Cape Cod Confusion...need guidance for family trip!

Ok, I admit it, before I really looked into it, I thought Cape Cod was a smaller one horse town kind of place. ..you know, small but quaint. Well, the joke is on me! We want to go and I am so overwhelmed with the amount of area that covers %26#39;cape cod!'; I have read posts till I%26#39;m cross eyed and still can%26#39;t get a handle on where to stay. Here are my particulars... family of 4. Budget travelers. Would love to stay by/on/walking distance to a swimable sandy beach. Hubby and I like site seeing, touristy stuff, history. Kids 11 and 14 like swimming, beach activities and usual kid stuff. Lodging...pool would be nice, but location is key. Want to spend a week and not over $150 a night. Small but comfy is fine with us. Is this doable? Also where to go, eat, eat (and did I say eat) as we are west coasters who want to experience sea food and local fare! Will be driving in (haven%26#39;t booked airfare yet).

Any suggestions are welcome. I%26#39;ll continue my marathon reading of the forums pending your most wanted replys.

Thanks!!!

C

Cape Cod Confusion...need guidance for family trip!

I%26#39;m getting to sound like a broken record, but for your budget %26amp; interests, I would recommend the Tern Inn in West Harwich (www.theterninn.com). They have a pool, though the water is only about four feet deep. It%26#39;s within walking distance of Pleasant Road Beach and close to restaurants on Route 28 (fancy: Bishop%26#39;s Terrace, on the other side of Herring River; family burger place: the Weather Deck). Rates include continental breakfast.

Since this is a mid-Cape location, you%26#39;re at a convenient distance from either end of the Cape, so you could spend a day enjoying shops %26amp; restaurants in Provincetown, a visit to the museum at the Provincetown Monument, and maybe a whale watch trip. Harwich Historical Society in Harwich Center is also worth a visit. You can rent bikes and bike along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, visit the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewter and the old grist mill %26amp; herring run (also in Brewster). If you like theater, see what%26#39;s playing at Harwich Junior Theatre on the dates you%26#39;ll be in town. And there are evening band concerts at parks in many Cape towns during the summer.

If you%26#39;ll be in the area for a while, take a little longer drive off-Cape and tour Plimoth Plantation. (Right now I%26#39;m reading Nathaniel Philbrick%26#39;s ';Mayflower'; -- highly recommended, whether or not you decide to do that day trip.)

Cape Cod Confusion...need guidance for family trip!

Captain Gosnold Village (captaingosnold.com) in Hyannis could be just right for you. This is a lovely cottage compound in a quiet residential area of Hyannis, beautifully landscaped, with a nice pool and within walking distance to a couple beaches. They have one bedroom ';cottages'; (more like houses) with full kitchens that will accomodate a family of 4. Weekly rate is $800, nightly rate is $120. You`re also close to many reasonably priced restaurants, ferries to the islands and central to many Cape Cod attractions. Check out the website and the excellent tripadvisor reviews.

Oops, I must apologize for my previous post. I was quoting off season rates (that`s when we usually stay there) and summer rates are beyond your budget. In Hyannis, The Best Value Inn has good summer rates, an indoor and outdoor pool, and included continental breakfast. Rooms are spacious and nice, but there is no beach within walking distance.

The Dennis-Yaromouth area sounds perfect for you especially if you want a motel. Lots to do, very family oriented, calm, warm Nantucket Sound beaches etc. If, on the other hand, you decide to stay in a cottage, try looking at www.weneedavacation.com or www.vrbo.com for places in the mid-cape area where you are most likely to find a rental in your price range. There is a frequent poster on this board who has a house for rent in that area....try to locate Cape Cod Charlie and contact her about her house.

Hello CCC, was thinking about you this morning. Saw Martha Murray%26#39;s ad in the Toronto Star. We are going to Orleans again in September for three weeks, have really missed our annual trips so are giving it a go again. Rented through Cyberrentals, which Hulamom might want to try. The house is walking distance to one of our favourite beaches, Skaket. Look forward to sitting on the beach with our books and strolling around when the tide is out, peering into the pools, watching the hermit crabs etc.

We took a budget vacation to Cape Cod last summer. It was awesome. I wrote about it in detail in my travel blog if you%26#39;re interested(follow the link in my user profile).

We rented from Cyberrentals.com and found a place right on Craigville Beach in Centerville. I liked the mid cape location. It was convenient to getting to both ends of the cape in day trips.

Some of the activities we did that week were:

1. Whale Watching

2. Day trip to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard

3. Mini Golf

4. JFK Museum

5. Plimoth Plantation

6. Cape Cod Children%26#39;s Museum

7. Pirate Cruise

9. the beach of course

10. boat trip past the Kennedy Compound

11. Cape Cod potato chip factory tour

All of these activities are reviewed in my blog.

Have fun on your trip!

excel