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!