New England favorites

Tim's Cape Cod Page

The Outer Cape, long bike rides, kettle ponds, beaches, hostels, ferries and the kind of days that were always better with one more swim and an ice cream stop.

One of my favorite places in New England

To really experience “the Cape,” I have always felt that you need to head all the way out past the elbow and north from there to the Outer Cape, around Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. That is the Cape I love most.

If you want to spend time at a real beach, get out to the Cape Cod National Seashore. The beaches, dunes, ponds and open stretches of the Outer Cape are what always made this area so special to me.

Photos coming laterOuter Cape, National Seashore, dunes, beach or Provincetown photos that I will add later.

Biking, swimming and stopping whenever I felt like it

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a great way to spend the day. In fact, biking is excellent on the Cape and on the nearby islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

The kettle ponds that are everywhere are some of my favorite warm-water swimming holes in New England.

A first-class Cape Cod day for me has always combined biking with numerous stops and swims at the kettle ponds, the seashore and just about any ice cream stand I happen to pass. Sometimes seafood gets added to the day too.

That was always my favorite way to travel anyway—not racing from one attraction to another, but getting outside and letting the day unfold.

Ideal photo sectionBike trail, kettle pond, swimming and roadside-stop photos will be added later.

Camping and hostels

It can be tough finding a place to stay on the most popular summer weekends, but the Cape has long had great camping and hostel options. I always liked Nickerson State Park, with its woods, trails and freshwater ponds, although reservations are something to think about early.

Hostels have been a huge part of my travels over the years, and Cape Cod and the islands were part of that story too. I stayed at the Truro hostel every summer, many many times. and have always used hostels as an inexpensive, social way to be close to the places I actually wanted to explore. The current Hostelling International USA Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard page is the best place to check today's seasonal hostel options.

Photos coming laterHostel, campground, old travel and Nickerson will be added here.

Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard

Getting to the islands can be tough if you try to take your vehicle, but the ferry systems make it possible. I have always preferred the freedom of exploring places like this without making the vehicle the center of the trip. The Steamship Authority has current ferry schedules and reservation information for Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

For more of my own pages, visit Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.