Whether you plan to spend ten nights or ten hours on your Cape Cod getaway, there are plenty of activities and day trips to fill your time and the next few posts are suggested itineraries to ensure you get the most out of your vacation.
Day One
On your arrival day, if you’re anything like me, you will want to unwind from your travels and get situated in your room before heading out to get your bearings. At the Captains House Inn, we are happy to bring a pot of tea or a glass of fresh lemonade to your room while you unpack, relax, and plan your afternoon.
I usually suggest guests head to downtown Chatham as their first stop. Main Street is lined with countless boutiques, galleries, and restaurants and one can spend an afternoon meandering along the mile long stretch window shopping or enjoying a full blown shopping spree. Don’t miss some of my favorite shops – the Dalli Lama for unique silver jewelry, the Crooked Fence, set back from the street behind Carmine’s Pizzeria, chock full of decorative home goods, and Where the Sidewalk Ends, an independent bookstore featuring numerous special events held throughout the year. Take a break from shoppping and grab lunch on the outdoor terrace at the Wild Goose Tavern – the chowder is some of our favorite and the menu is varied with fresh salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and a no frills lobster roll, which, as far as I’m concerned is the only way to serve this Cape Cod specialty properly.
Finish the afternoon with a stroll or quick drive down to Lighthouse Beach where you can snap a picture of Chatham’s famous lighthouse and putter along the shoreline of the beach and maybe catch a glimpse of a seal or two. Then, continue down Shore Road to the fish pier next to Nickerson’s Fish Market where you can watch the fishermen unload their catch as the seals linger in the water awaiting the occasional fish gone overboard. Finally, return to the Captains House to enjoy our cream tea in the dining room or outdoor terrace and relax with a good book in one of our adirondeck chairs scattered throughout the grounds before preparing to go out to dinner.Complete the day with a casual, yet exceptional seafood dinner at Chatham’s Pisces Restaurant, just ten minutes from the inn. Pisces is a small, chef owned eatery featuring some of the best local seafood around. Dishes are innovative without overpowering the fresh fish flavors and the ambiance will truly set the mood for the rest of your Cape Cod vacation.
