After taking our summer beach vacation in the Hamptons the last few years (2011-Montauk & 2013-Southampton), since my younger sister Jen moved to Brooklyn that first summer, and since I'd always wanted to go, now we are headed back to Cape Cod this summer.
We haven't been since 2010, since we stayed in Boston last fall, which is a stretch for me to be away. It's a bit of my spiritual summer home, though Maine is a close second, the first place I chose to live and return, besides Boston for college. I first went with my mom just before I went away to/while visiting college (20 years ago), so I guess it is fitting that she decided she wanted to join us this year, her first trip back since I lived there. She and my eldest sister Sara were going to fly out and then decided to drive, so we had the idea to leave our SUVs behind and rent a minivan instead of caravaning it as an extended family of six.
We might just be crazy, ask me when we get back... ;)
Jen and her boyfriend will also be joining us, so we rented a big house for all of us, which is a big change for our summer jaunts, but it will be nice to have plenty of room to spread out and extra company/hands for the kids, so we can actually relax a little bit. We got lucky and found a great place on Hyannis Harbor, near the lighthouse and not to be confused with Hyannis Port to the west, so we can walk just about everywhere, the beach, the ferries to the islands (where we'll go on daytrips), and to downtown restaurants, etc. They even have a Trader Joe's there now (and as of May a Whole Foods too) for stocking the house with groceries, thank goodness.
I wrote about a few of my favorite places to go on Cape Cod and the Islands here and here. The Islands, Chatham, Osterville (and nearby Centerville for Four Seas ice cream)... And if you want entertainment, there's always the Melody Tent. It's no Ravinia or Tanglewood, but it's the closest on the Cape. And the Boston Pops is coming to Nantucket and Hyannis too.
Since I've been so many times over the years, the last few times I've done both islands in a day via Hy-line which is much more efficient, lunch in Nantucket and dinner on the Vineyard (or vice versa now, if you prefer), but that's a bit much with the kids, so we'll take the regular high speed ferry (the only way to go, if you're sans car).
If you are headed that way, there is a great deal on mid-week daytrips on the high speed ferries from Hyannis to Nantucket via The Steamship Authority. They also offer the quickest/cheapest way to the Vineyard via Woods Hole, for all of $8, though Hy-line is the only company to offer high speed ferries to both islands via Hyannis.
To get ready, I've got a pedi and a new favorite red, Forever Yummy (Mummy), and I've raided the sales at VV, RL, JC, and STS (who was so kind as to name a shoe for us ;) )...
And the likely reality of beach vacations with family from The Onion...
We haven't been since 2010, since we stayed in Boston last fall, which is a stretch for me to be away. It's a bit of my spiritual summer home, though Maine is a close second, the first place I chose to live and return, besides Boston for college. I first went with my mom just before I went away to/while visiting college (20 years ago), so I guess it is fitting that she decided she wanted to join us this year, her first trip back since I lived there. She and my eldest sister Sara were going to fly out and then decided to drive, so we had the idea to leave our SUVs behind and rent a minivan instead of caravaning it as an extended family of six.
We might just be crazy, ask me when we get back... ;)
Jen and her boyfriend will also be joining us, so we rented a big house for all of us, which is a big change for our summer jaunts, but it will be nice to have plenty of room to spread out and extra company/hands for the kids, so we can actually relax a little bit. We got lucky and found a great place on Hyannis Harbor, near the lighthouse and not to be confused with Hyannis Port to the west, so we can walk just about everywhere, the beach, the ferries to the islands (where we'll go on daytrips), and to downtown restaurants, etc. They even have a Trader Joe's there now (and as of May a Whole Foods too) for stocking the house with groceries, thank goodness.
I wrote about a few of my favorite places to go on Cape Cod and the Islands here and here. The Islands, Chatham, Osterville (and nearby Centerville for Four Seas ice cream)... And if you want entertainment, there's always the Melody Tent. It's no Ravinia or Tanglewood, but it's the closest on the Cape. And the Boston Pops is coming to Nantucket and Hyannis too.
Since I've been so many times over the years, the last few times I've done both islands in a day via Hy-line which is much more efficient, lunch in Nantucket and dinner on the Vineyard (or vice versa now, if you prefer), but that's a bit much with the kids, so we'll take the regular high speed ferry (the only way to go, if you're sans car).
Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket
If you are headed that way, there is a great deal on mid-week daytrips on the high speed ferries from Hyannis to Nantucket via The Steamship Authority. They also offer the quickest/cheapest way to the Vineyard via Woods Hole, for all of $8, though Hy-line is the only company to offer high speed ferries to both islands via Hyannis.
To get ready, I've got a pedi and a new favorite red, Forever Yummy (Mummy), and I've raided the sales at VV, RL, JC, and STS (who was so kind as to name a shoe for us ;) )...
And the likely reality of beach vacations with family from The Onion...
