When the summer months hit and the heat becomes unbearable, the city is not really on the top of my list for a weekend getaway. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Boston and all of its activities. The summer boat cruises in the Sea Port, Lawn on D, and dance parties held in Central Square are BOMB. BUT, the summer should also be about soaking up the sun on a beach somewhere, feet in the sand with a cold shock top in hand, right?
For me, the summer is about getting away from all of the cement buildings and city skyscrapers and heading down to the Cape.
I am a wash ashore. For those of you who do not know what a “wash ashore” is, it’s someone who is from the Cape (currently lives there and or has lived there) but was not born or raised on the island. I was a summer person, who became a full-time Cape Codder, who has now found herself in the Boston area. Thank you Mom and Dad for never selling the Cape house and giving me a summer hang out spot year after year.
Whether I am categorized as a wash ashore, local, or full-fledged tourist, nothing compares to Cape Cod in the summer time or early fall (the fall being the best because it’s still warm and the crowds have gone away). If you are thinking about heading down for the day or the weekend, I have recommendations for places in my favorite Cape towns that you should definitely check out. First up: Wellfleet & Truro.
1.) Cahoon Hallow, Wellfleet, MA, is my favorite beach on Cape Cod. If you asked any local on the island if Cahoon Hallow is worth the trip, every single one of them would say absolutely. After cruising down route 6 for what seems like forever, you will see a green and white sign for Cahoon Hallow beach right after PJ’s seafood restaurant on the right hand side (if you are coming from the Boston/Hyannis direction), and will then have to follow a winding road for a few minutes. Soon thereafter, you will stumble upon the beachcomber (the beach bar at the top of this beach) and Cahoon Hallow. At first glance you will see some large sand dunes and that’s about it. BUT, after parking and making your way towards the dunes and path to the beach, you will get your first view of the beach and endless ocean that lies below. It’s a spectacular view from the top and it pretty much takes your breath away. In the early morning, this beach is the most peaceful place before the crowds arrive. I recommend making the trip up here in the early AM if you can (like 7:30-8:15 AM), because there is something so soothing about taking in the sounds of the ocean and only the ocean when the sun is still rising overhead. It’s amazing.
The great thing about this beach is that it stretches for miles, so it is not hard to find a spot. If you have enough energy, I advise walking the beach a bit before you decide to set up shop, so you can get away from the tourists who (FYI) quickly crowd the first few hundred feet of the beach directly below the walk path. If you walk far enough, you can basically have your own little private beach because most people are too lazy and not up for walking any farther than they feel they have to. It is nice not being surrounded by crying babies or obnoxious college bro’s (unless that’s your thing). The waves are surf-able, so if you like to surf, you should definitely bring your board and if you are into body surfing (I still am), the waves here are PERFECT for it. There is also a 90% chance that you will see a few seals swimming near the shoreline while you are here which can be quite entertaining as they bobble around and hang out in what seems like a few feet of water. I recommend not swimming with them or near them though, because as you know, sharks love seals!
There is no other beach on Cape like Cahoon Hallow. It has more of a west coast vibe than that of the other beaches on Cape and it is just so freaking beautiful. It is also the perfect beach for all kinds of groups. If you come with one other person or twenty five other people, this is the beach to hang out at. And, whatever kind of time you are looking to have, whether the goal is to day drink and play KanJam all day, or to relax, cat nap, and read a book , this is the best beach for it.
2.) Beachcomber Bar, Wellfleet, MA, As I briefly mentioned in the description of Cahoon Hallow, the Beachcomber sits at the top of the dunes of Cahoon Hallow beach. The Beachcomber or “Comber/Combah” is the best beach bar on the Cape, hands down. There are few things better in this world than walking off the beach after a long day of fun in the sun to the Comber. It has two bars, one inside and one outside, the outside being the best one by far with stools and benches and speedy and attentive bartenders. The place is great because they have plenty of beer and yummy cocktails to choose from. They also have a decent menu with plenty of pub grub and seafood options. The clam chowder, fish tacos, and Cajun chicken salad are a few of my favorites, and I heard the fried clams and other fried seafood options are quite good and served at a reasonable price.
When the sun goes down, this is also the place to be. They have live entertainment 5 nights a week during the summer and the place gets ROWDY. You can literally roll off the beach still in your bathing suit and spend the night in your ripped jean shorts and sweatshirt if you really want and no one will think twice because they are probably doing the same thing. It’s totally laid back which is probably why I love it so much. I also love that people of all ages come to have a good time. It does becomes 21+ when the sun goes down, so it won’t be infested with little ones, but you may find yourself raging with your parents and your parents friends and find that you are actually enjoying it. They have a dance floor and people definitely get down. My favorite night is Reggae night, which happens every Tuesday night during the summer without fail. It draws a younger crowd and the BEST DJ’s come and jam all night long. You feel like you have been teleported down to the Caribbean for the night and every time I go I find myself drinking some kind of pina colada type concoction and singing Bob Marley. It’s a fantastic time. Definitely check out the comber while in Wellfleet.
Insider secret: If you are on the Cape for Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial Kick off of summer, you can head to the beachcomber for opening night (always held the Thursday before) and snag yourself a free beach pass. This Beachcomber pass which changes color every summer is good for free parking to the Comber & Cahoon Hallow for the entire summer! (Through Labor Day!!) SWEET.
3.) Truro Vineyard’s Winery, Truro, MA
The cutest winery on the Cape in my opinion with lots of new editions in the past couple of years. The main building is an old farmhouse redesigned as a gift shop where you also purchase your wine tasting tickets. They have wine tastings every half hour and for $10 dollars you get to try 5 one oz. pours and hear all about what went into creating the flavor and what kinds of foods you can pair each of the wines with. The tasting overlooks the grape fields and some beautiful gardens which is quite beautiful. It’s a change of scenery from the beach. You can also hop on a complimentary tour (which happen two times a day) with a very informative guide who brings you around the property and through the barrel room. Do you like rum with your wine? They also have a distillery on site and offer rum tastings every half hour and tours twice a day. I think it’s awesome that they have both and with both tastings and tours you can really spend an afternoon here and get a little buzz on. On top of the tastings and tours, they do have a food truck parked outside for those of us who want to soak up the buzz before heading out. All of the food on the truck is super fresh, locally sourced, and made to order.
The food truck which is the Blackfish Food truck (which is also a brick and mortar in the area) makes a really good BBQ pulled pork sandwich and lobster roll. The menu changes but the truck is good for some great sandwich options, burgers, and tasty hot dogs. One of their staple items that is and will forever be my all-time favorite is their fried cauliflower. Cauliflower is such an underrated vegetable. The things you can do with cauliflower. WOW, who would have thought fried cauliflower would taste so good. Try this plate if you decide to grab a bite. I also love that the place has live entertainment (mostly on weekend nights) and that Truro Vineyards is very active on Facebook. They are always sharing upcoming events, like which guest cocktail gurus and musicians are coming to the vineyard in the near future. I like that they keep you in the loop. Come here with a date, with the adults of the family, or a group of friends. Anyone and everyone will enjoy this place and it’s pretty inexpensive unless you decide to purchase bottles of every wine and rum you tasted. 🙂 It’s the perfect afternoon activity, so check this spot out.