Fabulous Fall Trip to Cape Cod
Typically people think of visiting Cape Cod in the summertime, but the beginning of fall is a great time to check out the beautiful landscape and towns along the peninsula. We started out along the north side of the cape along the bay, stopping in towns along the way and Nickerson State Park. It is in a densely forested area and full of kettle ponds, massive holes filled with freshwater left by melting glaciers. It was a fun place to explore and swim. We continued on and watched the landscape change as the forests gave way to dune grass and the white sandy beach stretched on for miles. We were surprised at how much it looked like West Michigan dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan. Except this water was salty and you don’t see whales in Michigan!
We camped near the beach in North Truro at the North of Highland Camping Area and the sunsets were spectacular. If you were lucky enough to score a permit, you could even have a bonfire on the beach.
We couldn’t wait to see some wildlife, so we took a charter out of Provincetown at the tip of the Cape. Morning is a beautiful time and the ocean was incredibly calm. The tour we took had a naturalist on board who did a fantastic job educating kids and adults alike. We saw two pods of humpback whales, a pod of Minke whales and a pod of dolphins. A great trip!
The Cape has so many towns to explore and enjoy that it’s not possible to list them all, but one of our favorites in the “tip” was the village of Wellfleet. A great market, ice cream, beaches and stores, we visited this town several times. I have to say the ice cream along the Cape is out of this world. They are called creameries out here and for good reason - I have never had such rich, cream-tasting ice cream before and such unique flavor combinations! Also the towns of Chatham, Hyannis and Hyannisport along the southern part of the cape, were great spots of lunch and dinner and had beautiful harbor views.
At the base of the cape we stopped in the town of Bourne at a lobster shack that was recommended by locals. Fresh lobster and shrimp caught that morning, eaten outdoors at picnic tables was a great way to end our loop of the Cape. There is so much to explore and enjoy the tin our few short days we barely scratched the surface, but I know that a fall visit is a beautiful time of year.
