Cape Cod observations from a 1st timer (Boston, Attleboro: car rental, rental)

[Boston_Burbs]

I think I would go broke if I regularly ate $5 ice creams and $30 fried clams. Its a few times a year thing, but the Cape is full the whole summer with people doing just that. At least its not fried steak!

[id77]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

I think I would go broke if I regularly ate $5 ice creams and $30 fried clams. Its a few times a year thing, but the Cape is full the whole summer with people doing just that. At least its not fried steak!

As opposed to people regularly drinking $5 coffees and eating $30 dinners off-Cape?

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by id77

As opposed to people regularly drinking $5 coffees and eating $30 dinners off-Cape?

So true...i'm guessing maybe he doesn't go to Starbucks or eat out often. The food down the cape is really no more expensive than anywhere else these days. In fact you can probably find some better deals down there for sure.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Ocean house is great but you have to book far in advance. scargo cafe is good too

I also like the port, ember, and sea grille in harwich.

Mack's shack in welfleet is also a favorite.

I've heard good things about Pelham house but haven't been.

We skipped Pelham House because they had so many poor reviews.

We left the Cape yesterday, & our month long stay was very nice in Dennis Port. We saw most of the island. Chatham was our favorite place. Martha's Vineyard was worth the day trip...never got to Nantucket. September was a good time to be there...nice weather, no crowds, & only the best restaurants were busy.

The low point was driving from/to Logan airport in Boston...ugh. I'll never use Logan again. I've been to Logan 3x, & each time the experience was bad....traffic, terrible roads, bad service, high taxes on the rental cars.

The high point was seeing Martha's Vineyard the day the migrants were there, & witnessing the media scene.
We also loved seeing the Seals at the Chatham Pier, & eating at the Chatham Bar patio overlooking the water.

We made some nice memories in your area.

[msRB311]

Oh, I only heard good things about the Pelham house from people. I know a few who have gone out to eat there and some went to a wedding there.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by msRB311

So true...i'm guessing maybe he doesn't go to Starbucks or eat out often. The food down the cape is really no more expensive than anywhere else these days. In fact you can probably find some better deals down there for sure.

I had a $48 Losbter Roll, which was the most expensive sandwich I've ever had. The view from the patio of the Chatham Bar Inn made it well worth the price. Cape Cod was more costly than Sarasota County Florida, where we're from, but it wouldn't stop us from returning some day.

Next time, I'd fly into Providence, & stay in Falmouth, Chatham, or Barnstable. I'd skip Logan and Dennis Port, but Dennis was okay...the area around Scargo, up by the marina.

We only stayed in Dennis Port because of the moderately priced vrbo we found, & the nearby pickleball facility in Dennis, just North of the town hall.

[msRB311]

Oh I'm sure CBI is more expensive than Sarasota, FL.

The cape can be as snobby for sure. There are some down to earth places there but people seem to gravitate towards the ritzier spots these days (Wychmere, Wequesset, CBI, popponesset). Sadly I've noticed more and more areas on the cape are becoming destinations for the uber wealthy. Perhaps Nantucket is too far away for them. I remember getting a room at Wequasset/CBI a few years back and it was somewhat reasonable. My family has a house in the area but I've spent less time there the past few years mainly because my kids have more activities...but after a while there's not much to do other than go to the beach.

The last time I got a room at Wequasset it was the summer of 2020 and i was shocked by how crowded the place was given that it was a pandemic. Anyone who was there did not care if they got covid. I think when people go to that kind of a place they want an exclusive experience that they have paid for. If it's very crowded, particularly during a pandemic, it doesn't feel exclusive. The pool the next day felt like a public city pool there were so many people in it.

I will go back for dinner but I am done with staying there. Clearly they don't need my businsess lol.

[Boston_Burbs]

My family has a place in Yarmouth, S. of RT-28. I dont really care for the ****** tonk shops though I have good memories mini golfing as a kid. I like going there the day after the kids get out of school in the summer. We live in VT now and we seem to get out a few days earlier than MA so it is fun getting down there mid June and enjoying the Nantucket sound water which gets warm fast. We also spent April Vacation there which was fun to do alot of hiking in Wellfleet and escape from mud season.

If I had big $$$ I would probably buy a place in the woods of Wellfleet or Truro. Schools are good and the environment is not as pillaged as the mid-cape which will have to deal with their lack of sewer at some point in the future before all their wells get contaminated with pharmaceuticals.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Next time, I'd fly into Providence, & stay in Falmouth, Chatham, or Barnstable. I'd skip Logan

This is the smart move. My snowbird grandparents split time between WPB and Brewster and adamantly refuse to fly into Logan. Even if you can only find a connecting flight, it's worth it to go to PVD. As bad as Cape traffic can be, the Southeast Expressway (I-93) in Boston is the worst part of the Boston-Cape Cod drive. So you'll also skip that if you opt for PVD.

Of note, Southwest flies non-stop between TPA and PVD. Breeze Airways has announced that they'll be turning PVD into a hub and adding new routes. So there's a good chance that you'll have another non-stop from TPA to PVD in the next few years. And possibly one directly to SRQ since Breeze already flies there. Allegient flies nonstop from PVD to Punta Gorda. Alternatively, JetBlue has flights SRQ to JFK and from JFK to Hyannis (HYA), so you could fly SRQ to HYA with only one layover. But those Hyannis flights tend to be pricey and I'm sure Cape car rentals aren't great.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by lrfox

This is the smart move. My snowbird grandparents split time between WPB and Brewster and adamantly refuse to fly into Logan. Even if you can only find a connecting flight, it's worth it to go to PVD. As bad as Cape traffic can be, the Southeast Expressway (I-93) in Boston is the worst part of the Boston-Cape Cod drive. So you'll also skip that if you opt for PVD.

Of note, Southwest flies non-stop between TPA and PVD. Breeze Airways has announced that they'll be turning PVD into a hub and adding new routes. So there's a good chance that you'll have another non-stop from TPA to PVD in the next few years. And possibly one directly to SRQ since Breeze already flies there. Allegient flies nonstop from PVD to Punta Gorda. Alternatively, JetBlue has flights SRQ to JFK and from JFK to Hyannis (HYA), so you could fly SRQ to HYA with only one layover. But those Hyannis flights tend to be pricey and I'm sure Cape car rentals aren't great.

This is such a great connection. I use it almost annually. They cut back, or eliminated, some of the other directs, but not this one.