around there after dark.

I hope your Cape journey is terrific though! I was just there earlier this week and it was wonderful! :-)

[Missmoose]

There's an Enterprise in Framingham that will pick you up. Just give them the schedule & plenty of notice.

[twiggy]

Thanks so much. Do you have a lot of snow that time of year? Or does it just depend on a storm coming through? I wonder if we should try and drive it or just get a cab all the way to the Cape?
I will not do any walking around at night. lol Is there hotels there? Maybe we should just stay a day and go down in the morning.
I also have the option of coming into Prov. RI instead, do you think that would be better as far as weather go? Easier drive?
I really appreciate all your help on here. I should probably wait until May but it is really hard after taking so long to get everything together.

[CaseyB]

I don't think you'd want to take a cab all the way to the Cape. February is our snowiest month, but unless we are getting an actual storm when you arrive, you should be fine driving. You take Rte. 495 all the way to the Bourne Bridge. If it's snowing when your train gets in, then there are several hotels in the Natick/Framingham area. You might want to make a list of the phone #s in advance in case you need it.

[goyguy]

The Providence option would be easier. Although there isn't an "intermodal" station there, the Kennedy Plaza bus terminal is only a couple of blocks' downhill walk from Amtrak. (You haven't mentioned how much luggage you'll be bringing along instead of shipping...) There is Peter Pan bus service to Falmouth and Hyannis available:
Peter Pan Bus :: Home
Falmouth is at the west end of Cape Cod, and Hyannis is more toward the center. Other bus lines operate throughout the year and all over the Cape, but much less frequently during the off season. If you're bound for the outer Cape (beyond Dennis or Harwich), even from Hyannis a cab ride will be pretty expensive. You probably wouldn't be much worse off doing a car rental out of Providence.
Anyone who's been out west or seen photos of the Rockies et al knows that there aren't really any mountains in New England (LOL.) No one gets stranded in blizzards for days in the Berkshires or in the north country any more, let alone near the coast. Massachusetts winters are a grab-bag of "thaws" - temps as high as the 60's - and cold snaps which usually don't last more than a week or have any subzero thermometer readings. 08-09 saw a seemingly endless succession of snowstorms hit between December and February. But accumulation was never more than a foot at a time. It was mostly "business as usual" except for some extra school holidays; roads stayed clear and stores remained open and stocked. The main (and major) drawback for some folks was an ice storm which brought down a lot of utility wires and caused power outages that in a few places went on for two weeks or longer. THAT was nasty - but also a rare occurrence at least outside of Maine. Outside of keeping snow shovels and extra layers of clothing at the ready, there really isn't any "toughing out" that needs to be done during the colder months. And the up side to that is: skiing, sledding, snowboarding, skating...
More importantly, is there a job waiting for you there?

[capecodcathy]

Agree that Providence is a better bet. Rent a car, 95N to 195E, 25S and right over the Bourne Bridge.
As far as snow and bad weather, our kids only lost one day of school last year because of inclement weather. Further north and west (Framingham) were hit hard with snow and ice storms. The Southcoast (from Providence to Cape Cod) is generally pretty mild.
Not sure where exactly you're looking to buy on Cape Cod or where you're planning on staying, but let us know and I'm sure we'll all have some recommendations! This group is nothing if not helpful!

[twiggy]

GoyGuy: Great! I will go into Providence then, rent a car or see if the bus will take us to a rental area in on the Cape. We are all excited for winter, lol, Maybe that excitement will only last a couple of years but for now we are excited for the seasons. We have been "season starved" for years. But honestly I haven't experienced anything colder than 55 degrees for 20 years. I'm sure i will be a "wash-ashore wimp" when I get their but it's worth it, I grew up on the Cape and we always seem to come drifting back don't we. Can't wait to drive by and look at the old house on "Buttermilk Bay". I wonder what it looks like now. I think the kids are missing what I had out east. Even the harder winters. Something nice about weather fitting the holidays and school breaks.
Heard about that "ice storm," saw it on the news. It looked really nasty! You will hear a woman screaming on the cape if one of those hit when we get there. You'll say, "twiggy must be here". lol
Boy oh Boy I hope I don't embarrass my self to much.

Capecodcathy: I will definitely keep in touch with you. We are going to rent for the first year so we can look around and get familiar with all the changes on the Cape first before we buy. I hope coming in Feb. will open up some "yearly" renting options for us. We have a large family so will be needing a 4 or 5 bedroom. So far I am only finding "winter" rentals that fit the bill on size. Our budget for a rental is no more than 2500.00 a month. I'm unsure if that is sufficient or not, we might have to double up the kids. My husband is transferring so we will have a job right when we get there. It's in Hyannis. I will have to look after we are relocated, but it's in the medical field and I feel good about finding something out there. Still finishing up extra training at school before we get out there.

You will see us, we will be the ones that look like "Arizona Eskimo's". I am not sure what kind of clothing to buy, heard we should each own a "pee coat". I can honestly say we don't own more than sweaters or light jackets right now. Our standard foot wear out here is flip flops, in the winter when you're not at work you where socks with flip flops. lol We will be easily spotted at first. lol The teen girls are excited to wear "real" winter clothing.

Thanks so much for all your help, it's been great! I will be posting a lot more now that we actually need advice. I needed to make train reservations right now in order to get a family sleeping car in time. We have a stop in Chicago, and then one in Wash. D.C. and then on to Providence, in the winter I gather it will take a bit longer to get their, but it's way better than driving it ourselves and the bathrooms on board alone are worth it with 3 kids. Not a bad price either, I was surprised by this. When I was talking to the reservation clerk she sounded surprised we were traveling the other way that time of year. She practically said if your "stupid" enough to go back east in Feb. on a train then we have some "deals" for you. ha ha I nervously laughed as well.
Thanks again, I'm sure I will have a lot more for you cders in the future. It's priceless advice!

[capecodcathy]

Twiggy, your budget for a rental is fine. You could probably find something in the 1800-2000 range. Check Craigslist, apt's/housing for rent on Cape Cod. I've seen a few out there in nice areas 3-5 beds, pool, etc. A couple are in the Pocasset area of Bourne and nice areas of Falmouth, etc. A few in Sandwich, Mashpee, Barnstable and surrounding areas. Dennis/Yarmouth may be an option, too.

[twiggy]

Nice to here, wasn't sure if I was in the ballpark. I am hoping I can find something via internet and photos. Not wise I know, but won't be able to get back until the move. I'm pretty familiar but I will surely be checking in with you guys.