What to do now that the presents are open . . .

The kids are home ALL WEEK LONG and the company has come to stay a few days.  What do you do to get out of the house?  There are just so many movies and trips to the mall a person can take.  Cape Cod has a lot of great things to do all week for kids and adults alike.  And New Year's Eve brings some wonderful celebrations too.

Christmas Strolls and other Cape Cod Holiday Fun

Tired of the commercialism of the holiday season?  Are you looking for things to do with your family and friends that are less about who gets the biggest toys and more about community, joy, and old-fashion holiday magic?  Then Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are the places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the malls and settle into a slower pace of horse-drawn rides, hot cider and carolers on lovely Main Streets of yesterday.

Chatham - a gem any time of the year

Chatham was named a Distinctive Destination in 2007 by the National Trust of Historic Preservation.  It really is a special place no matter when you visit but surprisingly, autumn and winter are some of the most interesting times to come enjoy Chatham.  From Veterans Day Parades with that old-fashion feel, to holiday house tours, to First Night Chatham for bringing in the New Year, Chatham off season is fun-filled and magical.

Haunted Houses, Ghosts, and Halloween fun on Cape Cod

It is claimed that Cape Cod is one of the most haunted areas in the United States.  We don't know if that's true but there sure are a lot of fun and spooky things to do on the Cape for Halloween.  From haunted tours, to ghostly sighting to just plan old Halloween fun, Cape Cod is the place to come with your family and friends for a spook-tacular time!  To get you ready, we recommend getting a copy of Mark Jasper's Haunted Cape Cod & the Islands (On Cape Publications, 2002), or Cape Encounters: Contemporary Cape Cod Ghost Stories by Dan Gordon (Cockle Cove Press, 2004).

Nantucket in Autumn

Kicking off with Nantucket Restaurant Week (Sept. 26 - 29) and continuing with the Nantucket Maritime Festival and the Annual Arts Festival, fall in Nantucket is the place to be.  Take one of the ferries from Cape Cod or a quick flight over to the island and step into a place filled with history, art and beautiful scenery.

Harwich - "Fall" in love

Part of our continuing series on Cape Cod Towns
Harwich in the fall is an exciting place to be, especially the the Fall into Harwich events including the famous Harwich Cranberry Festival scheduled for September 17 and 18.  There is so much to do in Harwich this time of year - Biking, golfing, arts and shopping.  Wonderful places to stay and dine, make Harwich's many villages of Harwich, Harwich Port, West Harwich and South Harwich a wonderful weekend get away or week long adventure.

Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival Sept 8 -11

It is time again for the famous Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival.  Sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard Film Society and having the reoccurring theme of "Other Places", the festival raises money to benefit various programs on Martha's Vineyard.  There will be over 50 films from 20 countries being shown.  According to the festival's web site "about 90% of all film selections are non-US productions, helping to fulfill the festival mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding through film."  There is a juried short film competition which will include 10 film selection.

Sandwich: Cape Cod's Gateway

Part of our continuing series on Cape Cod Towns
The town of Sandwich, settled in 1637, is the oldest town on Cape Cod.  Sandwich offers so many things to do that you could spend a week just in Sandwich and never run out of things to see, places to go, beaches, biking, food, and fun.  Sandwich has museums that are interesting for all ages (yes - even museums the kids will enjoy); the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal from the Cape Cod Bay starts here; and even the "birth place" and home of Peter Rabbit is in Sandwich.

Cape Cod: One of the most beautiful places in America!

You know WE love Cape Cod, but here is your chance to tell everyone how much YOU love Cape Cod.  Good Morning America has listed Cape Cod as one of the 10 Most Beautiful Places in America and with YOUR vote we can make it #1.  Go to http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/best_places_USA/ right now and place your vote and then tell your friends and family who love Cape Cod to vote too!  Let everyone know how beautiful it is - from Buzzards Bay to Province Lands, Woods Hole to the Cape Cod National Seashore!

Cape Cod National Seashore Turns 50!

So what do you get a National park - umm - seashore when it turns 50?  How about months long celebrations with concerts, exhibitions, special postal cancellations, parades and even a great big birthday bash with cakes and all.  On August 7, the Cape Cod National Seashore celebrates the 50th anniversary of JFK's signing the legislation making 40 miles of Cape Cod beaches, marshes, ponds and forest into a protected part of our national park system.

The Barnstable County Fair! Cape Cod Fun!

Wow oh wow!  It's that time again,  The Barnstable County Fair on Cape Cod begins July 16 and runs through July 23 at the County Fairgrounds, Rte 151, East Falmouth.  The shows, which are included in the price of admission, will feature the Gin Blossoms on July 16,  Paul Revere and the Raiders on July 22, Thompson Square on July 17 and for you American Idol fans out there

Dennis: The Heart of Cape Cod

Part of our continuing series on Cape Towns

Dennis sits in the center of the mid-Cape area and consists of the villages of Dennis, Dennis Port, East Dennis, South Dennis and West Dennis.  It is the start of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the home of the Cape Playhouse, and is where you can find a lake shaped like a fish with its own stone tower.  There are sound side and bay side beaches as well as art museums

Celebrating the 4th on Cape Cod! Fireworks, Parades and a Pow Wow!

Parades! Fireworks! The Cape and Islands have it all.  Check out the AllCapeCod Fireworks and Parade link http://allcapecod.com/ccic/fireworks.cfm for a list of dates, times and details.  Looking for something different to do with the family?  Want to Celebrate with the People of the First Light?  Check out the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's 90th Annual Pow Wow July 2 - July 4th.  Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!

Exploring Falmouth

Part of our continuing series on Cape Towns

Traveling to the ferries to get to the Vineyard or Nantucket, visitors often overlook one of the gems of the Cape - Falmouth.  Besides being home of the world renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Falmouth offers wonderful theatre programs, beautiful historic buildings and museums, as well as some fantastic outdoor recreation areas.

Featured Town: Truro

Over the next few months, we will be doing a short feature on each of the towns of Cape Cod.  We will also highlight a few of our awesome clients in those towns.  Truro is a lovely town on the Outer Cape with some real surprises.  From a winery to a world reknowned art center, Truro is not just a great place to enjoy the seashore.

Cape Cod's pet-friendly living

Late last summer Dog Fancy magazine named Provincetown the most dog-friendly town in the U.S. and it came as no surprise to us . . . Cape Cod residents are crazy about their pets and so are many of our visitors.  There is a growing number of people vacationing on the Cape who want to bring all of their family along, including their furry four-legged family members (and sometimes even their feathery two-winged friends).  Just check out the allcapecod.com pet-friendly lodging page to see how many great places welcome your fur babies!

Exciting opportunities for women on Cape Cod

March being Women's History month, it seems like the right time to talk about some wonderful women-centric events and groups here on Cape Cod: The SheArt Network, Cape Women Online, and Geek Girls Camp '11.
The SheArt Network is a nonprofit here on the Cape that, as stated on their web site, provides "a supportive, creative environment where women share ideas, learn new artistic techniques, create and sell SheArt products and help women in transition."

Crafting for a cause or for fun

Crafting during these Cape Cod winter days, is a great way to spend time when the wind is gusting over 30 knots and the chill off the ocean makes you seek refuge inside.  The arts and crafts are thriving here on the Cape and what is better then doing a craft and helping out a great cause at the same time.
It turns out that Cape Cod Cooperative Bank is helping to support one of these great crafting for a cause programs: Project Linus (yes that's Linus like in Charlie Brown).  Project Linus was started in 1995, to provide seriously ill or traumatized children with warmth and security through the gift of handmade afghans and blankets.  You can read more about project Linus here.

Getting Jazzed Up about Winter

Cold, and snowy!, winter nights have us ready for hot jazz, and the Cape has some wonderful live venues. The Carol Wyeth Duo can be found Saturday evenings at the Oyster Company on Depot Street in Dennisport.  Christa Dulude can be found singing jazz classics Sunday evenings from 5-8PM at Jake Rooney's on Brooks Road in Harwich Port.  The Black Cat on Ocean Street in Hyannis has a piano bar on Sunday through Tuesday evenings.