Vacationing in Cape Cod

[CarreraDan]

Guys,
The wife and I are planning on spending a week at the end of the month in/around Cape Cod on the way to Maine for another week. We are road tripping the Cayman and she really wants to visit Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard while we are there. The question for anyone who has visited Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard is do we take the car, or rent bikes once off one of the ferries? Basically, do we need to pay the extra $$$ to have a car on the islands and is it worth overnighting on them? We are both avid cyclist and biking 10+ miles is really no big deal if bikes are better.

We have the Maine part of the trip pretty nailed down, the Cape Cod portion is still flexible. Thanks for any insight and or experience.

[Noah930]

Mrs. Noah is from Cape Cod. We lived there for a year and go back every year to visit family. Hope you have a fantastic time, as I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever had the privilege to visit. No offense to those who do so for a living, but a blind man could make a living taking postcard photos on the Cape.

To visit the Islands (Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard), most take the ferry. If you want to visit Nantucket, you have to leave from Hyannis. To get to the Vineyard, you can leave from either Hyannis or Woods Hole. If you haven't booked a car reservation by now, it may be difficult to obtain space. As it's still within the summer season, there are busses that run around the islands. (The busses stop after roughly Memorial Day, IIRC.) The times we've gone to Nantucket in the past, we just took cabs or bicycles to get around the island. Being locals we brought our own bikes, but certainly you can rent once off the ferry. There are long-term lots in Hyannis and Woods Hole to keep your car while you're visiting the Islands.

Lots of beautiful places and villages to visit and spend some time in on the Cape, too: Woods Hole, the kitchiness of Rte 28 along the Atlantic side vs the New Englandness of 6A along the north side of the Cape, Chatham, Wellfleet, Provincetown, the wide expanse of sandy tide pools along the northern Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape, Cape Cod National Seashore.

I'd keep close to the speed limit while driving on the main/only highway on Cape Cod. Staties love to hide at a couple particular spots and write tickets.

edit: I've never been to the Vineyard, but have gone to Nantucket a couple times. Both times we stayed for a few nights at friend's vacation house. While it's nice to be able to enjoy an evening without having to worry about rushing back on a ferry, Nantucket's ridiculously expensive and I don't know if it necessarily offers anything I can't really find on the Cape. However, it was nice to ride bikes over to Siaconset, buy sandwiches in the general store there, and spend a day at the sparsely populated but beautiful sandy beach. However, you can do similar on the Cape (just with more people around) for less $. (i.e. Buy sandwiches at Fancy's in Osterville or at the Dennis Public Market, then go spend a day out at Sandy Neck in Dennis.) You can certainly day-trip Nantucket by spending most of your time in town. As I wrote, I haven't visited the Vineyard, but Mrs. Noah likes it more (less hoity toity), particularly Edgartown. My kids took a sailboat with Mrs. Noah's uncle this summer from Woods Hole to the Vineyard one afternoon just to get ice cream, then came back the same afternoon.

[VincentVega]

I cant see a car being useful on Nantucket. There are rental bikes and scooters everywhere.

[LakeCleElum]

I left my car at Woods Hole, and walked on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Walked off the ferry and hopped on on a private bus tour. Very knowledgeable guide that had lived there his whole life. Showed us where all the famous people lived; lots of gossip and trivia. He had had John Kennedy Jr in his Scouting group and choked up when he showed us where debris from the plane crash had come ashore.

Learned way more than if I had taken my car and poked around.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Bike it on the islands. Have fun!

[cabmandone]

Bike Nantucket. They have great bike trails around the island. My dad has biked around the island several times while visiting my sister.

I'll give a gratuitous plug for my sister, lookup Nantucket Sunset Sail Nantucket Sunset Sail - Sailing Charters, Sailboats, Charter Business

If you talk to my sis, I'm sure she'll give you some pointers for Nantucket and the Cape. She has lived there for several years and was involved with the Hi Line Ferry. She also owns two homes on the Cape. If you take the cruise, tell her husband (the captain) you own a Porsche and you'll have a fun evening of conversation he's a car fanatic.

[CarreraDan]

Thanks guys,
As always, I knew Pelican would be my best bet. We are planning on staying in Hyannis Port, actually booked the hotel tonight. Going to do day trips to the islands and explore the cape. The real fun will be getting all the stuff my wife wants to take into the Cayman. I have a feeling we will be packed to the gills.

[Hugh R]

Bike!!

[stomachmonkey]

Don't forget to stop and pay your respects to Belushi.

[red-beard]

Ferry's for cars are booked well in advance. No chance.

On Martha's vineyard, take the Ferry. Bike around and taxis.

Nantucket is larger. If you want to only visit the little tourist area, take the ferry. Take the high speed one! If you want to explore the island, catch a flight and then rent a car. Much better.

[red-beard]

Oh, last time I was there, I ran into Robert Vaughn at a bar...

[speeder]

That won't happen this time. :-/

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by speeder

That won't happen this time. :-/

Yeah, that was 1996...And the man from U.N.C.L.E. is no more...

Fred Rogers aka "Mr. Rogers", used to have a place near Madaket on the west side of the Island.

I was in a town near Sankaty, east end of the island and mentioned I was going to have dinner near Madaket. "All the way over there?" It was 15 miles way...and 30 minutes at 30 miles per hour.

[red-beard]

Oh, and to the OP, make sure you go to Sundae School in Harwich.

[Noah930]

Sundae School, Four Seas ( Centerville), Ice Cream Smuggler (Dennis)--you can't go wrong with any of those places. Also a Ben and Jerry's on Main St in Hyannis.

[304065]

If you are staying in Hyannis ACK is easy, the ferry leaves from there. You don't need a car-- the car ferry, even if you could get a spot, is around $400. Check out the whaling museum, Murray's Toggery Shop, Cisco Brewery. Hard to have a bad time out there.

[LakeCleElum]

This all brings back TV memories of Wings.

[NY65912]

Best clam chowder, Cobie's on Rt A in Brewster. My wife was just saying how much she missed undae School last night! Lime Ricky.....mmmmm.

We have been going to CC for the past years, love it. It has become the only place that I truly relax, especially if we take the 911.

[bkreigsr]

best chowder - Captain Parkers
Heritage is a short drive from Hyannis Port, and has something for you and the misses.
Also if you have a chance, Alberto's on Main in Hyannis for Italian.

http://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/

Bill K

[911SauCy]

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