Suggestions for 6/26-7/5...

Hello!

Love the Cape. Been to most towns including the nightlife of P and camping in Turo. Love Nantucket but it might be unrealistic for us to stay there considering the cost.

We are thinking of going from 6/26-7/5 but aren%26#39;t sure of the weather. I have previously been there in July when it was nice and hot.

We love to lay on the beach, ride bikes, watch the baseball league, eat seafood. The last time we stayed in Harwichport at a B%26amp;B which was nice b/c it was close to the Nantucket Ferry. But we love the National Seashore area and would like some recommendations for there. Also, we have never been to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard. Any suggestions of where to stay that would put us close to the ferry so that we may visit for a day?

Any suggestions you have would help! Thanks!

Suggestions for 6/26-7/5...

Well if you love the National Seashore area then you probably already know about the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast in Eastham on Fort Hill...the only B+B that is actually in the Park. www.forthillbedandbreakfast.com It is across the road from the Captain Penniman House (whaling museum) and directly adjacent to the Fort Hill walking trails that are maintained by the National Seashore. It%26#39;s not close to the ferries but you can be in Harwichport in 25 minutes to catch a ferry to nantucket or 25 minutes to drive to Provincetown if you want to get a ferry for a day trip to Boston. It%26#39;s just a few minutes from Eldredge Park in Orleans where you can catch a Cardinal game or 20 minutes to Chatham if you want to see the A%26#39;s play. The Bike trail is just across Rt. 6 off Governor Prence Rd and we always enjoy the ride south to Nickerson State Park and north to Wellfleet.

Fort HIll looks out to Nauset and Coast Guard Beach and if you like to kayak you can paddle to those beaches from nearby Hemenway landing at the edge of the Fort Hill Area. You can google map. The towns of Eastham, Wellfleet Truro to see the locations of other B+B%26#39;s as well as the Fort Hill B+B. The areas in green on a Google map are within the Cape Cod National Seashore Park. Look for a place that is not on the main highway, Rt. 6 for a more peaceful environment.

Suggestions for 6/26-7/5...

A trip to Martha’s Vineyard in the summer would be a lot of fun and well worth your time.

To get to Martha’s Vineyard, you have several choices. I think your best bet is to plan on taking one of the ferries from either Falmouth or Woods Hole.

From Hyannis, there’s Hy-Line. They have a high speed ferry; tickets are pretty steep, and you’ll probably need a reservation. They also have a conventional ferry that’s less money, but takes longer to get there and back.

From Falmouth, there’s Falmouth Ferry to Edgartown, the Island Queen to Oak Bluffs or Patriot Party Boats (water shuttle) to Oak Bluffs; or from Woods Hole, the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority to either Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs.

The Island Queen is always my first recommendation. Easy for parking, the cheapest tickets, and they arrive right in Oak Bluffs, where there’s plenty to see and do. Downside to the Island Queen, they shut down for the day in the early evening.

Don’t miss the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. Try to catch the brass ring. Watch the local kids try to grab as many rings as they can in one pass.

Falmouth Ferry requires reservations and goes to Edgartown, which is okay, but Edgartown is at the eastern end of the island, not quite as central as Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven.

Patriot Party Boats is okay, but their schedule is not too good. They run mostly for the working people who commute back and forth.

The Steamship Authority is the biggest operation with the most extensive schedule. Unfortunately, they have very limited parking facilities. Considering your dates, I can almost guarantee you will have to park off-site and take a shuttle bus to the terminal. If it’s really busy, and they have to use all their lots (very likely around Fourth of July), you might have a half-hour drive from the terminal just to get to a parking lot that’s well off the beaten path and might not be too easy to find. Also, it’s not uncommon to see the sign on the highway say “All Lots Full” in which case, you’re completely out of luck.

Since you like biking, I would suggest parking at one of the free parking lots on Main Street Falmouth, (no overnight parking at the public parking lots in Falmouth, though. They tow everyone away at 2:00 a.m.) and then ride your bikes to either the Island Queen (five or ten minutes) or to Woods Hole on the Shining Sea Bike Path (about 45 minutes). Or, a combination of the two; Island Queen over and Steamship Authority back. Bringing your bikes to Martha’s Vineyard would be a good idea. It’s definitely bicycle-friendly. Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs and Oak Bluffs to Edgartown are both about a half-hour ride. Edgartown to Vineyard Haven is 45 minutes to an hour. Biking out to Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head) is a LONG haul (20 miles, give or take) with lots of hills.

If you decide you want to stay in Falmouth to be close to the ferries, one place I can recommend is Green Harbor Motel. gogreenharbor.com. I stopped in one day to look around out of curiosity. The buildings and grounds and rooms are immaculate and in excellent condition, two pools (one for kids) and a nice, although small, beach right at your door. The beach is on Green Harbor Inlet, so it’s not an ocean beach, but still, it was very nice. It is also close to Falmouth Heights beaches where everyone goes for a good Fourth of July fireworks display.

Enjoy your trip, if there’s anything else I can help with, don’t hesitate.

Harry

Falmouth, MA

Both of you have been very helpful to us! We have decided to make our trip later in the summer as my husband has a new project at work that might take some time.

The last time we visited the National Seashore we didn%26#39;t stay at a B%26amp;B but ended up camping for 2 nights in Turo. Thanks for the B%26amp;B link!

All of the advice about the Ferry and the parking lots to get to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard have been really great to keep so that we can plan our trip better. Really, we love the cape and your responses will make our trip that much better!

Gina