Beautiful Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard

Cape Cod is a hook-shaped peninsula and has become a popular summer destination. There are quaint villages, lighthouses, ponds, and bay and ocean beaches.

Cape Cod National Seashore stretches along the east coast of Cape Cod. There are lovely beaches, beautiful woodlands with Atlantic white cedar and other conifers, bird nesting grounds, and many miles of hiking trails.

Nantucket was founded by colonists in 1659. It became the center of the world’s whaling industry with over 125 whaling ships. Visitors enjoy the beaches and cycling paths. In April you can delight in the bright daffodils which are celebrated with a colorful festival. No moving vehicles here everything is on foot or by bike.

You can see the home of Maria Mitchell the first female professional astronomer in America.

The Nantucket Life Saving Museum has a collection of marine artifacts.

The Nantucket Whaling Museum has displays of ship models, scrimshaw, whaling equipment, portraits, logbooks, and the skeleton of a 43-foot sperm whale. It is housed in a restored 1847 candle factory with a rooftop observation deck.

Provincetown has a thriving art and music scene. This was the place that the pilgrims landed in 1620 on the Mayflower before they moved on the Plymouth. Here you’ll find many beaches, walking and cycling paths, kayaking, and boat excursions.

The Provincetown Heritage Museum shows the history of this whaling and fishing port, with a 66-foot model of a Grand Bank schooner and racing yacht. There is a collection of paintings by notable Provincetown artists. Here is the 252-foot Pilgrim Monument which is the tallest granite structure in the U.S. and the museum at the base displays ship models, whaling equipment, and maritime artifacts. You can climb to the top for awesome views.

Whale watching is a great activity on Cape Cod. Various boat tours are available for whale-watching excursions. Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary has whale-watching excursions from mid-April through October. Trained naturalists help passengers spot finback, humpback, and minke whales.

Sandwich is a charming little town at the west end of Cape Cod. In the 19th century, it was a major glass-making center. There are lovely beaches here. Visitors can see Dexter’s Grist Mill built between 1640 and 1646 which grinds corn flour using authentic grindstones that are powered by a water wheel. Cornmeal can be purchased. Take a look at history at the 1669 Nye Family Homestead, a saltbox house furnished with period furnishings.

Heritage Museums & Gardens is a complex of Americana museums set in a 100-acre garden. The automobile museum is housed in a reproduction Shaker Round Stone Barn with about 35 antique cars. At the art museum, you can see American folk art. The gardens are lovely.

Chatham is a beautiful beach town with white sand beaches, a lighthouse, summer band concerts, and its own baseball team.

Take a look at the Atwood House built in 1752 furnished with 18th and 19th-century furniture, paintings, glassware, china, and tools.

Hyannis is a ferry port on the south coast. There are always many yachts and boats here during the annual Harbor Festival in early June.

Here you can board the Cape Cod Central Railroad for excursions past cranberry bogs, woodlands, the Great Salt Marsh, and charming villages.

Near Lewis Bay a monument commemorates the 35th President of the U.S. John F. Kennedy. The Kennedy retreat is here.

The John F. Kennedy Museum tells about the family.

Falmouth is a popular beach resort known for water sports. It has a lively music, art, and theater scene with its own opera company.

Visitors can rent a kayak and explore the Great Salt Marsh.

The Shining Sea Bike Path offers a ten-mile bike ride along the shore.

The Falmouth Museums on the Green have two 18th-century houses with period furniture, fine art, textiles, and temporary exhibits.

You can enjoy a colonial-style flower garden and an herb garden and picnic in the gazebo.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail offers 22 miles of former railroad line between Dennis and Wellfleet.

The Cape Cod Museum of Art is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the artwork of Cape artists.

Beaches face both the Atlantic and Cape Cod Bay. There are nine beaches on the bay and two freshwater beaches.

Brewster is among the quieter Cape Town with art and antique galleries.

The Stony Brook Grist Mill was built in 1751 and is still working today. The adjacent stream helps grind grains into flour and corn into cornmeal.

The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History sits on an 80-acre tract with three nature trails that pass a saltwater marsh, woods, and a major herring run. In its exhibits and aquarium, you can learn about whales, birds, fish, shellfish, frogs, and turtles, as well as the Cape's archeology.

Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard is five miles south of Cape Cod. It can be reached by car or passenger ferry. Altogether there are six small towns and miles of beaches. It sits in the Atlantic and is a New England summer colony.

Katama Beach aka South Beach is the longest and most popular beach on Martha's Vineyard.

The Martha's Vineyard Museum is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the island. The museum has a collection of more than 10,000 artifacts and documents that tell the story of the island.

The Polly Hill Arboretum is a beautiful botanical garden established in 1958. The arboretum has a collection of more than 2,000 woody plants from around the world. There are rare and endangered species like North Tisbury azaleas, monkey puzzle tree, and kousa dogwood allee. The garden is divided into thematic sections.

You'll find alpacas at the Island Alpaca Company Farm. Visitors can explore the farm and visit with the alpacas.

Martha's Vineyard consists of two islands the other island you can visit is Chappaquiddick Island. This is a popular summer destination with charming villages like Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Vineyard Haven.

Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge is a barrier beach and salt marsh along the eastern edge of Chappaquiddick. It is great for birdwatching with birds like piping plovers, gulls, terns, and oystercatchers.

At the northernmost tip of the island, you'll find the Cape Poge Lighthouse overlooking Nantucket Sound.

Oak Bluffs was originally a Methodist church camp meeting place. Today it is a beach holiday town with gingerbread-like cottages that were built in the 19th century by campers. You can see a collection of Carpenter Gothic-style buildings in various colors. The Flying Horses Carousel is one of the country’s oldest.

Edgartown is an important whaling center and the site of the oldest European settlement on Chappaquiddick. This lovely town has tree-shaded streets with white clapboard houses. The oldest is Vincent House which is now a museum.

Wasque Reservation is a nature reserve in the southeastern part of Chappaquiddick. There are walking trails offering wonderful coastal views. Nature is all around with a variety of trees and plants like beach plums, golden heather, and pines. Visitors can see Osprey, shorebirds, and marshbirds. Wasque is also popular as a fishing spot.

Maytoi Japanese Gardens are Japanese-inspired gardens with native and exotic plants, a large lake, and Japanese-style bridges. The Azumaya Shelter at the top of the hill is a favorite shady spot to sit and enjoy the garden.