Last time I wrote about our travel and lodging. This time I’m writing about the beaches and the food.

There are many reasons why you would visit Cape Cod, but for me there’s really one main reason: the beaches. Maybe if you’re into lighthouses, then Cape Cod is a really good place to visit. But for me, the primary lure of Cape Cod is the promise of powdery sand beaches, warm (well, depending on when you go) and calm (on the Cape side). Especially if you’re like me who’s from the Philippines but now lives in the Capital Region where the nearest beach is on a lake, going to a beach where the water is salty is a pleasant reminder of home.

My wife did some research on which beaches are family-friendly and chose two: Corporation Beach and Mayo Beach. Both of these beaches are on the Cape side of Cape Cod, which means they have calmer waters that make it safer for kids to swim in.

Corporation Beach

Corporation Beach is in the town of Dennis, which is in the Mid-Cape section of Cape Cod. The sand is off-white in color and powdery fine in texture, with some fairly large rocks here and there. During high tide there is not much room for the kids to play in (especially if there are a lot of people who have already pitched their tents), but during low tide the water recedes about 80-100 feet to give people more flat surface where adults can play games and kids can play with the sand. The flat terrain continues in the water so that you can go 100 feet from the waterline and it would only be chest-deep. Parking is $20 and depending on what time you arrive, there might be a line, but after about 4 pm parking is free.

Mayo Beach is in the town of Wellfleet, which is in the Lower Cape. It is located right beside a marina. The sand is not as fine as Corporation’s and the beachfront is not as spacious, even during low tide. However there is a playground just across the street so the kids have an alternative in case they get bored. Also, there is no fee for parking.

Sign outside Moby Dick's Restaurant

A visit to Cape Cod won’t be complete without feasting on some seafood. We always make it a point to include lobsters in at least one of our meals, so for one of our lunches we went to Moby Dick’s Restaurant in Wellfleet. You can order lobsters depending on the size, from 1 pound to more than 2 pounds. The ambience is also very nice because the upper area of the restaurant is very airy and you really feel as if you’re eating at a beach.

For one of our dinners we went to a restaurant along Mill Way Road in Yarmouth (I forget the name) where we got some calamari, lobster roll, lobster bisque and my personal favorite, grilled swordfish. You can never go wrong with eating seafood at a coastal area.

Welcome sign as you approach Cape Cod

For our family’s summer trip this year, we knew we wanted to go to the beach (and by beach, we mean the real beach, meaning ocean water, not lake). One of our friends had suggested to go to Wildwood, New Jersey because he had been there before and he liked it. But the hotels, being literally in front of the beach, tended to be expensive so we looked at other options.

Since we had been to Cape Cod a few years ago, my wife suggested to go there instead. Our friends had never been there so they liked the idea.

Lodging

Cape Cod has many houses that you can rent for a week, but since we were only staying for three days, we knew our best bet would be a hotel. My wife did some research on what hotels were good (based on feedback from guests), were family-friendly, was accessible, and not that expensive. She eventually got us a room (which we were sharing with a friend) at the Days Inn with two double beds, a fridge and a microwave. She also got a very good rate for the room because they were offering a significant discount for government employees.

Travel

We had left on Saturday morning at 9 am, and didn’t get there until 4 pm. What would normally be a four and a half hour trip took us seven hours because of the volume of vehicles entering Cape Cod. For most of the trip, the drive was smooth. It was only when you approached Cape Cod that the drive became slower and slower.

In hindsight, it would be ideal if you could schedule your travel to the Cape on weekdays–come in on a weekday, then leave on a weekday. This way you would avoid the very heavy traffic.

In Part 2 – Hitting the beaches and attacking the seafood!