I can't comment on the nurseries, but I can comment on the attractions for vacationers. You are pretty centrally located, which is great. The drive-in at South Welfleet is not to be missed, even if it's a movie you've already seen. The experience alone is worth it.

I tend to avoid the overdeveloped (IMO) Hyannis area and head up to Truro and P'Town. I like the relative desolation of Truro and the funkiness of P'Town. In P'Town there are whale-watch cruises, a pirate museum and a pirate cruise as well for the young and young at heart. And excellent restaurants - - the best on the Cape IMO, if for the sole reason that you can find something that doesn't have shellfish in it (I know, everyone eats shellfish on the Cape, but I don't like them).

You can also rent bikes if you're not bringing them and ride on the rail trail from Brewster to Port Orleans. It's a relatively easy ride for anyone over 8 or maybe a very motivated 6 or 7 year old. If you have younger kids you can just do a shorter segment of it. My son loved the freedom of riding on a rail trail with no car traffic (except for short segments where you need to cross a road).

There are also bike trails along the Cape Cod National Seashore which I didn't try when my son was younger, but we will be riding them this year. I think larger segments of them go along the road than on the rail trail.

Kite flying at the beaches at the National Seashore is wonderful, although last time we were there we couldn't find enough wind. And I could just sit and stare at the dunes all day. Twilight on the beach is especially nice there, and in an area known as the Provincelands (between Truro and P'Town if I remember correctly) there is a beach, the name of which escapes me, that is particularly wonderful at sunset since it faces west and has lots of great stones for skipping.

Oh, and there's a great breakwater in P'Town that heads out to a lighthouse. It's quite a hike and not for the very young or faint of heart, but perfect for active children 7 and up. We found it too late in the day on our last trip and had to turn back before it got too dark, but we saw a poor dead shark that had been beached on the side of the breakfront and I swear that was the highlight of my DS's trip. :-)

I'm sure those from the Cape will give more "secret" tips than the obvious ones I've offered, but that should get you started. I'll be following this thread with interest since we're heading there to camp over Labor Day.

Hi Ree,

I thought you would have gotten a lot of input by now, but since you haven't I thought I would jump in. [g] I am the least likely to offer any tips, since I don't live on the cape and haven't been there in years, but I used to go a lot.
My favorite thing to do, if you have the time, is to take the ferry over to Nantucket. If I was vacationing on the Cape, that would be the one thing I would not go home without doing. The main area as you get off the ferry is a lovely area with cobblestone streets and quaint, historic buildings. There's just something about it that has stayed with me a long time. Love it there. They also have wonderful beaches and scenery and you can bike ride there also. They have miles of bike paths that go all around the island. They also rent scooters to travel around the island. If you can spend one day/night there, you might enjoy that. They have an 18 hole public course if you are so inclined and a lot of good restaurants I am sure, but I wouldn't be up on what is good right now, since it has been years since I was there last.

Hope you enjoy your trip and you have great weather. :-)

Ree,
I don't live on the Cape but have visited there a few times. A couple of nurseries I've gone to in the past and recommend are:

Rockspray nursery-heaths and heathers (Truro, MA)
http://www.rockspray.com/

Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich, MA
http://www.capecodlavenderfarm.com/

Hopefully others who live on the Cape will pipe in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cape Cod Lavender Farm

If you enjoy ferries but don't want to take the time to go to Nantucket, there's also the closer island of Martha's Vineyard. Good place for bike rides and there's the Polly Hill Arboretum. I've never been to the Arboretum, but it's well-known and supposedly worth a visit.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: Polly Hill Arboretum

I'm on the mainland side of the Sagamore Bridge so I'm not a Cape Codder, but I sometimes hop over.

I'm fond of the two Mahoney's Garden Centers - one in Osterville and one in West Falmouth. The West Falmouth Mahoney's is much larger and has a great selection, but can be wiped out of specific popular plants. The Osterville Mahoney's has a different selection and is not so crowded so you can often find what you're looking for. They're carrying a good selection of native plants lately.

The Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich is a good restaurant, and the Dexter Grist Mill, also in Sandwich, grinds cornmeal, with historical commentary, while you watch. An interesting process if you like that sort of thing.

Claire

I'm on the Cape, but at the other end, in Falmouth/Woods Hole. I agree with everything that's been said so far.

I love Truro; we go there every year for 4 or 5 days, camping with friends. You can't miss with restaurants in Ptown; sorry I can't remember any names! The shopping is fun there too. Be advised, it's not a town for conformists. The beaches of the national seashore are great. We usually buy a sticker for the town beach in Eastham so we can have a bonfire there one night during our stay. We take kayaks to Corn Hill, on the Bay side, too.

I like Orleans a lot, and love the Hot Chocolate Sparrow for coffee and treats.

If you are in Falmouth at dinner time, the Roo Bar is excellent (a little pricey) Laureens has a small menu but divine food. In Mashpee, at Mashpee Commons, Bleu is outstanding but I REALLY love Cafe de la Terre, for bkfst, lunch or dinner.

Nurseries: Rock Spray (Wellfleet, Eastham, or Harwich?) is great for heaths and heather, I don't know about the other nurseries out there but they are probably wonderful.

Near my end of the cape: Mahoneys is in East Falmouth, not West. It's BIG. Near the bridge in Bourne on rt 28A is a great place called Pondscapes. They have more unusual trees and shrubs, the stock is very healthy too. I also love Flower Garden Farm (Sandwihc Road, near rt 151) for unusual things - datura and tender salvias, interesting perennials too. Those are both fairly small but *very* nice. Waquoit has a heather nursery and an herb farm as well... I'm always meaning to go!

Nantucket is a long haul, can be done in a day, but only if you like being on a ferry for something like 2 hours each way; the boat is out of Hyannis. I agree that Hyannis and surrounding areas are very overbuilt - I'd stay away from it if you can.

We used to take bikes to the Vineyard every summer when our kids were younger, there is a great bike trail along the beach. I keep meaning to get back there and go to Polly Hill, but ... one of these days. There are 2 passenger ferries out of Falmouth and a car ferry out of Woods Hole. WH is a bit crowded in summer, it's a tiny town and is overrun by ferry passengers. There's a small aquarium, where kids can handle the animals, and WHOI (WH Oceanographic Inst., where I work) has a visitors' center that might have some interesting exhibits. There are 3 good restaurants there, the Fishmongers, the Captain Kidd (dining room, the food in the bar is not quite as good) and the Landfall (a little overpriced and food varies in quality day to day).

Heritage Plantation in Sandwich is a really nice garden, great for strolling if it's not too hot - there's lots of shade along the paths. I "discovered" some unusual plants there that I now grow in my own garden. They are most famous for their Rhodies, but there is always something in bloom.

Since you will probably be coming along Rt 195, you might want to consider stopping at Haskell's in New Bedford. It's not too far off 195 - their website has directions. Not that their plants are *especially* fantastic, though they are quite nice, but the place is wonderful and fun to visit.

If I think of anything else, I'll re-post later.

diggingthedirt is correct; one of the Mahoney's is in East, not West, Falmouth. Directions get weird around there with route 28 supposedly going north and south but actually going east and west for a while (or maybe it's the other way around). I try to ignore the signs and just turn the way that feels right. I get lost a lot.

I agree with Heritage Plantation; I considered posting a link last night but their website is very very commercial sounding and annoys me. They have a great old car collection if some of you are so inclined, and there's a modest carousel for the young and/or adventurous. I enjoyed it myself.

Claire

Speaking of driving up - you should be aware of major construction on the mainland side of the Sagamore Bridge. They're demolishing the rotary and making route 3 a straight shot to the bridge.

You'll probably be taking route 25 to route 6 (Scenic Highway) running along the Cape Cod Canal to the Sagamore Bridge. Depending on arrival time, you may hit a major traffic jam on route 6. If it looks bad you might want to head over the Bourne Bridge instead.

It probably won't help you on the road, but I often check the SmartTraveler site before crossing the Bridge.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: Cape Cod and Approaches traffic report

Claire, to make rt 28 even more confusing, there are 2 different roads with that name. One runs south from the bourne bridge to falmouth, the other runs east from falmouth to the outer cape. And to make THAT more fun, the outer cape is actually called the lower cape, although much of it is north of the "upper cape" (falmouth/bourne). Technically, the 2 rt 28s meet in falmouth, and our main st. is in fact rt 28, but a. you can't go directly from one to the other and b. nobody would want to take 28 from the bourne bridge if they are heading east - too much traffic and way out of the way.

Yes, we get a big kick out of lost tourists, until we get lost ourselves. Luckily, if you head in any direction for about 15 minutes, you come to the water and can more or less figure out where you are. And you never have to worry about ending up somewhere bad, because, excluding Hyannis and Yarmouth, it is mostly all good.

What great ideas and information. I had no idea about the construction Claire. I have printed out the replies and will take them with me. Diggingthedirt we got lost on our last visit. It was getting dark so we stopped and had dinner. The food was wonderful. (I couldn't tell you where we were to this day) :-) We asked for directions on our way out. I felt like a typical tourist. I remember passing Heritage Plantation in Sandwich. Oh how I wanted to stop. I am going to make it a point to stop this time. My husband wants to make a trip to Nantucket/Marthas Vineyard this time. So I truly do appreciate all the replies and great ideas. You cannot find info like this by googling. Thanks again.

lvmygrdn, if you get to the Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha's Vineyrd, please give us a report! I'm still planning, well hoping, to get there this season. She's got a fantastic collection of unusual flowering trees, and I want to see it, while I'm still able to consider planting trees.

I second the idea of stopping at the Heritage Plantation in Sandwich. Very nice gardens and museum collections. I went in July and they have the most amazing display of daylilies there. There is an antique car museum on the property for the hubby and other museum buildings to pop into to get out of the sun.

I wanted to stop in the Sandwich glass museum (in the town center) but didn't have time. Link: http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/

If you have kids, go to the free tour at the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory. Kind of fun touristy thing to do. It is in Hyannis. I disagree that you should totally by pass Hyannis. There are some interesting shops and restaurants there. And the harbor cruise takes you by the Kennedy summer place and is worth going to. I guess it depends on how much time you will be there.

Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory
http://www.capecodchips.com/visitus.asp

Pirate Ship Boat Tour (Hyannis) for Kids:
www.pirateadventures.com

HyLine Harbor Cruises (Hyannis) all ages:
http://www.hy-linecruises.com/hhc/schedule.html#

Kids on the Cape Link:
http://www.kidsonthecape.com/suggested.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Museum and Gardens Link

My husband and I were just out in Wellfleet the weekend of June 16 to 18 (so far the only weekend without rain). I would visit the Mass. Audubon Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary. They just rebuilt their visitor center. They have trails that go everywhere. Also, take the kids and yourself on a morning fishing trip right out of Wellfleet harbor. Wellfleet also has great fresh water kettle ponds. Buy a beach sticker ($$), but you can swim in the ocean or bay, then rinse off at one of the ponds. Also go over to Rock Harbor in Eastham during low tide. Roses were just starting to bloom when I was there and the temps were 10 degrees cooler. Have fun!!

One of the most magical places on the Cape for our family is the White Cedar Swamp Trail at Marconi Beach, part of the National Seashore. It is a cool, shady, mysterious boardwalk--maybe a mile long, tho you don't have to do the whole thing--that goes thru one of the last old-growth white cedar swamps on the Cape. Just minutes from the beach, you enter another world, quiet, birds, wildflowers, native plants, glimmering light. I saw my first Indian Pipes here, that most mysterious of plants. You'll see gorgeous stretches of bearberry and more.

We always end our day at Marconi with a walk thru the white cedar swamp. The kids loved it when they were small. They'd run ahead of us and pretend all kinds of fanciful things. And drop all the sand off themselves in the process!

Take a lovely drive along Rte 6A for quaint shops and some interesting museums. Lots of hydrangeas along the way.

The National Seashore Visitor Center has a terrific trail to Coast Guard Beach. You can walk or ride a bike (rental places nearby) and it's close the Rail Trail. I also love the Fort Hill area for walking, and there's a historic house nearby that has tours.

I second a visit to the Wellfleet Audubon Sanctuary...and the nearby drive-in, which has a large flea market (weekends for sure, possibly also on weekdays).

Enjoy!
Judye

If you're there the week of July 21 to 29, there's the Barnstable County Fair.

Barnstable County Fair

I also just remembered the Pairpoint Glass Blowing Museum where you can see how they make the glass products.

Pairpoint Glass Museum

This thread is a great reminder for me of what to do this summer.

Also, if you want to take chance on the Sagamore Bridge, or want a stop along the way to or from the Cape, there's always Plimoth Plantation. It's a fascinating historical experience, and they're expanding the Native American aspect.

Plimoth Plantation

Claire

After having been absent for so long (trips to The Netherlands and New Zealand) I came home a few weeks ago to my gardens that I had expanded (ref. post Balance in the Garden) but had not planted let alone mulched to a world of weeds I never imagined could move in so quickly (worse than second cousins on welfare). I have spent the last few weeks spreading 15 yards of mulch hoping that would slow things down but I am not so sure...any way POLLY HILL yes we need to do a trip. She is probably best known for her azalea introductions, my yucca's are in bloom now, deep pink, light pink, white, and the occasional half white half pink blossom the size of a standard petunia blossom. Magnolia's are another plant that her name is often associated with. We also have some amazing nurseries and of course a slightly different flora. I would love to host a weekend this summer and or possibly one in early fall. The first detail to work on is housing I have room to sleep eight to ten (five dormitory style in a garage apartment and two guest rooms with double beds as well as a room with one single). Rentals although I am sure are still available are very $$$ but if enough people share perhaps that's an option. Prior to making arrangements I suppose I should ask is any one interested?? Katy

Welcome home, Katy. We've missed you - I hope you'll tell us about your travels.

Count me in for a trip to Polly Hill, and/or anywhere else on the Vineyard. I know a few people in the island, but not sure if I know them well enough to invite myself to stay their houses. Then again, I would not mind springing for a room at an inn for a night or two. If that doesn't pan out, a day trip to PH would be good too.

this sounds like a super idea and i'd love to join in.might sept be better for what we'd see? (I do not Know this to be true; I'm just wondering. you would know best,katy.)
oh boy!- mindy

What fun this will be. I do want to check some of the local calendars and put together a better detailed picture of our choices in August verses September and start a new thread as I think I am guilty of hijacking. If you have any specific interests/desires let me know so we can try and work that in. I am working on putting some of the one million photo's and journal entries from both trips on an on line travel journal and will happily share the address with anyone brave enough to pour through it all.
dtd The kiwi vine you gave me at the fall swap was devoured over the winter by deer and is all the better for it. I love the color and texture of the leaves. Knowing your lust for plants I hesitate to tell you that one of our nurseries has hired a rare plant addict and has started selling some truly wonderful plants. He is from NY State so a number of his selections are from plants not typically cold hardy to that area which of course make them right at home in our neck of the woods.
Mindy I remember it has been a while since your last visit please let me know what you are interested in.
Katy

Funny, Katy, where I dug up the kiwi I now have a Paulownia seedling. It's another great candidate for the "browsing" treatment, apparently - prevents flowering (which is good because it's an aggressive self-sower) and makes it produce enormous leaves that are at least as interesting as the flowers.

Since we don't get many deer here in downtown Falmouth, I'll have to browse it myself every year, with clippers.

Hmm ... a rare plant addict ... sounds like it's time for a boat trip.

I live in Wellfleet and have for most of my life...What everyone has suggested are great idea's...I hope you enjoy your stay in Dennis..(we consider that the city compared to here!).. I'm pretty loyal to the 2 big Wellfleet attractions..The Audobon, the White Cedar Swamp,..Great Island is also a nice trail...I usually shop at the wholesale garden center in Hyannis..it's a big commercial place, not a quaint garden center..but the price is generally right...I don't remember if anyone mentioned Hart Farms...or just pick up the "Cape Cod Times" which comes out daily...There is also a new "flex" bus (for those of us down here in the lower cape...really cheap and clean..gets you where you need to go..beats the awful traffic mess..Bring us a bit of sun PLEASE!!! My bulbs have rotted and the bugs keep munchin!

I cannot thank you enough for all the great ideas. Paigect, we always go to Ptown. What restaurants are your favorites? I will have 2 teens with me and one doesn't like anything from the sea. They loved the idea of a Drive-in movie so we will be going to Welfleet. A drive-in movie is something from "the olden days". LOL How big was that poor shark? As sad as it is, my kids would find it very interesting. The last time we went to Ptown, my son was impressed by how far people traveled. He had his own camera and when the film was developed, it was mostly photos of license plates. Go figure. Thanks again.

lvmygrdn, bring lawn chairs to the Drive-in if you have them. I don't remember any names of restaurants in P'Town, but you can walk around and check out the posted menus. The shark was about 6-7 feet long, and recently dead, but boy did it stink!

On the opposite end of the spectrum from dead sharks, I'd like to recommend Chillingsworth restaurant in Brewster. It is very expensive and just for a splurge but, wow, was it worth it. Make reservations in advance.

And I have a question. I'll be going down to the Cape in a few weeks and wonder if any new restaurants have opened that anyone would recommend, especially in the mid-Cape area. We stay in Brewster. I love water views (even more than the food, to tell the truth), historic houses/inns, places with gardens (there's a surprise).

We have eaten at just about every decent place on the Cape and are always looking for something new.