For my last passion blog post I will be going to the tip of the Cape (the farthest town)! This town is a huge tourist attraction and gains popularity because of its location, beaches, and interestingly enough LGBTQ population!

Places to Visit

The first place I recommend going is called Pilgrim Monument. I think this is a cool place to go because it is a memorial for the town where the first pilgrims landed (because if you didn’t know, they landed on Cape Cod before they continued to nearby Plymouth). It was built in 1907, had a ceremony with Theodore Roosevelt that year, and continues to be the largest completely granite structure in the United States. What is a little funny is that the monument architecture itself doesn’t seem to have any connection with pilgrims, but it still draws thousands of tourists each year and has a lot of historical significance to it!

The second place I recommend going to has to be another beach, Race Point Beach. This is because it is literally the last beach you can go on the Cape. It is the actual “tip” of the Cape and has great views. It is extremely wide, so you have plenty fo space to do anything you would like, and it extremely peaceful. Because it is so big it doesn’t seem like most beaches. There is a lighthouse at the end of the beach to visit which also has great tours as well.

Place to Eat

The place I recommend to eat is called The Lobster Pot. There are certainly a lot of expensive restaurants in Provincetown and this is a nice change of scenery for anyone looking for a family fun restaurant but still with great food and a pretty good atmosphere. And if you couldn’t guess already, they have good lobsters!

LGBTQ Community

A very interesting fact is that Provincetown actually has the highest rate of same-sex couples in the country. Since the 1920’s, Provincetown has been a hot destination for members of this community and has continued until this day. Every year they hold an annual “gay parade” which I have never gone myself but is something that almost everybody on Cape has attended or at least wants to attend. In connection with this, they have the longest running lesbian cultural event and the oldest gay bar in the United States! Very unique history and it continues to grow!

Only two more weeks of passion blogs so I can only choose two more places to talk about! I decided that one of those weeks has to be the island of Nantucket! Nantucket is unique because it is one of the two islands off the coast of Cape Cod (the other being Martha’s Vineyard) but has a smaller population and attracts a little less attention. However, many people visit over the summer to visit their huge mansions or just spend a day on the island (like me). Like other Cape towns, it is very quiet in the winter. Additionally, there is a ferry throughout the year that goes to Harwich, Barnstable, Woods Hole and New Bedford.

Places to Visit

The first place I recommend going to is, of course, a beach. Madaket Beach is a well known beach on the South Side of Nantucket and is known for its big waves and rough surf. This is because it is facing the Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the North Side of Nantucket which is facing the calmer waters of Nantucket Bay. Either way, this is a great place to surf, swim and have fun or relax and enjoy the view like any other beach. Sunsets are great and the houses right along the water are very cool (however they get pretty battered during the storms)

Next, I recommend going to the Nantucket Whaling Museum. While it might seem a little boring, this place has a cool story and history because Nantucket was once known as the whaling capital of the world. As awful as whaling might seem now (it definitely is, and is illegal) it was important back in the day and was huge for the local economy. This museum has a bunch of artifacts and exhibitions that allow people to learn more about the history and life of Nantucket in the past regarding whaling.

Places to Eat

Even though Nantucket is a small island, there are still great places to eat. The first place is called Cru. Cru is a seafood / American restaurant that has great oysters, clams and fresh seafood. They have the basics like lobster rolls and lobster salads but also some unique things on the menu. The best part is they are right on the water and the pier so boats are always docking up right next to the windows and docks which makes a great atmosphere.

Lastly, I recommend going to Brother of Thieve’s. This place is awesome because it has classic American food (great burgers, salads, grilled cheese) and has a great pub feel. It is open late night so when you’re 21 you can buy drinks and listen to live music. I like the old tavern like atmosphere as well!

Today I am going to be talking a little bit about Truro, MA. A lot of people think many of the Cape towns have weird names. I think because I am around them so often I am used to it and never really think about it. I will admit though that my town “Sandwich” is pretty weird. Truro has some pretty cool places so let’s get into it!

Places to Visit

Nauset Lighthouse is an awesome place to go because it is right near Nauset Beach, one of the best beaches on the Cape. I know I have recommended lighthouses in the past and it might be boring to visit them all, but this one has a lot of history and is still functional. Like I said, you can visit it on the way to the beach and it also has tours if you want to learn all about it!

This first part might as well turn into “beaches to visit”. At this point you have reached the part of the Cape where it is beaches over everything. Of course there are stores, downtown areas, mini golf places, museums, but they really never seem to outmatch the beaches. That is what the Cape is known for and those other places are amazing but you need to see the beaches. Therefore, I recommend Coast Guard Beach. This beach is a little bigger and has a shuttle service but is never too crowded and has great waves and sand bars. There are a good amount of shark sightings here so just be careful when swimming!

 Places to Eat

Again, I have not been to Truro in a while so places may have changed but one restaurant I really like up there is an Italian restaurant called Montano’s. I wanted to throw this in because it is different than all the “Cape seafood” restaurants. While they do have seafood, they are known for their great pizza, salads and tiramisu’s for dessert.

Lastly, a place I have not been to yet but am recommending it because I really want to visit this summer is called Chequessett Chocolate. This place has been becoming very popular for their, obviously, chocolate, but also chai lattes,  truffles, coffee, hot chocolate etc. They seem to have a huge variety of chocolates and candies to choose from and all of the reviews are great. It is a little pricy but hopefully it is worth the cost!

This week we are going to be exploring Wellfleet, MA. This town is almost the skinniest part of “the arm” but not quite. It is a beautiful town and full of beaches and a large coastline. Now that we are all home, I would normally be excited to visit all of these places but obviously we are all quarantined for a few weeks before we get to do any exploring. I hope that for anyone who wanted to or planned to visit the Cape this summer that you are able to!

Places to Visit

Marconi Beach is the first place in town that you should visit. Low tide is extremely fun here because the sand bars go deep into the water which makes the pretty crowded beach open up for a lot more space to play games, hang out etc. While it might seem stupid to say, this beach is known to have some of the best sand on the Cape. Additionally, the Cape Cod National Seashore is right nearby and you can walk / drive by places where there are great views. Like some of the other beaches in this area, the waves can get pretty large and so it is also a great place for surfing, wake boarding, skim boarding and more.

Finally, something not beach or wildlife related. While all of those are cool, it is nice to try something new. The Wellfleet Drive In is one of the oldest drive in theaters in the country but is extremely fun to go to. You drive up, park your car in a good spot, connect your radio to one of the “speakers” they give you and you get to watch 2 movies for a pretty good price. This is a place I went to all the time when I was younger, but is still a great spot for friends or for a date.

Places to Eat

The Wicked Oyster is the first place I recommend going. While I haven’t eaten at this place before, they are known to be the best in Wellfleet and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The have a full bar and many of their entrees focus on “seasonal local flavors” and they serve many of the local fish that are right around the Cape. Reviews show that everything is fresh!

The last place I recommend is called Moby Dick’s. This is also a classic Cape Cod restaurant. They are open for lunch and dinner and serve some of the best lobsters, lobster rolls, and bowls of New England clam chowder on the Cape. It isn’t too expensive, they have a pretty cool menu, and they also have a lot of outdoor seating for those hot summer days.

 

For this week’s passion post I will be talking about Orleans, MA, a town that is a little higher up along the “Arm” of the Cape. Even though interestingly enough this is called “lower Cape”. Orleans is a great town because it has a very Cape like feeling and has amazing beaches and scenery!

Places to Visit

As usual, I have to recommend a beach to visit because the rest of the towns I am going to talk about have awesome beaches. Here in Orleans, I recommend to visit Nauset Beach. While this may sound stupid, Nauset Beach is very sandy. Yes, obviously it’s a beach but some beaches, like the one in my town has many rocks and just isn’t as “beach like”. Nauset Beach is awesome because it extends very long and also has cliffs towards the front so there are great views as well. It is very popular for surfers because they have some of the largest waves on the Cape and it is always a blast to go swimming here to get crushed by the waves. However, as mentioned I some previous posts, in recent years we have had to be much more careful because of the presence of sharks. Although there haven’t been any recent deaths, there have been attacks so it always smart to be cautious.

Second, I recommend going to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a 22 mile paved walkway / bike path that goes through many of the Cape Cod towns but a large portion is in Orleans. This path goes along the beach, stops by some of the main streets, local shops, ponds, and goes through the state park. There are great views and it is a family fun activity.

Places to Eat

The first place I recommend to eat is a place called “Land ‘Ho!” This is an American restaurant but with a variety of seafood, salads, sandwiches, and beers. It has a very pub like feel and always has a great crowd. It is a pretty old building but has a great rustic, old fashioned trend to it. The bar area is very unique looking and it always receives great reviews for the food and atmosphere!

Lastly, I recommend going to is a restaurant called “The Lobster Claw”. Coming to Cape Cod it would be a tragedy to not try one of our lobster rolls. While it is controversial to say where the best lobster roll is, the lobster rolls here are very popular. Here you can also get full lobsters, with all the sides, as well as other various seafood items. This is a very casual place and great place to go to after a day at the beach or before playing mini-golf (a bunch of these around here). It also has a bar and is close to a lot of local shops!

This week we will be discovering Chatham, MA! Chatham is the furthest town down Cape we have talked about and we will continue to head in this direction as the weeks go on. Chatham is a very busy and tourist heavy town because almost the entire town is on the water and is extremely beautiful. There are great beaches, golf courses and also very large houses. This tends to be the town where many wealthy people live!

Places to Visit

The Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is an amazing part of Chatham because they are the small chain of islands right below the mainland on the right side. While they can be a little difficult to get to, have to go by boat, the islands are amazing, have great beaches, and of course are full of a variety of animals. Many birds live here but you can also find seals and many different types of fish. Hopefully no sharks! There are trails to walk on and there is also a visitors center so you won’t feel lost but you can also walk down the beach and feel very secluded (in a good way).

The second place I would recommend going is the Chatham lighthouse. Yes, I already recommended a lighthouse earlier on in my passion blog and yes there are more things to do on the Cape then go to the beach and visit lighthouses, I still think this is a great place to visit if you have never been to the Cape. These lighthouses are so historic and are still functioning so it is so cool to see them in action. Of course I would also recommend to visit Main Street and the small shops downtown as well.

Places to Eat

The first place I think is a great restaurant is a little expensive (but what isn’t) and is right on the water. It is also a luxury resort which makes it so elegant and popular. The Chatham Bars Inn has a few restaurants inside but all have similar menus and all have great food. If you are staying here or looking for a nice night out this is definitely a place to go.

The Del Mar Bar and Bistro is another great place to go for their thin crust pizza, seafood and drinks. This place also has a cool atmosphere and is a little expensive as well but it is tough to find a cheap restaurant in this town. This place always seems to be lively and has live music. The pizza is very good and has a variety of kinds including fig and prosciutto as well as maple glazed    duck. Fancy.

The next town on Cape Cod isn’t actually “on the Cape” because it is an island right off the Cape. However, because of its proximity and close relationship to the Cape it is almost always included. Martha’s Vineyard is a HUGE tourist attraction during the summer and is an amazing place year round. However, during the winter people who live there can feel a sense of isolation since you have to take a ferry to the mainland every time you need to “travel”.

Places to Visit

One place in particular that I have visited almost every year is Jaw’s Bridge. Yes, it is called Jaw’s Bridge because it is the sight of the shark attack that happened in the actual Jaw’s movie where the entire movie was filmed. During high tide, and even when it’s a little shallow, kids are always found at the bridge jumping into the water. As people jump off, cars are always honking, people are cheering, and this goes on for the entire day. While there is a public beach right next to the bridge, it is not always the most relaxing place since it is so busy. However, if you are adventurous then this is the place for you. The bridge is pretty high up and is perfect for flips and all the cool tricks people want to try out in the water.

Because Martha’s Vineyard is so popular for its nice beaches, I am also going to give everyone a nice beach to go to. South Beach is a very popular because because of how big it is and its cool environment. It has large waves, nice dunes, and people are allowed to drive out with their cars which is always a fun experience. South Beach does cost money if you don’t have a sticker but for a few day trips I think it would definitely be a good idea.

Places to Eat

One great restaurant is called Sharky’s Cantina. I love this restaurant because it is so close to downtown Edgartown and has great Mexican food. It doesn’t really look out into the water but the atmosphere of the restaurant is really interesting and the food is very flavorful.

Lastly, a secret place I discovered recently is called Backdoor donuts. One night when I was out late with my friends, like 1 or 2 AM, we didn’t expect any food to be open but a small place was serving crazy looking donuts and there was a huge line! So we waited and the menu was awesome and there were only a few people making these donuts in a small kitchen. I am not sure why they are open so late but they are very good so I recommend trying them!

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For this weeks exploration of Cape Cod, we will be heading a little further down Cape and talking about the town of Dennis. As we start to head in this direction, the real “Cape feel” starts to kick in. There are beaches everywhere, a lot of local restaurants as opposed to chain restaurants, and ice cream parlors on every street. There are usually more tourists, cottages, popular destinations etc. Dennis is still a pretty quiet town but very pretty and a lot of fun!

Places to Visit

One beach in particular is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. At Chapin Beach, the sunsets are UNREAL. It is usually pretty quiet, especially during the offseason and it isn’t too crazy during the summer. You will probably have to pay for parking but shouldn’t be too bad. The sand bars on this beach are awesome during low tide and you can walk out extremely far. While sharks are a concern at every beach, this beach usually doesn’t have problems so there is no need to worry about that. Once the lifeguards leave you can also take really cool pictures on the chairs and jetties!

Another cool place to visit is called Scargo Tower. Scargo tower is a 30 foot cobblestone tower that overlooks Scargo Lake. However, because Cape Cod is relatively flat, on a clear day you can sometimes see both ends of the Cape (from Sagamore Bridge to Provincetown). This place is fun to go to with friends to take pictures, hang out while looking at the view or just relax.

Places to Eat

Although I haven’t been to Dennis to eat very recently, I am familiar with two places that I will recommend to you guys. The first is a breakfast and lunch diner called “Grumpy’s”. Grumpy’s is known for its amazing breakfast and has actually won “Best Breakfast” award for the last 3 years by the Cape Cod Magazine. It is a very small restaurant but with a local feel and very good service!

One ice cream place I have gone every year for as long as I remember is called “Sunday School”. Sunday school is a walks distance from the beach and has very unique flavored ice cream. They have a very retro feel with old signs and plaques on the wall and also the college flag for every student who works there. There is even a self-playing piano! Next to the ice cream place they have their own candy shop, where I used to go all the time as a kid. It even gets so busy in the summer that there would be police officers there every night directing traffic!

If you ever go to the Cape you will probably pass through Dennis, so consider stopping by!

Today I will be talking about Falmouth, MA, another town on the beautiful Cape Cod! Fun fact: If you live or vacation on Cape Cod or the Islands, you say you live or vacation ON Cape Cod not IN Cape Cod. Not sure why this is customary but it’s what everybody learns growing up and it starts to just sound weird if you say IN.

Anyways, Falmouth is an amazing place on the Cape! It is the second largest town, has a variety of cool beaches and looks out onto both the Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. A military base actually takes up a good portion of the town but there are still a variety of fun things to do while in Falmouth, especially in the summer.

Places to Visit

Two places I would say you have to visit if you visit Falmouth are The Knob and Nobska Lighthouse. While The Knob isn’t really a beach (Old Silver Beach is the best beach in Falmouth), it has amazing views of the water and has nice trails in the woods. This is a great place for pictures, dates, and just to hang out and watch sunset. It is pretty secluded and not too many know about it so it fun to hang out with friends and not have it be too packed.

Nobska Lighthouse is a very cool place because it is very historical (made in 1826) and overlooks Martha’s Vineyard island. While it is a more “touristy” location, many people haven’t seen true lighthouses before and this one has such a Cape Cod rustic feel to it and is always a cool spot to take pictures. For many years someone would live in the house next to it and be the “light keeper” but now it is run by the local government.

Places to Eat

While this one is right on the Falmouth border, I need to mention the Chart Room. The chart room can be very expensive but it is the epitome of a Cape Cod bar / restaurant. It is right on the water and so close actually that people can pay to park their boat right up to the restaurant (yes, the very wealthy people not the normal person). However, it has great seafood, two very cool bars (known for mudslides) and a fun atmosphere.

Lastly, another great restaurant is Anejo, a Mexican style restaurant. I think this place is cool because it is not a chain, basic style restaurant but has very unique features. They make the guacamole right in front of you, have spicy and different drinks, and the menu is very large. It is always busy and has a great atmosphere. Although it isn’t the typical Cape Cod seafood place, it is always fun to mix things up!

For this semesters passion blog, I am going to be posting about my home of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up on the Cape I didn’t even realize how fortunate I was and many times took certain aspects for granted; but here at Penn State I realized how much I love living where I do, and how lucky I am. For this passion blog I will write about some of the most popular towns on the Cape and some of the most famous landmarks, restaurants, beaches etc. Here is a map of Cape Cod if you didn’t know where it is.

      

For this weeks passion blog post, I will start off about talking my hometown of Sandwich. Yes, that’s actually the name… like the food. And yes I went to Sandwich High School and we had a Sandwich Police Department. Aside from the funny name, I live in a small beach town of about 20,000 people, one public high school, a few Dunkin’ Donuts and some local restaurants.

Sandwich High School Lip Dub

I love my town because many places have much a nautical and rustic feel to it. Downtown is usually pretty quiet and during the winter there isn’t always much to do but during the summer the beaches and ice creams parlors are full of people.

Place to Visit

I think the one place you would have to visit in Sandwich would be the boardwalk. I grew up always being at the boardwalk. The boardwalk connects two pieces of land; one side a parking lot to another side of the beach and also crosses the marsh. It has amazing sunsets, people fish, float down the creek, and most of all jump off during high tide. While many kids are at the boardwalk it is still a great place to walk the dog, talk in the car, swim, buy ice cream etc.

Place to Eat

While I may be biased in this situation because I have worked here for almost 3 years, I still think Fishermen’s View is the best restaurant in Sandwich. They own two boats and bring fresh seafood in everyday, it is right on the marina and the food is extremely unique. There is an outside bar, live music, and is always the place to be. If you ever get a chance to be on the Cape or in Sandwich you should definitely stop by!