Cape Cod

Explore New England's Salty Charm

By Maria T. Olia

A Cape Cod beach vacation is the quintessential New England summer experience. The Cape, as it is known by locals, has miles of sandy beaches along a 60-mile peninsula of land that extends like a hook into the Atlantic Ocean from southeastern Massachusetts. After a day at the beach you can explore quaint seaside towns and harbors dotted with lighthouses, bike or hike along the area's many nature trails, board a boat for a whale watch adventure, learn to eat a lobster or watch a game of baseball played by one of the country's best amateur leagues.

Skaket Beach is a great place for the sand pail set. It's a bay beach so the water is warm and the waves are gentle. Tidal pools make it easy for kids to find hermit crabs, periwinkles and minnows. At low tide you can take a long family walk – seemingly forever – out across the sandy flats.

The Cape Cod National Seashore is 40 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean swimming beaches and walking and biking trails that stretch from the town of Eastham at mid-Cape to "land's end" in Provincetown at the Cape's tip. Nauset Beach is located here, and its 10 miles of sandy beach and crashing surf is a favorite for kids who like to boogie board. The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is the starting point for self-guided nature walks and informative displays on Cape Cod marine life. There are ranger-led family activities year-round including story times, bird watches and evening beachside campfires.

Visiting a lighthouse while on the Cape is a must. Built in 1877 of cast iron and brick, the red and white Nauset Light in the town of Eastham is a beauty. The tower is open for climbing on Sundays and on Wednesdays in July and August.

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